Team50*North: Capri2Mongolia

By the time we got back to London in August, Carla was suffering a few mechanical woes. Nothing too serious, especially considering she had just hauled three men, a trailer and enough kit to sustain a small army in the field for a month across Europe into Russia, virtually to the borders of Central Asia and back in 24 consequetive driving days.  It was a round trip of 6,325miles; 6,825 if you take into account the miles she did in getting to the launch from Scary's via the sign writers in Bristol.  All in all she fared well.

Nonetheless the bodged exhaust repair (all we could manage on the road) needed fixing and the offside rear wheel bearing was shot.  The exhaust I took care of immediately, but the wheel bearing I have been putting off and putting off in the hope that somebody else would do it for me!  To replace the wheel bearing involves removing the rear half shaft.  I had a spare half shaft, we lugged it with us throughout the trip.  It was just a case of swapping them over.  Not the world's hardest job, but for a beginner mechanic pretty daunting.  As I keep saying, I drive, I don't know what makes 'em work! 

With the Saturday reunion looming I was determined to fix Carla so I could drive her there.  A wet, dark Thursday evening in November wasn't the ideal time to cut my teeth on such a big job... but needs must.  What was amusing and a touch ironic was that even though I was at home I still only had the basic tools that I took on the road; less in fact.  My axle stands have gone walkabout so I had to take a tip from the desert adventurers bible, Sahara Overland by Chris Scott, and utilise a jerry can and a block of wood to protect me and the car should I drag the chassis off the jack in tugging and pulling and hammering the half shaft out of the diff.    Outside in the rain, with a head torch, a street light and a little bit of light from a desk lamp in the garage I wrestled in the dark to complete the job.  To be honest, it would have been easier in Russia or Kaz; it would have been dry (probably), daylight, and throughout the former Soviet states there are roadside repair ramps to drive up onto to allow good access underneath.  Having a limited slip diff made things more precarious as I needed both rear wheels off the ground to rotate the hub I was working on.  Given the fact my driveway slopes down hill I was trusting to two jacks, a jerry can and some blocks of wood as chocks to keep things stable. 

So not an ideal arrangement, but then, if I can give a tip to anyone considering the trip ... try to learn some mechanics at home, and try to do them with the tools and equipment you will have on the road.  If you can manage at home, it won't seem so daunting later on somewhere more remote.  If it all goes wrong, at least at home you can get a mobile mechanic around to fix up after you.

Anyway, three hours of wrestling in the dark, lying in a puddle, resulted in a half shaft changed!  It helped that I had Scary on speaker phone for the tricky bits like a surgeon giving instructions to a passer-by at a road accident.   Carla is driving again without any nasty whining, wobbles or thudding noises! I took her for a test spin and haven't stopped grinning since!  She is a Capri pony car again, not an overladen load carrying mule!

I can't wait until Saturday.... I wonder if they will let me out on the track???

improvised axle stands ... jerry can and block of wood under the diff in case the car falls off the jackcome out you B*&*^R!!!