Post Xmas work has begun .  

So, I managed to sneak some work on the Spitfire over the holidays. All a bit of fits and starts as I stumbled across issues that needed parts ordering, but uncovering problems is still progress so that's all good. First job was to try and work out why the R160 I'd swapped the LSD core into had a tight spot in its rotation. I was originally thinking either a bit of grit stuck between the crownwheel and the core, or worse that we warped the core slightly by tigging it up, but it turned out to be something much simpler, as evidenced by this witness mark: Turns out the little stamped steel oil thrower was ever so slightly not symmetric, and poked out a little on one side. A little tickle with a sanding wheel and it turns nice and smoothly. While I had the case off I noticed a bit of porosity in the casting around where the seal goes, so filled it with chemical metal as insurance against leaks. Next up was sorting the hybrid Rover 100/Subaru axles. Trick with these is that the short driveshaft from a K-Series metro has the same splines as some of the Subaru R160 inner CV joints, and is spot on the right length to fit a rotoflex rear suspension. I'd already managed to pick up a set of Subaru driveshafts, but it's pot luck as far as I know as to whether they're right for the Rover shafts. This is them with the CVs already whipped off: Luckily they were the right ones, which is a relief. I know @Nick Jones has gone through a few pairs and found them not to be right. If it helps, I found in the Subaru service manual that there's an identification band on the shafts, and the one I looked at had one band on it. Will double check that later though. I did discover that there's a bit of fore-aft play on the CV centre when you fit it to the Rover shaft. The splines on the Subaru shaft must be shorter. Bought some 22mm ID shims and filed a little chamfer on the inside to clear the end of the splines. Measured 2mm, but it was actually closer to 1.8mm it actually needed. Didn't order the right shims, but managed to sand down the 2mm ones to the right fit. Probably not the  The thing that stopped this job dead was buying the wrong CV boot. For some reason I'd got the Rover shaft as needing 24mm when it's actually 22.5mm (Subaru end is 72mm), and it needs something like 115-120mm length rather than the 90mm I've got. I've ordered some from a Freelander 1 which look a bit better, but not arrived yet (part number G5C028PC if they do work!). So, from that onto the fronts. Managed to scrimp and save for some lovely alloy hubs and uprated stubs. First issue with these is that the studs are the old skinny Triumph ones (understandable as they're supposed to be direct replacements), and the splines are bigger than the originals so the Freelander studs I have in the old hubs don't fit. Solution was to ream them out to 14mm and fit Toyota ones (51mm Long, M12x1.5, 14.3mm knurl). Next issue was actually with the uprights. I noticed the old stubs pretty much just fell out, which isn't ideal. Trying to do up the new stubs was taking way too much force to stop them rotating, so I figured the taper in the upright was probably bored a fraction too deep and it was bottoming out on the washer before clamping properly. Welded together an M22 and an M14 washer to make a stepped jobby... ...which let the stub pull back properly and clamp up nicely. That job's stopped by the fact Canleys are out of stock on the alloy Type 16 caliper brackets, and there's no point fitting the hubs until I've got those on. But still, progress is progress, even if it's a bit scattergun Oh, and also did some weighing. Only one more photo for evidence, but I'll list all of the weights I've found for these. Front hub (alloy, UNF studs, no bearings): 1.02kg Above plus bearings and spacers: 1.239kg Above plus castle nut and split pin: 1.326kg Front hub (cast iron, no studs, no bearings): 2.25kg M12 Freelander studs x4: 0.156kg UNF studs from alloy hubs x4: 0.118kg That's nearly enough to actually know how they compare. Just need to weigh the Toyota studs, and the GT6 stub/bearings/castle nut etc. Will get those next time I can. Will be missing the weight of the standard GT6 UNF studs, but that'll only be a couple of grams difference.

THAT'S your definition of a fun subject matter?? Hmmmmmmmm.

Having just read into this (having somehow missed this entire thing before), in the long run little effect. Essentially a very poorly written piece of legislation that looks to be unenforceable in reality. My thoughts on the "microcosm" scenario is that someone is making a mountain out of a molehill, possibly because they don't want to run it anymore. The real battle on this will be with big tech, not small little interest forums like ours! And additionally, we don't have encrypted messaging on here? And that appears to be where the bug lies, in order to enact the above act companies would have to reduce encryption in order to view users messages etc. So no, I wouldn't be too concerned as it stands.

It was 38° outside with 3/4” hailstones.  Hard work to teach through.  Fun subject matter helps.  We were on “Parachute malfunctions and how to save your own life”.

Glad to see you are still involved in the skydiving summer hail that must be a bit unusual it was 40degrees last week !!

Day 11 Doing my best to teach and inspire a course of first jump solo skydivers (in a steel hanger in the middle of a thunder/hail storm.)

Tech is my friend!

In my ignorance, I thought this might affect have a very negative effect on this and many other hobby sites, but no one has responded.   So forgive me for 'bumping' it. Can anyone reassure me, or share my concern? John 

Unfortunately accurate