Petrol Tanks and Pulleys

In spite of industrial amounts of coffee and cigarettes, it has taken me two days to recover from sorting out the garage. I must remember I'm 50, not 25.

Today I took the valve cover off the 220 to check the timing chain - it's as tight as tight can be, so no worries there. I took the opportunity to clean the cover a bit, but a lot more cleaning is required. One of the Allen bolts has sheared off in the thermostat housing and there are water marks everywhere, so I will try and extract the remains of the bolt, or failing that, will replace the housing at the same time as putting in a new thermostat and rubber hoses. I also intend to replace all the brake pipes and the master cylinder before selling the car.

The rest of the day has been spent inhaling petrol fumes. I got the petrol tanks off both cars and removed the dregs and old fuel. I have mostly got the 220's back on, but intend to put new hoses on both of them before I'm finished with the job.

Finally, I got a message from a very kind member of the Mercedes-Benz Club who told me where Hercules had been - Muswell Hill. He has the pulley off the generator and is going to let me have it back, as he borrowed it off the enthusiast who had apparently bought Hercules. He also bought the lights, so they now have a very good home on his W112 Cabriolet. It transpires that the chap who owned Hercules had good intentions for the car, but that the council intervened and towed it away. He must be gutted, poor bloke. I'm sorry I made assumptions and called him a vandal now. Anyway, when I get Hercules back on the road again, I'll have to pay him a visit in it which I hope will cheer him up.