75ZT Community

It seems to be the norm now, everyone is just out for what they can get. When we had our wills done it all went fine but then there is the power of attorney to sort out with the gov office. That was when it got interesting/complicated. As you probably know you need two POA's each (health and finance) and they cost to register. It took almost 4 yr (not a misprint 4 yr) to finally sort these with the office of The Public Guardian. God knows what would have happened if either my missus or I passed away before conclusion.

We are no longer members of The National Trust after very similar conclusion to yourself, they actually contracted the parking out at some properties as I understand it hence they don't actually charge, the company it's contracted out to do, nice little work around. We do keep our membership to the RSPB as we enjoy visiting local areas and our visits to Bempton Cliffs to see when the puffins arrive which is about now.

Good decision to obtain Power of Attorney for both financial affairs and health affairs. For my late mum I only obtained it for financial affairs after seeking guidance from the Office of the Public Guardian. It informed me that most people only go for finance and as I had always trusted the authorities I just went with that. My feeling was that the NHS and the local Council services would be better informed and experienced to be able to act in my mum's best interests re health matters than I. Big mistake in hindsight which I will always regret.

In due course it became apparent that both were focused on the money and to quickly ascertain if any if not all financial costs could be shifted from them to the family. The NHS deployed their preferred nurse who spoke like a politician on steroids after first asking if we had Power of Attorney for health affairs. The local Council deployed their preferred social worker who did the same and was removed from the case as soon as she managed to get the family self-funding the care costs. She was replaced with a newbie social worker who happened to let slip that that her predecessor looked after the council's financial interests and that it was SOP for her to be deployed first.

With POA for health my lasting impression is that you will be treated better and with more respect by the outfits mentioned above. Things like "Denial of Liberty" and "Do Not Resuscitate" will not likely be annotated to your hospital record without consultation and permission from the family.

‘Free’ wills are OK as long as it’s a basic will. Anything more complicated and you normally have to pay for it.

takestock wrote: We do keep our membership to the RSPB as we enjoy visiting local areas and our visits to Bempton Cliffs to see when the puffins arrive which is about now.

We actually joined the RSPB at Bempton. Went to see the puffins this time of year, last year, but it was so cold and windy they were all deep in their burrows. Went back after they had gone, last year and got some nice photos of gannets. Trying again this year to see puffins.

Yesterday the Freelander 2 went in for it's MOT passed no advisories just how i like it, if it had any I class them as a fail and deal with the right away.

Gas Test
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My van is in for factory recall on Friday at Brindly some sort of AI sound test to see if the timing chain is ok if it passes the the test then you get an Oil filter and oil change also some ECU (Engine Control Unit) upgrade.

So waiting to see the outcome before i decide when to do the timing belt and chain.

Steve

I watched a very interesting video recently about Vauxhall CDTi timing chains.

It’s amazing how much work there is in replacing it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jwVfpwIVCBM

daveo138 wrote:Steve

I watched a very interesting video recently about Vauxhall CDTi timing chains.

It’s amazing how much work there is in replacing it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jwVfpwIVCBM

Hi Dave.
Yes that's Baz been in contact with him for over a year now, i was booked in to have my BlueHDI 1.5 diesel vans belt and timing chain done, but there was a call back on them, which i went to yesterday, I had a an AI sound test done on the van passed the test so you get an oil change with new oil filter and also a software update to tell the engine that a different oil is being used from 0w/20 to 5w/20

I said to the Vauxhall tech at Brindley how is that going to deal with any wear that has already taken place on the chain etc it's not, the reply was the procedure was the above which came from Stellantis on how to deal with this chain problem if there had been a rattle then they would have changed the timing chain from a 7mm to and 8mm chain and new cam shafts etc.

It at least is now under a 10yrs to 150,000 warranty to cover it if it starts to rattle but you have to keep your car/van serviced by Vauxhall, i think I'm just going to get it done either Baz, or do it myself.

Good weather today in NE England, done a bit of tidying in the front garden and just had a cuppa and a rest. Now thinking of going to the local retail park for a walk and a bit more exercise. Might have a go tm at what is left of a conifer tree that I paid to have taken down to what is quite a substantial trunk. No more green stuff to contend with just hope that my electric chainsaw is up to the job, will go slowly and hope for the best.

Arctic wrote:

Hi Dave.
Yes that's Baz been in contact with him for over a year now.

Hi Steve

I’ve watched quite a few of his videos. He certainly knows his stuff.

My go to sounds lately Nordic songs, quite uplifting the sun is shinning again after the thunder and lighting here last night.
https://youtu.be/t-pInKEMHAI?si=dp7No6UotNvyesWu

https://youtu.be/Y8r_UoaAV-E?si=u4cQUGBNXiB1dyD3

Looking dry but a bit breezy outside today. More work on the gardens is needed, they are growing as aggressive as ever following recent wet spells in the hot weather we have had. However that will have to wait for now as my attention is focused on servicing the opening mechanisms in the double-glazed windows. They are well overdue a bit of maintenance, the small opener in the front bedroom upstairs was seizing quite badly and was getting close to breaking in my attempts to free it off. But with a wing and a prayer I eventually managed to gain a bit of movement in it to squeeze my hand in with some cleaner followed by some lube. The job really requires the use of silicon in the runners to do it properly so I might pop in to town to try to source a rattle can of it in spray form. Plastic double-glazed windows are not fit and forget, they do not have to be painted but they certainly present with other problems. Time for a coffee I think then off into town if the weather hold.

Well todays challenge was the washer dryer that had decided no to spin . I still find it strange that modern machines like this have dirty great lumps of concrete in them.
Culprit turned out to be the brushes on the motor which were readily available from the local spares shop at a cost of a little under £25 quid.

takestock wrote:Well todays challenge was the washer dryer that had decided no to spin . I still find it strange that modern machines like this have dirty great lumps of concrete in them.
Culprit turned out to be the brushes on the motor which were readily available from the local spares shop at a cost of a little under £25 quid.

There were talks about replacing the concrete lumps, with water tanks. So they would only be filled after delivery, making the machine lighter to transport. No idea if it happened, though.

Brushless motors are becoming much more common. So no brushes to wear out. And they are MUCH quieter. During wash, the only noise from ours is the water sloshing. Theres noise when spinning, but not like the old ones that sound like the turbofans on a 747.

I would have balked at paying ~ £25 for carbon brushes for a washing machine. I bought a packet of them a few years back for a few quid on Aliexpress, if the size matches with what you needed Dave I would have sent you a couple for free. Those that I have are of a fairly generic size for many washing machines. I've replaced brushes a few times for family member's washing machines but failure of the programmer due to fatigue of the internal metal switches often followed sooner rather than later. I found the new programmers to be priced to deter replacement and to push you into buying a new machine. There is also the issue of bearing wear to consider, noise resulting from it can be irritating once it presents. In the round I found replacing brushes to be cost-effective but I was always mindful that it was a bit of a gamble and that the machine on the whole would be getting quite worn and so other parts might also fail. But good luck with your work and hopefully it will prove to be worthwhile.

You know, it's funny that people tend to say it's technology that has made stuff less reliable, and talk about 'planned obsolescence. Ang go on about how the old stuff lasted much longer. I remember my Mums washing machine needing brushes quite often. And yes you could fix it yourself. I do recall a machine that we bought but passed on to my MIL, and if failed because of a vibration issue cracking a joint on the printed circuit. A stupid design meant that a simple cracked joint blew away a circuit. Still repairable. Now we move on to our previous washing machine. Very electronic, brushless motor etc. Faultless for something like 13 years, but then started to have a real problem. No, not planned obsolesesce in the electronics, but a broken suspension spring in the mechanical system.

Its the second time I have replaced the brushes and its only an old indesit washer dryer. Could have got the brushes for about half of that on line but when the wife is looking at you with "that look" it is a needs must job. If the drum bearing goes its a bit of a problem on this one as the two halves of the outer drum are plastic welded together and to split it you would need to actually saw it in half.

Chopped a few branches of the conifers today which are not even in our garden, but they over hanging into our garden so they must come down, fed up with the pigeons pooing all over the place, also added some chrome swivel spiral sticks in the hope to keep them out of the trees, time will tell if they work or not, did some last weekend also and there are more to do over the next few weeks, also managed to paint the side steps on my FL2 from silver to black.

Well I'm thinking thats about me done with the OC. It's so sad. My subs are due on the 23rd June. I have decided not to renew and it is such a shame the direction the club has gone, in effect taking it behind closed doors. I haven't posted on there since they effectively banned people from giving advice to others unless they paid subs. Any and all ideas made to suggest a work around were simply ignored, not even the courtesy of a reply.

I have not made a song and dance about it over there as it will just cause more trouble. I have removed all my Pm's and my details from the forum, with the exception of my email address which from what I can tell will only be displayed under my name as a none subscribed member if I insert it into the field on the user CP on what car I have (which I have done), we shall see.

I still have my 75 as well as the Freelander and along with others on here am here to help if I can. Off for a glass of wine or two now to reflect on the good times.

It is very sad how it has unfolded on the OC. I thought at the time that the chickens coming home to roost would increase in number over the following year or so as members came to terms with the changes.

Yes i will be in two minds also to renew my subscription this year, time will tell, but it's down the pan and slowly flushing away, I've pointed out so many times that all the information can also be found on here and it's free to check and post, what more can you ask for.