Who is doing what maintenance today?

[StarCruiser]

The last time Autoglass fitted my windscreen they smothered the rubber in Arbomast stating confidently that that would do the trick. After two weeks the screen leaked. When I finally got round to pulling the screen out, the Arbomast was so dry it was almost like old putty except it broke up much easier and had done so all round the screen. Having seen that I would never use it.

I do agree on the RTV as you wouldn't get the screen back out.

Toyota used a grey sealant on mine, a bit like duct sealant but the butyl stuff I used on the screen is closest and designed for the job.

The rear screen is far easier and a far better fit than the windscreen, and the gutter sealant I used has done the trick but it will need some warming up to remove again as it has gone fairly hard but is still plyable when it warms up.

 

[Towpack]

Couldn't get any Arbomast locally so I went with Unibond gutter/roof seal which looks the same and even smells the same as they're both petroleum based products. Warmed the tube in some warm water and it applied a treat. There are numerous other sealing products which would work but they're also adhesive which you neither need or want as it would make a future glass change a bit of a nightmare. Now for the bit that went seriously t*ts up. Pushed on the wiring connector and the f*****g tab broke off the screen!. I guess some of you guys will have heard me cursing. A close inspection showed that it had been spot soldered onto the element with quite a small contact patch even though the busbar each side of the screen is quite wide. You can get special bonding adhesive for refixing broken tabs but I was that pissed off I decided to have a go at resoldering. Thankfully, pre-tinning of the tab and judicious use of the iron was a success! The new element is 1.6 ohms across the grid and pulls just under 8A. The grid on the old screen was over 2k ohms, that's how bad it was.

 

[StarCruiser]

I decided to pull the lock out of my driver's door and see why it wouldn't let me in on the key. Turns out the very last thingamajig that engages with the key, wasn't. Looks like it got bent when it got stuck before. The key is that well worn.



So it stuck out and wouldn't let the key in. So I reformed it in the vice, filed a bit off, tapped it with a hammer to get it flat, reassembled it and it was no better than before. So I pulled the barrel out again and removed the key allowing the thing and it's spring to disappear into the clutter that covers most of my garage floor.

Works perfectly now. [emoji4]

 

[Chas]

Works perfectly now.

Even with a missing thingamajig?

 

[StarCruiser]

No, no the thingamajig is not missing……

…It's in hiding [emoji6]

 

[Chas]

No, no the thingamajig is not missing……

…It's in hiding [emoji6]

Hiding somewhere on the garage floor?

 

[Towpack]

I've heard levers being removed before as a "fix" for a worn key. It does lower the security of the lock though.

 

[StarCruiser]

I did try, more than I described in actual fact as I realised it would lower the security but when the bl@@dy thing bu66ered off into oblivion I decided to take the easy route.

 

[Towpack]

Not much of an issue really SC. It wouldn't worry me unduly if I did the same thing. A determined thief probably knows 101 ways to get into the vehicle irrespective of how good the door lock is.

 

[StarCruiser]

Pretty much what I figured TP.

 

[clivehorridge]

No, no the thingamajig is not missing……

…It's in hiding [emoji6]

I think the thingamajigs may be called "Pawls" could be wrong, but whatever they're called when bu99ered, the best place for them is on the garage floor

 

[karl webster]

I did the same Rich few weeks ago. I had bought a brand new door lock from Simon as a Christmas treat for the truck. Turned out the truck must have had a lock set at some point so I wasted £50 should have just put second hand in

 

[StarCruiser]

Ahh, now Karl, all may not be lost if you have the patience to pull the lock apart, the thingamajigs are numbered and remove quite easily. So with your lock carefully taken to bits and the thingamajigs taken out and lined up, a drawing of where the numbers go could be made and you could then replace each thingamajig with the same number from other locks. Bit of a faff really but quite possible to build it up or even swap it into the new barrel. I have many photos and was thinking of doing a thread.

Clive, I had considered "Pawls" but I too am not sure. It's quicker to write than thingamajigs. [emoji4] When bu66ered they get called lots of things. [emoji3][emoji35]

 

[karl webster]

Ahh, now Karl, all may not be lost if you have the patience to pull the lock apart, the thingamajigs are numbered and remove quite easily. So with your lock carefully taken to bits and the thingamajigs taken out and lined up, a drawing of where the numbers go could be made and you could then replace each thingamajig with the same number from other locks. Bit of a faff really but quite possible to build it up or even swap it into the new barrel. I have many photos and was thinking of doing a thread.

Clive, I had considered "Pawls" but I too am not sure. It's quicker to write than thingamajigs. [emoji4] When bu66ered they get called lots of things. [emoji3][emoji35]

Hmmm. To be honest rich my old lock wouldn't work at all. No matter how much oil dw etc was added. I had to take more that one of the thingamajigs out to get it to work. The old thingymajigs got binned. Don't think I'd have the patient to swap them about. I may give it a try at some point. I thought it wasn't a bad price if it had been a match.

 

[StarCruiser]

Sounds like a worn key problem like mine requiring (ahem) 'adjustment' with a file on the thingamajigs.

 

[joinerman]

Aren't the thingamyjigs called Tumblers !!!!!

 

[clivehorridge]

Aren't the thingamyjigs called Tumblers !!!!!

You got it JM, according to wiki....

"... slide, or the like, which must be adjusted to a particular position by a key or other means before the bolt can be thrown ..."

I was wrong, "Pawl" seems to be the pivot arm that engages in a sprocket in a ratchet mechanism.

 

[joinerman]

Awe shucks, i feel all embarrassed now

 

[clivehorridge]

Awe shucks, i feel all embarrassed now

Not at all, I like to know what things should be called.

And IMO, words disappear from language when not used or if improperly used.

 

[StarCruiser]

I was tempted by pawls and tumblers, but without looking it up I thought the tumbler would be the whole rotating part that the key turns but if it's tumblers then it's tumblers. [emoji4]