19-06-14, 10:44 PM
(19-06-14, 10:30 PM)ChristoT link Wrote: [quote author=rustyrider link=topic=13680.msg154767#msg154767 date=1403212021]
Not sure what was so wrong about my post and as Dead Eye says, you learn by doing. A 106 diesel head gasket is £13.99 with free delivery from eBay, about the only specialist tool you might need is a torque wrench and you don't need a garage. You've been to my place and seen the garage. Do you seriously think I can get my Range Rover in there to rebuild the top end of the V8 engine? No, because if I get the Range Rover in there I can't get out of it as the garage isn't wide enough so I work on the driveway, no different to you doing it outside. At this time of year you've got about 15 hours of daylight each day (and the temperature isn't below freezing either), so you get up early on a Saturday morning and work on it until it gets dark. If you haven't finished it by then, you get up early on Sunday morning and carry on. The book time is about 5 hours so if you can't get it done in 30 you shouldn't really be attempting anything involving a socket set.
No I haven't ridden with you but your record speaks for itself. I don't know if your coming together with a Merc was in any way your fault or not but you admitted you dropped the ZX on a sliproad purely because you were travelling too fast for the conditions of both the road and the bike.
You claim it's a rant but you are beginning to sound like a spoilt brat would is having a paddy because he isn't getting his own way. Life's like that, you aren't going to get your own way all the time, shit happens. Live with it and learn from it. You never know, get the car sorted and what you learn from doing it yourself may even mean that there will be less on the project bike that you need to farm out to others.
Rich: you are speaking to someone who once nearly dropped a ratchet screwdriver bit down a Fazer's engine intake. And was about to dismantle the head when he found it lurning under the starter motor. I would put myself in the "questionable" catergory when it comes to my own handiwork.
At the moment, there's no guarantee the car will even last through tomorrow's drive to work, let alone waiting for a gasket! I'd love to know where you found the gasket for £14 though, when I did a quick search on my phone, I could only find ones priced at £45!! Although, to be fair, I wasn't looking very hard. You also have the advantage of another vehicle to use if (for any reason) you can't complete the job. If I can't, I'm up a gum tree.
I cannot deny having done stupid stuff on bikes. I am committed to improving my riding though, and have said for ages now that the minute I'm back on a bike, I'm doing a Bikesafe course.
It is a frustrated rant. My parents are saying they're going to spend a ridiculous amount of money they don't really have to solve the problem in a completely irrational way. They are fixating over the fact that it's a bike, I'm only interested in the fact that it's transport, it's there, and requires very little to get me mobile again. How does trying to solve the problem logically in a way that requires the least input in terms of money and time make me a "spoiled brat"?
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Christo, how about suggesting to them that you fix the bike up yourself (using money from the car or whatever). Then if they still really don't feel safe with you on a bike (my Ma certainly never will like me having a bike, but she still wouldn't stop me as she knows how much I love it), perhaps suggest that they pay for some "safety enhancements" - new gear, or maybe even just the bike safe course? That way, you'll have transport for now (for the love of god don't crash it or blow it up) and your parents might sleep a bit easier knowing you've had some enhanced training?