I managed to break down within a mile of the yard last night. Lost all the air and of course came to a shuddering halt in the middle of the road.
Had a look round and couldn’t see anything. Mechanic turns up and scrabbles round under the trailer for a bit. Turns out one of the brake chambers had come loose from the chassis, ripping off the airline in the process. So kink in the airline, couple of cable ties and jobs a good un to get it to the yard so they can repair it properly.
It made me think though, I hear some of you old 'uns saying about doing stuff like this, chaining axles, sealing off chambers etc. Time to have a look at some old school techniques.
Where everything went wrong. I sprung a leak in the radiator so, I just put an egg in and it stopped leaking. Then about 10 miles further there was a twang and I knew my fan belt had gone. Luckily I was travelling with my girlfriend, I asked her to slip off her tights which I then used as a replacement fan belt. Incredibly my luck kept getting worse! I sprung leak in the fuel line so I managed to find some old rubber pipe on the hard shoulder of the M6 where I’d spluttered to a halt and fixed it with two jubilee clips I had in my spares box. Not long afer that, all my lights went out, I knew I’d blown a fuse so (again) luckily I was eating some Cadbury’s Dairy Milk. I used the silver foil from the wrapper and wedged that into the blown fuse socket and it worked. Well, I was getting worried that something else might go wrong by now. I was running out of things in my toolbox to carry out repairs with if anything else went pop. During a stop I noticed my number plate was about to fall off so I had to use my last elastic band to keep it on. I got going again but about ten miles further on my front tyre went flat. Luckily, I had enough bedding on the top bunk to stuff into the tyre itself and that got me going again. At last I stopped for the night for a well earned rest but, in the morning, it was so cold all my fuel had frozen and I had to light a small fire under my fuel tank to get going again. When I had done that, I tried to start the enging but the battery was flat. Luckily, I got all my torch batteries out and taped them altogether, this was just enough to get her going again.
Well u must say. I bow down to you as a proper lorry driver that you are. I just phone a fitter out. He comes along fixes what needs fixed and on his way he goes.
You wont believe this but if i get a flat tyre some monkey comes out in a van and chages it for me.
Done all that ■■■■, would not have the required enthusiasm nor will these days, simply could not be arsed, no interest any longer, and that’s how the jobs got me.
Let’s just leave those days in the past.
Where everything went wrong. I sprung a leak in the radiator so, I just put an egg in and it stopped leaking. Then about 10 miles further there was a twang and I knew my fan belt had gone. Luckily I was travelling with my girlfriend, I asked her to slip off her tights which I then used as a replacement fan belt. Incredibly my luck kept getting worse! I sprung leak in the fuel line so I managed to find some old rubber pipe on the hard shoulder of the M6 where I’d spluttered to a halt and fixed it with two jubilee clips I had in my spares box. Not long afer that, all my lights went out, I knew I’d blown a fuse so (again) luckily I was eating some Cadbury’s Dairy Milk. I used the silver foil from the wrapper and wedged that into the blown fuse socket and it worked. Well, I was getting worried that something else might go wrong by now. I was running out of things in my toolbox to carry out repairs with if anything else went pop. During a stop I noticed my number plate was about to fall off so I had to use my last elastic band to keep it on. I got going again but about ten miles further on my front tyre went flat. Luckily, I had enough bedding on the top bunk to stuff into the tyre itself and that got me going again. At last I stopped for the night for a well earned rest but, in the morning, it was so cold all my fuel had frozen and I had to light a small fire under my fuel tank to get going again. When I had done that, I tried to start the enging but the battery was flat. Luckily, I got all my torch batteries out and taped them altogether, this was just enough to get her going again.
Yeh, that was a trip to remember I can tell you!
Your time in the SAS obviously did you proud but I bet you still just managed to miss the Zeebrugge ferry!!!
ROB…your too old in the job mate…if it broke…fix it…all drivers should carry cable ties and gaffa tape…
CGscott…here it is…been there and done it, chained axles up where the bearing was knackered, and ran until i could get hold of one…
remember when the reins broke on my horse and cart…had to pin and clamp it to get me home…btw, no damage or pain was inflicted on the nag and he stood still whilst i did the repairs.
truckyboy:
ROB…your too old in the job mate…if it broke…fix it…all drivers should carry cable ties and gaffa tape…
CGscott…here it is…been there and done it, chained axles up where the bearing was knackered, and ran until i could get h8old of one…
remember when the reins broke on my horse and cart…had to pin and clamp it to get me home…btw, no damage or pain was inflicted on the nag and he stood still whilst i did the repairs.
in 38. Doubt any of that. I just groan at the ild school who cant accept time moves and change i absolutely hate ■■■■■■■ auto boxes though i prefer the manual. Over and out.
A brake chamber came loose? we saw a couple of weeks ago what the DVSA thought of that, and that one had plainly been hit by something. I’d be making sure that my pre-trip walk arounds were really rather thorough, because it sounds suspiciously like something may well be not quite right in the workshop.
cav551:
A brake chamber came loose? we saw a couple of weeks ago what the DVSA thought of that, and that one had plainly been hit by something. I’d be making sure that my pre-trip walk arounds were really rather thorough, because it sounds suspiciously like something may well be not quite right in the workshop.
From experience it Sounds more like a broken bracket due to corrosion
I was on my way back to the yard when the lead horse went lame. It was too much for the other three to pull, so I unhitched him and put him on a halter behind the waggon. Then I picked up the traces and put my back into it; between us, we got the load home.
I was pretty knackered but still had to unhitch the horses, brush them down, and settle them into their boxes with a bucket of oats before I could go home for my steak dinner.
Yeh, that was a trip to remember I can tell you!
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Your time in the SAS obviously did you proud but I bet you still just managed to miss the Zeebrugge ferry!!!
[/quote]
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
dont mention ferries!!!
when i was doing the russia to canada 1 hitters then it wasnt unusual to have to help keep the bloody thing going or you would be missing your booking slot…
Where everything went wrong. I sprung a leak in the radiator so, I just put an egg in and it stopped leaking. Then about 10 miles further there was a twang and I knew my fan belt had gone. Luckily I was travelling with my girlfriend, I asked her to slip off her tights which I then used as a replacement fan belt. Incredibly my luck kept getting worse! I sprung leak in the fuel line so I managed to find some old rubber pipe on the hard shoulder of the M6 where I’d spluttered to a halt and fixed it with two jubilee clips I had in my spares box. Not long afer that, all my lights went out, I knew I’d blown a fuse so (again) luckily I was eating some Cadbury’s Dairy Milk. I used the silver foil from the wrapper and wedged that into the blown fuse socket and it worked. Well, I was getting worried that something else might go wrong by now. I was running out of things in my toolbox to carry out repairs with if anything else went pop. During a stop I noticed my number plate was about to fall off so I had to use my last elastic band to keep it on. I got going again but about ten miles further on my front tyre went flat. Luckily, I had enough bedding on the top bunk to stuff into the tyre itself and that got me going again. At last I stopped for the night for a well earned rest but, in the morning, it was so cold all my fuel had frozen and I had to light a small fire under my fuel tank to get going again. When I had done that, I tried to start the enging but the battery was flat. Luckily, I got all my torch batteries out and taped them altogether, this was just enough to get her going again.
Dieseldog ,i think i may have had a few beers with you on the Bering Strait ferry , the motor vessel called MV We are all doomed , did you load Moscow for a drop in Toronto or was it New York with a full load of bear and tiger skins ?
I thought after New York you loaded from Miami for five drops in Hong Kong ? I did like the penguin or dolphin casserole on the ferry .
dieseldog999:
Yeh, that was a trip to remember I can tell you!
Your time in the SAS obviously did you proud but I bet you still just managed to miss the Zeebrugge ferry!!!
[/quote]
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
dont mention ferries!!!
when i was doing the russia to canada 1 hitters then it wasnt unusual to have to help keep the bloody thing going or you would be missing your booking slot…
[/quote]
I was stuck in new zealand once pulling a train of fuel tankers I got a tow down there as my engine was busted they had an old clacked out antonov sitting on the a runway not far away. . Said its engines wouldnt start. I popped the hoods turned out a bit of the fuel line to both engines had burst got a bit of rubber out the old box under my seat and to my surprise she fired up. Stuck the wagon on back and luckily my 2nd mate was a good co pilot because i was a bit tired and had to sleep. I took off and he landed us down south in aus. Good old emu farmer got had bits and bobs in his shed and done a full repair on my wagon. Done 3000km to give an old lady some fuel to warm her house as it was winter there at the time. Never mentioned it to anyone though.
trucker lives near me hes just now bought a sailing boat plans to moor it out in the sea,live on it and row to shore each morn drive to work come home in the eves and row out, kip overnight and repeat.
