Brown's latest activity

Yes, I was pretty sure they were metric, at least on the later models.

Yes, some of the Salisbury type axles had a separate piece that bolted on to receive the tapered pin of the ball joint. These were 10mm I think. But I'd try a few spare bolts to identify what fits and then buy some high tensile jobbies. It's got...

It only takes a few drops to make a mess, which is a very small amount compared to what you've got in the sump. On mine, the difference between the high and low marks on the dipstick is at least a litre, so with a small leak you wouldn't notice it.

Another possibility is the exhaust fouling the chassis under load, where the torque reaction shifts the engine over a little. I had this on mine a few years ago after fitting a new exhaust. With everything stationary there was a gap, but you...

I see @Anaconda's beaten me to it.

I suppose, in addition to what I've mentioned above, there's a small compressor mounted at the front of the alternator that provides the suction for the brake servo. That has an oil supply, which might leak.

There are not a whole lot of places near there where oil can come out. There's a pipe from the fuel pressure regulator that screws into the head just above the alternator. This is where fuel returns to the regulator after having been in the...

Yes, I've had that with a flat screen too. It came on and showed a picture when it felt like it, which turned out to be less and less often as time went by. Whilst it's around 25 years since I've watched television, I use them as computer...

Yup, moss is pretty good at breaking down the lithography. That's one of the reasons we have soil on the surface of the earth rather than just rock.

Yes, it's looking a bit like frost damage to me too. Is this a side of the roof that's more apt to get cold in the winter? Attracting dew that then freezes, that sort of thing? Repeated thawing and freezing does a lot of damage to architectural...

I just thought I'd do something completely pointless for a few minutes. I have located Katie Price's Mucky Mansion on Google Earth. Because Google Earth allows you to see aerial photos from different dates (assuming that someone has taken them...

Well yes, I'm not expecting the insurance company to be any help. It's just so I'm doing things legally. Because I have a job, an address - I'm even on the electoral register - pay council tax and the like, I'm a sitting target when it comes to...

According to UK government figures I'm still in the sweet spot for being very low risk at my age...

I was with Esure, but from the 6th of June I'll be with Quote Me Happy It's a bit of a silly name but as it's the cheapest for fully comprehensive I'll just have to live with that. Saga shows up on the comparison sites but it's never been...

I discovered that my car insurer wants to more or less double the price for my Land Rover insurance. So I've taken my custom elsewhere. It's still more expensive than it was about three years ago, but rather closer to what I'm accustomed to...

Yes, Xylia likes nice flat engineered surfaces to walk about on. It's one of the reasons I got a mower, to cut the tops off the tussocks and ensure that the bramble tripwires do not get too firmly established across the paths. Whilst I stride...

I think the hens might quite like the weeds if you just leave them. They eat the leaves and seeds, and they like hiding in vegetation too. Ours used to do this. They can reduce waist high grass and weeds to mud in a season - and manure it as well.

I try and remember to start my engines periodically so they're not left standing too long. Particularly for things that are not used for several months at a time like the chainsaw. The two strokes usually take a bit of getting going. The JCB with...

I've had some success with two stroke carburettors by immersing them overnight in a strong solvent like acetone or thinners. If they're a diaphragm type I take the diaphragm out, in case the solvent damages it. This helps dissolve the congealed...

I was coming back to the east midlands from Wales yesterday and was delayed somewhat by a massive traffic jam that stretched most of the way around the A5 ring road around Shrewsbury. Eventually we got to the cause of the delay - there was an...

I remember just after decimalisation being given 10p a week pocket money. In those days it was enough for one of those big orange iced lollies. Around a week and a half's pocket money was enough for a Matchbox toy car. Shortly afterwards we...

Plus of course when it is in use the front of the shaft is held steady in the socket in the back of the crank/flywheel, so a little movement in the input shaft bearing can be tolerated. I got a reconditioned gearbox and it was much tighter. But a...

Yes, might as well change the bearings whilst you've got it apart. Hope the gears are looking good and not starting to resemble circular saws!

If you screw it in, away from the engine, it pushes the shoes further apart, whereas if you screw it out, towards the engine it allows the springs to pull them closer together and hence off the drum. I've had some funny noises off Land Rover...

It's over five years since I last had an R380 in pieces, but I don't recall it being too difficult. I put it bellhousing downwards (on blocks of wood so the input shaft wasn't touching the ground) and just undid all the bolts that hold the two...

There's a push rod that goes from the servo to the master cylinder which can be adjusted. If you loosen the nuts holding the master cylinder on, you can usually flex it away from the servo on the metal pipes, and the pushrod can be adjusted by...

Well, your mileage may vary. I'm sure that there are switches who have been mollycoddled with the mere 70 milliamps needed to throw the relay, yet have failed in a few weeks, and lights wired with 35 square millimetre meter tail cable that still...

This sounds a little bit like the symptoms when the switch fails. As the full headlamp current passes through the switch the plastic gets soft and after a while the contacts no longer make contact. I've had this happen a couple of times. Of...

In the past I've filed (or rather used a grinder) the points of circlip pliers to make them fit tiny holes. Is this not possible?

Some disc and pad combinations can yield an unsettling vibration under under hard braking. For example a few years ago I put EBC discs and pads on, having been seduced by all the advertising about better braking performance. All was fine for a...