Zebedee - It Begins!

[Broad Ambition]

I was gonna get all sorts done on Zebedee today, however the weather wasn't playing ball, rain showers on and off and a max temp of 6c So it can wait till tomorrow when hopefully it'll be a bit warmer and drier. I reckon I'm getting nesh in my dotage

What I did get sorted is a tonneau cover for the hood and a fabric mesh wind deflector both genuine BMW items. the wind deflector has faded slightly so I have ordered some black spray on dye to freshen it up. Apparently these wind deflectors are like hens teeth.

This means that the Perspex wind deflector is surplus to requirements. Now Sold


Griff

 

[Mus Musculus]

Apparently these wind deflectors are like hens teeth.

Funny that. I have one of them in my car, but they don't seem to be particularly effective, and darken the rear view considerably. I was even thinking about ditching them.

Which leads me to this question: do people find wind deflectors useful? My Spit doesn't have one and I never felt like wind turbulence was an issue.

 

[Jam03]

I rate the oem mesh screen. On chilly evenings with the top down it makes a big difference, but then when it’s warmer and you’re not worried about your hairdo, you can unzip it and let it hang, but it’s still blocking air on the hoops. If you have a manual roof, you can then close the roof without getting out, as long as you still have full range of movement in your neck and shoulders. Of course, if you’re protecting your rear screen with a piece of fleece, you still need to get out and retrieve that before it blows away.

 

[colb]

Looking good with the jobs you have done, use some plastic split conduit to put those wires in to make it look better.
Loads on ebay.

Split Conduit for sale | eBay

Find great deals on eBay for Split Conduit. Shop with confidence.

www.ebay.co.uk

 

[Broad Ambition]

Yeah, I've still to fully tidy em up after I have wired the in line 10amp fuse, a job for today along with two drive belts, flushing and changing the coolant

Griff

 

[Broad Ambition]

That's the in line fuse for the electric fan fitted.

Changed over both serpentine poly v drive belts, access was somewhat awkward but I suspect easier now the belt driven fan is no longer in place. The smaller a/c belt was fine only one tiny split on the inside, had miles n miles left in it. The main drive belt however had thousands of tiny splits. As a matter of course I changed them both, the smaller one has to come off anyroadup to get the bigger one off

I couldn't flush the cooling system and replace the coolant because like a proper twerp I have forgotten to purchase some deionised water so that'll have to wait for another weekend. I did however have the forethought to purchase a new thermostat gasket. Now I'm thinking seeing as I intend removing the thermostat housing as part of the flushing process I might as well renew the thermostat as I have no idea how long the present one has been installed. Another trip to BMW dealers this week then.

Now where oh where is the block coolant drain plug situated? Does it even have one?

Answers on a postcard (Replying in here would be even better)

Seeing as the sun is shining and its a balmy 9C, top down and off for the obligatory test drive - Any excuse as if I needed one

Griff

 

[Broad Ambition]

Today I picked up 5 x Ltrs of deionised water for only £1:99 - Bargain

What was far from a bargain was the price of a new thermostat from the BMW dealership £98:00 + vat! WOW.
Or as we say up here in Gods Country - HOW MUCH? !!!!

I asked the sales guy were they made out of platinum? Apparently as it turns out BMW will not sell you a thermostat, nope, its the whole housing as well (Including gasket) That was a shocker. Anyroadup I've had to order it as I'm flushing out the system hopefully this weekend and will renew the thermostat as a matter of course along with new coolant

I asked him to price me a replacement block drain plug - He couldn't find it on the system which tells me there isn't one. At least I now know, which was my aim in asking for one

£98+Vat for the thermostat and housing - Can't get my breath

Griff

 

[t-tony]

There are after market ones for a much more realistic price than that Griff. They all come as a complete housing with thermostat and temp. switch. I only really needed the rubber "O" ring gasket but had to buy the whole thing.

Tony.

 

[Broad Ambition]

Hi Tony - I suspected half as much. I did look at various suppliers in Ebay, after about the twentieth 'This part will not fit your vehicle' notification I gave up. I collect the genuine part from the Bmw dealership this Thursday and will just bite the bullet

Griff

 

[Broad Ambition]

Collected the new carbon fibre thermostat housing with platinum thermostat earlier this week.
(Turned out that £98 price tag included the vat) I was gonna fit it today, however we didn't finish clay shooting till 1230, then I had to visit a client for estimate measuring etc, then had to go off to Ferrybridge services to hand over the perspex wind deflector. By the time that lot was done and I arrived home it was too late in the day to commence the cooling system flushing so it'll have to wait to tomorrow afternoon now, weather permitting

Rather than go in my 'GriffTile' van I drove to Ferrybridge in Zebedee, this a round trip of about 80-ish miles from my gaf, the furthest run to date. Enjoyed the run tremendously, although the radio picks up limited stations. Must remember to drag out our vintage cassette collection and pick a few and get the CD changer thingy loaded up.

At 70mph the engine is doing 3'200rpm, way toooooo high. I am of the opinion that Zebedee needs a sixth gear or cog five replacing with a taller one to drop down the revs for motorway cruising. I'll look into this one and report back in due course

Whilst I was out delivering, in my absence my Lad deep cleaned / detailed / ceramic polished the whole of Zebedee (I knew he'd come in handy for sommat or t'other one day), he's done a fine job too and steed is now looking her best.

I did get the Gods Country Rose 3D gel self adhesive number plate badges put on. The front one looks worse than crap due to the fixing screw location. Now of course I need a new set of plates - self adhesive ones. It seems like everytime I get an upgrade / farkle sorted, there is another un to add to the list I'll soon have gone over the £1k mark spent on that blooming list.

The Gods Country number plate badges. For those of you that reside in Yorkshire, hail from Yorkshire (Or wish you did ) then I have a few pairs available. I searched around online for an age trying to find some, failed so had to do a minimum order and get some made up. 'Er indoors stated I must not put any on her Q5 (She is a Jock-ess) I put a pair on months ago now, she still hasn't noticed them or is giving them a damn fine ignoring too

Griff

 

[Broad Ambition]

Progress:-

That fabric / leather wind deflector. Being aware of just how old this item may be I hand washed it gently which worked as the washing water greyed somewhat then hung it outside to dry naturally. Applied the spray black dye, left that to dry (Its fast drying) then applied some leather care, then finally lubricated the two zips, job done and looks a gudden. No longer does it look dark grey, we are back to black. well chuffed

Griff

P.S - Thought it would be rude not to freshen up my clay shooting vest, so that got the same treatment too. Looks brand new again

 

[Broad Ambition]

Then it was onto todays main event.

The cooling system.

With the huge belt driven fan no longer resident and getting in the way of just about everything, this job was much easier. Removed top and bottom hoses from the rad, removed thermostat housing, remove three hoses from the expansion tank, expansion tank into the kitchen sink for a proper hot wash inside and outside. Hosepipe - Years ago I installed a hot outside tap next to the cold one for garden / outside use. With the temperature dropping by the hour a hot hosepipe pressure wash was called for, I flushed everything from both directions making sure the heater control was set to hot (Open) used gallons of hot water. I was pleasantly surprised that no gunk came out just the old coolant that was discolouring the water. The four bolts that secure the thermostat housing all seemed brand new apart from one. and that was only slightly discoloured, a wire brush sorted that out then applied coppa ease to all the bolts

Fitted the new thermostat/housing and all hoses, back in with the expansion tank. Then in with the new coolant, fired her up, bled the system. Took my MrsG out for Sunday dinner to a pub in Wadworth in Zebedee for a coolant systems test - All to the good.

That's another item ticked off the list. Onwards and upward in the normal manner then

Griff

 

[Broad Ambition]

There won't be any progress on Zebedee or write up this weekend - Unless it warms up and I therefore get sommat done Saturday forenoon which I doubt as other more pressing issues to attend to

A friend and fellow boat owner on the Norfolk Broads has terminal cancer. We are feeling the need to visit him (And his wife) whilst we still have the opportunity. So Saturday late afternoon we are off (In her Ladyships Q5) 160 miles to Stalham then onboard Broad Ambition for overnight. Visit said friend Sunday forenoon in Wroxham, then another couple we should really call in on in Norwich. On completion drive home back to Donny Sunday afternoon. Sometimes life just gets in the road

Griff

 

[t-tony]

A fair old drive on not the best of roads mate for a sad reason too, but one that needs to be done while you can. Hope the weather isn’t too bad.

Tony.

 

[Broad Ambition]

Tis a fair old drive too, not that far but plenty of single carriageway miles. As of yet of course not done it in Zebedee but this summer we'll put that right. If I'm in the 'GriffTile' van on a good day I can get it down to 3 x Hrs. When in MrsG's Q5 with the 'Nag Nav' sat beside me, it can take what seems like forever. However if astride my mighty Tiger, then I can usually get there before I've set off

Griff

 

[t-tony]

Whenever we’ve gone down there it’s been in the autumn when they’re harvesting onions and always ended up following a trailer dripping onion juice.

Tony.

 

[Broad Ambition]

'All Change'

Our planned trip to see our mates in Norfolk had to be cancelled as he has sadly taken a turn for the worse. Still, ever the optimist Saturday got stuff done around our hovel as ordered by Commander in Chief Home Waters (Cincnavhome)

Today - Zebedee.

My aim was to strip down the back brakes ready for cleaning / painting, changing over the pistons, seals, and dust seals. Pair of axle stands to the fore and into it. Strip down successful, after remembering to back off the handbrake shoes at the handbrake lever (Fiddly) so I could get the disc-over-drums off for an inspection, just as well coz part of the friction material came away from the frame on the offside - Photo. This means a new set of shoes along with spring & retainers etc for both sides (Ordered - £38 via fleabay). It also means that I'm now gonna have to strip both sides down fully, clean / paint grease and replace. It makes sense to of course whilst everything is off.

Next stop, round to a mates to get the items cleaned up in his aluminium blasting cabinet

Griff

 

[Broad Ambition]

The blasting cleaning was a longer job than I expected but all done and to the good.

The inside of the drums had a tiny lip around each one - We machined that off and cleaned them up inside and out. The pistons were removed along with their seals and dust covers, new items installed along with new bleed nipples. I have new retaining springs ready when reassembly takes place. Degreased the lot with aerosol brake cleaner from the brake fluid used to assist seating the seals and rubbers into place.

Then high temperature paint, 1st coat applied in our conservatory (Warmer), Cincnavhome was ok with this with only a small comment - Probably coz I presented her with a Sunday evening meal. The second and final coat will be applied tomorrow evening. I had thought of painting the back plates with black hamerite, but it seems I ordered way too much brake paint, so I can use that instead, not that it'll ever be seen much. The brake pads are in fine fettle with plenty of meat available

Onwards and upwards again then

Griff

 

[Broad Ambition]

I had to finish work early today to attend a midday funeral, which meant I got home earlier than normal. This gave me the opportunity to strip off the handbrake shoes from the backplates, wire brush the lot, bathed and cleaned. Next job when / if I get an hour or so is to give a final degrease clean with some brake cleaner then apply first coat of paint. The handbrake assembly fell off and a small pin came out - both sides, I just kinda know this is gonna be a fiddly job building the lot back up again

Applied final coat to the gear in our conservatory too - Bonus

Onwards and upwards again

Griff

 

[t-tony]

When you rebuild the shoe spreader on the end of the cable stick the pin in place with some copper grease Griff.

Tony.