Chris Wilson

Thanks Andrew, I am pleased it's still giving good service. I have one customer who had one sat on his desk as a talking point for six months, he said it was at least as beautiful as his wife. (I haven't met his wife though.... )

well, I can't go to the pub as it's shut, so I thought I'd see who is still about here

I have customers running well over 500 BHP and two over 600BHP, in Oz and the USA.

I never comment on other trader's products, it opens a can of worms. Suffice to say the cores are to the same spec as used on F1 turbos, and the build quality is the same, and done in the same place, by the same people that build F1 intercoolers.I hope the photos speak for themselves.

I have just sent some IC's abroad and have received tentative enquiries for two more, so if you are thinking of replacing that ratty stock mount IC with a state of the art new one with a modern core with current tech air to tube surface area enhancements, now is the time. Circa £995 depending on quantity. All replies by direct e-mail only please, or here, no PM's!! [email protected] Photos of one of those just shipped here: http://www.chriswilson.tv/intercooler.zip

Thanks for the kind words. There is an "unofficial" way of helping fit the dust boots on the UK spec calipers, told to me by someone who rebuilds a hundred times more calipers than i do. It is to use a bit of Super Glue on the seals where they sit on the bodies where the round clips go over. the boots and the caliper bodies need to be totally clean and dry, like you seem to have done so well in the photos. It dries, as you probably know, in seconds, and greatly helps stop the dust boots slipping off. The other issues is the calipers corrode and what was a true square shouldered, albeit low height, section where the seals sit becomes angled. Looks like you took cleanliness as seriuysly as you need to for these jobs and the results look superb, thanks again, glad to have helped. Take care and all the best.

I can do seals no problem, from stock, pistons too, but would need a sample. If the pistons are two different sizes I would need a sample of one of each. I can return them undamaged, (or at least in the same state they arrive... ). PM sent.

Whitworth is one of the best thread forms ever invented for soft materials, there are plenty of odd ball metric threads around Renault used to like M7 in transmissions, I must be the only person in the UK with an M7 Helicoil kit. My engineering merchant reckoned they had never ever sold one until I came along and it was special order only. Only 24 out of 25 inserts left to use...

Now what is it they say a bad workman blames? To be truthful there's not a tool in my arsenal I haven't cussed at a few times! Some just don't want to come out of their box these days, such is their fear. Yes I am talking about you, the metric calipers, damned foreigners with their funny system. Metric indeed.

Yep, it's amazing what someone who knows what they are doing can create on one. (I am not one of those elevated souls... )

They only do what you punch in to the key pad

I won't mention some of things I found my Bridgeport universal milling machine could do (but shouldn't), that weren't on the YouTube videos.... "Speed, feed and correct tooling, cooling and cutting fluid" are now something I ask myself before even starting The dead cutting tool box was impressively full back when I first got it!

I well recall an old friend who was visibly disturbed watching me hacksaw off a piece of sheet steel in the vice. I just knew he was about to say something but was biting his tongue so I asked hom if I was doing it wrong. He told me I was forcing the cut and should allow the blade to do the work and be less aggressive, that's why the cut was wandering off. I finished and held a piece of metal with a far from 90 degree cut in my hand looking forelorn. He took the hacksaw and first straightened up my remaining piece of steel the proceeded to cut a perfect off cut that looked like it had been done in a shear. Humbled I let him show me how to file the piece properly. He taught me a lot. But one day he was telling me he had to take his dog to the vet to have its nails trimmed at it was savage when it saw the clippers and wouldn't let him or his wife near him then. He complained how much it cost every time and how the vet asked him to leave the consulting room as the dog was less agitated then. He wondered what went on behind closed doors but said the dog couldn't be heard barking or whining. I thought it's time to reciprocate and show him how something should be done... So he brought his dog around, a collie that was indeed a bit hyper. I got an old bath towel, tied the dog to a post, got the towel wrapped firmly over its head, got him to hold the dog on the ground, and did all four feet in about 2 minutes with no issues. He later went on to do the same himself with his wife assisting and saved a load of hassle and dosh. We all have our little talents or know how to address what to others might be a problem

Tools Explained. DRILL PRESS : A tall upright machine useful for suddenly snatching flat metal bar stock out of your hands so that it smacks you in the chest and flings your beer across the room, denting the freshly-painted project which you had carefully set in the corner where nothing could get to it. WIRE WHEEL : Cleans paint off bolts and then throws them somewhere under the workbench with the speed of light. Also removes fingerprints and hard-earned calluses from fingers in about the time it takes you to say, 'Oh sh*t' DROP SAW : A portable cutting tool used to make studs too short. PLIERS : Used to round off bolt heads. Sometimes used in the creation of blood-blisters. BELT SANDER : An electric sanding tool commonly used to convert minor touch-up jobs into major refinishing jobs. HACKSAW : One of a family of cutting tools built on the Ouija board principle... It transforms human energy into a crooked, unpredictable motion, and the more you attempt to influence its course, the more dismal your future becomes. MOLE-GRIPS : Generally used after pliers to completely round off bolt heads. If nothing else is available, they can also be used to transfer intense welding heat to the palm of your hand. OXYACETYLENE TORCH : Used almost entirely for lighting on fire various flammable objects in your shop. Also handy for igniting the grease inside the wheel hub out of which you want to remove a bearing race.. TABLE SAW : A large stationary power tool commonly used to launch wood projectiles for testing wall integrity. HYDRAULIC FLOOR JACK : Used for lowering an automobile to the ground after you have installed your new brake shoes, trapping the jack handle firmly under the bumper. BAND SAW : A large stationary power saw primarily used by most shops to cut good aluminum sheet into smaller pieces that more easily fit into the trash can after you cut on the inside of the line instead of the outside edge. TWO-TON ENGINE HOIST : A tool for testing the maximum tensile strength of everything you forgot to disconnect. PHILLIPS SCREWDRIVER : Normally used to stab the vacuum seals under lids or for opening old-style paper-and-tin oil cans and splashing oil on your shirt; but can also be used, as the name implies, to strip out Phillips screw heads. STRAIGHT SCREWDRIVER : A tool for opening paint cans. Sometimes used to convert common slotted screws into non-removable screws and butchering your palms. PRY BAR : A tool used to crumple the metal surrounding that clip or bracket you needed to remove in order to replace a 50p part. HOSE CUTTER : A tool used to make hoses too short. HAMMER : Originally employed as a weapon of war, the hammer nowadays is used as a kind of divining rod to locate the most expensive parts adjacent the object we are trying to hit. UTILITY KNIFE : Used to open and slice through the contents of cardboard cartons delivered to your front door; works particularly well on contents such as seats, vinyl records, liquids in plastic bottles, collector magazines, refund checks, and rubber or plastic parts. Especially useful for slicing work clothes, but only while in use

I can supply with grease, kindly fire me an e-mail to [email protected] and I'll get the current price tomorrow for you. I have fronts and rears in stock.

The AEM logs should, or at least i would hope, show the voltage from the coolant sensor during the warm up phase. as to static fuel pressure, engine not running, it could be pretty well anything within quite a range, depends how it was set and then mapped. but about 35 to 50 PSI I would imagine. The mapper should have that info.

Changing wheel size to give a desired ground clearance is very how you dooin', that is a really horrible way to go about it. Is the increase in ride height needed for ground clearance reasons or wheel arch to tyre fouling issues? Post some photos before you create a ditch finder mongrel.

Check battery voltage when idling at whatever RPM it musters, with headlamps, heater blower and heated screen on. Should be at least 13.8 V If not (lower) suspect alternator or its wiring.Maybe check the crank damper is not slipping too, do the "Tipex" test.

You need a means of monitoring fuel pressure on key on after a long period of being switched off. The system should hold some rail pressure with key off for hours, and on key on immediately rise to working pressure. An electronic or mechanical gauge will work, does the rail have an external fuel pressure connection valve? If not you need to get some appropriate adaptors to measure pressure after the fuel filter and before the return valve. Monitoring the mixture immediately after a cold start is tricky as a wide band sensor needs to heat up before giving correct readings. You should also measure the voltage from the ECU water temp sensor at start up, in real time or by looking at the logs to see if it's a temp sensor issue. A bit of well thought out measuring should show the issue without throwing parts at it. A crude test is to hard wire the pump to run just before trying to start it and see if it helps, but be careful you don't back feed anything you shouldn't!

raceparts.co.uk mechanical gauge and some rubber hose, sounds like the electronic gauge or sender, (assuming it IS electronic, I have never seen a mechanical one only read vacuum...), is kaput. Even cheap mechanical gauges are far more reliable unless you spend a LOT of dosh on a good electronic one

Good man, glad it was something fairly trivial! Dropping the CR by one or so won't lose 25% power, and it can be made up with more boost although off boost performance will be a tad less sparkling.

The gauge is doing this almost certainly because you are making no boost for whatever reason. It must be plumbed on the engine valve side of the throttle body to see vacuum, which is correct and normal for a vac / pressure gauge, and on wide open throttle it just sees near atmospheric pressure as there's no boost... Unless the gauge is buggered of course...

First you need to see if the clutch uses the stock dual mass flywheel, and is till a pull type clutch. Or if has been converted to a push type and all the (very dear) pul type stuff has gone missing. All this can be seen through the bellhousing on a ramp with the little side vent covers removed (4 off 12mm hex bolts) This info is needed to make a sensible decision where to go next,

Is the stock NA head gasket only 0.6mm? I rather doubt it. Fitting a 1.3mm gasket is not going to kill power by 25% even if it is 0.6mm. You have other issues, for sure. Start by buying a cheap mechanical boost gauge (Raceparts UK do good ones that are far from expensive) and some suitable hose (rubber NOT silicone) to run from the MAP sensor area to inside the car through a side window. go take a drive and report the boost... Stock up on petrol and tinned food whilst out, before fuel and food rationing start...

To slightly excuse this maniac I believe he was thrusting towards Ms. Abbott's Hackney polling station with a matching pair of shoes for our potential next Home Secretary. Maybe she needs to nick the "No Alcohol" sticker and place it on the mirror in her dressing room? Or maybe two none matching left shoes is some sort of lucky voting token, or just perhaps an indication she's adopted the Catholic faith?