November 2011

The start of the month saw us replacing the crankshaft oil seal and further inspection has thrown us a new challenge ..... we need to find a new coupling for the fan drive .... Can any one HELP?

Quite a few hours were spent proving the air system following the start up last month. A number of minor leaks were noted so progressively Steve & Pete attended to each of them. As soon as one was fixed then another started! One main source of leaking air was from the foot brake valve - luckily we managed to purchase a brand new one some time ago so this was swapped with the defective unit.

Coupling required

After a quick tidy up later in the month, "The box of things to put back on" got even emptier! A very rewarding session saw us refit the interior panelling and lock mechanism to the emergency door. After some very careful measuring, not a single mistake was made and an excellent finish to the day saw it proudly re -hung! All that remains is for the replacement of the first aid kit and cover which fits in the recess in the door.

Next came the delivery of some newly turned pin blanks for the hinges on the emergency exit and boot doors - after a couple of hours of very careful "dye nutting" 7 pins and a spare are now ready for fitting too! A massive thanks to John at work for making them for us.

As usual, the colder winter temperatures will now slow down progress but as soon as the spring arrives the final 'big push' will need to happen as we have our very first booking for when CDK is back on the road!

Steve riveting some new edging strip	Almost finished	The completed emergency exit door	New hinge pins