Of course what else would you call a cable? :bang:

The site doesn't work anyway. I had a look at some Panda parts "Error 503" or "parts not available".

Yep, "Error 503" every time.

If they don't want customers they haven't got one.

First commute and apart from having warm the lumpy engine up and fiddling about with the headlight stalk I'm at work in one piece.

Pretty well behaved, a little slower than my Panda but just as well planted.

Door handles swapped all you have to do is pull out the split pin holding the lever barrels to the mechanisms and swap them over. The lever linkage is removed from the passenger side and the button stuck on with the most super superglue available.

No more rat poo under the bonnet and the cable arrived today.

It looks like rain is going to stop play today.

When I picked the van up the fuel light was intermittent. I put £10 in the tank 7.3 liters and the fuel light came back on after 83 miles.
That's 62.3mpg.
Including having to warm the van up before use because of the missing cold start cable.

I'm tempted to try and hypermile to see if I can reach 80 mpg.

The cable fitted with no issues until I took the old cable off. First the locating clip pinged off and is somewhere between the pump and the floor. I worked out another way of holding the cable in place and the end if the shaft where the cable end clamps snapped off.

What a brilliant design! :bang:

I have a plan "B" just in case. Manually move the advance with a stick until the engine's warm enough to run without leaving an Acme-esque smoke screen behind me.

I remember why I can't stand diesels now.

The kit car cable I bought to replace the snapped cold start advance worked until I tightened the clamp on the pump itself...



...and the shaft snapped. :bang:

So the cable will remain in place until I can make a new shaft out of something that won't snap. A revolutionary material that has been used for thousands of years; called "metal".



In a happier note the reverse bleeper is now fitted and I've used some reflective red tape to make a couple of hazard triangles for the back doors.

One issue with metal cables, they tend to short glow plugs out.
That took a few seconds to diagnose and cure.
Both rear screen heaters work. That's a bonus.

I was thinking blue...



...but since I a did Fantasia green...



...I kind of like it.

Fiorino

https://www.fiatforum.com/lets-talk-fiat/341894-blue-green.html

Now you can vote on the colour crayons I use.

Re: Fiorino

I've got a bit of scrap shaft and machined a thread on the end with the lathe at work (I really need to get myself one at some point).



The plan is to remove the plastic shaft from the pump and at the lever end drill a hole through the cap so I can use the nylock nut to hold the metal shaft in place. At the other end of the metal shaft I'll weld a wire clamp in place so the cable can be attached.

So here's the big question can the plastic shaft be removed from the fuel pump advance lever without taking the whole bloody pump off?

I can see how myself, even if I take the glow pugs and out of the way.

I don't think anybody here ever tried, so you're on your own, I'm afraid...

As soon as I work out how I'll do a little guide. I can't be the only person who's broken the shaft, it was brittle as porcelaine.

Grrrr! I hate being right sometimes. Just took a pressure washer to the fuel pump and the lever end is held in place on a shaft with a spring clip that'd be impossible to get to. :bang:

So that adds about five hours to the job.

Re: Fiorino



There must be a way.

:slayer: :worship:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/151218056063?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649

It's on my watch list. I can weld the crack in the sump at work.

My attempt to be healthy and safe by sticking hazard triangles inside the back doors has an issue.
With my mirror set for daytime use no problem at all, but at night I see two red triangles in my mirror.
Removing the triangles would be admitting defeat. As I'm a man I've tinted the rear windows instead so I no longer need my mirror in the anti-glare position.

Fiorino

How interesting. The chap who I thought was kidding when he offered me £500 for the van has come back with a 2003 Doblo to do a straight swap.