ianc2051
Active Member
- Posts
- 156
- Location
- Northam in N.Devon
I'm almost too embarressed to talk about this but here goes. I decided to replace the dipstick tube on my 90 300 TDi today as the securing bracket had broken away from the tube itself. A simple straight forward job which I suppose would normally be about 15 mins or so of work, but no, not for me. The end which enters the lower block was incredibly difficult to fit in to the hole but with a succession of socket extension bars slotted together with a screwdriver bit on the end, I managed to tap it home squarely without damaging the O ring.
I clearly must have upset somebody because I spent hours trying to get the securing bolt to engage with the thread in the block having passed it through both lugs of the clamp. My neighbour is a CNC engineer, I'm an ex military aircraft engineer and we both took it in turns with no success - we laughed at how something so simplistic could not be achieved. The bolt engaged directly in the block without any difficulty if you did not pass it through the two lugs so clearly it was an alignment problem. In the end and now at the end of my tether, I ground the bolt to form a reasonable reduction in diameter (up to the second thread) to ease entry, cleaned up the thread and got a broom handle pushed against my stomach with the other end precariously putting pressure on the bolt head whilst gingerly teasing the bolt to do up with an open ended spanner. Because of the angle of the broom handle against the bolt head, it slipped off many times but in the end I won.
When I think of all the complex aeronautic equipment I've worked on, you will hopefully understand my reluctance to tell you this tale.
I clearly must have upset somebody because I spent hours trying to get the securing bolt to engage with the thread in the block having passed it through both lugs of the clamp. My neighbour is a CNC engineer, I'm an ex military aircraft engineer and we both took it in turns with no success - we laughed at how something so simplistic could not be achieved. The bolt engaged directly in the block without any difficulty if you did not pass it through the two lugs so clearly it was an alignment problem. In the end and now at the end of my tether, I ground the bolt to form a reasonable reduction in diameter (up to the second thread) to ease entry, cleaned up the thread and got a broom handle pushed against my stomach with the other end precariously putting pressure on the bolt head whilst gingerly teasing the bolt to do up with an open ended spanner. Because of the angle of the broom handle against the bolt head, it slipped off many times but in the end I won.
When I think of all the complex aeronautic equipment I've worked on, you will hopefully understand my reluctance to tell you this tale.
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