I have to hold my hand up to one (four, really) of those. I recently
replaced the rear axle on the roadster and refurbed the prop-shaft. After
putting everything back tight I went back next day and checked everything
again. Did a 400-mile trip and checked everything again, to find all the
bolts loose where the prop-shaft bolts to the diff. I can't believe I
missed them twice, but they can't all have come loose.
PaulH.
-----Original Message-----
From: Rocky Frisco <rock@rocky-frisco.com>
To: mgs@autox.team.net <mgs@autox.team.net>
Date: 22 October 1999 06:49
Subject: Fingertight Malcolm
>We have an anthropomorphic personification on the Mini-list, called
>"Finger-Tight Malcolm;" we even have FTM awards on a web page, devoted
>to really horrible boners by mechanics who should have known better, but
>perhaps went to lunch and came back and forgot they hadn't torqued down
>the mains, etc. etc.. ;)
>
>I suffered a previous-mechanic FTM-created crisis this evening earlier
>that was actually pretty funny, but potentially dangerous, so I thought
>I would mention it. I was in some medium traffic this evening, where
>every single driver in the clump was behaving oddly, as if they had all
>just watched "Grand Prix" or the equivalent. ;)
>
>I was mostly concentrating on staying out of the same space as these tin
>piles when a clear open space appeared in front of me. I floored it. The
>MBG power train in the light Victor setup is really quite impressive, so
>we rapidly got ahead of the pack, with plenty of room to spare. But then
>the engine was stuck at full throttle and wasn't interested in idling
>back down to any silly old 40 mph.
>
>I cut the key and drifted into the parking lot of the new
>Skaggs-Albertson's mega-complex, laughing my ass off.
>
>Popped the bonnet; my suspicions were confirmed: the same thing had
>happened in the middle of a race in my 850 Mini 34 years ago:
>
>The throttle mechanism had gone over the top. It was set up wrong, so
>that absolute full throttle (something a regular town car doesn't often
>do) would pull the throttle shaft so far over that the return spring
>would hold it open. Feels almost exactly like the car has turned into an
>unruly horse with the bit in its teeth. ;)
>
>Needless to say I will be setting the linkage up pretty soon and
>avoiding full throttle in the mean time. :)
>
>Something to be aware of and check for.
>
>LBC's: what fun, like having a hard-headed woman. :)
>
>-Rock
>--
>Rocky, JJ Cale Band & Pratchett Books: http://www.rocky-frisco.com
>Rocky's Mini Cooper Page: http://www.geocities.com/MotorCity/6437/
>Mini Books: http://www.geocities.com/MotorCity/6437/rockboox.html
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