one of the guys on the UK forum is a wizard at internet searching and had found me the part no. etc, by the Monday morning ....
It was a part that JCB use in their JS160s so ....... After checking with Gunn JCB in Hereford that afternoon, as Alex (the wizard searcher) had suggested .... the very helpful (not) chap on the phone informed me that retail they're 165 quid, but he'd very 'generously' do me one for £154 plus VAT.
I'd already spoken with Dave in the stores at Hydrema and he was on the case of tracking one down at 80 quid plus VAT and shipping, so that made the decision for me, as to where it would be coming from ...... and it?d be a genuine ZF item.
He came back shortly and said he?d found one in Denmark, which he'd have with me by a week Wednesday (10 days)
for their usual £13.90 + VAT shipping !!
Or, if it was real urgent, that Wednesday, but at a cost of 50 quid, TNT overnight, flown in, but he couldn't order it 'til the following morning, (Tuesday the seventh) hence Wednesday to me!
I was at this point, just spanner-ing in my
plug lash up ? M10x1mm = 6mm superlight metric apparently. I?d got a 6mm S/L to 1/8th BSPT M/M
adapter to a 1/8th BSP threaded hex
socket, with an 1/8th BSP hex cap plug and dowty to get me a sealing plug, as no one locally had an M10x1mm hex cap!
At least the boys in Raglan had some superlight fittings .... none in Listers' in Aber.!
Only down side was the superlight to BSP adapter didn?t have a hell of a hex on it and had to find a
washer, just the right size to spread the load a bit
... plus a small O ring to fill the gap between the washer?s bore and the machined clearance at the base of the
thread, to give me a seat for the 10mm O ring, sealing against the
valve block?s recessed face.
So said to Dave that I'd go for the week Wednesday, as I'd by now started the 'Drema, was leak free and was just dropping the
bucket off, ready to park her up.
Dave said he'd call me back when he'd got all the paperwork sorted for a card number.
At this point several large rain drops hit the
cab roof and I thought sod this, grabbed the bucket again and was going to head her down off the top, to avoid getting surrounded by what looked like 'imminent cheesecake' ..... axle locks off, jacks up,
brake off and press the fwd
pedal ....... nothing ....... bugger !!
No travel .. at all.
Jacks back down, bucket off and stretch her out .... she weren?t going anywhere!!!
Originalets URL: http://i1275.photobucket.com/albums/y450/v8druid/WP_20160606_17_21_56_Pro_zpsfb9uwbol.jpgAnd down came the rain
..... like it had never done it before and it was GOING for it !!
Mega thunder storm .... it'd been 30 degs C here that day.
Middle of all this Dave rings back, for all the card details
.... I?m in the cab and me glasses aren?t
.... they?re in me box ..... bloody hell did I get wet in the 20 ish large paces between the two!!
Anyway .... apologised to Dave, explained the situation and asked if I could, at the risk of pee-ing him off, have it on the overnight instead.
Customer service at its best ...
"No problem, that?s what I?m here for ... I?ll just redo the paperwork and be back to you in 2 mins.." Faultless !!
So ...... me 80 quid plus Vodka
switch was gonna end up at just under the Gunn?s price ... but they had no stock anyway and I'd be mobile again by some time Wednesday!!
When Dave called back ?
again and we
finally got it sorted, he said he?d been talking with one of his colleagues, who?d said ....
"Oh that must be Derek Bushrod?s old M1500 ... only one in the UK .... If you look up the purchase history for that part no. you'll find Derek had a few of those .. they're a troublesome item!" Let's hope it's the only one I'm ever going to need ..... was very tempted to say to Dave, better make it two!!!!!!
after a few discussions with the guys on the UK forum I'd assumed/guessed .... yon
pressure switch was a 'make' across its poles, so having
'hot wired' a wander lead into its plug with a switch on t'other end, I can op from the cab, once the pressure is up and the
valve block makes its usual '
click', throwing the switch gives me
transmission again and she'll move ......
Originalets URL: http://i1275.photobucket.com/albums/y450/v8druid/WP_20160607_13_24_46_Pro_zpsbmdrhmyg.jpgWhich I did with her once I'd shifted a few bits and bobs with the forks that morning as it looked like it was gonna throw it down any second ..... most of that morning ......
Originalets URL: http://i1275.photobucket.com/albums/y450/v8druid/WP_20160607_13_25_09_Pro_zpsu2cviald.jpgAt least she was back off the potential '
cheesecake' and hopefully I'd have the new
pressure switch on the Wednesday ....
I?d better, ..... for the delivery cost !! We?d had a few cloudbursts that day, but it had been so warm, that the
ground had dried fairly quickly, to a passable degree.
on a different note ..........
I'd had a request from a friend to go op a 1.5 ton Kub for him that Friday to pull some footings for a new triple garage he's building, so asked the guys for any tips/advice,
aside from take a shoe horn, would be appreciated ....
apart from my walker, I ain't been in/on anything that small in many years .... I'd no idea exactly what it was, 'til I got there
Last footing I dug for a garage was another triple and did it with me walker, years ago ... tidy job it was too .... I'd said to me mate who I was doing it for, make sure you've got plenty of bodies and at least 3 barrows.
He had 3 barrows .... but no extra bodies turned up
.... it didn't have to go far, but he was on his knees, by the end of it, keeping up with the lil' Fleming
I'd said to 'em all that I'd do me best not to fall over ...... as their best advice had been
"Don't fall over"!!
and was hoping there was a decent sized edged bucket to
play with ..... or we were going to be there all day !!!
) something to show the neighbours!? 
...... big tyres!! 
Tempting indeed!! 
