Dipstick of the week award

[nicknorman]

Our Travelpower Magic box has always had an annoying habit of making a horrid fan noise, sort of grindy squeaky, from time to time. You can hear it above the engine even though it is inside a cupboard in the engine room. So yesterday I thought I would tackle it. A doddle to remove since all the connections are rather well build plugs and sockets. But oh, there are no screws on the case! It is pop riveted together. Clearly someone doesn't want folk tinkering inside!

 

Not to be put off, out with the drill, carefully drill out 14 pop rivets and removing their remains ensuring that swarf doesn't enter the electronics. Unplug flying lead (to indicator lights) from cover and it lifts off.

 

Turns out the fan noise isn't some bearing in its death throws, but just a feature of the plastic fans - if they are squeezed the fan blades can touch the plastic casing. So probably by tightening the retaining bolts less tightly it will be fixed. Off to B&Q to get correct sized aluminium rivets and pop rivet gun (don't have on on the boat) and casing all put back together again, back on wall, all plugged in and tested. Well, when i turn the ignition on, should any of the front LED light up? Can't remember since there is a remote panel. So start the engine, everything working fine.

 

 

Sometime later, just as I am falling asleep, it dawns on me..... I never reconnected the flying lead to the front panel LEDs when I put the lid back on. Perhaps not in itself a big problem but I really don't want the loose end of a lead flapping about inside. So I will have to get the drill out again and drill out another 14 pop rivets. Doh! - big time.

 

Make me feel better by telling us your maintenance "Doh!" moments ...

Edited October 26, 2014 by nicknorman

[matty40s]

Not me, but a local boatyard not far from Bugbrooke last week had a boat out for blacking and advised the owner it needed new anodes too.

They should last longer than the last set, an inch above the waterline.

Edited October 26, 2014 by matty40s

[YamYam]

Sorry Nicknorman, nothing as 'Doh' as that. Enjoy your day

[LoneWolf]

Here's my 1st attempt at changing the oil filter http://www.canalworld.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=24901&hl=%22fuel+filter%22

 

wow - 5 years ago

[dmr]

Only one word for you: "Self Tappers" (oops that was two).

 

I assume yours is the silver box version.

Ours is the old black box style with a substantial cross flow type fan. The box is done up with several self tappers which always feel "not quite right" so maybe this box was originally riveted and the self tappers where put in during a repair.

 

............Dave

[David Mack]

So I will have to get the drill out again and drill out another 14 pop rivets.

When I reassemble things which were originally rivetted together, I usually use nuts and bolts. There is a good reason for that...

[Nightwatch]

Not as dramatic.

Had a new gas cooker fitted last Thursday. All went well. Paid up and Colin went to get in his van a couple of a hundred yards away.

 

Exciting about our new cooker we thought we'd try it. Could we get get it to light. No! Call to Colin, he arrives on board and immediately lights it.

 

Senior moment was had by the two of us. With these new fang led cookers you have to keep the 'knob' repressed.

 

All is well on the good ship Nightwatch. Our embarrassment has faded.

 

Martyn

[bigste]

I got a better one that. Was putting a bracket up on side of house for a motorised satellite dish. This involved a 'J' shaped pipe and 2 stays half way up the J pipe. It was in a very awkward place at the very top of my ladder. Did a right good job but on fitting the dish I realized I had put one of the stays through the ladder. What a plonker! LOL Fortunately I managed to remove the stay without removing the dish but could have done without the hassle.

[MtB]

Make me feel better by telling us your maintenance "Doh!" moments ...

 

I haven't had any as dip-stcky as that!

 

Mind you, I did ride my bike 4 miles back to get the van on a filthy wet evening to find the thing in my pocket I thought was the key, wasn't. So another 8 miles on the bike in the slashing rain to get the key from the boat.

 

DUHHH...

 

MtB

[ditchcrawler]

Our Travelpower Magic box has always had an annoying habit of making a horrid fan noise, sort of grindy squeaky, from time to time. You can hear it above the engine even though it is inside a cupboard in the engine room. So yesterday I thought I would tackle it. A doddle to remove since all the connections are rather well build plugs and sockets. But oh, there are no screws on the case! It is pop riveted together. Clearly someone doesn't want folk tinkering inside!

 

Not to be put off, out with the drill, carefully drill out 14 pop rivets and removing their remains ensuring that swarf doesn't enter the electronics. Unplug flying lead (to indicator lights) from cover and it lifts off.

 

Turns out the fan noise isn't some bearing in its death throws, but just a feature of the plastic fans - if they are squeezed the fan blades can touch the plastic casing. So probably by tightening the retaining bolts less tightly it will be fixed. Off to B&Q to get correct sized aluminium rivets and pop rivet gun (don't have on on the boat) and casing all put back together again, back on wall, all plugged in and tested. Well, when i turn the ignition on, should any of the front LED light up? Can't remember since there is a remote panel. So start the engine, everything working fine.

 

 

Sometime later, just as I am falling asleep, it dawns on me..... I never reconnected the flying lead to the front panel LEDs when I put the lid back on. Perhaps not in itself a big problem but I really don't want the loose end of a lead flapping about inside. So I will have to get the drill out again and drill out another 14 pop rivets. Doh! - big time.

 

Make me feel better by telling us your maintenance "Doh!" moments ...

Pitty you didn't post last night, I will be passing you in an hour and have a poprivit gun onboard

[Iain_S]

When I reassemble things which were originally rivetted together, I usually use nuts and bolts. There is a good reason for that...

 

And there's usually a good reason they're pop rivetted; like you can't access the other side

 

Iain

[bottle]

As said self tappers or tap the holes and use bolts or should that be set screws.

[Timleech]

 

Senior moment was had by the two of us. With these new fang led cookers you have to keep the 'knob' repressed.

 

 

 

Martyn

 

That sounds a bit worrying.

 

I just got back from supermarket and rubbish tip, to find my box of assorted split pins still on the roof of the car. Amazed I didn't spot them at either destination.

 

I can say from experience that phones left in that position don't last for long.

 

Tim

[Murflynn]

Travelling back from Malta by road in 1977 with a load on the roof-rack I stopped near Naples for petrol. All my documents, passports, travellers' cheques and money were in a folder which I left on the roof of the car while I paid. I realised I was running out of cash so I drove off and after 10km I pulled off at a large hotel, going up a winding hairpin hill for 2 miles. I looked for my folder and realised I had left it on the roof. In a panic I drove back expecting my documents to be strewn across the autostrada. Amazingly they were lying on a hairpin where they had slid off the roof - untouched.

 

Did I feel like a dipstick - most certainly yes, especially in such a lawless region!

[nicknorman]

Ah well, rivets re-drilled, lead connected and new rivets installed. Didn't take so long the second time! For anyone interested this is what the box looks like on the inside:

Travelpower silver box guts by nick.norman, on Flickr

 

Nearly had another Doh! moment as I was wondering why the large toroidal inductors (under which sit the fans) only had 1 winding as opposed to being a transformer. Then I remembered that the input voltage from the alternator is already 300v or so!

[Black Country Lee]

Only one word for you: "Self Tappers" (oops that was two).

 

............Dave

 

Try Tech-screws, much sturdier.

 

Lee.

[Iain_S]

As said self tappers or tap the holes and use bolts or should that be set screws.

 

Where rivets have been used, the metal's not usually thick enough to tap. I usually find replacing the rivets is the quickest and neatest option. Depends on the job, though ...

 

Iain

[Peter-Bullfinch]

We were waiting ready in the lock at the top of the Ribble Link and I thought I would check my oil ready for the crossing. Leant out of the engine room side hatch and the oily little blighter slid from my hand and sank.

Forty five minutes later with a magnet I managed to retrieve it. Wasn't easy due to the lock sides being steel piling which the magnet kept sticking to.

What a dipstick!

[dmr]

Ah well, rivets re-drilled, lead connected and new rivets installed. Didn't take so long the second time! For anyone interested this is what the box looks like on the inside:

Travelpower silver box guts by nick.norman, on Flickr

 

Nearly had another Doh! moment as I was wondering why the large toroidal inductors (under which sit the fans) only had 1 winding as opposed to being a transformer. Then I remembered that the input voltage from the alternator is already 300v or so!

 

I reckon the old black box looks better inside, I don't like all those big flying leads to the PCB. Where are big things that actually do the doings? (power transistors of IGBJTs or whatever)? are they under the PCB? I will take a picture of mine and share next time I do the annual hoover out but that's not due for 9 months or so.

 

..................Dave

[nicknorman]

You can just see a black slab under the PCB, this is the heatsink which has fins running left to right underneath. Air comes into the case through sponge filters and is sucked down past the large torroids (fans are underneath the torroids) it then passes along the heat sink and is exhausted through slots on the right. So presumably the power electronics are mounted on said heatsink below the main PCB.

[DeanS]

2 dipstick stories.

 

I pulled out my tiller pin, and then dropped it off the side of the boat. Gone for good:)

 

Today..had to wire up some EXTRA drop down lights in a school kitchen. . Did the whole job, but was one light short. Went to fetch another, only to realise there were 2 boxes of lights, white ones and silver ones, and all the extra lights I had added today, didnt match the colour of the ones already in the ceiling...had to redo the lot, using the correct colour light fittings....doh.

[rubblequeen]

The best Doh moment was on a car (hope that's OK) it was many years ago my F-in-L was trying to fix his door lock after removing the inside door panel. Many hours later he came in in a foul mood saying what a stupid design the whole thing is encased in perspex and you can't get to it.

I had a look - yes you've got it he had the window wound door,

[Radiomariner]

Dipstick moment. Fitting newly repaired gauge glass complete with valves to ship's boiler (70 bar), hung bucket over the gauge glass stub to hold spanners. When job complete bucket still there! Eventually had to hacksaw through the bucket handle as it became a hazard in heavy weather.

[Guest]

My dipstick moment came when I changed the oil and filter for the first time.

 

Previously I had watched an engineer so was fairly confident that I could do it. I pumped out the oil using a vacuum pump, removed the old filter, presented the new one and tightened. Cleaned up. Turned on the engine to check that all was okay. Was so busy looking at the panel of lights that I I didn’t notice that oil was spraying out!

 

I had only just cleaned the engine bay up.

 

Turned out that when I took off the old filter, I didn't notice that the 'O' ring hadn't come off with it!

 

When I had watched the engineer, he had taken about 20 minutes. It took me almost 4 hours!

[GUMPY]

 

Where rivets have been used, the metal's not usually thick enough to tap. I usually find replacing the rivets is the quickest and neatest option. Depends on the job, though ...

Clinch nuts or hank bushes are the professional answer.

 

 

Iain