gjm

I know of an IT-based firm looking for a business consultant, based out of an office in Wellington. They have a gorgeous harbour view! "This role will require you to be responsible for the business configuration aspects of software implementations, upgrades and ongoing support working alongside other consultants in the New Zealand Professional Services team. Key activities include; workshops, business analysis, prototyping, solution configuration, training and end user support." PM if it might be of interest.

Damn. Just what I could be needing shortly... Anyone heading from the Hutt to Hawke's Bay...?

Or... Use it as an adapter for ITBs...

Would brake cleaner work?

Not bad for a Harley.

I like this far more than is healthy for me...

There is not a 46mm socket, on its own, in the country. And if there was it'd be $45+. ? So I bought a 21-piece 3/4" drive set for $129. New tools. Happy Christmas to me. ??

More rant. 46mm socket needed, and my collection/accumulation of sockets goes as far as a 41mm. Boxing day. Engineers Merchants all closed 'til the 6th. What's the chances of Repco a. being open (OK - 9-5.30 today) and b. having what I need?

In the dark. On a foggy night. While wearing dark glasses and facing the other way.

The 5 I'm referring to are by Baur. If you have an E24, Baur will still make one for you.

Yippee! It's about time my slidehammer got some use... Now I just need the weather to play nice, and stop raining.

Well, maybe... NZ Couriers have noted on the tracking that 'the office is closed' (there are people here - I was here!) and invite me to contact my local branch. Phoning the local branch goes through to an after hours message... Office is open from 7am through to whatever time. The local drop-off point (Caltex) tell me that service has been terrible lately... Edit: I take it back. This has to be easier to fit than just a new bearing! That said, anything I should be watching out for...? Not done one of these. On a BMW. Yet.

The Very Nice Man has confirmed it is a bearing. No noise, even smooth noise, when the wheel is spun, but it is definitely there under load, especially on right hand turns (it's the left front bearing). Described as not being as bad as it could be, and that it'd probably pass a WoF. ? Still, that's not good enough. It needs to be sorted. Which leaves me in a bit of a muddle. Do I try to sort it myself, with (I suspect) insufficient tools to do the job properly (I've done a bit of research and there are pullers involved that I don't have), or do we accept 'she'll be a'right' a while longer and get it sorted after 6th January when the world starts turning again? Olaf makes an excellent point - I don't want to - won't - run a risk of Miss M having problems on the way home. Edit: replacement part ordered. After discussion I'm getting 'more' than just the bearing - I've seen how the bearing is replaced and it looks like it could be a PITA. So I'm getting the bearing and bearing housing. Should be a unbolt, bolt-up job. I hope.

It's going to see a Very Nice Man who will hopefully be able to achieve what I haven't had time to do - diagnose what is wrong. Further thought and discussion (with the Very Nice Man) suggests it might not be a wheel bearing... That could just be my knee-jerk guess at the issue. Might be a tie rod. Or a mount. Or... Well, it is definitelysomething. And it needs sorting. Fingers crossed...

Sounds normal for NZ Post.

I'm working tomorrow and Tuesday.... I'll be calling around to find somewhere that has one, or can ship overnight (for delivery Christmas Eve!)

In the time honoured tradition of going wrong at just about the worst possible time, Miss M has come to visit us in our idyllic corner of NZ. No - that's not the problem. We love to see her. The problem is that her car has decided now is the time to need a new wheel bearing. Firmly grasp and wriggle the n/s/f front wheel, and you can feel and hear movement. I suppose we might get lucky and find some piece of suspension is slightly worn, but let's be realistic - what are the chances of that? So, two days before Christmas, she needs a new wheel bearing. And she has to drive back to Hamilton on the 28th. Being the kinda guy I am, I always sort this stuff before it gets to the catastrophic failure stage - how bad does it get before it collapses completely?

There were 5 of these built, and one (silver) is in Thailand. There's a white one, and I know of another silver one, in France, which is for sale for EUR65000.

I have mine on order with Speed Factor. Not a NZ-popular fitment so they're coming in from overseas, but this way I don't have to get involved with GST, import, taxes, duties and general faffing about. With luck, they'll be here for me to fit while on my quite brief Chrimbletide break.

That's the bit that's puzzling me. And if FCP are collecting the GST, how has NZ convinced them to do that (with the associated paperwork it's going to entail) and then to pass that money on to NZ? As I understand it, the onus of collection is on the seller, not the shipping company, so FedEx would't get involved. Which is in itself a shame - FedEx have arranged collection of excise revenue for a long time (on shipments with a due duty in excess of $60) and done so very effectively and quickly - far quicker than NZ Post. I've been through trying several different routes of shipping and FedEx shipping from FCP has been the best experience.

If ordering a number of things from FCP, talk to them directly. Their online system doesn't combine items for shipping very well.

MyUS will collect / charge GST on all shipments. I've received an email to that effect.