pyoor_excuse

So, Brick's at the engine place, who've now said that they won't do the crankshaft oil seal (I suspect that they wanted lots more money to do that), so if Brick's leaking from there then I'm stuck. He thought that the seal was replaceable from the back, but apparently he's remembered now that you have to take the crankshaft off to do that seal (which I knew, which is why I was impressed with the quote!); and he doesn't fancy that. I debated asking him how much he'd want, but I don't really want to spend that sort of money on the engine unless it's going for a full recondition.

And I'm not going to do that...

So I walked back, healthy soul that I am; stopping briefly at B&Q. The oil leak related puddle outside the house has been attacked with driveway cleaner, and I'm now waiting to see how improved it is (not very, I suspect). There's still a lot more driveway cleaner left, so I suspect I'll be having a go at the oil every few days for a while. It was somewhat like skating though, the road's really slippery outside. So that brings up my total of 'things I've cleaned this week' to the bathroom, the road, the inside of the car (a little). It's not exactly house-work, but hey.

I also had a look at that tyre and now have formed a hypothesis about what happened: got a nail (or somesuch) in the tyre; this gave me a slow puncture. Hence the tyre was a bit but not completely flat when I left work. Hence the slightly squiffy but not awful handling. Having got to the motorway, the increased speed / heat / pressure managed to force whatever it was back out (providing the bang of something hitting the underside of the car) and the tyre rapidly deflated.

Which all adds up to me needing a new tyre.

Pooh.

Anyway, I must now finish my tea and then set to on the tiling.