You can't fit better'n a fuel filter

Somewhat tardily I put in a fuel filter on both DAFs today. I say somewhat tardily because after quite a lot of investigation I found this in the carb on Jejy:




Which I dug out with a screwdriver, tissue paper, and cotton buds - giving me this:



Yes it does look like fine-brown sugar. Yes that did go into my engine. Yes I have sod-all compression on one cylinder.

I realised I was possibly screwed when I looked at the butterfly in the carb and saw a layer of crudy-rusty-dirt the same as was in the float chamber. I did everything correctly all the same; popped in an inline fuel filter before I started her, somewhat hopefully. The erratic idle's gone, but the engine still runs like pants on a stick. I've no idea what 'healthy' values are for the compression on a DAF 44 - on the minor I think it's around 140lb/in². Jejy returned 110psi and 70 psi. I know 70 is too low.

There was also a cheerful line of sooty oil sprayed out the exhaust when I moved her.

Tomorrow I shall ring places and obtain quotes. I may as well get them to do the clutch shoes as well, frankly, since the engine has to come out. All please pray.

I've also asked JLH for a quote for the minor. That needs prayer too.

Anyway, now it's time for me to convince Cardiff to let me be a postgrad despite my attrocious grades on my BScs :(.

Quick update.

I hate application forms. That is all.

Why?

Why is it the night before nights, as I stay up, I always end up feeling sad and lonely. Is it Kathryn sleeping away (hopefully) peacefully above me while I ponder the imponderables of my life? Is it that pool of sadness my counselor talked about back when I was in counseling? Is it that I often end up thinking about my dad?

I don't know.

What I do know is that remembering that we got ID'd buying cider (in with our normal shop) cheers me up. I believe I went 'woo!' and threw my arms up in the air. 'You look under 21'... Woo! I say.

Grey hairs and all :)

Anyway, we watched Star Trek tonight which, apart from the short skirts on women thing (why with the short skirts on the women? Why?), was very good. Very very good. My faith in the Star Trek people is somewhat restored.