Manky's Pop.

[Manky Monkey]

Kev went through the SVA test failure sheet & re wrote it in plain English, with cures for all the fail points. That left us with 2 pages -one for the brakes & one for all the other odds & ends. He's in charge of the brake page & I'm working my way through the odds & ends sheet. Over half of it ticked off now.
The testers wanted the brake & fuel lines shielded from the heat of the exhaust, so Kev's re-routed the brakes & I've sleeved them & the fuel line to the carb in this heatproof material, made from a mix of fibreglass strands & aluminium. Looks like an oven ready chicken, but if it makes the testers happy, we're happy.

[Bus Boy]

how long ya got now?

[steve brock]

Couldn't you use the stainless sleeve they put on hoses for a custom type look?

[Manky Monkey]

Not sure the testers would consider that heatproof, whereas this stuff definitely is. This is purely to get the truck through the SVA test.
We had 6 months to get it re-tested, from the date of our first test, which was the 10th of October. So we've got until the 9th of April.

[Manky Monkey]

Had a few errands to do after work today, so a short day at the 'shop.
Loony & I went to see my brother Brock yesterday. He'd TIG welded the bonnet badge together for me. The heat of the welding's brought a few impurities in the metal to the surface. I'll try & buff them out before I get it nickel-plated, but I'd like it to look a little worn & aged, rather than shiney new, anyway.
Thanks to Steve Brock in Dublin for the lazer cutting & my brother Steve, who's user name is Brock, for the welding -confoosling ain't it.
The eyes are 3mm allen bolts that'll form the mounts. I'll drill a couple of mounting holes in the bonnet & sit it in place before we decide whether to hammer a small flat area into the grille shell or build up a flat plinth for it to mount on.

[Manky Monkey]

Last time I visted my brother he gave me a brass radiator expansion tank from an old Transit van to use as a windscreen washer bottle. I cut the old filler neck off & repositioned the inlet & outlet.
Then I gave it to Dslam, who lives just down the road from me. He heated & seperated the 2 halves of the tank, cut out the internal baffle plate, soldered in the new neck, knocked out a couple of dents, nickel-plated the 2 halves, then glued them back together again with silicone mastic, before testing it was water tight. Over 10 hours of work, just for a washer bottle! Many, many thanks Andy. 
Now I need to find some more stainless steel strip to make a retaining strap to match the one on the expansion tank. Unfortunately Dslam's plating tank's too small to fit that one in -Mr Hunter, did you say you could get nickel-plating done?

[poprodder]

looks like theres an old geezer holding that monkey!!!!!!    lol

[Manky Monkey]

I know. Sad ain't it.  When did I stop being the teenager I still think I am & become an old git?
Final job for today was to give the secondary silencers we've made a rub over with some wet n dry paper to key the surface, then blow them over with a few coats of matt black high temperature paint. They looked great in shiney bare metal & I could've painted them silver, but we wanted them to blend in under the back of the truck, rather than standing out -so black it is. Now they look like an off the shelf pattern part from the local autofactors! Over a week's worth of faffing about gone into these, with the tight bends cut from several slices of tube, welded together, than hand filed to shape.
Before welding the tail pipes on we welded the 4" baffles we'd previously used into the ends of the Cherry Bomb silencers -the more silencing the better. Loony says it looks like an old Porsche system. 

[poprodder]

looks like a beetle exhaust!!!!

[Manky Monkey]

 

[terry t]

might here it run. with them on tomorrow.   Andy 

[Manky Monkey]

That'd be great!

[Manky Monkey]

Thanks for your work again today Terry.
Young Tel was already busy when I arrived at Chez Loony at lunchtime. The SVA testers weren't happy with the exposed bundle of wires under the passenger seat -although they were all insulated & multi-pin plugged, they were concerned they could chaffe together or become unplugged & wanted them tidied up. Fair enough.
The fuseboard previously sat on the floor with the connections alongside it. So Terry put together a raised plinth for the fuseboard to sit on, with the wiring enclosed underneath. Much better. Good idea Tel.  
Meanwhile, I fitted the extra silencers, added some braces to the handbrake cable mounts, attached & wired the windscreen washer pump under the dash, hooked up the washer pipes & drilled the bonnet for the new badge.

[Manky Monkey]

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[Manky Monkey]

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