What's made you grumpy today?

[portland_bill]

Four caliper carrier bolts from Shop4Parts costing £33. Over £6 for postage.

Now these are M10 Metric Fine 1.25 pitch and 22mm cap head bolts integral washers.. The killer is metric fine and plated as opposed to natural plain black dusting finish. Could have gone with hex head at 20mm or 25mm and fine pitch for £2 (or less per bolt. Both 20mm or 25mm length I can adjust for.

But, wanting to keep things standard, i.e. original I'm getting screwed. I gather Fiat now want £10 (or there abouts) for one of these little *uggers.

What really *isses me off is that here in the UK metric fine pitch, whilst listed by many UK comapnies, can (depending on sizes and lenghts) can take up to 14 to 20 days to arrive. They are obviously being imported.

Fiat and others probably pay 1 pence, or less, for these items in manufacturing quantities but we get stung for £7+ per item.

I could clean up and reuse the original cap head M10 bolts but at 19 years old due to corrosion I could not get the Allen drive head into the socket head without scraping the inner flanges. Even then tapping with a brass drift was required to fully seat the driver. Then a vice and narrow drift to tap the socket bolt off the Allen driver bit.

Oh the joys (not) of working on aging vehicles.

Sorry to present this after your purchase.

M10x1.25 Socket Head Cap Screws With Fine Pitch Thread DIN 912 (ISO 4762) in Bright Zinc Plated (BZP) Class 12 High Tensile Steel - Westfield Fasteners Ltd

M10x1.25 Socket Head Cap Screws With Fine Pitch Thread DIN 912 (ISO 4762) in Bright Zinc Plated (BZP) Class 12 High Tensile Steel. The extra thread engagement gained from the finer pitch gives a more secure and stronger fitment.

www.westfieldfasteners.co.uk

 

[Pugglt Auld Jock]

Sorry to present this after your purchase.

M10x1.25 Socket Head Cap Screws With Fine Pitch Thread DIN 912 (ISO 4762) in Bright Zinc Plated (BZP) Class 12 High Tensile Steel - Westfield Fasteners Ltd

M10x1.25 Socket Head Cap Screws With Fine Pitch Thread DIN 912 (ISO 4762) in Bright Zinc Plated (BZP) Class 12 High Tensile Steel. The extra thread engagement gained from the finer pitch gives a more secure and stronger fitment.

www.westfieldfasteners.co.uk

Thanks PB, I've squirreled that one away in my "useful sources" book.

 

[s130]

Sorry to present this after your purchase.

M10x1.25 Socket Head Cap Screws With Fine Pitch Thread DIN 912 (ISO 4762) in Bright Zinc Plated (BZP) Class 12 High Tensile Steel - Westfield Fasteners Ltd

M10x1.25 Socket Head Cap Screws With Fine Pitch Thread DIN 912 (ISO 4762) in Bright Zinc Plated (BZP) Class 12 High Tensile Steel. The extra thread engagement gained from the finer pitch gives a more secure and stronger fitment.

www.westfieldfasteners.co.uk

Yes , Ive used Westfiled before. However the ones I need are out of stock and expected in 12 to 18 days

 

[irc]

I have used a couple of the Japanese 4x4 specialists for longer (130mm+) fine-pitch bolts in the past, and the prices were a fraction of specialist bolt suppliers.
Metric fine threads seem more common on that type of vehicle than most european cars.

 

[Pugglt Auld Jock]

Metric fine threads seem more common on that type of vehicle than most european cars.

Metric fine threads have always been a bit of a peculiarity on cars. More common on motor cycles and some horticultural stuff with Japanese engines. The Chinese have a real hold on the small engine market these days, With my interest in horticultural machines I keep on expecting to run into one but so far I haven't. Maybe people view them as throw away? Mind you the spares situation with them could be poor.

 

[porta]

Metric fine threads have always been a bit of a peculiarity on cars. More common on motor cycles and some horticultural stuff with Japanese engines. The Chinese have a real hold on the small engine market these days, With my interest in horticultural machines I keep on expecting to run into one but so far I haven't. Maybe people view them as throw away? Mind you the spares situation with them could be poor.

Tend to be copies of older Honda and Briggs small engines, usually realest with copied carburettors but made of cheese

 

[s130]

What strarted my caliper bolt metric fine was actually making me more grumpy.

Wife said the handbrake on her Barchetta was not holding the car on steeper inclines. This got worse so as MOT is due I scheduled the little girl ("B" not wife) for a service (rear brakes before you get excited). Having had new rear discs and pads in 2016 @ 42K miles and now 2024 @ 52K miles things at the rear (due to low usage) looked a little iffy so I thought lets bang some new discs and pads in. Cheap on parts, £50 all in so don't mess around.

Check handbrake adjustment and noticed that one cable (N/S) was drawn longer than the other. Immediate thought - left rear pad wear.

So startted on rear N/S.

Getting the caliper off was easy. Handbrake cable/linkages all still well greased. Getting the caliper carrier was not that easy. The inside of the socket head bolts had built up corrosion such that the Allen Drive Bit would not fit and locate in properly, hence new bolts! Then I got that horrible feeling/suspicion that someting was not right. Piston stuck?. So pressed brake pedal gently and piston extended. Caliper piston wound back alright but the cable retraction was not happening. So, oh B the cable or caliper handbrake mechanism had siezed.

Well turned out to certainly be the caliper handbrake mechanism.

Bored yet?

So I'm now awaiting from Autodoc new calipers and cables. For some reason the rear left caliper is out of stock with most suppliers, even Autodoc but they have managed to find a matching pair of alternative that don't initially show on their website till you put the specific info in.

Now have to wait 5 to 7 or 10 days for the parts to arrive.

Car out of action!!!!!

 

[Cheest]

The new furniture we ordered last month arrived today. One big couch that I've yet to sit on and maybe tonight's bed, plus two rocker recliners. As I am somewhat useless at the moment, Mrs.Cheest and the delivery guys got it all set up. We tipped those guys well.

We didn't replace the end tables because we thought they'd work with the new stuff but no such luck. Sooooo, instead of having the chairs side by side with an end table on one side of either, there is a single table between the chairs and said chairs are angled a bit towards each other. It kind of works, for now. Anyway, the chairs are the catsass; comfy, rock gently, and the foot rest is perfect for elevating my effed up ankle.

Here's what made me grumpy. While sitting in my new comfy chair(No one expects the Spanish Inquisition)and approaching nap time bliss, Mrs.Cheest got out of her chair and bumped into my ankle.

Oh. My. God. Nap time bliss was replaced by an electric jolt that caused me to see stars, have tears, wail in pain, and possibly speak in tongues. If I was still wearing my smart watch*, the heart rate alarm would have gone off. All I heard from Mrs.Cheest was 'Oops' and "I didn't hit it that hard'. Through gritted teeth, I asked if she'd like a punch in her new stitches. That was a couple hours and pain killers ago. Finally feeling almost normal.

*I took the smart watch off yesterday and went back to my old Casio Atomic. Not taking enough steps to bother with, tired of the stupid thing telling me to get up and do something, and I don't need it to tell me I had a lousy night's sleep.

 

[bugsymike]

Here's what made me grumpy. While sitting in my new comfy chair(No one expects the Spanish Inquisition)and approaching nap time bliss, Mrs.Cheest got out of her chair and bumped into my ankle.

Oh. My. God. Nap time bliss was replaced by an electric jolt that caused me to see stars, have tears, wail in pain, and possibly speak in tongues. If I was still wearing my smart watch*, the heart rate alarm would have gone off. All I heard from Mrs.Cheest was 'Oops' and "I didn't hit it that hard'. Through gritted teeth, I asked if she'd like a punch in her new stitches. That was a couple hours and pain killers ago. Finally feeling almost normal.

*I took the smart watch off yesterday and went back to my old Casio Atomic. Not taking enough steps to bother with, tired of the stupid thing telling me to get up and do something, and I don't need it to tell me I had a lousy night's sleep.

I don't know, some people will say anything to get a bit of sympathy..

 

[Pugglt Auld Jock]

I'm somewhat "Hors de combat" at this time too. It's the school spring half-term holidays just now so last Tuesday we had my youngest boy's kids with us all day. The weather was dry enough for us to have a trip out to the local playpark which they love. I have a selection of old and "saved" scooters, bikes, etc stored in my shed from which they can choose for the 20 minute walk there so my 11 year old granddaughter chose the scooter and the wee lad - 4 years old - decided on the tricycle. The tricycle has a detachable "handle on a stick" which plugs into a socket behind the seat so you can help him get up the hills etc. On the flat though he insists the handle is removed - street cred? - So once we'd got out onto the main, tarmac surfaced, path, he insisted on me removing it. It's secured by a wee spring loaded plunger which has a strong spring and is quite difficult to depress far enough to release it. Anyway, I was trying to do it with my thick Thinsulate gloves on but the padding of the gloves were preventing me depressing the tab in far enough to effect a release. It was going to be more easily accessed by turning the bike on it's side and tackling it with the gloves off so I bent over and lifted the wee lad off the bike and, oh dear, I thought I'd been speared in my lower back. A very sharp pain in my lower back, right buttock, pretty much paralyzed me and, when I started to move again I realized I had a pain going down my right leg. Eventually I got straightened up again and managed to hobble on. the pain slowly lessened and I spent the time at the play park sitting on a bench instead of clambering over the climbing frames and going down the slides with the kids as I usually do. By the time I got home the pain was considerably better but Mrs J insisted on me taking some ibuprofen - which almost completely banished the pain. However it comes back very quickly when I bend down to put my socks on in the morning and takes about half an hour to subside after. On reflection I realize I had not applied good lifting practice when I lifted him. I was not square on and didn't assume the recommended posture (I did a course in "heavy lifting" as part of my instructor training so no-one to blame except myself).

My suspicion is that I've done damage to a disc in my spine which has caused inflammation in it - sciatica? As long as I don't bend and stretch, as when putting the socks on, it's merely uncomfortable and is slowly improving but after putting my socks on in the morning (or my bedsocks at night) it's pretty sore for a quarter of an hour or so. Not sure if this sort of thing will cure itself with rest or whether I'll have to try and see our GP. Going to give it a chance to heal for a few more days before I try for an appointment. It's quite debilitating and I'm absolutely furious with myself for being so stupid!

 

[bugsymike]

As above, I think we all have to accept the problem is "anno domini", things we used to do without a seconds thought now have consequences.
All the younger Forum members will be thinking what are these old wrinkles talking about?
All I will say is "their time will come" and as my first father in law used to say "the only cure is a lead injection behind the ear".

 

[porta]

I'm somewhat "Hors de combat" at this time too. It's the school spring half-term holidays just now so last Tuesday we had my youngest boy's kids with us all day. The weather was dry enough for us to have a trip out to the local playpark which they love. I have a selection of old and "saved" scooters, bikes, etc stored in my shed from which they can choose for the 20 minute walk there so my 11 year old granddaughter chose the scooter and the wee lad - 4 years old - decided on the tricycle. The tricycle has a detachable "handle on a stick" which plugs into a socket behind the seat so you can help him get up the hills etc. On the flat though he insists the handle is removed - street cred? - So once we'd got out onto the main, tarmac surfaced, path, he insisted on me removing it. It's secured by a wee spring loaded plunger which has a strong spring and is quite difficult to depress far enough to release it. Anyway, I was trying to do it with my thick Thinsulate gloves on but the padding of the gloves were preventing me depressing the tab in far enough to effect a release. It was going to be more easily accessed by turning the bike on it's side and tackling it with the gloves off so I bent over and lifted the wee lad off the bike and, oh dear, I thought I'd been speared in my lower back. A very sharp pain in my lower back, right buttock, pretty much paralyzed me and, when I started to move again I realized I had a pain going down my right leg. Eventually I got straightened up again and managed to hobble on. the pain slowly lessened and I spent the time at the play park sitting on a bench instead of clambering over the climbing frames and going down the slides with the kids as I usually do. By the time I got home the pain was considerably better but Mrs J insisted on me taking some ibuprofen - which almost completely banished the pain. However it comes back very quickly when I bend down to put my socks on in the morning and takes about half an hour to subside after. On reflection I realize I had not applied good lifting practice when I lifted him. I was not square on and didn't assume the recommended posture (I did a course in "heavy lifting" as part of my instructor training so no-one to blame except myself).

My suspicion is that I've done damage to a disc in my spine which has caused inflammation in it - sciatica? As long as I don't bend and stretch, as when putting the socks on, it's merely uncomfortable and is slowly improving but after putting my socks on in the morning (or my bedsocks at night) it's pretty sore for a quarter of an hour or so. Not sure if this sort of thing will cure itself with rest or whether I'll have to try and see our GP. Going to give it a chance to heal for a few more days before I try for an appointment. It's quite debilitating and I'm absolutely furious with myself for being so stupid!

Yes, musculoskeletal injury, possibly a nerve being trapped in certain positions, so rather than a displaced disc it’s probably a bulge on a weaker side. Many think that the disc is a ‘rubbery’ cartilage type affair wehn, in fact, it’s more like a gel filled rubber doughnut and, like tyres or inner tubes, can get an ‘egg’ type bulge in it.
Guess what my H&S specialism is?
Over my 20yrs in H&S a great deal of rethinking has gone on in both cause/symptom and remedy however, non specific and specific back issues have changed little since prewar times and every other musculoskeletal can be addressed or replaced except arthritis and the spine.

 

[porta]

As above, I think we all have to accept the problem is "anno domini", things we used to do without a seconds thought now have consequences.
All the younger Forum members will be thinking what are these old wrinkles talking about?
All I will say is "their time will come" and as my first father in law used to say "the only cure is a lead injection behind the ear".

I’ve had back issues since my late twenties, due to laying over sills and getting into awkward positions over my time as an autosparky…my arthritis in back and both hips is related to work wear and tear. Wehn I used to hear ‘weather must be changing as my arthritis is playing up’ I used to deride it…I ain’t laughing now!

 

[bugsymike]

I’ve had back issues since my late twenties, due to laying over sills and getting into awkward positions over my time as an autosparky…my arthritis in back and both hips is related to work wear and tear. Wehn I used to hear ‘weather must be changing as my arthritis is playing up’ I used to deride it…I ain’t laughing now!

As a young apprentice messing around I climbed the under side of a flight of open plan stairs during the coffee break and tried to hang from my feet as you do? Not accounting for the greasy work boots and dropped about 9 foot on to by bum. Extreme pain in sciatic area, but apart from taking about an hour to walk to my car which was only a few yards away, pain eased after a few days. However I know it is my weak spot and didn't help it slipping getting out of a girl friends bath several years later, I went to osteopath for ten sessions, however each one left me feeling worse so I stopped and pain went away.
Years later one Christmas totally relaxed in armchair went to lift one of my daughters (two year old, couldn't manage that now they are in their 30s) and pain shot up my back so I had trouble even breathing, felt like crying. However a different and better osteopath fixed it with just two 30 min. sessions.
Never learnt though as later I bought a medium size anvil and carried it out to my van unaided, god knows what my heart beat was when I put it down, but a few years later when I had appendicitis operated on the surgeon said "oh we dealt with your umbilical hernia while we were at it" which was news to me as unaware of an issue.

 

[porta]

As a young apprentice messing around I climbed the under side of a flight of open plan stairs during the coffee break and tried to hang from my feet as you do? Not accounting for the greasy work boots and dropped about 9 foot on to by bum. Extreme pain in sciatic area, but apart from taking about an hour to walk to my car which was only a few yards away, pain eased after a few days. However I know it is my weak spot and didn't help it slipping getting out of a girl friends bath several years later, I went to osteopath for ten sessions, however each one left me feeling worse so I stopped and pain went away.
Years later one Christmas totally relaxed in armchair went to lift one of my daughters (two year old, couldn't manage that now they are in their 30s) and pain shot up my back so I had trouble even breathing, felt like crying. However a different and better osteopath fixed it with just two 30 min. sessions.
Never learnt though as later I bought a medium size anvil and carried it out to my van unaided, god knows what my heart beat was when I put it down, but a few years later when I had appendicitis operated on the surgeon said "oh we dealt with your umbilical hernia while we were at it" which was news to me as unaware of an issue.

I’ve broken an eye socket and a clavicle (same one twice) and knew nothing about it until I went for x-rays for severe headache and several chest x-rays. I just thought I’d given myself a black eye wehn suddenly breaking a hit head on tank hatch and god knows what I did wehn breaking clavicle!
Things I do remember doing is snapping my Achilles Tendon, never felt pain like it and ‘compaction fractures’ to my foot, where the bone ends/knuckles ‘mushroom’ through smashing up pallets by kicking them apart.

 

[portland_bill]

*I took the smart watch off yesterday and went back to my old Casio Atomic. Not taking enough steps to bother with, tired of the stupid thing telling me to get up and do something, and I don't need it to tell me I had a lousy night's sleep.

Here in the UK recently, there was a coffee advert on the telly, where the guy instead of listening to his smartwatch nd exercising, had a coffee instead. He removed the watch, and attached it around the cat's neck.
Perhaps attaching it to the dog might bring some entertainment.

 

[portland_bill]

The tricycle has a detachable "handle on a stick" which plugs into a socket behind the seat so you can help him get up the hills etc.

I remember, living in a hilly area, I had a length of rope clothes line wound around the handlebars of my trike, and another around the saddle stem. The front one was to assist uphill, with the one at the back to prevent unintended runaway, as the brake on the front wheel was just adequate for mild hills. Low-tech, but effective.

Had a frightening moment with one fo those trikes, many years ago.
Driving gently in Bristol, parked cars along the left, with just enough room for opposing vehicles to pass, so necessarily close to the parked cars. A guy walked briskly out between two parked cars, and stopped abruptly at their outer edge. Nothing unusual there so far, but his right hand was extended slightly, holding a red handle, like a spade handle, but obviously red plastic. I wonder how many people would have understood what that was. Of course, out of sight, now right in my path, was a small child on a small trike, father having pushed child into the road. I of course stamped on the brake. Didn't hit the child. Car behind me almost hit me, and being that I was driving the BSM liveried learner car, he was shouting at me. Father of child, realised what he'd done, went white, and gently retreated, taking child and trike with him. As I moved past, through my left window, I still could not see the trike or child, just the top of the handle. The following car had the same restricted view, so probably never understood why I seemed to over-react to the guy wishing to cross the road. I still think they were very lucky, as the majority of drivers would have hit the child. I still travel that street frequently, it still sends shivers down me each time.

 

[bugsymike]

Here in the UK recently, there was a coffee advert on the telly, where the guy instead of listening to his smartwatch nd exercising, had a coffee instead. He removed the watch, and attached it around the cat's neck.
Perhaps attaching it to the dog might bring some entertainment.

But what readings would it give when the cat or dog is licking it's bits?

 

[bugsymike]

@portland_bill. Regarding the dad and trike incident, the one I hate is the mother on the mobile phone, about to cross the road with a pram/pushchair and occupant where she stops at the kerb but her child is 3 foot further into the path of the cars.

 

[Cheest]

Here in the UK recently, there was a coffee advert on the telly, where the guy instead of listening to his smartwatch nd exercising, had a coffee instead. He removed the watch, and attached it around the cat's neck.
Perhaps attaching it to the dog might bring some entertainment.

Had a similar advert here. I don't recall the product but the woman put her smartwatch/step tracker on her dogs' tail then bragged to joggers about her 60 to 80,000 step workouts.