kevin the chicken

We did use de Walt saws on the fire engine but when they became a bit long in the tooth they were replaced with a hilti reciprocating saw which was much better, although whether the improvement came from a different brand or advances in technology I wouldn't like to say. The equivalent de Walt may be just as good. The fire service are now rolling out a hilti impact driver to be issued to all front line pumps. Had a quick go with one the other night but only on some door hinge bolts and it worked OK, it was certainly small and easy to handle. New I should imagine it would be pricey. Hopefully price wasn't too much of an issue when the fire service purchased ours as we need the best when lives depend on them.

362 for me, first event since engine change.

You say you have fuel but have you checked that both carb's are fuelling. This happened to me after my engine rebuild, the engine would cough and try to start but no amount of churning made any difference. I was suspecting timing but nothing I tried worked. I enlisted some help and he gave it a hammering on the starter, moving the dizzy around but still no start. We took the plugs out and two were black,two clean. I had been checking that petrol was present on number one plug but not the others. Took the top off the rear carb and it was empty. Needle valve was stuck up. If you haven't touched anything then maybe this would be a good check to start with, just whip the top off the carb's after you have let them prime. Good luck

Too right if they put that little effort in the spelling there's no idea how much went in the manufacture. I remember being in a sugar beet harvesting machine that utilised six or eight 24 inch circular saw blades to cut the beet in to chips for sampling. One broke in operation, fortunately not managing to cut its way out of the saw box. The noise was horrendous and everybody bar me jumped out of the door leaving me cowering up a corner with the 20 ton machine making its own way down the field.

You need the proper rubbers and cups. Not too expensive but all these little things add up.

It's a redtop and the cable runs on the induction side so I don't think heat is an issue. I was told it was a mk2 sierra cable. I did try the longer cable but there was too much of it to make it look tidy. The short one works OK where it is with no sharp bends

Don't think I am going to be able to help much my car has been completely rewired and most of the wires are hidden inside tubing and a lot of them are one colour, red maybe live but I can't trace them individually. The ignition part of the harness is another made up piece and is all black wire. I don't really want to mess about with the harness too much as everything is finally working after being out of commission for a year. Try Google as these engines find their way into everything minis,corsas,westfield escorts and so on. Some people make new harnesses and some use the original so the info should be out there somewhere. Stick with it they are a cracking engine especially in a lightweight car like robin hood.

Sorry, been a bit busy but I will see what I can make out tomorrow before I go out in it. Most of the loom is wrapped up in plastic piping so I don't know how much I will be able to make out. Having said that there's nothing extra on the car so that should help. The actual ignition module coil and distributor are easily accessible so I will start there and work back. It's nearly 40 degrees in my garage at the moment so I don't fancy it tonight.

One big washer the thickness of a couple of two pence pieces seems to have returned the pedal to its previous operating efficiency but I shall have to give it a test drive later. Damn. Also tightened the sump bolt as their is a little bit of oil visible in the sump guard. Fixed a flapping brake line which seems to have been stuck down with mastic by a previous owner. I'm sure you will agree bob, that was a bodge.

It's definitely still slack now it's cold. I think the application of the carefully engineered hoody solution is a good one. I can't see or even feel the ratchet so can't tell if it's damaged or not until I get the pedal out but hopefully that can wait until a later date.

On the way home the other afternoon I was finding it difficult to engage first gear and the clutch pedal had a lot of travel before doing anything. It seems as if either the quadrant teeth or the ratchet adjuster have failed but I can't see anything without dismantling the pedals. Is it OK to adjust the tension on the cable by using spacers so that I can use the car until it comes off the road in the winter when I can assess and repair. I know there needs to be a little bit of slack in the cable. I always said if there was any weak spots the rolling road would find them. At least it hasn't happened miles from home.

I'll have a look at mine later when it's cooled down. Just been on the rolling road. I don't have an ignition switch as I have a master switch that turns everything on and off. I have a conventional coil and the standard ignition module. Have you had it running.

Don't have any wiring diagrams or anything but I could probably trace mine and tell you where it all goes. Is there anything specific you need to Know? Bob tucker is your man for this really hopefully he will see the post if he's about.

I've used nut splitters in the past when things became desperate. I have a set of sockets for removing seized nuts. They have curved bladed edges rather than flats and dig in when you tighten up. You just select the one that is a tight fit and tap it on. You do however need a bit of flat for it to work and there is always the risk that you may shear the bolt off. Once they have been used the nut is scrap. Irwin make them, think I got them off ebay.

If it's been standing for a while maybe the pistons on the front are seized. You should be able to lock up all four wheels no problem with some firm pressure on the pedal. If not there's a problem but don't panic all parts are readily available and fairly cheap. If you have somewhere safe to do it see if all the wheels will lock up. Doesn't have to be a high speed exercise and it may tell you where to start.

Yes that's what I went for, one with a better cca. I have no idea if my battery is anything like the original fitment as I am pushed for space and just have to use whatever will fit in the tray. The old one that came with the car, a yuasa lasted for around five years so it made sense to fit a similar battery with better cca.

Vauxhall redtop. Good boy. The one that is specified for the astra gte would be fine but if you can find one that fits that has better out put then that isn't a bad idea. If you tell me how much space you have I can tell you if the one I got would fit. It was a bit more than a standard one but you never know when you are going to need an extra bit of churning power on a kit car

Being a kit car that is one of the design features an item falling off now and then to keep you on your toes. It was a good hot day to test the cooling though. The cars can get rather hot with all the heat transfer through the metal but it makes a heater an unnecessary piece of weight. Mine never worked and when there was no tapping for it on my replacement engine out it Came!

I am 6 foot tall and fit in OK but it is a snug fit width wise. Depends on your body shape really, I am around 85 kilos and comfortable but maybe not at 90 or 95. Suspension is all sierra parts, poly bushes, springs and shockers are all easy to get hold of as are brake parts. Is there anybody near you with a series 7 you could have a sit in. Is it the stainless steel chassis. If you want any measurements just ask

You've been bent over with your head in that car for too long. Wet fish in the post

The Honda civic type r or S2000 engine would be good if they fitted. Don't think they are aluminum though. I had a type r from new and the noise from the engine when you revved it was addictive. Normal car until about 5500 rpm then off it went all the way up to 7900 if I remember correctly. The S2000 revs even higher and produces more horsepower but 197 in a small hatch was good. If you were torn between a bike or car Engine then this is a possibility. I expect it has been done somewhere if you trawled all the usual forums. They are normally aspirated but I guess the ecu would have to be fairly complicated to manage the vtech engine. As somebody else has already said its the little bits that make it fit and give reliability that bump up the cost.

Does sound good. Glad that smoke cleared though even my local mot tester might have baulked at that. Nice to see a different type of engine conversion.

There might still be an advantage in buying one incorrectly registered as a Ford Sierra or ford sports then.

Check ignition system first. Might just be a lead or plug failed. If all the pressures are the same unlikely to be a ring or valve. Don't panic and start pulling the engine to bits without checking basics first

As you say test the starter off the car with a battery and a couple of jump leads. Don't know about the alternator but I would leave the coil until I had done everything else and see if it produces sparks. I am pleased to hear that it probably isn't as bad as you thought though.