octopussy

[B-Hive]

I think you will find the OP of this thread was sounding off about the trials of this particular car and not planning to scrap it simply because of the octupus, I also think you will find he is very able and capable of making his own oil back harness if he chose to do so and possably get round any other issues of obsolete parts on his BX.

"Straw"..."camel's back"...comes to mind...burden of expense

If he is so able and capable then why the drama and urgency....??? No offense to OP

[JayW]

Chris (the OP) like a lot of people relies on his BX's as daily hacks and (much like me), when they let you down when you need them most it's very disheartening.

Normally he wouldn't give a toss and would just leave it laid-up til he got round to it but with MOT's on both BX's due now, you can understand the panic.

There are several methods of constructing a replacement Octopus, none of which are particularly mind-blowing, just that no-one want to do it in a hurry when they just can't be arsed. Give it a few more years and we'll all have unique home-made ones!

[docchevron]

yes, /\ all that really.
It wasn't the octopus in itself that makes me pissed off with the car, it's the fact it rarely gets used, and when it does, something always niggles me with it. Ok, alot of it is down to the quality of parts you can get now, drop links that last 200 miles, fuel pump (brand new) that died, and replaced with another new one that lasted a week, followed by a third that lasted a month. FDV failure, replaced with recon, lasted 2 weeks, steering rack knackered, a new one fitted, OS bush failed within a year, and so it goes on.
I'm in the middle of a house move, complete with also moving my best friend and then doing some major DIY on her new place, coupled with working 60 hours a week and the octopus deciding to leak green blood the week before the MoT was due I could have done without. Especially since the other car's MoT is only a week prior (bad planning on my part admittedly) means that I literally dont have time to go buy some plastic pipe and fittings and make a better octopus. In this instance I didn't actually have time to fit a premade octopus frankly. I've had no social life at all this year and barely enough time to have a dump in the mornings.
In short, the failure in itself is no big deal, it;'s just the timing of it that I could have done without, a run down to the MoT place, get ticket and return car would have been ideal, without needing to crawl around under it! Especially since I replaced the bloody octopus when I had the engine out with a genuine one not many years ago.
In theory I could have made something up in probably 4 hours or so, but it took about 50 minutes to fit the real deal, so for now, it doesn't leak and I like the car again so all well and good.
And that I think is my main problem with this car, I dont use it enough. It sits there for weeks on end whilst the diesel plods on everyday, and then something goes wrong with the valver, and it pisses me off, but then I fix it and drive it for a week and always and without fail it puts a massive smile on my face and all the minutes of being pissed off with it are forgotten. In short, I guess I should use it more, but I doubt I ever will, hence I keep thinking, MoT it, sell it, and save up for a Bristol Fighter T.
I'm not bragging or suggesting I'm better than anyone else, but I'm quite an accomplished engineer. Cars hold no fear for me at all after years of restoring old buses and trucks where it's a case of make a part yourself, modify from something else or start again and make the whole thing from scratch then working on cars is about the easiest thing in the world, it just feels sometimes with the valver it purposely picks it's moments, like a disgruntled woman, to do it's best to ruin your day!
As much as I love BX's, I'd rather spend what little time I can muster on my bus, which 4 years after purchase is still in about 3,000,000 pieces.. most of which I've had to fabricate myself.
So no, engineering bits ot keep it alive indefinitly, not a problem, but right now, I'd just like to drive it without having to worry about making bits for it, hence my initial rant about wanting to scrap it, and no doubt in 3 weeks time I'll want to scrap it again! but right now, I quite like it..

[JayW]

/\ Like!

[Defender110]

yes, /\ all that really.
It wasn't the octopus in itself that makes me pissed off with the car, it's the fact it rarely gets used, and when it does, something always niggles me with it. Ok, alot of it is down to the quality of parts you can get now, drop links that last 200 miles, fuel pump (brand new) that died, and replaced with another new one that lasted a week, followed by a third that lasted a month. FDV failure, replaced with recon, lasted 2 weeks, steering rack knackered, a new one fitted, OS bush failed within a year, and so it goes on.
I'm in the middle of a house move, complete with also moving my best friend and then doing some major DIY on her new place, coupled with working 60 hours a week and the octopus deciding to leak green blood the week before the MoT was due I could have done without. Especially since the other car's MoT is only a week prior (bad planning on my part admittedly) means that I literally dont have time to go buy some plastic pipe and fittings and make a better octopus. In this instance I didn't actually have time to fit a premade octopus frankly. I've had no social life at all this year and barely enough time to have a dump in the mornings.
In short, the failure in itself is no big deal, it;'s just the timing of it that I could have done without, a run down to the MoT place, get ticket and return car would have been ideal, without needing to crawl around under it! Especially since I replaced the bloody octopus when I had the engine out with a genuine one not many years ago.
In theory I could have made something up in probably 4 hours or so, but it took about 50 minutes to fit the real deal, so for now, it doesn't leak and I like the car again so all well and good.
And that I think is my main problem with this car, I dont use it enough. It sits there for weeks on end whilst the diesel plods on everyday, and then something goes wrong with the valver, and it pisses me off, but then I fix it and drive it for a week and always and without fail it puts a massive smile on my face and all the minutes of being pissed off with it are forgotten. In short, I guess I should use it more, but I doubt I ever will, hence I keep thinking, MoT it, sell it, and save up for a Bristol Fighter T.
I'm not bragging or suggesting I'm better than anyone else, but I'm quite an accomplished engineer. Cars hold no fear for me at all after years of restoring old buses and trucks where it's a case of make a part yourself, modify from something else or start again and make the whole thing from scratch then working on cars is about the easiest thing in the world, it just feels sometimes with the valver it purposely picks it's moments, like a disgruntled woman, to do it's best to ruin your day!
As much as I love BX's, I'd rather spend what little time I can muster on my bus, which 4 years after purchase is still in about 3,000,000 pieces.. most of which I've had to fabricate myself.
So no, engineering bits ot keep it alive indefinitly, not a problem, but right now, I'd just like to drive it without having to worry about making bits for it, hence my initial rant about wanting to scrap it, and no doubt in 3 weeks time I'll want to scrap it again! but right now, I quite like it..

/\ That's what I said! just a few less words

[docchevron]

indeed, I should have quoted you and said "that", but after a fortnight of being sober (which is hugely over-rated) I had a few ales, and that lot just spewed out!

[citsncycles]

fuel pump (brand new) that died, and replaced with another new one that lasted a week, followed by a third that lasted a month.

I wonder if they were actually brand new, or stock that had been hanging round a while? I'm certain that the 'safe' levels of ethanol does kill older pumps - every car I've returned to the road since this stuff started to be added to fuel has had a fuel pump failure in the first few weeks of use, and that NOS items aren't much better. Modern replacements using resistant materials seem fine, although I usually talk to friends in the trade about which make to look out for.

but after a fortnight of being sober (which is hugely over-rated)

Try 20 months and counting After the week at work I've just had, I wished several times that I could still drink

[docchevron]

You make a fair point mate... although I've now done 140 miles in the car, and sure enough, the suspensin knock has returned! NSF as usual. Cant find any play in any joint anywhere, as usual, but sure enough the very same noise has returned, so that'll be drop link set number 5 in 2 years then..
and the oil pressure gauge has died.
And it wont track.
Mot Wednesday morning. hmmm..

My sympathies, if I couldn't drink anymore I'd be hanging from a noose by now!