Engine Punk

In the queue for Darracott After the overheating and under bonnet fire on this year’s Exeter Trial, I set out to prevent any of that nonsense happening again. I fitted a new fan switch, a new temp gauge and sender and replaced any dodgy looking hoses. I used generic silicon ones wherever possible but some around the water pump on the Passat engine were bespoke and many branched like baby octopi. Finding the right ones took time and trial and error although I found AI helpful. Parts suppliers want to know my registration number as a starting point. I cut a long story short, I have European Article Numbers for them now, the 13-digit numerical code that accompanies a bar code. I never found out why it overheated on the start line of Waterloo after queueing when the ground was frozen but there you and there it is. I can only assume that wise owl Simon Robson was right. It was one of those things. The rear wheel bearing seals had sprung leaks as well, allowing oil to contaminate the rea...

Patchy coastal fog wasn't forecast at Blue Hills 2 this Easter but tyre smoke was.  Richard Hayward suffered a blow out but may have cleared the section otherwise. It was a huge disappointment to not even make the Bridgwater start of the 2025 Land’s End Trial after all the work on the car. I drove the car up in heavy rain but making steady progress with the Arkley-MG’s single speed wiper. I fuelled up in Cullompton and the new fanbelt squeaked as I started and pulled away. No problem, thinks I, I have two 13mm spanners about my person for this very purpose. As soon as I was at Sally’s place, I made the most of the dimpsy daylight and adjusted the fanbelt. However, the alternator’s cooling fan was just touching the adjustment bracket. Then one of Sal’s friends wanted to move her car and instead of a “Vroom!” I got a “click, click, click” and a suddenly shy ignition light. “Bolleaux” as our continental neighbours might say. It wasn’t having it. It didn’t wanna went. Sally’s niece and...

For some of us, disco dancing is a way of life (Photo : Sally Livsey) My Arkley-MG was mechanically compromised by our success on the 2024 Exeter Trial. After sorting out the knackered Transit diff with help from Adrian Booth, Dave Ball and Martin Matthews, I replaced the Sierra front wheel bearings and substituted 1500 Midget front springs for the bespoke ones Ray Goodwright had commissioned some twenty years ago, it felt like my car was match fit. Maybe. Graham Beddoe had graciously agreed to bounce and navigate and we set off nice and early for our start at Launceston Rugby Club on Good Friday evening. After scrutineering, chinwags with our trialling family and a very tasty burger, we set off in the wrong direction but soon got back on track.   "Let's get down to this next number." (Photo : Sally Livsey) On our way to Bridgwater, I recalled a few niggles from my pre-event prep. Just before the start, dipped headlamps were an occasional no show. A few days before that...

And we're off, with a Mexican (or Illogan) wave (Photo : Sam Barker) I was really looking forward to the 99 th Land’s End Trial for 2023, 21 observed sections and 4 special tests sounded really good, with Class O machinery mixed in with the main trial. This was an especially enticing prospect after getting a Gold last year. Did I ever casually mention I got a Gold last year?   After getting around half the Launceston Trial, the Arkley-MG was running well, having been a non-starter for the Exeter in January . Binky motored down on Friday in the arvo and we set off for Plusha for in plenty of time for a yarn to two before the off scrutineering only to discover we had no working offside rear sidelamp. The harder we looked, the shyer the sidelamp became and then the brake lamps became all coy and went and hid as well. Adrian Booth waved us over to his Land Rover and he produced a circuit tester like the one I’d left at home and Matt Robson joined in with his meter as well. We soon...