the Pug repairs are half done

and ok maybe I'm not clean (at least not after being under the Pug for a few hours), fast or professional but the job is done (half done anyway) and ok I have less hair than Bronson but the distinct advantage of still being alive .....I spent a fair few hours yesterday trying to remove a stubborn track rod end which had decided to weld itself inside the track rod end tube using nothing but rust, eventually I managed to persuade it out via a selection of hammer blows, heating it with a camping gas stove and more brutal bludgeoning with large metal objects, unfortunately my hands were so cold I didn't notice I was slowly slicing lumps off my fingers with shards of metal that had been gouged out using the mole grips, I thought my hands were just sticky with oil and grime.... I soon cottoned on when I realised that no oil producers actually produce oil which is red in colour... so sweat, tears and a considerable amount of blood later....the second track rod end came off text book with no problems at all...and if I'm honest didn't really need replacing, but what the hell at £8.60 each I may as well replace it, the broken one really was on it's last legs, the ball was very nearly coming out of the socket a few more weeks and I think it may have, which would have been a nasty shock had it happened..... it now has two track rod ends fitted and working

the tracking is slightly out, but it's only by a small degree I'll pop into a local garage and get that done as soon as I can...

I didn't attempt the bearings because of the delays I had getting off the frozen tie rod end, which set me back most of Saturday.....but hopefully I will be able to do that next weekend once my bleeding fingers have healed a bit

I took it for a test drive and was pleased to notice that it didn't judder when you pulled away any more neither do you get a nasty vibration when you brake harder than normal..... so not a completely wasted weekend at least something was done, I just keep thinking about how much that Garage in Carmarthen wanted to charge me for doing the track rod ends and smile...£150 my arse.....you're aving a laugh mate !!! :)

£17.20 that's more like it !!! albeit with fingers looking like they have been fed through a mincing machine ;¬)