WA Canary story & Questions

**aussiblue** · 24-03-2007, 02:45 AM

I appear to have upset a lady and gentleman in blue uniforms today by sounding my horn at a car that was pulling out on me from the left while I was driving around a roundabout. Unknown to me hidden by the other car that was pulling out on me in the second of the two lanes was their paddy wagon with the blue and red flashing lights (not on or flashing at that point) also about to pull out on me. I think I would have tooted my horn anyway to avoid the otherwise inevitable collision.

Anyway after deciding there was no driving offences to book me for and after I passed the breathalyser test they gave my old but well looked after 1980 an LC Lancer a thorough going over. And after 40 plus years of driving I got my first yellow sticker for:

a) Some bubbling in the tint on the top edge of the passengers side window (I had noticed this a few weeks a go and had already bought some new tint – but I can’t help observing the large yellow sticker I now have in the middle of the steeply sloped front windscreen is much more of an impediment to my vision than those few bubbles might ever have been); and
b) Oil on the engine. It is seeping slowly from somewhere but not dripping so much that it leaves an oil stain/drips in the driveway or lowers the oil level and after 300,000 plus km some seepage might be expected. Certainly not enough oil to start a fire or create a hazard but they wouldn’t believe the anti corrosion spray on the battery terminals was not engine oil even though it is brown and waxy rather than black and oily.

The compression on the engine is OK and it doesn’t blow smoke (I credit REDEX added to the fuel each fill and regular 3,00 km oil changes with keeping the engine in such good order) so I don’t really want to do and unnecessary engine rebuild yet. The problem is parts for these cars are getting very rare and I only found a full gasket kit last years after several years of searching (and Oxford Spare where I got it only had the one). I can get top overhaul gasket kits OK (head and rocker cover gaskets) but if I need to use the sump or other rare gasket bits I probably will choose to do the full engine rebuild otherwise I will have already used some of these irreplaceable parts when it time to rebuild the engine.

Of course I hope I can locate the seepage and it will be something I can fix without using any of these rare bits (I am going to degrease the engine then run it for a few hours to see if I can find a leak – though I have done this before with no luck so the leak must be small or intermittent). I guess I could also make up my own gaskets as an interim measure rather than use the new ones. However, noting some the gaskets are neoprene and may perish with age, I almost think I should do the full rebuild now. The problem is doing it Sunday (my only free day this week) it going to be a bit of a struggle especially if I find I need oversize rings or bearings (I also bought some standard size rings and bearings when Supercheap were selling off Marlowe’s engine parts stock) or any other part (something usually breaks or is missing). Fortunately the car is otherwise in excellent mechanical order with new tyres, brake pads etc so I don’t think I have anything else to attend to.

My issue is they have only given me 7 days to fix it (7 day yellow sticker defect notice). So some questions:

a) Is this normal 7 day limit normal in WA or if as I suspect were they just trying to make my life difficult?
b) I gather from the Dept of Infrastructure and Planning website http://www.dpi.wa.gov.au/licensing/myvehicle/1441.asp that I can only get a extension so I have time to do a full engine rebuild by first getting an inspection within 7 days; anyone know if there is another way?
c) I assume I have to pay a fee prior to queuing up early in the morning for the required inspection; is this correct?
d) The left hand side (optional) wing mirror has a few mm near the top edge where the backing silver has come off. I assume as this mirror is an option, it will pass inspection; if not my strategy may be simply to remove it prior to going to inspection.

In any event I now have some more empathy for some of you younger guys that have been through this. And see they also sometimes pick on old conservative public servant/accountants/economist wearing a suit and tie and driving a standard 4 pot car like me too. Yes; perhaps if I had been driving one of the Fairlanes and thus looking even more conservative it would not have happened at all.

DOC · 24-03-2007, 03:08 AM

Sounds like the engine could get away with just degreasing it? as for the rare gaskets, could you not use the ones you have as templates to make several sets ?

Bill_R · 24-03-2007, 03:08 AM

Clean it up and put some of that aircraft gasket sealant around the the outside of the Rocker Cover gasket. Tell them you changed the gasket and they probably won't know.

**aussiblue** · 24-03-2007, 03:17 AM

Yes degreasing might do it and the rocker gasket has been changed several times and isn't the source of the leak - appears lower down perhaps either head gasket or distributor oil seal. Yes I was thinking of using the ne gaskets as templates to make soem but many a profiled neoprene so that won't work for them.

Bill_R · 24-03-2007, 03:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aussiblue

... and the rocker gasket has been changed several times and isn't the source of the leak .

I didn't say to change it! I said to put Gasket adhesive around the outside of it so it *looks* like it has been changed and resealed!

kooky · 24-03-2007, 08:18 AM

I think you are getting a little paranoid about it, give it a de-grease and take it down they will probably not even look at the car.

au2sw · 24-03-2007, 08:45 AM

yeah, degrease the engine bay, dont for get underneath as well. as for the "bubbling tint".... surely you could fight that in court seeing as its on the passenger side to start with, not in your line of vision, and its tint for F sake!!! me thinks the only problem is the cops just wanted someone to pick on, and unfortunately you just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. sorry to hear about the predicament mate, hope it goes ok for you.

**aussiblue** · 31-03-2007, 12:03 AM

Passed the inspection no problems and now sticker free.

Well a small hiccup was a headlight blew on Wednesday night and replacements can't be had except perhaps from Japan ($150 cash in advance and three weeks to arrive). Solved it with Hella Headlamp Housing 1024 and generic square lights.

jaydee · 31-03-2007, 03:21 PM

So how did U pass, did U just give her a quick degrease, what did they say about the tint.
How long did U have to wait in the q, it's a couple of hours easy at Warwick pits.

GXL078 · 01-04-2007, 01:08 AM

You can make your own sump gaskets or use Silastic.

**aussiblue** · 01-04-2007, 02:20 AM

I scraped off the tint and degreased engine. I found factory tinted glass under the film. I also replaced both wing mirrors to be safe.

I was second in the queue at O'Connor after a link bus. It took about 3/4 of an hour to check the Link Bus and about 15 minutes for my car. The oil seep was from the fuel pump gasket where it goes on the block. I made my own gasket material from a roll of gasket material and this has fixed it. It was very hard to find this leak as it was from the front side of the gasket and the oil was flowing around the front of the engine to the other side of the block and hidden by the timing belt cover and distributor. I had previously replaced the cam seal, crankshaft seal. the distributor seal and rocker cover gasket (numerous times thinking they were the cause).

The inspector was a nice friendly guy and was impressed with how well my car went, the condition it was in and how much fun it was to drive.

Bens_ELXR6 · 01-04-2007, 02:33 PM

you're an old school, what're you doing getting a canary!! P platers only!

**GasoLane** · 01-04-2007, 04:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xcgxl

You can make your own sump gaskets or use Silastic.

NEVER use Silastic for gaskets! unless you want little bits blocking your oil lines.

GXL078 · 01-04-2007, 08:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GasOLane

NEVER use Silastic for gaskets! unless you want little bits blocking your oil lines.

Alan Moffat used to use it on those ads in the 70's

**GasoLane** · 01-04-2007, 10:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xcgxl

Alan Moffat used to use it on those ads in the 70's

But that was the '70's and Dow Corning was a major sponser... then they worked out that when the joints were compressed little balls of silicon would fall off into the oil system

XR06T · 02-04-2007, 02:28 PM

so you got a canary for honking at someone doing something wrong??
im gonna be in trouble, i am the serial-honker-at-all-forms-of-stupid-driving!

i think there is a problem with the whole process of getting and removing a yellow sticker. all it seems to do is waste peoples time. i see more nice cars that obviously have had alot of attention from their owners with yellow stickers than **** boxes..

Tiapan · 02-04-2007, 03:06 PM

dont worry mate i got a full page of things, some were laughable! good to hear you got straight over, now you can take mine over :P ,

its good to see what your tax dollars buy you isnt it?

AUTickford · 02-04-2007, 04:06 PM

The date on the sticker is to take it over the pits and get the list not to get it fixed.Then you get a week or two weeks to get repairs carried out after initial inspection, ive done it a few times on my previously owned xd.