Clockworks

This is what my tachimetre does. By starting the car, the clock starts running and when not stopped by pushing the daytripcounter, it stays all the way "behind the nill". When driving ths clock again starts running upwards. When it is stopped during the drive, it displays the speed seemingly properly.

I'v checked the cable, the sensor (for what it's worth, it's a closed unit) and the contacts. All seems well. I figure the clock itselves picks up a signal that's not right. So I've to dismount it again and check the contacts inside.

Rain came over the garage. So I drove it on blocks

This is snice working, but with wet tires not easy to use.

the sensor and the cable are looking good.

The contacts also are really clean

During my (fairly illegal) testdrive a 156 Sportwagon came up behind me and followed me in my street. I know the guy, he lives a few streets away and drives, beside the Sportwagon an Alfetta chromebumper in the same color as the Bleu Lord. So I guess he was as surprised as I was when I saw his bleu Alfetta. And that in his own neighbourhood.

A similar Alfetta. By the way, this one is for sale

This is what I want

No words this time, just sit and watch

Happy

Sometimes you win, sometimes you loose. Now I am a winner. I have fixed the bleeding problem of my master cilinder. It appeared to hold too much air in it, that couldn't be bled by simply pushing the brake pedal. My man at the part shop APR suggested that bleeding the master ecilinder ewas easy, just by pushing the pedal. That is not true in every case, especially not when you're installing a brandnew one.

Since the bleeding by the brakes didn't work I decided to mount the cilinder on my vice and bleeded it "virtually". Although my expectation in this method weren't very high, it did work. All of my work bench, the vice and even my floor under the bench were full of spilled dot 4 braking fluid, but there was enough in the master cilinder to let it work airless. What a bleeding mess!

Because of the greasy matters of this job I haven't taken any photographs. On the internet are numerous exemples of How To's about bleeding a master cilinder, the video of my favorite automotive V-blogger Eric the Car Guy is here.

Job done, at last. Happy DIY mechanic!

Morris, my own car guy, confronted me with a new to do list, after he inspected the bleu one a few weeks ago. The brakesjob was the trickiest. Now the headlights have to be properly adjusted, the flaring brake control light (probably the loose padwear detector cable), and the adustment of the carbs are to be done.

It might seem crazy what I'm 'bout to say...

Time management

My new jobs consumes time. The Bleu Lord lies in my garage patiently. The last check up in late May wasn't good for my confidence too. Heij, is this blog about cars?

My constant search for interesting cars never leads to any new buys. But I cherish a certain satifaction in searching the odd classic. For I was given a iPhone by my boss and the train journey to Maastricht takes at least half an hour to and fro I installed the Autoscout24.de and the ebay app and the pleasure is on.

My absolute favorite for this time is the fabulous Fiat Campagnolo. It looks that original like it comes from the Eritrean desert right away. What a simple and functional vehicle. Just the four wheels, two seats and a big room for our Bracco. The front window can be layed down, ideal for our kind of temperatures today (+30 degrees Celsius). I love it.

Fiat Campagnola, archaic jeep for the desert

Simple and rational design

front window folded down

Sturdy 2 ltr engine

And the story of my Sportwagon continues. Braking is essntial and I'm not getting it done. Must I call for help of the professional?

The brakefluid reservoir over the mastercilinder

The box where the original NOS mastercilinder came out

the Ate Alfa stock mastercilinder, wrong type

Pretty costly exercise for a "pomp": € 208 ex vat

Meanwhile I ordered two new master brake cilinders and still the system doesn't do what is has to do.

Again today I fitted the second master cilinder, because the first wasn't the appropriate size. The bleeding of the system lasted and lasted. Happy me to have a daughter that played footbaal, so she has quite strong legs. During the bleeding we actually had time to follow the Prologue of the Tour de France in Utrecht.

Any way. It seems the right front wheel is not to be bleeded. Still some air comes out of the brake line, and I can't figure out what is is. I even doubt now wether the first master cilinder I ordered was just good. What a mess. For now I can only come to the conclusion that the master cilinder must hold air, so the brake line can't get any oil. Tomorrow I'll be able to do some more research.

To be continued.