WOW = has it really been 3 weeks since I last wrote anything in here?? I guess it must have been - work and trying to do some other things around the house has kept me busy!
So, after Nick had been up to give me a hand, I spent a bit of time getting all the ducting resealed with aluminium foil tape (time will tell seeing how this holds up vs the gaffer tape I used last time) and the dash back together. I then had a few other bits to do for other people, and a rear caliper to look at because it wasn't grabbing the disc properly and then headed away for work for a week.
Whilst away, I booked the MOT for Monday just gone, and figured that it will tell me a bit more if there are any issues...
It passed MOT, with 3 advisories - a rear hub oil seal, that I know about and have already replaced once, and both lower front shock mounts - again which I had noticed, but not in time to order shocks to do them pre-MOT.
So I'm happy that she passed - the emissions are pretty low aswell, which is great, and they tested it properly on LPG the first time. I got home and had a look under the bonnet and saw that the top hose had been leaking a bit on the metal spout (we had removed it to fill the coolant from the top of the engine) and upon a bit more inspection, found that the constant tension clamp was squeezable by hand. A couple of new Mikalor bolt clamps were ordered up (I measured the hose on the spot at 40mm and typically they did 37-40mm and 40-40mm sizes!) and I fitted one of the larger ones on Wednesday. Took it out to the supermarket and got back home to find drips on the ground... nope not from the AC drains, but coolant. WTF?!? still dripping off the steering damper too!
Opened the bonnet and found it hissing and squirting out from the bottom of the hose... grabbed to ratchet and cranked the clamp down as tight as it will go, and it stopped... finally...
Went out today and got back to find only a very slight weep down one side of the hose/spout - so I think I might look at swapping the clamp for the smaller one, just to be sure.
But overall, it's all back together, seems to be running OK, and I guess time will tell on the rest. I've ordered a new all singing/dancing navigation unit, so watch this space (well, probably the electrickery section) as I'm going somewhat all out - and will post up some pictures once it's done... will be at least a month or 2 I would imagine as I've got bits of work going on and the unit is coming from China, as it was about £50 cheaper than buying from their German office.
Fingers crossed no more niggly issues lurking under the bonnet though!
'06 4.2 Supercharged Black/Cream "Jess" -- Bought April 2021 (NZ)
'01 4.6 Vogue Black/Lightstone "Snog" -- Bought Jan 2012
'99 4.6 HSE Cobar Blue/Lightstone -- Sold March 2009
'95 4.6 HSE Epsom Green/Tan -- Traded June 2008