Sunday Feb 3rd Thames Valley 4x4 Club Punch Hunt

Hi there, TV 4x4 Club are holding one of their monthly events at Oxley's Shaw near Reading. All of you are welcome and there is free camping to be had by arrangement.
What's a punch hunt? I hear you ask. Well we place/hide a number of punches around the site and your job is to punch the card that is attached to your car. Some will be easily visible but not so easy to get to and some will be easy to get to but not so easy to see. The main point is to have fun looking for them, do the ones you want to do and not do the ones you don't fancy doing. What it about really is to have a bit of a social and have a laugh.
There will be a burger van on site from about 08:00hrs and a jet wash for cleaning glass, wheels and radiators.
For directions look at the web site. Or give me a call 07969309178.

Sounds a bit fun, hope to see you there.

Be good to catch up with you crowd again. No promises as time is tight, but hoping to make it to this one; we'll see.

What time is it on until mate? i'm working until 1600, but if you or some we know has a spare seat during the day, i know someone who may want to come....

Hi Steve, we officially have a license from 09:00-17:00 but as it will be dark from about 16:30 we will shutting up about then. We have been known to make exceptions for a few select "Pukka Posse" members. Well you all have to make exceptions for me
I am sure we can find a ride for you. Yehaaaaaaa

I will make exceptions for Tom, he is not a Pukka Posse member. We will have to put in front of the Grand Committee and see if he is black balled or not

Story of my life!

Excellent, cheers, i will be htere just as soon as i can get away from work.
Just got to find a willing someone who could pick Janet up in the morning from south Reading area as i'll be at work and her car isn't suitable to take her there - (lowered sporty thing!)

Any takers folks?

cheers

Tom time is not tight you are and can arrange to black your balls 4 you he he

Hi Steve,

No Problem, if Janet needs a lift, just pm me, address and time details, if your stuck.

All the best, Mark

Thanks Mark, will PM you.

By the way it looks to be an interesting day, have you seen the weather report for Reading Area? http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/5day.shtml?world=4825

Looks like it will be a fun time, bring your wellies and shower caps!


:arrow:

Cheers Paul & Carrie,

Had a great time, and good to meet up with everyone else.

Hi all,

Nice to see so many Landy Ralliers at Oxleys Shaw on Sunday. Great to meet/re-meet you all!!

Hope everyone got home OK?

All the best,
Nat

Ermmmm, just about. Graham (Range Rover Classic) and Tim (Pajero owner) - both of which were at Oxley Shaw and are entering the Bofa 4x4 Rally alongside Landy Rally this Sept - also enquired yesterday.

Well, made it to the M27 near Southampton no problem at all, then it started missing. Almost cut out completely at one stage. Actually did make it to Bournemouth but something's not right. Suspect drowning the ECU couldn't have helped.

Went to start it today - perfect! Tried to drive it, kept cutting out. It would then start again okay but as soon as it was in gear and started rolling, it would die again. Spoke to the parts guy at Fernside (used to be called Range Motors) and he came up with an amazing remedy. "Clean it in Coca-Cola" he recommended. “What”???? said I. “I realise it sounds daft, but we do it all the time – clean the contacts up a treat”. He was actually serious. Unbelievably he didn’t mean just wiping it or cleaning it with a tooth-brush, nothing so girlie, he meant submerging the entire thing in Coke!!!! Well I’ve done it, and once the interior wiring has dried out with a fan heater tomorrow, I’ll let you know if it worked.

Until then kiddies, don’t try this at home!!!!!!

Tom Mc wrote:

submerging the entire thing in Coke!!!! Well I’ve done it, and once the interior wiring has dried out with a fan heater tomorrow, I’ll let you know if it worked.

Diet Coke, I hope. Sugar is hydrophilic - it attracts moisture, and syrup conducts electrickery.

"Diet Coke, I hope. Sugar is hydrophilic - it attracts moisture, and syrup conducts electrickery." :star: :star: :star: :star: :star:

Smartarse! Sorry I mean Genius! Hope life is treating you well Andy!

Great to see all you guys, the conditions were a tad trickey to say the least If you all got home safely then good. Maybe do it again sometime. Hey Tom, us diesel drivers don't get problems with ECUs and things, but we don't have that V8 soundtrack either

DIET? Wouldn't drink that sh1t myself, let alone let it near my 'box of tricks'. All I know, it cost 20p for 1 1/2 litres Co-op own brand fully-leaded variety. Cheap or wot? Imagine what that would do to your guts!!!

Now it's had it's coke-dunking it does look super clean, bright and sparkly. Should be okay as I gave it a through rinsing so no stickiness is left. Still to dry out the wiring in the RR though. Tell you what, won't have any more ECU problems when it dries out - it's heading for the top of the dash quick smart (where it should have been before took it swimming). Doh!

For anyone else considereing swimming, some e;lectrical retailers, ie Maplins, sell something called circuit board sealent.
It's a spray can, and the sealent is water proof, and heat proof as is designed for computer circuits that get hot etc. I've beenusing it to waterproof stuff for years, and it's never let me down, just spray on a liberal coating now and then, and it's fine. I've never used it for complete submersion, but it works for even major spashing in a ford.
We've even used it in a mates V8 RR, and never has a problem with wetness!

Can't recall exactly what it's name is, i guess Andybloke may know as well, but it's a smallish can, white with a green lable from maplins, but if you look at them, you'll see it.

theshortwayround wrote:

Can't recall exactly what it's name is, i guess Andybloke may know as well, but it's a smallish can, white with a green lable from maplins, but if you look at them, you'll see it.

PCB Lacquer (Maplin code RE80) - It's clear acrylic paint in a can.

Quicker drying than "Acrylic Concrete Sealant" from a builders merchant (uses a more volatile solvent) but the results are the same

For stationary things it's ace. For loom connectors where the wires move a bit going over bumps, it's not as good, as it will flake off right where the wire meets the brass terminal clamp. But ... while you're in Maplins, N72AN is white grease in a spray can, which is handy for bolted terminals and connectors (and battery posts) that need a bit of play in their wires, and HT leads.

On the subject of battery protection, to stop battery studs furring up, you can get cans of protective "indicator" coating spray - it's an alkali jell that hardens around the battery terminals, forming an air-tight seal, that changes colour when exposed to corrosive fumes or battery acid and neutralises small amounts of acid before they attack the terminals.

If I remember, I'll take all three to the next show I attend, if you're about

I knew you'd know andy!

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theshortwayround wrote:

I knew you'd know andy!

I'm like a jumble-sale of useless information me ... lots of stuff you don't need, but pick up anyway incase you find a use for it later...

Shame you can't use on moving bits - if you could pack it into an alternator it would save Kieran £45 every time he he goes to Pay & Play.....

BTW, just know you're all dying to find out how the 'Coke' treatment went - and I don't mean the latest on Pete Docherty!

It worked! Had a fan heater going for most of the day to dry the female wiring socket that plugs into the unit (expensive to run I realise but a damn sight less than buying a replacement ECU) and tonight it fired first time, no missing, spitting or farting whatsoever. Lucky or wot?

As I say next job is to mount it on top of the dash. I've heard that high up on the back of the driver's seat is also a good place, but that would mean extending the wiring and that's all too much of a chore. Far better to feed the wiring up behind the dash. Then a snorkel, then a winch, then ...

But what Tom has not told all of you is how he got the Rangie out of its watery grave! It took a lot of photo's laughter a winch that did not work (on a Disco & a NISSAN!!!!!! driven by yours truly Andy

Mmmmm, no doubt Janet of Team Shortwayround will be providing the evidence soon.

Anyway, good news chaps/chapesses - ECU now up on top of the dash, well out of ham's way. Simple job as it threaded up behind the wiring looms and heater ducts a treat. Should have done it long ago. Even better news, now fully dried out (male and female conections) with another day's worth of fan heater doing its bit, and it works perfectly. Lucky bugger eh?

Got away with it, advise others to do the same. Where's the ECU in the Disco and Defender?