richyb66

Luckily we don't have any pets, but the first cat I see today could get a right shoeing! I should have told them I wanted to speak to the tester, then kept him talking for 4 hours, after all, I paid for 4 hours of his time! Clearly it was my own fault, but the system does seem a bit unfair.

^ ^ ^ ^ The more observant amongst you will have noticed that this is an early post for an 8am test today. I came home from hols in Wales yesterday afternoon a few days early to pick up a hire trailer and spent the afternoon and evening finishing off a few odd jobs and cleaning the car. The trailer was too big to fit in the garage overnight so I had the car ready to load up first thing and boxed the trailer in on the drive with a couple of cars. All I had to do this morning was load up and fill up the Hood on the way to Derby (about 30 miles from Tamworth). I left home at around 6-50 and stopped off at Donnington Services for fuel, which is when I noticed a slight fuel leak. Due to a schoolboy error of not brimming the tank beforehand, the fuel sender unit was leaking a bit (about half a litre maximum before the fuel level was below the leak). I was fairly convinced that the sender unit would seal ok as it had a new Genuine Ford seal but obviously not. It was around 7-20 now so I had a couple of choices: 1. Phone and cancel 2. Effect a roadside repair. I went for Option 2, removed the boot carpet and cover from the sender unit and set to work. Initial attempts at nipping down the bolts had no effect so the seal was possibly distorted so I removed the sender unit completely, cleaned it all up and re-assembled it with a liberal coating of silicone gasket sealer. This appeared to do the trick as jiggling the tank to slosh the fuel didn't produce any leaks. By now it was getting late, around 7-55 so I quickly got cleaned up and at just after 8 (the time, not the mint) I rang VOSA HQ to ask them to let Derby know I was running late. After about 5 minutes they got back to me and said that if I could get there within the next 10 minutes, I'd be OK. This looked unlikely, but I set off anyway. I would have been OK had it not been for the Sat-Nav on my phone taking me on a tour of the outskirts of Derby. I did see one single sign for the VOSA test centre and the mighty Nokia Maps obviously knew a cunning short cut as it lead me down back streets and onto a residential caravan park. A bit more ducking and diving (and by now largely ignoring the vocal directions) and I met a dustbin wagon on a narrow residential street. The driver knew the location of the test centre, mere minutes away and in fact very close to a location of mine just 10 minutes earlier. Basically I arrived at 8-45, the lady there was very understanding but I'd missed my slot for the 4 hour test and they couldn't fit me in. I was then bent over a barrel and rogered for another £450 test fee as I'd missed my initial test and there are no refunds. My new test date is Monday 10th October at 8am again, at least I know where the test centre is now (something that the VOSA lady kindly pointed out to me). The moral of the story is don't fill up on the day (I could have easily done so last night). I assume they can test a car with pretty well any other fault other than a big fuel leak so this isn't something you want to find out on the day, it's not like I could have just drive there and had it tested as is - they'd have probably called the Fire Brigade. At least I have another day off work to look forward to (unpaid sadly - ouch!), and I'm sure that one day I will laugh about the £1000 in VOSA test fees. I was an avoidable mistake so I feel a complete tit and it's give my wallet another kicking it really didn't need. I was beginning to think running an Audi S6 was expensive, suddenly it's looking pretty good value.

The V6 filter (Was Fram PH2584 now PH5660) is 80mm dia x 74mm high. 4WD Cosworth Fram PH5803 is 76mm dia x 125mm high Lots more filter information on the Fram site here http://www.sogefifilterdivision.com/catalogues/FO/scripts/cat_rech_vehicules.php?zone=UK&catalogue=FRAM&lang=GB

Fram PH2834 fits Reliant Kitten (honestly), also fits a Pinto and I've used before and is just 73mm high or if you're really pressed for space then PH2874 (Renault 4) is just 58mm high which I've not used before but is apparently OK on a Pinto.

It's a bit like a Chinese fire drill only slightly less well organised. ( for comparative purposes maybe I should arrange a drill at work tomorrow. What do you reckon Trev? )

Is that the same Paul the tester who cancelled Red Trev's test 4 days before the event because he'd double booked it?

Update - Kiddy just phoned to tell me their equipment isn't signed off yet so can't do my test on 30th September. However Derby (my second choice) can, so I'll go with that. Steve - p.m. sent.

I just got home and Friday's post included a letter from VOSA. Test date is Friday 30th September also at Kiddy - no phone calls, no discussion and no choice of date???? Looks like I'll have to stick with this or have more delay, seems strange Thrashed applied a day before me and got a test 2 weeks sooner???? Maybe Kiddy only do IVA's on a Friday?

Probably worth getting another price - is that all new or re-con using your ends? I'd give Dave Mac a call, I've used them a few times and they're highly recommended. They offer a collect and deliver service and fast turnaround so worth a phone call. http://www.davemacprops.com/

Yes, have a look at this http://nw.rhocar.org/SVA%20lights.htm It's SVA positions but IVA is essentially the same. Remember also that the maximum widths from the outside of the car are measured to the widest point so for front indicators on a 2B, the rear arches are the widest point not the cycle wings. In practice the rear lights are pretty well self locating, just observe the 350mm minimum height (and 900 maximum if the reflectors are built in) and 100mm minimum separation to the fog lamp.

Fuel is normally supplied direct from the pump to the fuel rail and the injectors, the regulator then controls the pressure in the fuel rail by limiting the bleed back of fuel to the tank. So basically you take the high pressure feed out of the fuel rail and that goes into the pressure regulator (probably the bottom pipe on the photo although I'd like to think it's marked somewhere)and the pipe feeds the bleed off fuel back to the tank. As you said, the smaller pipe is a vacuum connector to the plenum so it maintains the fuel pressure as a constant above plenum pressure - the nut and screw on the top would be for adjustment within the regualtors normal operation range which I think is 0 to 5 Bar. I suppose a gauge fitted to the fuel rail would help with setting up.

Why, wouldn't that make them rather difficult to adjust?

Mine leaked after I'd had it blasted and powdercoated (didn't leak beforehand so the blasting obviously dislodged some dodgey weld - not one of mine I might add). I just drained the oil, ground off the powdercoating around the leak and migwelded it it situ. Seemed to have worked ok and easier than dropping the sump off.

and it should only work with headlamps on (dip or main) not with sidelights.

Can't they join general union rather than a specific trade one - something like Unite? They're a big organisation so should have some clout. http://www.unitetheunion.org/default.aspx

The IVA manual says this: Where provided Identification of Controls, Tell-tales and Indicators; 1. Must be clear so not to cause confusion. 2. Must be on or as close to the controls, tell-tales and indicators as possible as not to cause confusion. 3. Must stand out clearly from the background. So I'd expect HORN written by the switch as opposed to the symbol would be OK.

NW RHOCar to the rescue again: http://nw.rhocar.org/sump.htm

With the plugs out, can you turn the engine over with a spanner on the crank pulley? If not then something inside the engine is preventing it from turning over. See if you can wind the engine backwards to determine whether the engine has rotated against an obstruction or if it's locked solid. If it will turn over with a spanner, re-fit one plug and try again. If the plug is fouling the piston you should at least be able to turn the engine almost a complete turn before it stops. If it turns over ok, then fit the rest of the plugs one at a time and turn it over again after fitting each plug. If it's all OK with all the plugs fitted then maybe the starter motor isn't fully engaging with the flywheel. If you remove the started can you see signs of damage on either the starter pinion or the flywheel?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2-LITRE-PINTO-STEEL-THERMOSTAT-HOUSING-/270793230945?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item3f0c88ca61

Is the hazard switch ok? Looks to project from the surface of the dash so it should have a minimum 2.5mm radius all round. Looks like you're almost there. I'm busy ploughing through the last few issues on mine.

Just a top cover would be ok for IVA as long as it doesn't have any sharp edges. However, unless the cover comes down level with the vertical sides of the inner boot, then you might get water in the boot. On mine I panelled over the areas each side that you have left open and I'm currently making a cover to go over the top of that. Not the greatest pictures but it gives you the general idea:

Also check that the engine number on the V5 matches the actual engine - mine didn't, wrong engine number and was 1600 in the V5 but the new engine was 2000 as the donor car had a replacement engine fitted, fortunately I had a reciept for this. Originally I just sent off the V5 with the capacity change and the new number but they wrote back and asked for more evidence so I took a photo of the engine number and sent this to Ford's Tehnical Department who confirmed the capacity of the engine and the date of manufacture. I then sent all this, the reciept, the photos and the old V5 to the DVLA who swapped the capacity and the engine number and sent everything back. TBH without the reciept for the engine swap I think I might have been struggling. It seems the DVLA are being a bit more strict on engine swaps to stop people trying to register kit cars as "single donor" when the engine was never actually fitted in the donor car. Hopefully now my BUI should be fairly straight forward as all the paperwork will match but we'll see what happens in practice.

1 Classic minis used sealed beam lights. Minispares should sell the correct connector that looks like thes: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MINI-HEADLAMP-LOOM-SIDELIGHT-BULBHOLDER-SEALED-BEAM-/150632944233 or alternatively just cable tie a normal sidelight bulb holder underneath the headlamp connector so that the bulb shines through the window in the sealed beam unit. 2 You'll need and led flasher unit (or an electronic one designed for towing applications). As your bulbs are mostly led there won't be enough current flow through the normal flaster unit to allow it to operate.

Steve, did they give any indication what the waiting time is i.e. from submitting the application form to getting a test date? I thinking about applying for mine in a few weeks time.

Heard a rumour you're using thin synthetic oil?