Exciting, scary and interesting night... (1 Viewer)

Feb 27, 2011
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It all started out with a massive thunderstorm doing its scary stuff just down the road. Then the water guys turned up. Turns out there is a pumping station (sewerage) just behind my mums house.

They were waiting for a tanker to turn up to pump out the well. I was chatting away to them and got a bit cheeky and asked if I could have a look round the station. Very interesting and learnt a lot about sewerage pumping stations. They are a lot bigger than I thought.

Anyway, was stood chatting to them when the tanker guy turned up. I was asked if I could move my van so he could reverse down. This involved taking down my mains hookup cable which was suspended across the roof of my van and a clothes pole.

I tried to start the engine and it took longer than usual. I reversed up and shut the engine off. As I was getting out I noticed quite a bit of smoke but couldn't tell if it was the tanker or my van until a big plume of it came from under my bonnet.

HOLY CRAP!!!!!!!:Eeek::Eeek::Eeek::Eeek:

I got the bonnet lid up damn quick and was trying to see if the smoke was coming from the battery cables or something else. At which point one of the sewerage guys said that smell like rubber. Has your fan belt burnt out. He leaned in and grabbed a red hot bit of rubber band and swore as he flung it on the floor were it sizzled in the rain water.

Anyway, either my alternator has siezed or something but I need a new belt and possible alternator.

This has made my mind up I need to get a caravan as backup in case my van goes up in flames...... Very scary moment I can tell you.

Anyway, got to get out of the van now as it stinks of burnt rubber :cry:

Update tomorrow after I have been to the garage.
 
May 21, 2008
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Commiserations Gromett - but you were lucky I think...

Catherine
 

TheBig1

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Nov 27, 2011
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if the alternator has seized (see if it turns by hand) it will probably be the bearing, so getting it refurbished would be a lot cheaper than buying a new one. google for a company near you, as many have a collection and return service. order the belt of EBay and have it delivered. not too hard a job to change out alternator and belt and save a big garage bill for a job you could do yourself

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OP
OP
Gromett
Feb 27, 2011
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if the alternator has seized (see if it turns by hand) it will probably be the bearing, so getting it refurbished would be a lot cheaper than buying a new one. google for a company near you, as many have a collection and return service. order the belt of EBay and have it delivered. not too hard a job to change out alternator and belt and save a big garage bill for a job you could do yourself

I need a bigger alternator anyway, it is on my buy list. I need it to power my B2B charger as the current alternator is a seriously weedy one.

For mechanical things I'd rather pay someone else to do it quicker and more efficiently than I can. Plus being a fulltimer I don't have a garage and a set of tools. Would be a pain in the arse if I got halfway through the job to realise I was missing a tool or a bolt sheered etc. As a fulltimer I made the decision long ago to leave anything to do with the vehicle itself to a garage I trust.

Thanks for the advice though :thumb:
 

TheBig1

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Nov 27, 2011
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No problem..:thumb:

Back when I was working I reached a stage where I realised it was cheaper for me to pay a garage to fix my vehicles, as I earned more per hour than the garage charged. I found that I missed doing the jobs though as the satisfaction of getting your hands dirty and the knowledge that you have fixed the problem is sometimes worth more than money

these days I only tackle small jobs and pay somebody to do the heavy work that in reality is now beyond my physical abilities. Gives more time to be out enjoying life
 
Jun 2, 2010
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I need a bigger alternator anyway, it is on my buy list. I need it to power my B2B charger as the current alternator is a seriously weedy one.

For mechanical things I'd rather pay someone else to do it quicker and more efficiently than I can. Plus being a fulltimer I don't have a garage and a set of tools. Would be a pain in the arse if I got halfway through the job to realise I was missing a tool or a bolt sheered etc. As a fulltimer I made the decision long ago to leave anything to do with the vehicle itself to a garage I trust.

Thanks for the advice though :thumb:


Whatever happened to that set of tools you bought earlier in the year in the aluminium case Grommet, I never saw the review you were going to give, were they not any good.?

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OP
OP
Gromett
Feb 27, 2011
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Whatever happened to that set of tools you bought earlier in the year in the aluminium case Grommet, I never saw the review you were going to give, were they not any good.?

Yes they are excellent and are perfect for what I use them for. Really really happy with them.::bigsmile:::bigsmile:::bigsmile:

However, it is not a full mechanics toolkit and if a bolt sheers I would be up the swannee.:cry:Plus it doesn't contain things like vehicle ramps, jacks or axle stands etc.
 
Jun 2, 2010
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You know I am/was a time served auto technician in my day and still maintain a full set of general tools but I often think to myself lately is there any point, with amount of specialised tools required on more modern vehicles you may as well just save space and bite the bullet if repairs are necessary and leave it the the garages that already have the tools:cry:
 

Petethecook

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Jun 29, 2013
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Don't Panic

Hi Gromett
If the fan belt was hot and melted/broke because of heat there is probably nothing wrong with your alternator...it was just slack and slipping caused the friction which burnt it. Replace the belt and make sure the tension is sufficient to avoid slipping.

If you are truly full-timing and moreover 'snowbirding' in Portugal then I would really suggest a basics of RV self-maintenance course for your own safety....... I need one too! :ROFLMAO:

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OP
OP
Gromett
Feb 27, 2011
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Hi Gromett
If the fan belt was hot and melted/broke because of heat there is probably nothing wrong with your alternator...it was just slack and slipping caused the friction which burnt it. Replace the belt and make sure the tension is sufficient to avoid slipping.

If you are truly full-timing and moreover 'snowbirding' in Portugal then [HI]I would really suggest a basics of RV self-maintenance course[/HI] for your own safety....... I need one too! :ROFLMAO:

HELL NO :ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO:

Although I am capable of doing most jobs likely to crop up it will take me a lot longer to do than someone who does it all day and they are less likely to make a basic mistake that moves a basic job into a total f-up than me.

I prefer to leave these type of jobs to an expert. I don't even change my own oil or filters anymore as disposal of used one is now a problem. Much easier just to give my mechanic ÂŁ20 for his time.

That said I do all the electrical work myself. I fixed front a rear side light problems. I replaced both front headlamps and wired in my B2B system.

But if it involves a spanner I will pass:winky:

On the alternator front, I suspect you are correct but as I have already asked for a quote on a beefier alternator I will get it done at the same time and save me getting oily fingers and a dose of spanner rash.::bigsmile:
 
OP
OP
Gromett
Feb 27, 2011
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Oh and the smell still hasn't gone. I can taste burnt rubber.

The sewage guys are on their 4 tanker load of crap now and it has only gone down by 2 feet in the well and the air breather thingy is 1.5Mtrs down....

Looks like no sleep for me tonight at all:Doh:
 
OP
OP
Gromett
Feb 27, 2011
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6 Tankers load of crap gone now and they have one pump working intermittently. Looks like no sleep for me tonight as they will be running the tanker for the rest of the night and through the morning.

We are parked nose to nose and you wouldn't believe how noisy the truck is going full clackers...:Doh:

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Aug 27, 2009
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It all started out with a massive thunderstorm doing its scary stuff just down the road. Then the water guys turned up. Turns out there is a pumping station (sewerage) [HI]just behind my mums house.
[/HI]
They were waiting for a tanker to turn up to pump out the well. I was chatting away to them and got a bit cheeky and asked if I could have a look round the station. Very interesting and learnt a lot about sewerage pumping stations. They are a lot bigger than I thought.

Anyway, was stood chatting to them when the tanker guy turned up. I was asked if I could move my van so he could reverse down. [HI]This involved taking down my mains hookup cable which was suspended across the roof of my van and a clothes pole.[/HI]

I tried to start the engine and it took longer than usual. I reversed up and shut the engine off. As I was getting out I noticed quite a bit of smoke but couldn't tell if it was the tanker or my van until a big plume of it came from under my bonnet.

HOLY CRAP!!!!!!!:Eeek::Eeek::Eeek::Eeek:

I got the bonnet lid up damn quick and was trying to see if the smoke was coming from the battery cables or something else. At which point one of the sewerage guys said that smell like rubber. Has your fan belt burnt out. He leaned in and grabbed a red hot bit of rubber band and swore as he flung it on the floor were it sizzled in the rain water.

Anyway, either my alternator has siezed or something but I need a new belt and possible alternator.

This has made my mind up I need to get a caravan as backup in case my van goes up in flames...... Very scary moment I can tell you.

Anyway, got to get out of the van now as it stinks of burnt rubber :cry:

Update tomorrow after I have been to the garage.
The freedom and untethered life style of the full timer. Parked in mums back garden plugged into her 13a socket.:winky::roflmto:
 
OP
OP
Gromett
Feb 27, 2011
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The freedom and untethered life style of the full timer. Parked in mums back garden plugged into her 13a socket.:winky::roflmto:


Not quite, parked in front of her house on the road. The hookup was to power up my big computer to do my end of year company accounts, rip a bunch of DVDs and transcode a load of files. Can't leave the hookup connected overnight or during the school run times. So I get a couple of hours a day to get some work done.
 

Chris

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Had any sleep yet Grommet?

I was up half the night as my arthritic left knee decided it was a good time to give me a hard time:Sad:

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Aug 27, 2009
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Not quite, parked in front of her house on the road. The hookup was to power up my big computer to do my end of year company accounts, rip a bunch of DVDs and transcode a load of files. Can't leave the hookup connected overnight or during the school run times. So I get a couple of hours a day to get some work done.
If that was me I would go in and work in the spare room.......:Blush:but that wouldn't be full timing........Only jesting.....:winky:
 

GJH

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You know I am/was a time served auto technician in my day and still maintain a full set of general tools but I often think to myself lately is there any point, with amount of specialised tools required on more modern vehicles you may as well just save space and bite the bullet if repairs are necessary and leave it the the garages that already have the tools:cry:

Good point. When we had some work done on the van earlier in the year I remarked to one of the mechanics that it helps when you know what you are doing. He said something along the lines of having the correct tools being nearly as important.
 
OP
OP
Gromett
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Still no sleep :cry: 29 hours and counting :Eeek:

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OP
OP
Gromett
Feb 27, 2011
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Still no sleep.

2 Lorries going now, one pumping clean water in a jet and the other sucking. Van windows closed = too hot.
Van windows open = to loud and too smelly.

Talking to the guys and looks like it is going to be all night again:cry:

On the upside, Mum just got her appointment 4th Sept so I should be on the road again by the end of December.
 

Chris

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I am struggling to think of a better excuse to go down the pub.
 
OP
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Gromett
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Here is a piccy.

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OP
OP
Gromett
Feb 27, 2011
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I am struggling to think of a better excuse to go down the pub.

Was tempted but chances are I would fall asleep in the bar as soon as the noise stopped. I am having a can of beer now and just hoping it is enough to put me over the edge and into dream land.::bigsmile:
 
OP
OP
Gromett
Feb 27, 2011
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Bloody hell, they now have 3 tankers relaying and 4 vans.

Looks like they are finally putting the resources into the job that was needed yesterday morning....

Jeez is it noisy though.
 

pappajohn

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suspect water pump more than alternator...or even belt tensioner.

not very often an alternator seizes without some prior warning

out of interest....why are they emptying the shit tank overnight ?

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Last edited:

robi49

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Jun 30, 2013
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You know I am/was a time served auto technician in my day and still maintain a full set of general tools but I often think to myself lately is there any point, with amount of specialised tools required on more modern vehicles you may as well just save space and bite the bullet if repairs are necessary and leave it the the garages that already have the tools:cry:

Yeh but great satisfaction of knowing the job is done to very high standard. Just did my own brakes and at 63 and for past 15 years flew a desk would not see some of the younger "so called Technitions in my way" ex Police Mech.
 
Last edited:
OP
OP
Gromett
Feb 27, 2011
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out of interest....why are they emptying the shit tank overnight ?

It's not just overnight it has been going over 2 days and into the second night now.

Without the tankering the wet well would overflow with sewerage into the local beck.

Basicall it is a really deep square hole in the ground. The hole is then divided into two parts. The wet side and the dry side. All the sewerage from the lower half of the village goes into the wet side. There are two massive pumps on the dry side that pump the waste up to the sewerage works a mile up the road.

Both pumps in the dry side have failed. I suspect it is due to lack of maintenance of the wet well. They are having to tanker the waste away for 2 reasons. One to stop it overflowing, the second to clear the wet well down to the "Very deep" sediment in the bottom that keeps knackering up the pump. They are now jetting clear water into the well to stir up the sediment and then pumping this mix out to clean the base of the well.

Once this is completed they can fix the pump and it should stay fixed. At which point they should be able to stop tankering..

Currently I can hear what sounds like small rocks being sucked up.

The guys reckon it is partly maintenance issues and partly due to mainly women chucking stuff down the toilet that isn't supposed to go down the toilet. Things like sanitary products, wet wipes, disposable nappies etc should not be put down the sewerage system but they are in massive numbers.
A couple of them have independently said to me that they wish the government would run an education campaign on this subject.

Btw, I managed 2 hours sleep between 10pm and 12pm purely because I was so knackered. But my body is now refusing to sleep again with that almighty noise right next to me.

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OP
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Gromett
Feb 27, 2011
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WHOOOHOOOOO!!!!!

All the tankers have just buggered off along with 2 panel vans.
Just 2 vans left now..

They had got both pumps working and were just about to leave when an alarm went off and one of the pumps failed again.

They are just looking at this second pump. Should be sorted within an hour or two then things are back to normal.

Just need to get the alternator belt sorted on my van.. Thanks to PappaJohn's post I now know that the belt also powers the water pump. I was just going to use the van as normal:Doh:

I will have it to the garage tomorrow to find out if I need a new pump or alternator or just a fresh belt.

Thanks Pappajohn.
 
Jun 2, 2010
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Yeh but great satisfaction of knowing the job is done to very high standard. Just did my own brakes [HI]and at 63[/HI] and for past 15 years flew a desk would not see some of the younger "so called Technitions in my way" ex Police Mech.

Still a boy yet::bigsmile:
 

Melchior

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Good point. When we had some work done on the van earlier in the year I remarked to one of the mechanics that it helps when you know what you are doing. He said something along the lines of having the correct tools being nearly as important.

Couldn't agree more - trying to do mech work with crappy or wrong tools for the job is asking for trouble. Some years ago I was doing a lot of car mech work and over time built up more and more quality tools. By the end I wondered how on earth I'd coped at the start when I just had the basics.

M's tip: ALWAYS use 6 sided sockets. No idea why 12 siders even exist, they are a rounded off bolt waiting to happen.

To the chap who won't touch a spanner but does the electrics - good work sir. Electrics are still a bit of a mystery to me, I'd much much rather twirl a spanner. At least you can SEE what you're working with!

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