A Cautionary Tale

[Guest Sharky]

Hi all,

 

I have a tale of woe which I thought I would share with you all - just to save you any pain in future!

 

Whilst going through the process of fitting the type 9 into the Zero, I chopped the starter housing back for more chassis clearance.

 

As it was a nice day, I did this job on the driveway and happily wielded my grinder complete with new cutting wheel and covered myself in dust to boot.

 

I finished the job with no mishap, cut looked the business, all level and ready for a cover plate to be knocked up - tools away, shower and a congratulatory beer.

 

Minutes later Mrs Sharky complained about the rusty grime in the shower - to which I applied the usual amount of conciliatory agreement and compliance and stated that I wouldn't do it again etc. No problems so far ....

 

Until yesterday, I went out and thought I'd treat the old tin-top to a wash and brush up - imagine my surprise as the water settled on the roof and bonnet and revealed what could only be described as the 'sandpaper effect'! The dust/rust from cutting the casting had stuck to the car and probably partly to do with our recent heat wave, it seemed to have bonded to the surface - nothing would shift it - paniiiiiiicccc!

 

After much fretting and a little bit more worry and panic thrown in for good measure, Mrs Sharky informs me that she had used some proprietry bathroom cleaner (Lime light) and that it came off a treat .... well in for a penny says I ... I tried it some on a hidden unsuspecting bit under the bonnet and it had no adverse effect on the paint, so off I went and the whole car had to be cleaned using the patented, "apply solution - rub it a bit - wash it off and repeat, then T-Cut and apply Mer and polish to a sheen" - this process took me approximately 5 hours!!

 

As a result my hands are now withered and crippled and I am sure I am developing a hunch! I even dreamed about polishing the damn car last night - I think I may have PTSD!

 

So, the moral of the tale, move your tin-top up wind or at least onto the other side of your neighbours' before you start to chop up bellhousings on your driveway!

 

Wax on - wax off

 

Sharky

[Guest combatsapph]

Get yourself a clay bar - it's much quicker :-)

[Bob Tucker]

Dont do it anywhere near car glass (windscreens) it pits them summat orrible...

[Guest woolly]

only sorry you had to find out the hard way.

 

but thank you for the reminder to some and the lesson to others

 

may be a new category tread headed Health and safety for new to mechanical things type persons.

for those of us bought up in workshops etc, its easy to forget that not all the people on here have been trained in some way. the do's and don'ts that were hamered in to us as a apprentice.

 

woolly

[Guest phil howard]

Did you trial fit the bell housing before cutting or was fron dimensions.........I'm a while off being able to trial fit. It is so frustrating waiting for parts and services

[Guest Sharky]

Cheers for t' sympathy guys

 

First off, just in case I have a CRAFT moment - what is a clay bar?

 

Second, I was brought up in a wksp - trouble is we don't take angle grinders to helicopters unless they are in smokin' bits already! But a thread of do's and dont's would be a good idea for us plebs who do 'easy engineering'!

 

Third - Phil, I fitted the gearbox onto the mount with a bit of rope round the frame to steady it and then offered up the bellhousing, then I used my most prized precision tool (Mark one eye ball) and a trusty marker pen to get something close to the chassis line (plus a bit for luck) then chopped it off and checked the results - and the rest of my time was spent polishing the damned tin top!

 

Oh for a bar of clay and an ounce of common dog! .... lol

 

Sharky

[Guest erichetherington]

Don't ask how I know but angle grindering near uPVC windows and doors is NOT a good idea either.

[Guest Ian Marr]

Don't ask how

 

Sorry Eric, couldn't resist .... how do you know?

[E.Hunt]

I've got a mug with that cutting disc splatted look on the side