Extreme Mechanic-ing 101

[Alfa2Evora]

Last night, I pulled into Tebay Services on the M6 southbound and noticed across the other side of the relatively deserted car park, a Land Rover Freelander with a trailer carrying another car.

"So what - nothing out of the ordinary there!" I hear you all say.

Well, upon looking a bit closer I noticed that there were 2 large Snap-On tool chests sitting next to it, along with a collection of various automotive bits and pieces, and that the front of the Freelander was up on axle stands.

As I walked past on my way to the facilities, the guy working on it slithered underneath, to re-emerge a few seconds later dragging a gearbox with him,  .

Now, in my time, I've changed the odd bulb, fanbelt, wheel, or even a thermostat mid-journey but I think this guy was in a whole different league.

Anybody else done a major repair at the roadside?

Apologies for the poor quality pics - I didn't think he'd appreciate being snapped close-up so these were taken from a 'safe' distance away.

 

[Bibs]

That's a fairly ambitious roadside repair! 

[march]

If you had waited half an hour you would have found someone wandering around the car park wondering where his gearbox had gone. Beats pinching catalytic converters.

[Sparky]

Not something as crazy as a gearbox, but way back in the Ford OHC days I had in the boot everything I needed for a cambelt change. I think I did 3 at the roadside.

[Spinney]

Way way back, I renewed a broken valve spring on my Cortina GT engined Anglia at the side of the road. I was miles from anywhere but luckily there was a house about 100 yds away and I was allowed to phone a mate to give him a list of bits I needed from the nearest Ford dealer, which he bought and delivered to me some 30 miles away. 

[GTK]

Replaced an in tank pump on the doorstep of a Land Rover specialist I had it recovered to, nothing difficult but the tank had to be dropped out of the car. That ☝is just deadly! 

[ramjet]

Not on the side of the road, but when I lived up in the NT, we regularly drove out to a beach called Little Bondi. All set up for camping. Surfboards loaded and food and people.

It is 4WD to get there and probably took about an hour and a half once you got off the road to get there. So we were at least 2 hours from any sort of help. No mobile phones and it was a long walk out.

Round a corner out of the bush to travel along the cliffs to get to Little Bondi.

The Suzuki has a conniption. Engine loses all power and then the car won't start. About an hour later after having spark plugs out, distributor out, turn engine and do an in-bush retiming of everything. Car fires up on first try and away we go.

Never caused an ounce of trouble again. I still don't know what happened.

[Sparky]

Ah, just remembered my most scary one.  Antigua, 1999, trying to get across the island to my family in a tropical storm in my local mate's car.  Hit by a flash flood that filled the passenger cabin to our waists, almost washed out to sea, and armed with screwdriver, rags and WD40, I had to get the drenched car started on a diminishing sandbar with rain so heavy I could hardly see, and lightning grounding all around me.  No shit.

[Bazza 907]

Bit of luck on the shit front.

[mdavies]

Can't compete with some above but changed a Cortina GT head gasket on the then Oxford bypass. Had the tools.  Dispatched the good lady on foot to seek a new gasket and lots of water.  Many motor factors around in those days and people usually helpful to a lady in distress: "You're looking for a whaaat?!"  But she succeeded. Good that she'd managed to get a big tub of Swarfega too ........ we just made it in time to a wedding, down in Cardiff. 

Edited October 13, 2019 by mdavies

[ramjet]

Aye, but you tell the kids today and they won't believe you. 

[Escape]

We changed the transfer box on the Range Rover (towing an Elan +2) on our newyears trip last year. Broke the casing while offroading (without the trailer in tow), sourced another box, used the Elan to get there and were very lucky a mate offered his driveway/front garden for us to do the swap.

As to the original post, I do wonder if he had a spare gearbox in the back or one was coming his way... Either way, a big thumbs-up for doing the job!

Filip

[Vulcan Grey]

I've diagnosed and replaced 4 fuel injectors in a parking lot with the Esprit about 50 miles from home, and a friend took 4 fuel injectors out of his X180-R and drove 72 miles each way to bring them to me...

[dclare]

It wasn't me but a friend with infinitely better spannering skills than me.

The car was a GTM Libra kit car running a 1.4 K Series engine at a track at Zolder. The engine was buzzed and ended up bending a couple of valves. One was straightened with gentle persuasion from a little tapping stick, but the second wouldn't move up and down in the guide so it was hammered back into the head.......then the lobe of that cam was ground off (with the engine still in the car) and voila - a 15v 1.4 K Series that completed the rest of the weekend and wasn't really any slower than before! 

Ive also seen brake pads fashioned out of old pallet wood to get someone home after another track day....not sure I'd recommend that one though.

[USAndretti42]

My worst was changing a half-shaft on my A40 in Elgin while touring Scotland during my student days.