SEIZE THE DAZE

Thank you for what is the pinnacle of my potential but sadly unresolved modelling career. I refer, of course, to the subs advert in RC216. Your image of me – looking still relatively youthful, a complete contrast to my now haggard profile – was something else. I may have to engage an agent. Thank you. That Norjap is now in America, I think.

We needed to think out of the box recently to free up a seized piston on an almost (but not quite) terminally sick VH Ariel. Thanks to Andrew Northam for the solution, which involves a soft bit of lawn, an ex-council Compir Holman road drill, and some round solid metal bits.

The soft ground takes up any nasty vibratory shocks. The generator is started, the drill hoses are connected, and a volunteer is needed to hold the barrel upright whilst another operative inserts the blunt bit of the drill and hammers away. Fire, diesel, plus gas, lump hammers all failed to dislodge the piston. But it cried enough when this – admittedly extreme – method of loosening was applied.

The piston came out with no damage at all. Well, I say no damage. The piston was intact but the rings had broken and messed up their grooves. The bore was not damaged apart from the rusty bits, but it still needed a plus-40 rebore so a different piston was required anyway.

We now await the outcome when the Ariel’s grand start-up is attempted, timed to coincide with the Queen’s 75th anniversary celebrations.

Roger Fogg, member 4680