Grosse Kind

On a plus side, i'd like to say good words and place a recommended seller shoutout to a Norman Hartford of the UK. Pretty damn good condition of the set, surpassing the description, great communication, repacked the item of his own accord to rid 40 grams which meant the difference between £24 and £50 postage, sent a replacement gear without any drama or delays for the one that was damaged, and basically was the rarity i'd stopped believing in as far as sellers goes. Sadly, the timeframe ran over to leave him the glowing feedback i'd like to on EBAY so here it has to be. Whereas old mate in russia sent me a nice new 856. New to the point of no used parts besides whats been discontinued. Again, a nice "vintage" 1979 kit, with a pair of yellow 14x1 (1997 release) technic beams that threw the bucket geometry out to the shithouse. I didn't so much care that it was a knockoff for the price, but the word vintage still sticks in your throat when bits you need are supplanted with items that never existed till 18 years later and make it non buildable to the instructions. (More time headscratching to find that was the problem than i'd care to ever repeat)

Thanks also Alex. Might try and replicate your tailgate if thats ok? On another tact, is there a way to lock a synchro in one direction to allow the compressor to be unselected but leaving the PTO permanently engaged and just utilise the toggle for front (winch) or rear (turntable) to enact that particular function? It would be nice to be able to swivel the turntable without losing the supply of air from having to disengage the compressor.

Hi matey. Does the steering wheel turn the wheels or is it a slave function?

Well, its here, together and being enjoyed. Not much to quibble about, and i'm working through what bothered me. Have a knob wheel ordered via a friend to add to it and then its pretty well finished. I see what everyone was complaining about with the steering imprecision and might see what i can do but sorted the dummy steering wheel and fiddliness of the battery boxes switch. Bar that its not too bad as it came. Has anyone got better mouse traps as far as the cab wheel fuctioning by any chance? Thanks for your time.

A new to me old set arrived today. Had it in the past and very pleased to have it again. So simple and yet so satisfying. Went together in no time and the seller included instructions in damn good nick, plus, all pieces were there and in good (very) condition. A pleasant shock i must say. Probably nothing special or rare, just thought i'd share how a small set turned me back into a 7 year old for a short interlude, in a crap day. Thanks for your time, glen.

Good afternoon. Has anyone had any thoughts on getting all gears in this set to work without skipping? Would like to imagine theres more elegant setups than i've used. Tried the search function to no avail but figure even if its been done to death elsewhere i'm keen to see whats out there. Ta muchly for your time.

Yep, no dramas. Kumbbl: with the extra intermediate gearing you put in does that not drop second cogs ratio into a supplementary overdrive with first then assuming the revs of what was formerly second, second the old third, and third a massive 4.5 wheel turns to one twirl of the crank? I know it allows all three to be safely utilised but it slows the engine to a somewhat non viable (if we go by a T56 borg warner with a 0.50:1 top gear and run that with say a VE SS commodore and the attendant 3.45 to one diff ratio, we only come back to an overall underdrive from crank to wheel of 1.725:1, and thats a 6 litre V8 Providing the torque vs say a large flat four in our case with perhaps a 3 litre capacity) rate of rotation. The original third is unrealistic already i know, but this makes it really pronounced.

Thankyou sabre. As a bit of a surprise (click video link below): she does actually float! Currently drying off.

I've an air compressor and could blow her down skaah, but realistically she's never seen the inside of a cabinet and is played with too frequently (still, a rolling testbed and in one piece since i got her in 2009) to fret about trivialities as a little/lot of dust. But seem as i'm nothing if not accomodating i'll check her for bouyancy later this eve (i've an odd feeling she's not gonna float real good), in the bathtub, and if she sinks i'll push it back and forth a few times whilst attempting to make underwater "vroom vroom!" noises, and see if it gets any less dirty. Not confident but at least it'll be the first flat four propelled submarine. May need to revise the engine fan blade pitch but. ;) Hi Miguev. It started life as a 12 long axle with an inclusion in its moulding that cracked into two pieces around the 4.5/7.5 region. I filed a standard-like chamfer on the cracked end and have since rough pared down the splining in the middle with a pocket knife to experiment what profile taper and width would slide easily through the friction pins allotted as shift gates but not slip out the opposite way quite so easily. When the ratio of first was still six to one, she displayed a propensity to pop out of gear into a false neutral of sorts, and even in the higher two gears, if you rolled it backward the gear lever would flail the other way and often popped out of gear. What i have since used holds each ratio captive using a broken part i modified slightly rather than dispensing with. I'd never seen corroded lego before till i found some of my 80's stuff also the other month. In places its almost chalky and there's blistering on it but i've never come across axles like yours. I have one that is so twisted that if you follow the spline one end to the other, it has a full 1/4 turn to it plus the aforementioned cracked axle, but generally they've always seemed pretty stable. Might i enquire, in your burial grounds of sacrifices to the lego gods there, i think i can see full width bushes, with toothed ends. Are these common and/or reasonably recent as they're totally new to me. Thanks for your time, glen.

Well, took the plunge and dropped in the 12 and 20 the other day. Comfy with how it all works and put the diff pinion back to the standard 14 tooth. Life is to be a lot easier on the uni's in the swing axles at a minimum, and the gearshift still feels ok. [/url The standard ratio gears and a spare diff pinion up under the front chassis. A habit of mine to keep any supplanted parts on the vehicle itself to allow easy return to standard. My gear detent system, to prevent it jumping out of cog when rolled backward: Slight peeling from a 4 long axle lets it slip into the detent pin traps.

Hi. Is there a reason the compressor only pumps with the battery box switch engaged to the rear of the vehicle? I'm stumped as i thought it'd be omnidirectional. Am learning to take account of it but its irritating. Is it a fault, have i assembled something wrong, or has someone else experienced the same and i'm not goin nuts? A search turned up this but nothing conclusive http://www.eurobricks.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=68428&hl=%2Bcompressor+%2Bdirection and i'm aware of the ill feeling on this board to reactivating dormant threads. Thanks for your time, glen.

Hi ben. Re routed the tubing( was kinking in one direction ) and its sorted. Thanks fellas.

No stalling, with good useable pressure, but none builds up or flow is provided with the switch in forward dispositioning. Kit was new in box but only just assembled in the past week.

Thanks. Bei solche untersetzung wird die kurbelwelle auch im zweiten gang drehen weniger als die hinterachse?

Evening neocon. Do you have a non acronymised version please? Unless its an 80's japanese sports-bike with SACS YPVS ATAC YDIS RFVC AETC KIPS or a myriad of other nightmareish economising of sticker vinyl to broadcast things i'm lost.

Thankyou kindly.

Hi. Got this in a spares purchase. Could someone give a hint in the right direction as to what on earth it is? Are the other bits in the pic related or similairly themed perhaps? Thanks for your time.

I've cut things in the past to achieve things that are now achievable with standard pieces that didn't exist at the time. And, i stuck a sixteen tooth gear into a jig i fashioned that made a virtual lathe, and pared down its diameter. Still pretty pleased about that one.

Not quite nick. Was expecting a granada. Paid for a granada. The escort that arrived had no doorhandles.

I stripped the 853 down to base components too john. Sections of it like the bumpers and seats and a bit of the steering were still partly assembled when i unpacked it and i wanted the full build experience from it. Washed it all colour by colour. in a mild detergent and tepid water solution then rinsed and strained it all before carefully drying and laying it all out. Was quite exciting and i had been able to get it pretty well together, very precisely. Lined up all the slots, directionalised all the brick logos, equispaced all the crankthrows and generally put it together like its the last time it'll ever be done. Which it is. I buy only to keep, and though i dabble afterwards, i'm not of the strip and rebuild mindset just yet, meaning only partial teardowns to test or implement any modifications. . If/when the final pieces ever come about, it will be simple enough to fit them, and i'll then consider it built. Though i've started on the alterations front already and am making headway its not done until its complete. Then generally the proper fun starts, with me still making changes on the 8860 that i bought in 2009. As parts or ideas become available over time, little changes here and there are facilitated and thats my thrill fom these things. Have left 9390 alone since it was built but play with it now and then. If a design is fairly sound i leave it be, but far prefer ironing out bugs of designs that while good can be easily better.

Considering altering the crank phasing to achieve a more natural "1 3 4 2" firing order and constructing a third (maybe if adventurous, even a full five) main bearing for it with period parts, and a primitive inlet manifold and carb. Perhaps a fourth stack of fins and attendant blue surrounds to get the pistons protruding less at TDC. Wrappped that the motor/box is a unitary construction meaning i can just detach it whole and modify/tinker with it fully removed. A real luxury compared to 8860 and moreso for any trans alterations on 8880. See how well 8865 is designed overall after it gets here but find the evolutions damn cool. From a first of 9:1, to 6:1, then 4:1 and at the end 2.25, each model shoves less stress on the geartrain as it goes along. Love fettling with them all but. Might eat up hours and hours, but has always felt good to do.

Set seems pretty cool, and am quite happy with the overall design. Theres a few aspects that i've attended to for the general pleasure of it, and a couple more i might institute but it's still early days. Fascinated by the gearbox! If you take the rotation direction of the engine of 8860, and 8880 pre the RHD conversion, then 853 has a 9:1 first gear and a 3:1 reverse. Predates the crap out of 8448 really. Keen to add a little (extra to what i've already done so far) extra bracing on the chassis as a few more pins made a large difference and the front axle seems quite spindly. See how we go i guess. Revised the back end as she kept blowing the pinion support in first. The thing would still have been quite the revelation when new i imagine, just like they all are to me now.

Hi 1974. Wasn't chasing a mint 853, as much as a complete one. I had bid with the high likelihood of it going out of my pricerange and got it. I've contacted the seller to discuss the situation and will not know anything till i hear back. I'm a play with'er, not a glass cabinet'er so was never chasing mint/pristine/perfect, but complete would be nice, even if just once, hahaha. My set collection (classics), bar the one still in transit is now complete, and the other (8110 unimog. Not a classic yet but maybe someday) should leave for here tomorrow so no more evilbay anymore :) Thanks for the suggestions Ole, re denmark. Shall keep it in mind.

I'll happily PM you the lists of missing parts, excuses, blatant nonsense replies, that don't apply to you as after reading this: "I am very much active on both sides of the transaction you are on." I'll just need you to identify which two of the three set purchases in question weren't from you. I really hope you were the english guy as i can't wait to read nonsensical babble as per telling me he must have mixed up two, somewhat different, sets worth of parts when he sent me two types of 8880 steering knuckles (with no towball pins to suit either) and suggested the oddball was probably from 8865. You know, cos 8865 must have had all wheel drive and steering and uses 6540a's too right? (Yes, that i assume you are responsible for any of my predicaments because you are ACTIVE, on THE transaction I am on is tongue in cheek. Your words, even if rewritten, not mine) "Waiting and seeing on ebay: the new hobby best left un-delved." Refers to me being done with buying sets off ebay. So from what i can see, in your mildly condescending tirade, you've simply covered what i'd, and others had already written. Would that be a fair assumption?

Yeah nah. It just gets better and better. The 8110 i bought two weeks ago has not even been packaged up for posting, let alone arrived yet, with zero word from the seller till i asked if it'd been sent. Nothing like a "sincerest apology" after the fact. And its still not likely to arrive any time soon. Will "send tomorrow and advise a tracking number" i'm told but thats still yet to happen so i've only the words of someone without much apparent use of them to go off. Waiting and seeing on ebay: the new hobby best left un-delved.