advice required
i have an austin somerset 1200cc it is blowing out blue smoke all the time ,the plugs are black and and wet when removed ,yetwhen i put on the compression meter it is registering 100, is it possible for the oil ring to fail on the pistons and still hold its pressure, there is no rattles or tapping when running [the engine has been stood for a few months and the oil was very sticky when removed]
before i start to strip the engine down is they anything i could do to remedy it or any further tests i could carry out Read more

Anyone watched the new series on Sky one tonight? Quite disappointed myself - entertaining in a silly way, but trying far too hard to be top Gear!!! And when theyt dropped the Volvo from 130 foot, there was no caravan in sight? Read more

Hello,

I have a Honda lawn mower powered by a 4.5hp GCV135 motor, these were built I think from 1997 on though mine is a 1999 model. This engine and the longer stroke 5.5hp GCV160 are still current models and are unusual for being an OHC design with a wet cambelt, i.e running in oil within the engine. They are very quiet and are praised for efficiency and low emmisions.

I have a fairly comprehensive guide to the engine which tells me that the valve clearances need checking every 150 hours (reckon mine has done between 150 and 200 hours) though there is no mention as to what the clearances should be. Also I am not sure if the cambelt needs changing though I guess that the engine will be non interferance.

Any ideas?



Thanks. Read more

...car salesman?

Don't laugh...or at least hold any laughs in until you've read all this.

As you may all know, I've pretty much finished Uni. I have one exam and a few presentations left but by the end of the first week in May, I'm done. Completely. Finito.

The problem is, I've suffered a minor career setback. I won't go into details but suffice it to say, what I've wanted to do for the past 10 years and pretty much pinned all my hopes on, I can't do. So I've been mulling over options which in my less sober moments have included joining the Navy as a Royal Engineer, becoming a mechanic (I still haven't dismissed this idea) and even setting up my own business. However, when I realised you needed money to do this, I quickly abandoned the plan.

Today, I've noticed that the local Ford group both in my home town and Bolton (a short drive away) are recruiting trainee salesmen. Now ordinarily I wouldn't consider it but I need a job and obviously I love cars so you'd think it'd be the perfect job.

The only thing putting me off is having to lie to people to meet targets. (And the fact I'd have to look at the new Focus every day) I have no doubts I'd be able to talk till the cows come home about all the cars themselves but it's fairly certain I'd have to be...unscrupulous at times. Isn't it?

I've also looked at graduate options for pretty much every mainstream car manufacturer but either they require a Business related degree (I dropped this aspect in the first year!) or the ship sailed in January (Navy link!) and because I was all set for something else last week, I never even gave it a thought.

Is it really as bad as I think? I know Kev will be able to contribute a lot to this but what does everyone else reckon? Any advice on this and any other careers in the motor trade for someone who doesn't strictly have any relevant qualifications(!) would be very much appreciated.

I'm not sure that this would be a career but I need a job pretty damn soon so I'm not *too* worried about that aspect for the time being.

Many Thanks,

Adam

P.S. The first one to sing one line out of "In The Navy" will promptly get punched in the face.
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Apologies if this has been done before but if so let's repeat it for a bit of fun. As it is a holiday weekend I thought it time for an opportunity to drop into Fantasy land.
Regardless of cost what car do you think is:
a) The best car lb for £ &
b) The best looking car ever built.

My attempt at this is

a) Series 5 BMW (lb for £)
b) Aston Martin V8 Vantage Read more