I have old style gaiters on the 57 (double universal joints) the new ones did hold about 1 year. Quality isn't very good for some new parts.

Yes, very poor quality for some. And what is very disturbing, nowadays they know how to make good quality and reliable parts, but they also know what is "good enough" and dont't make any better. Sad, very sad indeed...

Yes especially rubber parts. Really shocking quality in many cases. I have a couple Mercedes S class from the 80's and if you can afford the MB parts, which I've always tried to use, you can expect maybe in excess of 30 years use. Beautiful quality.

Aftermarket engine mounts for these have been known to last 6 months only on these MB. I put a counterfeit antenna grommet on mine about a year ago. It crumbled into nothing like powder, and let water into the car. Its very sad, and sometimes dangerous.

^Well, what about fuel hoses? On my -92 XM and -62 Series Landy, both has hoses installed on factory. And on this Dyane, I have put new hoses three times on last six years...


Drive shafts ready to install...


Friend find only one correct, testing some modern car outer gaiter, only needed to cut a slice off. Time will tell does those last a year, or decade or even more...


Ready to winter fun, maybe tommorrow...


And the winter tires. 125-15 Nokia Hakkapeliitta 06, one set from the last patch from 1987, driven less than ten winters at all, rubber still surprisingly soft... Spikes also very heavy full steel spikes, not like modern very light aluminium or even plastic, and there are a lot of spikes compared modern tires... And yes, very noisy, compared almost any tires, even to BFG Mut Terrain clones on Landy...

Finally took the Dyane out from lift. Over ten weeks sent to do two day repairs... Well, a lot happened at that time, bad experience of medicine what didn't work at all with me, practically only sleeping but still tired, normal life was almost too much, only less than two weeks with that, took some months to recovery...

Needed to fill air to one tire, slow leaking if I remember right. No need yet to find the leak, mäybe new inner tube to next winter..?

Check fuel system for leaks, with EFI that is simple just put ignition on. Two seconds pump run, without engine running. No leaks, then hit the starter, and yes, it's alive again. Smooth idling after short raised idle, throttle response as good as earlier. Exhaust temperatures about same, less than 20 degrees difference. No smoke on exhaust, rebuided the engine nearly ten years ago, not much driven and mostly short run...


As the Dyane was ready to run, it was time to repair one helicopter. That needed only new propeller shaft, rotor head and main blades. Made test run without blades, and confirmed everything work like should with new head, and now that is also ready to fly. Scary, much more than smaller ones what I have learned to fly. AAbout 100 flights at last year, and "only" some crash landings. Most of them at the beginning, only couple technical issues, most of crashes due to pilot error...

Very much fun, very hard to learn, very nice mechanics, the heli doesn't forgive a thing, very challenging and addicting. Always liked helicopters a lot, tried one with nitro engine 30 years ago, new start with these electric powered begun at last spring...

Adjusted my new Burton window clip. No location pin on these.

And that was all!

Got a pair of new Michelin tyres for the rear since I trialled them on the front for the first time ever and they seemed nice. My old Toyos were 11 years old as it turns out. I felt a bit negligent, although the reason for the hasty change was perishing I noticed.

It's very soft and smooth now!

I took the D*lly down to my daughters place to learn how to give my grandson a bottle........I'll be looking after him for a morning and apparantly I need to have some tuition on how kids are fed these days

I hit a horrific massive long pothole in the dark in Sussex. It was so awful, such a massive bang I was sure that was my 2.5hr drive home changed into a recovery lorry trip. Or a bent wheel at the least.

Nope. Everything was fine. Imagine doing that in a modern car!

Yes , I know , they think you are daft !
I gave my son a bottle as he was little, and now they think i am not able to and give me a lesson in giving the little ones a bottle and how to change dypers .
But Nothing has changed , it still is Pampers and a bottle of milk like in the old days . So what is the worry ?