As my posts mostly consist of saying "We're off to France!" and then "Hey, we're back!", I thought I'd continue on the theme.
So, we're off to France in the Series 3 - again - on Friday, this time with a replacement gearbox from Beaumont 4x4, fitted and fettled by Lenny at LCS.
The old box was slipping out of second and leaking to the point of being ridiculous, so it was time to swap. The new Beaumont box is a bit of a revelation, showing up how noisy and sloppy the old unit had become. Beaumont won't guarantee any box fitted with overdrive, as they say that a worn overdrive unit and inadequately torqued castellated nut holding the drive dog to the mainshaft will kill a box in short order. I expect they are right.
I have every reason to think our overdrive is a good and Lenny has set the nut at the proper degree of torque, so we shall see. The price difference between Beaumont and Ashcroft is enough to make it worth any risk. There is a bit of weeping around the seal to the overdrive, but I've got a new and more manly gasket which should cure it.
First leg of the journey was bringing the wagon down to London last week and to smuggle her into Boris's emission zone, from which she is banned, via some very, very sneaky and underhanded back routes. So far, so good. If we've been spotted, then I'll get a letter warning me to get out within 28 days and never come back. Which suits me, as I'm moving permanently to Edinburgh from August and giving up the London place.
Meanwhile, we've lined the footwells, bulkhead, floor and seatbox with roof flashing tape. It is bitumen-backed and pretty much identical to NoiseKiller - and at £20 around 1/5th the price. Crikey- it works, too! Yet to see if we will still need earplugs at motorway speeds, but around town it is now possible to hold a normal conversation.
The children arrive in London tonight. I'll let you know how we get on.
A bientot! Kathy
