My Weekend (warning longish ramble)
Posted: Mon Jul 24, 2006 10:30 am
Nothing much to report for Friday night 
But Saturday morning sunshine confirmed to me that I should get my butt in gear and get my new(ish) exhaust fitted. (Thanks to MarK T for the 'zaust)
Managed to eventually get the old one out, but due to the nuts on the flange to the cat being rusted solid I had to take the cat out too. Managed to grind of the nuts/studs and seperate the cat from back box. Realised I needed new bolts etc and a couple of gaskets, so headed to local factors, "sorry mate we don't stock those gaskets, and not sure about our bolts.."
Bought some 'zuast gunk paste stuff to seal it up, managed to get some various bolts and nuts. Returned to car and pasted up the gaskets and assembled cat and tail-pipes on to the 'box. Complete exhaust under car to fit it, but I can't suport it and tilt it and turn it the right way and get a bolt on all at the same time
Diss-assembeled cat from box, fitted cat okay, fitted box and tail-pipes to cat, all seems okay. Went to fit grills around tail-pipes, not enough space 
Diconnect tail-pipes, fit grills, re-fit tail pipes, success. Checked all flanges and brackets and started engine 
Bit of a difference 
Double checked flanges etc for leaks, fitted under-tray. Got a phone-call from a mate, he asks me what I'm up to, I explain just fitted new 'zaust, about to go for a wee drive
He says, "I'm up in Ullapool with the fiance, why not come up for the night"
They were going to be camping, so I collected my tent packed a change of clothes and sleeping bag and set off much to the amusement of my neighbours whose general opinion was "your mad!!"
Left home about six pm, uneventfull drive up to Inverness on the A9, filled up with petrol and headed west
Mate phone to say they had found a campsite near Achiltibuie (one I had suggested earlier) and were setting up their tent. We agreed to meet in Ullapool for fish and chips 
Phone them when I was near Ullapool, and agreed I would get the fish and chips and meet them at Ardmair Bay. Brilliant empty(ish) road all the way to Ullapool, turned a few heads driving along the sea front in Ullapool. Met them at Ardmair Bay, had f+c and the headed to the camp-site. About ten miles north of Ullapool is the turn off for Achiltibuie, which means single track roads and sheep and deer on them, also driving into glorious sunset framing the mountains
(camera phone
) Afer ten or so miles arrived at the campsite at Achnahaird. Had a wee drink 
at the campsite after setting up my tent, got eaten alive by midges 
.
Up in the morning and this is the view from the campsite
Absolutly stunning Massive big campsite with lots of space, only drawback is that there are no showers and only one small toilet block. But with views like above and the beach beside you that makes up for the lack of 'facilities'
After a delayed departutre we headed north to Kylesku and stopped at the hotel for lunch
Kept heading north to Laxford Bridge then turned right and headed for Lairg via Loch Shin. Stopped of at the Falls of Shin visitors centre to prove to the mates fiance that you could by Harrods merchandise there 
and then over 'The Struie' to join the A9 south to Inverness and then home 
Maybe a bit of a long drive, but at a genial pace due to the mate trying to keep up in his deisel Laguna Would highly recommend the campsite for any future SE trips and all the roads in the area especially from Ullapool north. Most of the singal track bits are reasonably wide and the traffic was very light, just the odd camper van and tourist and nobody held us up by not letting us past at "passing places" I think maybe the 'zaust helped them hear us! Oh yea the exhaust, initially it was a bit boomy, from 2000-4000 rpm and on the over-run, but after finding a loose bracket that seemed to sort it, getting used to it now and am not deafend by it so, quite happy and think I'll keep it on.
Now I need to pay Mark for it.
But Saturday morning sunshine confirmed to me that I should get my butt in gear and get my new(ish) exhaust fitted. (Thanks to MarK T for the 'zaust)Managed to eventually get the old one out, but due to the nuts on the flange to the cat being rusted solid I had to take the cat out too. Managed to grind of the nuts/studs and seperate the cat from back box. Realised I needed new bolts etc and a couple of gaskets, so headed to local factors, "sorry mate we don't stock those gaskets, and not sure about our bolts.."
Bought some 'zuast gunk paste stuff to seal it up, managed to get some various bolts and nuts. Returned to car and pasted up the gaskets and assembled cat and tail-pipes on to the 'box. Complete exhaust under car to fit it, but I can't suport it and tilt it and turn it the right way and get a bolt on all at the same time
Diss-assembeled cat from box, fitted cat okay, fitted box and tail-pipes to cat, all seems okay. Went to fit grills around tail-pipes, not enough space Diconnect tail-pipes, fit grills, re-fit tail pipes, success. Checked all flanges and brackets and started engine Bit of a difference Double checked flanges etc for leaks, fitted under-tray. Got a phone-call from a mate, he asks me what I'm up to, I explain just fitted new 'zaust, about to go for a wee drive
He says, "I'm up in Ullapool with the fiance, why not come up for the night"
They were going to be camping, so I collected my tent packed a change of clothes and sleeping bag and set off much to the amusement of my neighbours whose general opinion was "your mad!!" Left home about six pm, uneventfull drive up to Inverness on the A9, filled up with petrol and headed west
Mate phone to say they had found a campsite near Achiltibuie (one I had suggested earlier) and were setting up their tent. We agreed to meet in Ullapool for fish and chips Phone them when I was near Ullapool, and agreed I would get the fish and chips and meet them at Ardmair Bay. Brilliant empty(ish) road all the way to Ullapool, turned a few heads driving along the sea front in Ullapool. Met them at Ardmair Bay, had f+c and the headed to the camp-site. About ten miles north of Ullapool is the turn off for Achiltibuie, which means single track roads and sheep and deer on them, also driving into glorious sunset framing the mountains
(camera phone
) Afer ten or so miles arrived at the campsite at Achnahaird. Had a wee drink at the campsite after setting up my tent, got eaten alive by midges .Up in the morning and this is the view from the campsite
Absolutly stunning
Massive big campsite with lots of space, only drawback is that there are no showers and only one small toilet block. But with views like above and the beach beside you that makes up for the lack of 'facilities'After a delayed departutre we headed north to Kylesku and stopped at the hotel for lunch
Kept heading north to Laxford Bridge then turned right and headed for Lairg via Loch Shin. Stopped of at the Falls of Shin visitors centre to prove to the mates fiance that you could by Harrods merchandise there and then over 'The Struie' to join the A9 south to Inverness and then home Maybe a bit of a long drive, but at a genial pace due to the mate trying to keep up in his deisel Laguna
Would highly recommend the campsite for any future SE trips and all the roads in the area especially from Ullapool north. Most of the singal track bits are reasonably wide and the traffic was very light, just the odd camper van and tourist and nobody held us up by not letting us past at "passing places" I think maybe the 'zaust helped them hear us! Oh yea the exhaust, initially it was a bit boomy, from 2000-4000 rpm and on the over-run, but after finding a loose bracket that seemed to sort it, getting used to it now and am not deafend by it so, quite happy and think I'll keep it on. Now I need to pay Mark for it.