France - third time lucky?

[cotswoldiver]

Well wish me luck ... start of holiday tomorrow afternoon. Nice gentle start down to the New Forest for a couple of nights and then catching the early ferry from Poole on Friday morning across to Cherbourg. Couple of nights at le bois coudrais in Cuguen, then trundling across to la pointe near Chateaulin and then further down the coast to the little island off La rochelle for a few more nights at St Martin. Not normally this organised with where to stay but the sites have mainly come out of the Cool Camping books.

Plus need to confess, the last couple of nights are being spent in a chateau to treat the good lady to a round of golf and a few home comforts like hot running water ...

And the luck, well the previous two trips into France as many of you will recall have ended up with me on the eurostar and the bus on a recovery truck arriving a couple of weeks later. Always something unexpected so who knows what the gods have in store this time but the westy is as prepared and checked over as it possibly can be

Let the adventure begin :lol:

 

[ozziedog]

I`m not even gonna cross my fingers as you won`t need it this time.

Ozziedog,,,,,,,,,,,, Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy :mrgreen:

 

[Clem]

I'll be fine

Enjoy the trip

 

[Pete B]

It's going to be great, enjoy the trip and don't forget the photo's!!! 8)

 

[blogdroed]

Enjoy yourselves, and as Pete says - plenty of pics (especially of the campsites - food for thought for next summer!!)

 

[cotswoldiver]

Not third time lucky!
First, overnight in premier inn in Poole Hannah's brand new Gt avalanche bike gets nicked from bike rack, double locked & secure. And now power gone, looks like a valve problem. Off to find a garage in quimper ... Yep, sh*t sure does happen ...

 

[Shorty]

gutted for you mate

 

[cotswoldiver]

Looks like a broken adjusting screw on the intake rocker arm ... Pm to tricky!

 

[sparkywig]

Perhaps the Low Countries might be a better bet, David.

 

[cotswoldiver]

Perhaps the Low Countries might be a better bet, David.

You mean Cornwall?.....

 

[sparkywig]

:lol:

 

[Clem]

 

[blogdroed]

bummer

 

[cotswoldiver]

Well will have a few photo's of transporter. Problem not solved so on a transporter tonight to catch the 23.00 ferry into Plymouth & then a transporter back up to Bristol and then on to the engine builder ...
Patience sure has been tried on this trip, plus a big loss on pre booked hotel for last two nights ....
But, no one died, the bus hasn't been bumped (yet!) & for 2 days in the uk & 3 days in France it ran like a dream ....

Looks like I will be putting up a beautiful westy trailer complete with locking catch to recover some of the costs...
Pictures to follow ...

 

[creationblue]

Any news from Jason David? Sorry to hear about your exploits

 

[Trikky2]

Is the problem fixed now? What was actually causing the problem that could not be fixed in France?

 

[cotswoldiver]

Is the problem fixed now? What was actually causing the problem that could not be fixed in France?

Hi Trikky

Picking bus up tomorrow for the first time since getting back

It may have to go down as one of those little mysteries. First garage said broken valve, definitely not that as all the tests back here were good on compression. Was it a broken screw on the rocker arm? Again hard to prove whether that was the issue or if it was broken by the mobile breakdown mechanic ...

Weird thing was the engine builder over here re set everything and decided to replace all the plugs ... after that everything appeared to be OK. So it could be the plugs were fried, but the question is what caused it, was it actually a fuel supply issue? Again, no definitive answer. But the electric fuel pump has now been moved out of the engine bay in case overheating was part of the problem.

I'm hoping all will now be well, but sure is frustrating to know that perhaps it could have been solved by just changing the plugs :roll:

Note to self : add spare set of plugs to breakdown kit :!:

The longest run the day before we broke down was 2 hours on the motorway, variable speeds but running well at 65/70 mph on the speedo and no signs of problems to come

Going to see how she runs on a few short runs and then a run into Devon .... no knee jerk sale yet, but close ..... :lol:

Thanks for asking

David

 

[Clem]

As annoying as this must be, I hope it was a glitch and that you continue the bus ownership, and dare I say it ... planning the next trip?

 

[Trikky2]

Hi David,

Hmm - well thats a pity. I dont like mysteries. It takes a lot to break an adjuster screw and broken valves will blow big holes in pistons as well as ruining cylinder heads so neither of those could explain the problem you had.

A missfire is most often due to electrical problems. Its always worth checking points, connections, leads, plugs etc.

Many's the time I have cured missfiring aircooleds just by changing the plug caps. Theres a small resistance in them and if it goes open circuit it makes for a superb intermittent misfire, which foxes many a mechanic :lol:

 

[creationblue]

Very strange. I also have a small issue that has got me scratching my head, felt like I was running out of fuel on the motorway and to be fair the needle was on reserve so pulled over and the engine was running on tickover just fine. As it happens I was just at a services so fuelled up and off we went. Then chatting to a mechanic friend he pointed out that it was a good chance the Brazilian fuel pump push rod had shortened causing the issue. So I decided to fit an electric pump which I did a few weeks ago this was mounted above the gearbox as near to the tank as poss as per the instructions. Now we drove down to Devon last weekend and after about 70miles I had a 'judder' then a few miles further same again, I was ready to pull over any minute feeling the worst was about to happen but we made it to our destination . I felt that I would not be so lucky on the return journey but we arrived home without even a blip. In my case I have electronic ignition so I'm now thinking maybe leads, so gonna change them along with the rotor arm and dizzy cap even tho they re only 18 months old and hope that does it.

I'm glad yours seems to be a cheap fix David and that you will keep the old girl.

Justin