Ford focus mk1

[FhakeConcern]

Could you remove the gates and knock down this bit of wall?

Bub2.jpg (348.33 KiB) Viewed 1129 times

I took the gates off my driveway and it's so much easier...

[bub2006]

I could but I do shut the gates at night and lock it when we are on holiday.

[SiC]

lock it when we are on holiday.

Doesn't that give a big flag to a burglar that you're away?

My missus was the type of person who put curtains half way closed when away. I pointed out that we never have it like that normally and it's a pretty decent indicator that we are not in.

[bub2006]

We live in a nice area and our road is a dead end so one way in and one way out. Nice neighbours too but shutting gates,locking it and putting the other car up to the edge of driveway is a habit we had from living in less salubrious areas.
No one on the rob would come this far up the street as everyone knows each other and doesn't take kindly to folk sniffing round where they aren't meant to.

[DodgeRover]

My parents lock their gates every night and if they go out in the day time - stops folks noseying round easily looking what they can steal and will mean a slight delay getting anything out which might be enough time for the neighbours to notice something

[LynehamHerc]

Our gates apparently disappeared a bit after the war. They opened outwards and blocked part of the High Street when they were open which understandably pissed people off. Mind you a lot less people lived here then as it was before most of the land was sold off and various houses built on it.

[bub2006]

I've established something. Maybe I shouldn't bitch about fuel economy. I bought that car with 8500 on the clock end of october. It had cambelt done at beginning of December at 9703 miles. It's now showing around 12100 miles. Fuck.
In all that time I've not really had any issues until yesterday morning when the washer pump decided not to anymore. Black mould in washer bottle so a good clean out,cleaned the filter and refitted original pump and its all working fine again with no money spent,thankfully my mate had nothing on in the garage so he stripped it all down. He commented on how non of the screws and bolts holding arch liner and washer bottle were not seized. Rusty yes but not seized and non rounded off.
Next week it's going in to have an oil and filter change and hopefully rectify weeping sump gasket. New gasket is over 40 quid so gasket sealant will be implemented. Also purchased a Haynes manual. Oil change every 6k according to that. The auto box is meant to be sealed for life too but I don't agree with that so a fluid change is in order. Sump on the transmission doesn't have a drain plug yet the mazda box does even though its same box. Going to look into either a mazda gearbox pan or drilling hole and welding a threaded thick washer into it for drainage. Not my job,an engineer company can do that though!
Mpg currently around 33mpg now.
Thanks.

[SiC]

Many cars for years don't have a drain plug for auto boxes. You drop the pan as that's how you access the filter to change it.

Not sure I'd go to the expense of replacing it with a drain plug. Once changed, it'll be good for at least 5 years and longer.

Does it have a dipstick? Suck it out of there. It's what I've done everytime on an auto box.

[SiC]

If you do drop the pan and use gasket sealant, you have to be super careful not to get any in the ATF. That can be very effective at blocking up the tiny bores in the valve bodies and kill the box. Possibly why the factory used a gasket rather than sealant.

The AW55 (Saab/Renault/Volvo/others) uses a sealant on the valve body access panel. If you remove that, you need the special (bloody expensive) sealant that stays fluid if it contacts ATF. So if some does seep out, it won't clog the hydraulic system.

[Hooli]

I'd drop the pan to do the filter too. That's how it's done on my 'sealed for life' XJR box.