My Scotland 2015

[speedtripledan]

Day 1

Finally after months of work rebuilding the car the day was upon me, seemed to have taken forever to come round but all of sudden there it was 18^th April. The car was packed with spares and tools fuel cans and fuel. I set off feeling more nervous than excited, in front of me was an unknown engine hastily assembled out of parts from 2 different engines using a second hand head gasket and bolts (5mins run time) and a gearbox that I had rebuilt some months ago that had a mere 100mile testing before this day.

I take a slow drive to j29a to meet up with the Richard, Keith, Simon and David had a quick breakfast then off we set to ferry bridge services to meet with the rest of the crew, driving along I started to notice a strong smell of oil, my nerves were twitching at this point expecting the worse, I was seriously thinking peugeot time. We pulled in at ferry bridge to meet the rest off the crew, so I had a quick check, oil everywhere down the front of the engine, it seemed to be the rocker cover gasket so what was to be come a theme for my trip I dismantled my engine and replaced it in the car park. Thinking I had sussed it we set off on our merry way to borough bridge services. All there way there I had that disconcerting smell of oil, was it remaints burning off or more pouring out? we got to borough bridge and guess what? it was poring out. At this point the peugeot was seeming ever likely but I thought stuff it ive come this far I,m going the rest so put a good ½ litre of oil in and set off again. The next part of the journey through north yorkshire was torture !! I have never seen so many lambrettas on the rd at once there were hundreds of the smelly stinking things, I felt ill on the fumes of 2 stroke oil. The majority were prize tits, all bar one were driving well under the speed limit in large groups making it very hard to overtake them safely, after a while I.d had enough and gave them no choice but to get out of my way, they were an arrogant bunch of 70's throw backs... if you ride one no offence but not even close to my cup of tea.

Then came the next problem the suicidal superbike riders, I rode super bikes up until 2008 and I rode them hard and dangerous at times but this lot were unreal. If there wasn't some fatalitys that day I,m surprised, if there was I hope they only killed themselves and not innocent road users utterly mindless idiots.

Then my next mechancial issue of the trip reared its ugly head, Brake loss, I fitted a brand new obp pedal box and brake cylinders over the winter again only 100mile tested prior to set off for Scotland. I had lost all my pedal it was on the floor. There was no fluid loss but the pedal had sunk. Fortunately a had packed brake fluid so in a gravely laybe hundreds of miles from home I bleed the brakes out. They worked fine for a short time but over 150miles or so they disappeared, again no fluid loss so again what turned out to be a 2 to 3 day event I bleed them again. Eventually after nearly 12hrs on the road we got to helensburgh, no brakes and my engine sweating oil in a big way I was struggling to smile! A couple of beers food and bed to ponder my next move. Go home on the break down truck or get creative...

 

Day 2

6am I think stuff it that little git of a car is not going to get out of being thrashed round scotland so I set to work. For some unknown reason I randomly throw some new cam seals in the boot last thing before we set off, so I thought how hard can it be to remove the cams and replace the seals in the car park of the hotel. Zetecs use a star socket on the cam caps, did I pack one? No, was that going to stop me? NO I managed to use a cheap 8mm socket to undo the bolts. The exhaust cam was quickly in my hands, fortunately with the zetecs you can get the cam seal on from the opposite end, so on they went. A quick torque of the cam cap bolts with my torque wrench for the day (my wrist ) and it was time to reattach the cam belt, I found tdc on the piston bought the cams round and locked them off using two 5mm allen keys and ….................. the cam timing on the inlet was out and I couldnt get the belt on I needed to undo the cam wheel to line it up easy you think, not in a car park 360mile from home with a banging head ache and no t55 torx to undo it with! I was starting to think the car had won at this point. 9Am in a hotel car park without the tools to finish the job, some more of the Scottish lads were meeting us there so I waited until they appeared unfortunately no t55.Time for a Google, we found a car spares shop near by opening at 10 so just had to wait an hour with fingers crossed.. at this point I had and hour to kill so helped David rewire his start circuit which had failed on day one outside his hotel.The shop opens and YES he had the the required t55 socket, kindly Keith and Andy picked it up for me. By this point I was keeping the boys from the there trip up to sky before I had my rocker cover on they were starting there engines ready to go. So I quickly finished off and set off. Less than 2miles later and it was game over for me or I so I thought. Engine was tapping loudly the smell of oil was torrid I switched the engine off and rolled to a stop just off the road out of harms way. One by one they all roared passed and left me there except Robert one of the Scottish guys with a lovely quantum. I was utterly defeated at this point, I really thought that’s it trip over... I lifted the bonnet expecting the worse, in my earlier hast the rocker cover gasket hadn’t gone on properly and leaked oil in to the plug chambers in the middle of the head, it was full to the top of the rocker cover, and scorching hot. I really wanted to go home at this point I was really out of fight the little git of a car had practically beaten me in to quiting, but Robert talked me round and helped me fix it again. One bog roll later and using the original rocker gasket from ferry bridge and a good litre of oil it was fixed. Started her up and the knocking had gone. So we bleed the brakes again and set off. It was ok !! we got to the green welly where everyone was waiting. I ruined Roberts drive for him but thanks again without your support I would have gone home. From there on in my engine remained oil tight and still is now its home. I made it to the next hotel on Skye.

 

Day 3

Early start again as I had an idea on what might be causing my brake issue, I thought it might be what had caused my clutch bleeding issues on my clutch some months ago, I removed the reservoir, no easy feat I might add as I buried it out of the way when the engine was out so access was difficult but I removed it and in true hoody style using cable ties attached it to the clutch cylinder, bleed the brakes out and off we went.

Some miles later when we had made it to the foot of the apple cross pass I had no brakes again, there was no way on gods earth I was attempting it with next to no brakes, thankfully simon stopped to help me this time. Turned out to be a good decision as on the way up I would have crashed head on into a lorry, with full brakes I stopped ft from his bumper. Last year I loved driving up the pass this year I hated every second, an amazing road but bloody dangerous. Got to the applecross inn where they were all waiting. I had the best battered haddock ive ever had.. The roads after the pass were ace, tight twisty but you were able to see far enough ahead to have some fun. At this point my oil light came on. I wasn’t worried as it was connected to the same point as the gauge which was ok, I then went to switch off my cabin heater and the oil light went out, err ? Some sort of earth fault had devolved it wasn’t effecting the running so I let the car have that one.. Andy and Terry had disappeared after a bit of traffic had got between us but eventually I lead the convey to the next and only fuel at kinlochewe, Where I spy terry with his bonnet up, it was terminal his engine had gone bang and dropped an end or two... I was in no hurry to drive the last 60mile to inverness so waited with terry for his car to be recovered. The service station closed with us still sat there with our wounded cars, the sun was starting to hide now and the temp dropped a fair bit, then the next door neighbour to the garage came out offering tea coffee and biscuits what a really nice fella. what must have been 2hrs and several brews later the the breakdown truck turned up. Terry then jumped in with me and we blasted the last 60mile to inverness with no more drama.... that beer never tasted so good...

 

Day 4.

 

guess what I bleed my brakes out again! And we set off through the cainegorms at a very scooter like pass stopping frequently to take in the stunning views. After a while the brakes were dropping again we pulled in at a view point just pass a ski centre my sat nav said we were 2086ft up, it was stunning up there, Keith Terry Paul and I stayed there for a good hour. People always say your bleed nipple should be the highest point when bleeding, I thought at 2086ft my car was never going to be any higher so I bleed my brakes again thinking this time my brakes might work. We set off again just cruising barely touching the speed limits, we got to pitlochery and suddenly coasting down the hill into the village BANG. My throttle cable had snapped ! You guessed it I had another. My momentum down the the hill stopped us right outside the pub, happy days ! For terry at least, 4pints later he was a happy boy..

that was the end of the dramas for me for that day, after multiple piddle stops for terry, we got to the hotel all ok. Terry carried on where we had left off and I joined him.

 

Day 5

yes you guessed it brake bleed time, then off we went for home got on the m90 and I heard a metal noise fall on to the road and there I saw my 11mm brake bleed spanner bouncing down the fast lane, so that was that. We went the scenic route via jedburgh meeting zeroknowlage and allen toon from the club then on to hexham for a lunch stop, fuel and a brake bleed, brakes done I nipped off for fuel, set back off to the car pack to meet the others and TING ting ting keiths 11mm spanner was now bouncing down the road what a tit I done it again!! Grr I walked back with Keith and retrieved it this time.. before we set off I got under the car to increase the damping on my shocks with my car set up for one having terry sat there was upsetting the balance causing my tyres to rub on the wheel arches on the really bumpy roads. Whilst under there to my horror I found my nearside rear shock bolt about to lose its nyloc nut one more thread and the nut was off to join my 11mm spanner, if the bolt had fell out god knows what would have happened ! after that it was plane sailing all the way to Terrys house, except a smashed set of step ladders in the middle of the A1. A quick stop and I set off on the last 35miles home. 6Miles from home my car starts cutting out I realised I hadn’t fuelled up sense hexham some 170miles ago! I stopped put one of my fuel cans in thinking that was the issue, sadly not I limped that last 6miles running on 3pots,

 

I did it all, 1377miles of it, I,ve had some of the best days of my life with some really great people. I made some new friends on the way and I will certainly do it again, except this time the car will be ready and tested long in advance.

 

A good friend once said and my lovely partner sue reminded me of this via face book having seen pictures of it “ Always check your nuts” I might add further don't try to build and modify cars when working 12hrs a day 6days a week as silly mistakes creep in. my engine troubles were all due to this the brakes was just a faulty new part so one of those things, none the less OBP are in for a verbal bashing if I do find out it was there new master cylinder that is at fault...

 

Scotland is a stunning country, The isle of skye especially. Rhocar is a great club cheers everyone... Dan

Edited April 23, 2015 by DanE

[speedtripledan]

proof i had the cam shaft out

 

my favorite pic of the trip

[richyb66]

A great read and some inspirational determination on your part Dan. Like you said, such a massive trip in an effectively un-tested car was always going to be a big ask but you made it home under your own power.

 

Lesser men would have surely thrown in the towel after the first problem. Good on you for sticking at it, well done!!

[Dean Roberts]

Dan I admire your true grit and defiance to not let the car get the better of you.

I imagine the weather, views and company helped with all the issues that kept popping up

 

What a rollercoaster you have had over the last month.

 

A great read and I look forward to seeing more photo's.

The picture of the loony flag wavers.....Did they realise the cliff was crumbling underneath them...?

 

Looks like I better get my finger out and get my car up to scratch for the next outing

Best of all - "you all returned safely".

Edited April 23, 2015 by Dino

[speedtripledan]

I was the one in the middle

[Guest whiz]

A great adventure for all bring on next year. I'm the nutter with the flag lol

[alantoon]

I am sure I speak for Paul (Zeroknowledge) as well as myself that we really enjoyed meeting you all at Jedbough and driving down through Northumberland to Hexham. Pleased you all made it home safely, and look forward to catching up with you at Stonliegh

[ZeroKnowledge]

I am sure I speak for Paul (Zeroknowledge) as well as myself that we really enjoyed meeting you all at Jedbough and driving down through Northumberland to Hexham. Pleased you all made it home safely, and look forward to catching up with you at Stonliegh

 

certainly did enjoy the runout on wed

good to meet you all & put faces to names,

[Guest peter2b2002]

Super star richard geat write up,you must be getting a bit more practice

petrr2b

[Guest peter2b2002]

Told swmbo about your scotland trip this year ,she said i supose you want go to scotland next year in stead of Le Mans no i said im not getting any younger so i'm doing both

Peter2bz3

[Guest Paul94]

Finally found some time (rain does have its benefits) to look at the contents of my camera after the Scotland trip

I have uploaded a selection to the Photobucket account set up by Onslow. - You are welcome to use/copy/abuse at your leisure.

 

www.photobucket.com

[Guest Ian & Carole]

No picks on the link, you might have to change the settings to public??