General Bumble's Bee

[bumble]

As the sun has been shining for a couple of days I decided to use the B yesterday for the school run. It went really well despite the enormous potholes left after the big freeze. On the way back however, I have developed a lumpy tickover and a tendency to stall. I have had this before but only in the height of last summer when sitting in traffic and I associated it with rising engine temperature. Adam has been his usually great help and I think I'm going to have a go at cleaning the idle control valve (when i find it). Its MOT time on Thursday and sons 21st at the weekend so I'm praying it wont be too painful (the MOT as well as the 21st). I'll keep you posted.

Steve

 

[afroking]

Have you got a picture of your engine bay, that way I can circle the idle control valve and show you.

 

[bumble]

That would be really useful Adam. I will take one tomorrow as my camera is at school. Thanks mate.

 

[afroking]

No worries

 

[bumble]

Excuse the quality - pic taken with phone. I think this may be the part in question. If it's not, I have another photo of the whole of the engine bay. Anyway, this could be the least of my problems as, with the MOT due tomorrow, I decided to wash the car and noticed one of the twin tail pipes is hanging off - looks expensive!

 

[afroking]

Yep, that is the idle control valve. Undo two screws then pull it out, be careful as there should be a rubber 'O' ring which you do not want to lose!

 

[bumble]

Do you mean the two horizontal screws? The wholes thing is mounted by two vertical fastenings.

Steve

 

[afroking]

Yes mate, the two horizontal screws.

 

[bumble]

Thanks Adam. Can you suggest somewhere I might get a new back box? Searches on the net seem to only show places selling the silencer and the back box but the pic looks like these are separate components. It's a very expensive month for me and I have already sold a kidney!

 

[afroking]

The backbox is going to cost you around £200.

Here is a seller on Ebay £179.99

I am in exactly this predicament at the moment because a stainless steel system from a company like Powerflow is going to cost about £300

Which is the best option in the long run?

 

[bumble]

I saw that Adam. Is that all one part?

 

[afroking]

Yes unfortunately!

 

[bumble]

Oh well, do you think 'er indoors' would appreciate it for Mothers Day?

 

[afroking]

You could try it.

If she doesn't appreciate it, it doubles up as a baton!

 

[bumble]

Amazingly, the B passed the MOT. The 'racing' tail pipes are cosmetic and therefore not part of the MOT. There is however a problem in so much as the nearside end pipe is now totally missing and the gases are exhausting inside the rear spoiler. There is a short length of straight pipe left after the final bend and I am going to try to clamp on a 'boy racer' style chrome tube from Halfords until I can afford a stainless system.

Steve

 

[bumble]

If a Barchetta was being broken for spares and it was on a certain auction site - one wouldnt be allowed to mention it - so I wont.

 

[afroking]

Careful matey, thats a near edit

Glad it passed mate nice to hear some good news!

Take care with the tail pipe, you may attract the wrong type of attention...

 

[bumble]

Tail pipe replaced (bodged) until I can afford a replacement. Maybe I qualify as half a boy racer now!

I have sent an email to my local Powerflow Centre which is at Edinburgh to ask about costs for a stainless system but they probably wont respond until after the weekend.

 

[afroking]

Have fun choosing a tail pipe, they have about 100!

 

[bumble]

Got an email back from local Powerflow dealer, Calder Racing at Edinburgh. Estimate is approx 340 + VAT. I can't afford it at the moment anyway but this is more than I thought it would be.

Steve