Blood shed...

Spent yesterday afternoon fixing the first bracket for the towing eyes on the 4x4. Definitely more difficult to fit with the sump guard in place and managed to nip the end of my finger trying to lever it back into position - ouch! A plastic bush on the tie rod kept popping back out making the job a tad frustrating. She's back on now though complete with bracket to accept one of the eyes and at least the hole in the end of my finger looks clean. With all the surface skin gone I was worried it might get infected as hands were black and oily at the time.
Missed planned 8m long run yesterday too as the job took longer than anticipated.

With the weather unsuitable for work today spent the afternoon preparing 2nd bracket for attachment to the other side and once the towing eyes are in position she'll be ready to tow once the electrics are sorted to work the car's lights (though I can always use the towing board)

Plans are under way now for the next two days Lakes recce. Claire has offered to support, but will want a site with electric hook-up. My preferred site (on route) at Stonethwaite has no hook-up and can be noisy, apparently. The CC Borrowdale site is fully booked so it looks like being a CL somewhere also off route.
MayDay weekend is a possibility - but I'm keen to get there a bit sooner...

Getting back on track...

Having caught a cold sometime before Christmas, and suffering a lingering chesty cough I'd let fitness slip a bit but a few short runs this week seem to be giving the green light to start building up again - so there's hope on the horizon. Hopefully I'll be fit enough to get longer routes in as the weather warms up - when it does begin to warm up a bit that is. After a lay-off it's always better to start as a beginner again to avoid injury, but 4 weeks on now and all seems well. Fingers crossed!

Progress!!

Turns out the impellar on the water pump was spinning uslessly on its shaft when the engine got to temperature... fine when cold but once warmed up the coolant wasn't circulating as it should! This could have been done sooner, but I was told there was nothing wrong with it! The continuing process of elimination meant it could only be the water pump after swapping the head. So all's well with the support car now, though back-up (a 4x4 this time) awaits collection in Surrey... so looking forward to the new year to get back in shape.

More reliable..?

This pic was taken in Muker, Swaledale (outside the Peter Brook exhibition) on the day after the last leg... got me thinking - of the two which is currently the more reliable..?



...though the Panda didn't let us down... and still keeps going! Removing the thermostat (again...) has increased her range and she's still usable, but the cracked head needs replacing.
I've managed to source a later head which will fit, but it has no mechanical fuel pump facility - there are several options - the easiest being to fit an electric fuel lift pump...
Looks as if a December weekend is off though for days 4&5 to St Bees...

Panda blues...

The support car is poorly... maybe it's just the head gasket. Delivered head today for 'crack test' and skim. Fingers crossed the head won't be cracked... hopefully will have it sorted for the next sections... using van for work - it's fun getting the ladders on and off -at least I got a roof rack!

Takes a while to get my head round it...

Of course at this time of year I'll have enough time to collect car with van and deliver it to StBees... could take about 3 hrs all in - so would have enough time to get back to site to get some rest before the last leg... got to be some good take-aways in Keswick. Christmas catalogues have just arrived from CP - thanks Julie!

Lakes next...

Well, I'm really looking forward to the challenge of getting through the lakes. It'll be a challenge logistically too without support... The thinking is to site the van at end of Day 4 (Stonethwaite) - get an early start from Shap - back to van - set off from van for St Bees. With car at Shap would have to find an alternative back to van though... can't see me getting a bus to Shap late on...