Thread: Loctite Anyone?

Well took the Rangie for it's first long drive in months (Still had fuel in it from Fraser in February) after finaly getting it rego'd in QLD after 2 years yesterday.

I had put EL falcon thermos back in it and took the engine driven fan off it about a month ago. The Rangie had only been driven around the yard and to get a RWC and Mod Plate since I did the change.

I drove to Brizzy today to pick up a dishwasher I won on ebay and get to the toll both on the gateway and stop the car to pay the toll and I hear what sounds like a bearing noise under the bonnet. Anyway, can't stop there to investigate so I carry on as I am only going to Murarrie anyway. Noise gets worse then goes quiet so I pick up my dishwasher.

About 200m after leaving the dishwasher place noise comes back. I drive for about 800m as there is no where to stop then noise stops and battery light comes on. I pull into a side street and into the car park of a day care centre (closed), stop the truck and open the bonnet, thats funny, I swear there used to be a pully on the water pump. I look more closely, thats funny, that fan belt is not meant to be hanging down there.

So I call the RACQ and inform them I will need a tow back to Hervey Bay and a hire car (Ultra Care Member, it's a Land Rover after all) knowing there will be nowhere to get an isuzu pully at 2pm on a Sat. They insist on sending a mechanic to check it first. While I am waiting I decide to go for a walk to see if I can find the pulley. I walk around the corner and go for about 400m up the road and there it is in the gutter.

I get back to the Rangie just before the mechanic (only took 10 mins) and say to him I have good news and bad news, good news is I know what the problem is and I found my pulley, bad news is there are no bolts to attach it. When I did the swap I must have just done them finger tight and forgotten to do them up.

Anyway, Mr RACQ takes me to the local supercheap, we source some bolts and LOCTITE and jobs a gooden.

No damage done (execpt to my pride) and I drove the Rangie home.

RACV have been nothing but trouble for me, when I was courier driving, I woke up to a flat battery from the door not being completely closed and the interior light being on all night and nit only did it take the bloke 45 mins to drive from the other end of my street where he lived, he had the nerve to tell me that it had been a busy morning.

I had been sitting on the front porch thinking I wonder if that will be the bloke that will come and then saw him pull out of his driveway and into mine.

He then took the battery clamp off and checked the electrolite and then jump started me packed it all up and I took off while he was still cleaning up his tools etc.

I went around the round about at the end of the street and the battery fell onto the alternator boring a big hole in the side of it.

Acid every where, a new battery stuffed and as I turned around and said didnt you put the clamp back on? and he tried to tell me it wasnt the correct battery for the vehical.

3 months of fighting them for a new battery and I ended up taking them to civil court for repairs to the wiring, paint work and the battery as well as loss of income for the day and car hire for the time I didnt have mine.

Had another interesting run in with them recently where we tried to fix a stranded vehical first before calling a tow but apparently even if your a qualified mechanic they wont tow it to a place of repair if youve tried to repair it yourself.

I keep spares and my tool box in the landy all the time and I can call parts suppliers or a tow truck if I need it my self, I dont want or need their crap service.