The End of Everything

Tell us about life with your BX, or indeed life in general!
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docchevron
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Post by docchevron »

Happily in the cold light of day it was easy enough to find once all the LHM had been cleaned away. It was the evr pesky steel / rubber steering pipe. Even more happily I had one sat at the foot of the bed (as you do) so slapped it on and no more leaks a while, hopefully... *touches anything around thats wood*.

As it went that was the easy bit, the HG job has turned to shit.
One of the bolts has corroded solid into the block where it's been sat in coolant, and number 4 cylinder wall is corroding away nicely, so by far the easiest way forward with that is to bung another block in.
Am now awaiting the AA man to arrive to convey the stricken BX to the farm where it will meet the forklift and have a less fucked block thrown in.

Arse.
Smokes lots, because enough's enough already!

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M

Post by M »

docchevron1472 wrote:Happily awaiting the AA man to arrive to convey the stricken BX to the farm where it will meet the forklift and have a less fucked block thrown in.

Arse.
You do lead an interesting life Mr Christopher, dont you? :lol: :lol: :lol:

Whats a HG? - Only joking!
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Post by docchevron »

Interesting is one word for it Marty.....

After the current deluge of BX related assistence is dealt out I'm going to take more of a back seat to helping others and concentrate on getting my own stuff done for a while, before I'm too old to actually do any of it.
Smokes lots, because enough's enough already!

Far too many BX's, a bus, an ambulance a few trucks, not enough time and never enough cash...
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Post by docchevron »

Well, what a funny old day.
Built up and changed an engine in a N/A BX diesel.
With some assistance from the owner and my irrepressable dad.

All told I guess it took about 10 hours or so.
Not too bad.
Whilst cleaning up the stat housing I slightley tried to chop my thumb off, but at least it proves the old blood is still a nice hue of red.

It's been about 5 years since I had anything to do with N/A diesels, and I'd rather forgotten what a simple little thing they are to work on.

Infact I'd forgotten so much about them I couldn't for the life of me remember the torque / angle settings for the headbolts, so many thanks to El Presidente for relaying the settings to me!

The bruise on my left arm is now rather crimson and directley above my tattoo, so for now it looks rather like I have two roses!
I kinda think bruises or marks / scars make an otherwise dull limb a bit more interesting to look at. Maybe it's just me...

I was rather intrigued upon my return to base to read this in the technical section of this here very forum:
The Mod wrote:May I moderately suggest that we end this thread here - and then start over in a new thread - exhibiting quite a bit more respect to each other.
The word "respect" rather rattled round the old brain for a while...

In it's given context I'm rather at a loss as to where the respect should lay.

Surely vast experience and technical knowledge backed up by qualifications should levy respect?

Or should it be that we just overlook random and superfluous information without note for fear of upsetting anyone?

Surely we have thicker skin than that?

I still find it amusing that anyone could take the internet so painfully personally. It's a load of words and pictures on a computer screen. In short, nothing said on the internet should really matter on any personal level.

Further, whats wrong with expressing an opinion, or being YOU?
If we all spent every second of everyday worrying about saying anything for fear of upsetting anyone, no-one would ever say anything at all.

With all due respect to Mulley, to tell David to bugger off the forum if he doesn't fit into some communist supreme leader doting mindset seems rather OTT and uncalled for.

If I put erronious information in the public domain I'd want to be called on it, surely better than a continuation of thought that I was right?
I'd learn and have a better understanding of the point in question surely...

Whilst I dont have a beef with anyone on here I do have a lot of time and respect for David. He's a bloody brilliant engineer and his knowledge of diesel burning engines is second to none. Further, he's a really really nice bloke, and exceedingly generous.

I for one think it would be a very great loss indeed if David wasn't forthcoming in sharing his vast knowledge with all who ask of it on here.
After all, are we not all here to share the knowledge and learn?

If anything I said in that, or any other thread offends anyone, then frankley I dont care. I rather asume we are all adults and if anyone wants to take me task for anything i say then i'll take it like a man, it's not going to ruin my day, there's a thousand things that happen in the real world everyday that ruin my day.

On which note I'm going to find something on TV actually worth watching before retiring to bed with another beer and a few fags.

Pip pip.
Smokes lots, because enough's enough already!

Far too many BX's, a bus, an ambulance a few trucks, not enough time and never enough cash...
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Post by stuart_hedges »

I've been applying some thought to this, as it was such an odd situation.

To my mind, the most important lesson from the whole thing was David's point:
Making guesses like that are at best a waste of time, and at worst could have someone spending a lot of time and money chasing a red-herring.
It reminded me of a thread I posted on Club XM which resulted in three pages of answers, all of which were wrong. It was a simple question - "Where in the car is the Bulb Failure Module?" I'd traced the fault to it, but I couldn't physically find it in the car.

Anyway. We as a community know which members know what they're talking about, and which are making guesses. However, we also need to remember that we are visible to the world at large. If Joe Bloggs has a problem with his BX and googles it, he may well find himself reading our technical pages and take the advice given without necessarily joining the club.

I'm not suggesting banning anyone from posting in the tech section just because they're not very technically proficient. I am suggesting stickying some guidelines about not posting if you're not sure of what you're saying.

For example, my reply to Mountainman here. I only gave information that I was sure of. I could have said, "It's the brake return pipe and it's part of the small octopus." That may be true, but I'm not sure so I didn't say it.

We're very lucky to have some fine engineers posting on here. I hope this minor incident won't put them off sharing their knowledge.

Sorry for hijacking your blog, Doc, it just seemed like the appropriate place to put this!
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Post by docchevron »

Fine points Stu, and no need to apolagise, thread hi-jacks are a specialty and I encourage them!

Debate leads to enlightenment and it's got to be better to get things out in the open and deal with it like men rather than tip toeing around and massaging eachother in some manufactued ego fuck through the fear of upsetting anyone.

Sometimes in technical threads you have to guess, although it's best to only post if it's an educated informed guess rather than just a random "blue sky" moment.
By definition it's usually quite hard to identify a fault across the internet without actually seeing the car, but those of previous experience and understanding will always know where to start the search and the processes to go through to locate the fault.

Accurate and reasoned forethought should therefore always be provided on any technical queery to avoid wasted time / expenditure / confusion.

I'm still sure that as a community we have the finest engineers gathered in one place anywhere on the net in terms of car related stuff.
Collectively there is nothing we dont know about the BX.
A good number of us have "been there, seen it before, got the T shirt and drink from the mug".
Some of us are good at engines, some are good at lectricky (I am not), some are good at paint, polishing etc etc, some know interiors like the back of their hand etc.
What I'm getting at is this: We all have fields of experience, some of us are bloody brilliant, some are not. Some can and some cant. Some do and some dont.
But if we piss off those that can and do, then sooner or later those that cant or wont will end up paying garages or getting rid of the car.
This is not what BXC is about.

I might disagree with some people on here some of the time, but I dont disrespect anyone, which is why I still find it odd that the thread was locked and the "repsect" word was brandished.
To keep things specific and helpful would have involved pruning the thread maybe, and leaving only the actual useful content, but locking it and leaving it with the edict of "lets all have a group hug" seems rather draconian and almost misses the point alarmingly IMHO.

It still leaves the required accuracy expected of technical threads blurred without a clear definition as to what is expected, and what is acceptable to keep the community happy.

All hail the supreme leader?
Smokes lots, because enough's enough already!

Far too many BX's, a bus, an ambulance a few trucks, not enough time and never enough cash...
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Post by MULLEY »

Seeing as my reply to a post has caused some debate, i thought i would try & clarify what happened.

I posted something which was total rubbish from a technical point of view, as i had missed an important fact. David had spotted this & posted a response to this effect.

Not being a technical person, i need to learn from my mistakes, but what annoyed me on this occasion was the tone & message he said. I dont need people on here to tell me i know bog all, i already know this.

I'm quite happy to have my errors/mistakes highlighted if they pose a fire risk, are dangerous or are just plain wrong, or for any other reason that you might come up with. What i wouldnt have expected is a moan & groan about it.

Everyone makes mistakes, but it would appear that some members seem actually enjoy finding them. Its a bit like a mate of mine, he would always point out bleedin continuity errors when watching films, damned annoying.

I was going to edit my comments, david had already deleted his, but by the time i got around to doing this, the post was locked.

I was in no way telling David to bugger off the forum. I typed what i did because i was annoyed. I dont hold grudges & my annoyance levels dissipate pretty damn quick, so have no issues regarding what has happened.

If anybody wants to pm me about anything, i'll be quite happy to read.

What seems odd, is that everyone talks about being grown ups on here, but when someone like me expresses an opinion or disagrees with someone else who is a "respected" member of the forum, then this isnt allowed, or is frowned upon.

Just to re-iterate, David was correct in his analysis of what i'd posted, it was just the way he decided to highlight it which caused my response.

I've already moved on from this, this just isnt important.

Thanks for taking the time to read, please feel free to highlight punctuation, spelling, grammer & any other other things, if you feel so inclined....I'll try harder.
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Post by docchevron »

<pedant mode>
Mulley wrote:I was in no way telling David to bugger off the forum.
Mulley, from that debated thread wrote:I suggest you set up your own site & then when you are in charge you can revoke access as you see fit.

If you get so wound up by this, dont use this forum.
</pedant mode>

We all misread things Mulley, or indeed misunderstand things or whatever.
It's not like anyone was trying to trip you or anyone else up here, it was pointed out that your post was incorrect, everyone got a bit upset, we all move on.

What intrigued me more than the original disagreement was the way it was dealt with.
Mulley wrote:What seems odd, is that everyone talks about being grown ups on here, but when someone like me expresses an opinion or disagrees with someone else who is a "respected" member of the forum, then this isnt allowed, or is frowned upon.

Just to re-iterate, David was correct in his analysis of what i'd posted, it was just the way he decided to highlight it which caused my response.
Well, it's mainly me that talks about being grown up I think but...
Everyone is entitled to an opinion, and no-one's opinion is wrong, it's what works for the individual.
However in this case you were not expressing an "opinion" but giving advice. There is an important difference.
It was pointed out your advice was wrong. Whatever the manner in so doing, you took offense, which again, you are entitled to do, but perhaps a PM to David would have been the more appropriate action rather than a further post in public? Especially if it was a heat of the moment thing.

I'm really not trying to point fingers at you, really I'm not, I've only met you once, but I thought you were ok, and I'm never wrong about these things.
But David is Ok too, personalities dont always come across well on the internet, you cant get the measure of someone from the written word on a screen.

Some people are just very direct and straight talking, some are not.

I think the debate should rather have moved past the initial who pissed who off" regalia and lay with "whats required in a technical thread response" to keep things accurate and informative.
A robust and structured reply with reasoning I think would have been a better conclusion than just saying "lets all respect eachother more".
After all, the point of a technical section by definition requires a technical and accurate approach oui?
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Far too many BX's, a bus, an ambulance a few trucks, not enough time and never enough cash...
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Post by stuart_hedges »

Chill out, Mulley. I didn't mean anything personal - I was just suggesting a change in the way we think about the technical forum.

Is it just for us, and a place where can muck about and post wild guesses without having actually read the original post? Or should we be aware of it as a public document, something that may help people in need who may not want to join the forum?

One thought on respect: In my mind, it is something that must be earned. You don't get it automatically.
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1992 TZD Turbo Estate - SORN
1991 Gti 16V - Blaze - crash damaged, will get repaired - SORN
1990 Gti 8Valve SOLD - looks like it's been scrapped
2002 Mini Cooper S - SOLD - i miss this car
1992 TXD - Scrapped in March 2014
1988 CX 25 GTI Turbo2 - SORN
1996 - AX Memphis 1.5D - Dream - SORN
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Post by MULLEY »

Thanks for taking the time to respond to my witterings-on.

David seems to have been the only one who doesnt seem to have been bothered by what i've said (he hasnt said anything), just everyone else.

So its ok to point out someones mistake & criticise them on a public forum, but that person then has to show some restraint & not respond??? Got to disagree with that i'm afraid.

I dont give a monkeys about getting respect, i dont need it or have an ego that requires it. If you meet me in person & like me thats great, if not, again i'll live, trust me.

I have spoken to you Doc, but not at any length for you to probably form an opinon, again i'm not so egotistical to want to be a mate with the popular members of the forum, whether they be the techies or the houmourists on here.

I am who i am, i drive some old BX's, i like to contribute when i can to any discussion, even if its something i may not know too much about.

Perhaps i should just limit myself to what i know, that way i wont annoy anyone & we wont have to waste all this time typing about nothing. That does feel as though i'm limiting myself & wont learn as much.

We've had these problems before on this forum, they will continue to happen, thats why i just dont agree with the way that some people say things, half the time you dont know whether they are joking, or actually being critical, thats why i got annoyed by Davids post for a split second.

Stuart, an excellent idea in principle, but that does mean that less technical people will then feel as though they shouldnt contribute incase they get criticised or feel embarrased that they got something wrong.

How does anyone guage themselves against others when theres no measurablility?? Perhaps the administrators could affix spanner logo's to those they feel are of a certain technical standard. That way everyone else's post's can be easily seen as being from a slightly different standard.

I dont mind constructive criticism, thats the only way to improve & learn.

Thanks to the members on here i have improved my knowledge & some skills & met some extremely generous people. I hope to continue posting on here on whatever subjects i think i'd like to contribute to.

Oh, & i'm not one of those saddo's thats bothered about how many posts i've done either, just incase any are wondering if this is my motivation sometimes.

I dont have any ulterior motives by what is say on here, i either know something or i dont. I deffinately dont try & mislead anyone on here, so for that i am sorry if thats what you think.
2002 C5 2.0 HDI Estate - Jasmine - Now SORN
2011 Mini Cooper D Clubman - SOLD
2016 Mercedes A180D Sport - Auto refinement
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1991 Gti 16V - Blaze - crash damaged, will get repaired.
1990 Gti 8Valve SOLD - looks like it's been scrapped
2002 Mini Cooper S - SOLD - i miss this car
1992 TXD - Scrapped in March 2014
1988 CX 25 GTI Turbo2 - SORN
1996 - AX Memphis 1.5D - Dream - SORN

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Post by mat_fenwick »

As the originator of the post that has created the debate I thought I should add my opinion.

First of all Mulley, it doesn't really bother me that you missed a point that I had made in my original question.

However I think that it is right that the more technically knowledgable people on here feel they do have the freedom to point out when errors are made - I would welcome that if I have made an error (as I have done!)

It's easy to misinterpret a person's meaning on a forum, without the benefit of body language, obviously only the originator can explain that so I'm not going to comment either way on that.

Now if only I hadn't asked the question in the first place...
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Post by mat_fenwick »

This be the original topic, I hope we've heard the end of it and we can all enjoy a beer or 3 at the National!
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Post by docchevron »

MULLEY wrote:David seems to have been the only one who doesnt seem to have been bothered by what i've said (he hasnt said anything), just everyone else.
I think David removed the post and has remained quiet to sate any further misunderstandings / arguements, I duno, I cant speak for him.
Alas, you rather missed my original point about the whole thing, I'm not out to chew your arse off, I was making an entirely different point that had more to do with with expectations of a tech section and the way it was dealt with.
Mulley wrote:I have spoken to you Doc, but not at any length for you to probably form an opinon,
You may have noticed I'm very opinionated, and I make instant judgements, and I'm never wrong, mainly cos I'm bloody brilliant.
Mulley wrote:We've had these problems before on this forum, they will continue to happen,
Actually it happens on nearly all forums, it's the nature of things, an internet forum is a community no different to the community that exists past the front door. Every one falls out from time to time.
Mulley wrote:Stuart, an excellent idea in principle, but that does mean that less technical people will then feel as though they shouldnt contribute incase they get criticised or feel embarrased that they got something wrong.
hhmm, now that raises an interesting question doesn't it...
I dont think there's anything wrong with proffering a suggestion, I think the main point is to read and understand the querry before replying, then even if the suggestion is wrong at least it shows that the priginal question was understood, which is half the battle oui?

Mulley wrote:How does anyone guage themselves against others when theres no measurablility?? Perhaps the administrators could affix spanner logo's to those they feel are of a certain technical standard. That way everyone else's post's can be easily seen as being from a slightly different standard.
hhmm, then the members would be like mini haynes mauals! And we all know how shit they are.
It would also leave the problem of who decides whose got the ability and how much of it..
Obviousley I'd be eleventy billion spanners, because I'm fooking great... :wink:
Mulley wrote: I hope to continue posting on here on whatever subjects i think i'd like to contribute to.
It's a public forum, I dont think anyone would say you shouldn't post freely wherever you wish.

Mulley wrote:i'm not so egotistical to want to be a mate with the popular members of the forum
I've never been popular, think of me more as the stain on the wall that cilit bang wont shift!..

I dont give two shits about popularity, whether people love me or loath me, as long as I make some sort of impression thats fine.
I cant think of anything worse than being entirely annonyous...

Anyway, as Mat says, and it's the most sensical comment that will ever appear on this thread, lets all go to the national and drink beer.
Beer is good.
Very good.
The best in fact.

If you're staying over Mulley then come pitcha chair, ply thyself with ale and we'll talk tech or bollox all night, I'm fluent in both, although the bollocks takes over the more I drink!

Can anyone tell I've had a few tonight?
No?
Good!
Smokes lots, because enough's enough already!

Far too many BX's, a bus, an ambulance a few trucks, not enough time and never enough cash...
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1992 TZD Turbo - Bluebell - SORN
1992 TZD Turbo Estate - SORN
1991 Gti 16V - Blaze - crash damaged, will get repaired - SORN
1990 Gti 8Valve SOLD - looks like it's been scrapped
2002 Mini Cooper S - SOLD - i miss this car
1992 TXD - Scrapped in March 2014
1988 CX 25 GTI Turbo2 - SORN
1996 - AX Memphis 1.5D - Dream - SORN
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Post by MULLEY »

Everyone's comments on this are appreciated, whether i agree or not. I dont think theres anything wrong in talking about these things either, & infact i think they can quite often do some good.

David, if you are reading, come back. I have no personal issue with you at all, & as everyone has said on here more than once, you have provided excellent help/advice to the forum members, may that continue for the future.

If everyone had actually seen what the fuss was about, its pie in the sky to be honest, even less than handbags at dawn. I've moved on, just hope others can as well.

I'll certainly be taking some of the advice on board from you all.

Like i said, no grudges held here.

Of course i'll come & chat to you Doc, i think i normally look for you underneath cars :D .
2002 C5 2.0 HDI Estate - Jasmine - Now SORN
2011 Mini Cooper D Clubman - SOLD
2016 Mercedes A180D Sport - Auto refinement
1992 TZD Turbo - Bluebell - My daily
1991 Gti 16V - Blaze - crash damaged, will get repaired.
1990 Gti 8Valve SOLD - looks like it's been scrapped
2002 Mini Cooper S - SOLD - i miss this car
1992 TXD - Scrapped in March 2014
1988 CX 25 GTI Turbo2 - SORN
1996 - AX Memphis 1.5D - Dream - SORN

I'm not just a username, i'm also called Matthew.
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