Blue gloves are for handling noxious substances and for role-play

Rear wheel bearing; this is one of the old ones.  Turns out people are right about jet washing.

Rear Wheel Bearings Replaced

New tools:

• Hammer (second of trip) – discarded
• Big screwdriver – discarded (bent)

Bearings went from noisy but no play to, surprisingly, noisy with play.  The load is so heavy, I worried they could actually collapse.

I did the work on a camposite after buying the second hammer of the trip and a big screwdriver to get the dust seals off.  I wish I’d bought new dust seals because they bend when you prise them off.

I was very conscious of the noise because it took a lot of hammering to shift the buggers.  Nonetheless, the only people that spoke to me came to make sure I had everything I needed.  One guy even brought Helen and I a beer each.  This is typical of Americans.

Front Brakes

New tools:

• Set of picks, as used by a locksmith or a scouser
• DOT 5 fluid

Front caliper seals replaced. Pistons so stuck I needed the hydraulics to squeeze them out… which is okay for the first one.  To shift the others, I replaced the first piston, poured back in the crappy old fluid that I had cought in a pan (no new stuff to spare), and then brought all the pistons to the brink of falling out in a grown-up game of closer.

You can get the seals out with a terminal screwdriver but it’s better to have a set of picks.  You then need to clear out all of the limescale from the seal seat; you can’t do this without something hook-shaped, hence the need for picks.

I used DOT 5 fluid.  It doesn’t mix with the old stuff and it may rot the seals… I’ll just keep an eye on it.

Front master piston replaced. Cheap master cylinder off ebay came with a replacement piston for free.  This really fills me full of confidence.

Utterly knackered now but at least there was a nice sunset.