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Wobba
02-02-2009, 12:04
For those of you that are snowed in or bored at work, I thought I’d share an adventure I had last night. Sorry in advance, but we didn’t get many pics!

For most, Sunday's are usually reserved as days of relaxation and preparation for the week ahead, time spent with the family and enjoying a Sunday roast.

Unless you own a Renault of course.

I'll start this story by giving you, the reader, and idea of what my week has been like as a Williams Clio owner. Firstly, I have my MOT soon and have been doing lots of odd jobs to the car, the kind of annoying jobs you just can’t be bothered with until you know someone is going to try and poke holes in your rusty sills and suck their breath in through their teeth and shake their head when they see your bucket of rust pull into the MOT testing station, as if they already have their red pen hovering over the 'FAIL' box before even opening the bonnet.

To make things a bit worse, I had only recently put new AVO coilovers on my car, and had to remove them after a week to be repaired as the adjuster knob had sheared off, only to get them back and fit them a week later to have the same strut spill its entire oil reservoir on the floor due to the seal failing. So, yet again I have to take them off and send them for repair a second time.

The car is giving me more woes as there is another coolant leak, from the radiator, my fourth coolant leak in as many months from different places, not to mention the locking rear caliper since upgrading the brake system with DS2500's and Brembo Max discs. I've also got a fuel leak from the aux tank to sort, but luckily Arj256 has a spare he offered to donate to the cause, and so it was on Sunday, I decided to head on over to pick it up from his garage.

Just prior to visiting Arj, I popped over to see Justin and his turbo-nitrous-looney Clio project as some bulbs in my dash had blown and he had some spare. The car felt odd, and the handling was getting worse due to the strut. When I arrived we noticed the left front wheel was toeing out quite a bit. I had previously adjusted it myself to toe in more and was confused as to why it had buggered up so quickly. Also the car had been feeling down on power more and more of late and today was the worst it had been.

I popped home, jacked up the car, and re-adjusted it. It felt much better as I made my way down the M27, but wait, why was the fuel I had just put in suddenly dropping so fast? Hmmm, I watched in horror and quickly realised I was losing power and fuel: Split hose I thought.

My instincts were right.

I came off the M27, and popped the bonnet, my tappets suddenly going very loud indeed and the car shuddering as if I had HG failure. The smell of petrol wafted up as I peered through the falling snow and into the 'bay, my fears confirmed as petrol swept down the lay-by in a flood. Engine off.

http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w102/barneywobba/Williams%20217/DSC01028.jpg
a fuel leak, yesterday

Now, I was in a dilemma. Do I ring the RAC and get a tow home, forcing me to leave the car all week as I wouldn’t get time off from work, OR call the Arj and ask him for options...

I did the latter. Arj decided to come and have a look, being only a short drive away, and bring the spare parts with him. We moved the car away from the pools of fuel and stood about deciding the options.

Now, earlier in the week I had received a new set of braided fuel lines, by coincidence, along with some new gold alloy hose clamps, but being at home were no use to anyone. Arj was immediately up for a road side rescue and offered to go get the parts and replace them in the lay-by. In the snow. In sub-zero temperatures. In the dark.

Naturally, being a Williams owner I am therefore a bit of a masochist and agreed that it would be an awesome idea to try repairing it ourselves and to go get the parts. So off we trundled in Arj's stripped and caged Willy, clamped in by harnesses, every corner being a lesson for me in tail-out action, we soon made it to the Wobba-cave and packed a box full of parts and tools for the mission ahead.

Armed with my bobble hat, I felt adequately prepared for the cold and snow (I was wrong) and off we went back to my stranded Clio to start work.

Now, it has to be said, Britain is rather cold at the moment. In fact, we have not had such a cold winter in 15 or so years apparently, and of course, snow down this way is a bit of a phenomenon, so to say it was not the best time to breakdown is a bit of an understatement. The snow was flurrying about us as we got the old fuel lines off, one of which showed considerable wear and tear and had clearly perished badly - the culprit behind my loss of half a tank of petrol. The damaged fuel line decided to spray fuel in my left eye as a last gesture at defiance when I yanked it off from under the car. It is not wise getting fuel in one’s eye, luckily it was not a lot but it burned like hell. My eye is still bloodshot as I write, though seems fine.

Armed with the old hoses, we measured up the lengths to cut the new braided hose, only to find that 2 metres is NOT ENOUGH, despite being advised that it was enough, let this be a warning to people wanting braided fuel hoses. It's close, but 2.5 meters would be a lot safer bet, and you'll have some to spare with that length.

We took off a few bits like the engine covers and heat shield to get to the hose brackets a bit easier. At this stage we had the car in the air, but I tell you now: Lying on a hard concrete road next to a three lane carriageway with a 70 mph limit is not fun, especially with snow and freezing conditions, and the poor lighting wasn't much fun either. I narrowly avoided being covered in salt by a gritting lorry as well!

http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w102/barneywobba/Williams%20217/DSC01031.jpg

Arj was on form though, and kept my spirits high. Alone, I would have given up and called the RAC and been forced to leave my car all week due to no time to fix it whilst at work. My hands frequently got so cold I could not undo or tighten screws and bolts. It was hard work. We were often forced into Arj's car to recoup, though this was only a temporary respite from the biting cold outside.

http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w102/barneywobba/Williams%20217/DSC01032.jpg
Arj: cold.

http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w102/barneywobba/Williams%20217/DSC010361.jpg
A shit pic

Now, I would have been happy just jury-rigging the fuel lines so they could get me home, but no, Arj was in the mood to do the job properly, and so we did. I had to use a length of old hose to make sure there was enough length, and used a hose connector to join the braided with the rubber hose, which we cut to length. I tell you now: lying under the car doing up the hose clamps was NOT fun. I could barely feel my hands at this stage and had to constantly retreat to the heaters of Arj's car to enable me to warm up. One of the hose connectors refused to go back onto the lines from the fuel pump, I got it on as best as I could but will need to complete this task at a later date.

Fuel lines on, routed properly, it was time to start the car. Arj reconnected the power supply to the fuel pump and with a splutter the car started! Inspecting it thoroughly, we could see no leakage, but mysteriously Arj noticed a hissing and odd rev drop after letting off the gas pedal: Air leak. From where, I am not at this moment sure...also, we panicked a bit as a smell of burning could be detected. Searching the area we surmised it was the heat shield and the manifold, but I will keep a close eye on this in future.

I had but one small bar of fuel left. Enough to get to a petrol station. At this time the outside temperature gauge said -5, and with wind-chill felt like -15 degree's. The snow had retreated, but I knew more was on the way. Arj looked decidedly knackered, working in the cold really saps energy levels, we were both knackered, but had succeeded in an epic road side challenge.

We packed up our parts and tools, with me deciding to go first in case there was another problem. All was fine though and I carefully trundled to my Grannies place, where she had made a late Sunday roast! Yay! I got there about 9 pm, and now, the snow was now falling fast.

It took me all night to warm up, but it was worth it. I barely lost any fuel on the way home, and I guess my 19 mpg I usually got on journeys was probably due to the hose slowly leaking fuel whilst under pressure. My fuel bar barely moved on my 14 mile journey home!

The next day I awoke like many to a world of white. The snow has fallen and if you believe the usual hysteria published by the news, the Country has stopped functioning. Personally, a bit of snow is no big deal, but the boss called me to say the office is closed today as no-one can make it in. I was quite looking forward to some drifting antics on the way to work :(

http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w102/barneywobba/Williams%20217/DSCF0237.jpg

Instead I will amuse myself by lying in the snow some more as I ensure the lines are on good and tight and remove my screwed suspension, for a return to AVO HQ, and an investigation of my latest leaks. Am I mad? My neighbours certainly think so.

Big shout goes out to Adam for his Epic efforts and willingness to be part of a crazy ass evening of pain.You ‘da man!

http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w102/barneywobba/Williams%20217/DSCF0236.jpg

Matty86
02-02-2009, 12:15
brilliant read! :D your stories are always great

16v_paddy
02-02-2009, 12:18
WOW! :shock:

Good read 8)

kenny
02-02-2009, 12:27
:notworthy: Well done Wobba, respect to Arj

Coops
02-02-2009, 12:36
wobbanory strikes again :wink:

kneesparks
02-02-2009, 12:38
Yo should do a book :lol: Madness, i hate the cold it would of been AA for me. Good job 8)

katbloke
02-02-2009, 12:53
you ought to run up and down the street with yellow food colouring and drip onto everyones drivers door handlrs

LEIGH-ANNE
02-02-2009, 12:54
Wow......


Errr i could go on and moan about how u didnt call on me but i wont :wink:

Honestly tho i would have brought u over a flask of tea...i cant imagine wot the weather was like out let alone doing work on the car. Dan! Be thankful adam WAS in the mood for sorting it out lol!! :D :wink:

And btw peeps...hes stories should be good considering hes previous job!!! lol

white16valver
02-02-2009, 13:27
Respect is due!! :shock: 8)

wavy
02-02-2009, 18:02
arj deserves many free pints :)

well done guys i doubt i would of hacked the cold :(

Carole Anne
02-02-2009, 18:26
Epic! Brilliant read!

willy's are always good for an adventure

what was his other job? as coops said wobbanory :lol: or was he the Storyteller (and his stories must be told)?

Carole Anne

Wobba
02-02-2009, 18:33
Wobbanory lol, you love my bedtime stories Coops, admit it.

Leighanne: I did think to call you but seriously mate, I did you a favour not calling, trust me. I make it sound grand but being there at the time was seriously nasty. Now you mention bringing supplies, I wish I had called. Could have brought me my blanket and teddy bear :(

And sadly, my old job they didn't let me write much apart from a few intro scripts for a few live broadcasts. I usually made the tea hehe.

Hmm, write a book, that gives me an idea :D

And yes, Arj does deserve a few pints from me, but I suspect he has probably had enough of my crazy nights out for a while ^_^

arj256
02-02-2009, 18:43
Haha, was abit of fun on a chilly Feb evening :lol:

Couple of odd pictures:

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y29/arj256/Wobbas%20Fuel%20Line%20Replacement/WobbasRoadSideRepair-4Retail.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y29/arj256/Wobbas%20Fuel%20Line%20Replacement/WobbasRoadSideRepair-3Retail.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y29/arj256/Wobbas%20Fuel%20Line%20Replacement/WobbasRoadSideRepairRetail.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y29/arj256/Wobbas%20Fuel%20Line%20Replacement/WobbasRoadSideRepair2Retail.jpg

Aye, wont deny it was cold that night.
One less job out the way now, just a shame about the venue :wink:
Glad all was well.

MatrixGuy
02-02-2009, 19:02
Awesome stuff!!

That seemed like mission impossible!!

Well done guys :D

rob-legend
02-02-2009, 19:27
haha thats pretty epic, i worked on my crappy polo workhorse on the side of a three lane carrageway once but it was light and warm, but it was well scary, well done guys and quality read, you need to look for a career in journalism wobba! :D haha

col
02-02-2009, 19:43
Well done guys ....its whats mates are for . I think a mention in dispatches is called for.

Justin..
02-02-2009, 19:58
christ, i didnt imagine you there untill it was dark! i heard nothing back from you after you said you had broken down so assumed all was ok!

to top it off my fiesta is stuck outside your work as it refused to start after cheeky pint :roll:

Wobba
02-02-2009, 20:35
to top it off my fiesta is stuck outside your work as it refused to start after cheeky pint :roll:

I'll be sure to give it a kick if I go to work tomorrow ;)

Justin..
02-02-2009, 20:38
:P lol. hopefully it wont be there . (IE stolen :lol: )

Wobba
02-02-2009, 20:59
:P lol. hopefully it wont be there . (IE stolen :lol: )

Well, I was gonna ask what sort of petrol is in it...I am running a bit low after my epic leak last night... :lol:

*Goes hunting for a hose*

Justin..
02-02-2009, 21:00
lol, its in the red already man lol

Wobba
03-02-2009, 09:05
lol, its in the red already man lol

:(

Boss says to get for work for 11 am today. I am going snow drifting! Should be fun as I have one AVO and one J&R shock on the front!

Justin..
03-02-2009, 20:42
saw ur car. i parked next to it in my old dirty hilux :lol: