February 2010

Data cabling

A while ago, I got my Malawians to install a piece of gutter drain pipe from the roof of the main house, down the wall, under the path, and up into the (free standing) garage roof.

I finally got around to putting some cabling into this pipe.

S6301943r

Three lengths of CAT-5, one 4-conductor telephone line, one eight conductor bundle for the alarm system, and a piece of five core trailer wire for one day when I want to put some of the lights in the house on a 12V UPS type system.

S6301945r

I had to cut a hole halfway and pull the wire through in stages — too much friction around the corners. (Don’t mind Tanya’s pet plastic bag blowing in the wind).

Now to wire up the network points on both sides, so we can get rid of the patch cable going out the garage window, across the driveway, and into Tanya’s room.

Ten miles beyond hell…

…where the Devil couldn’t get for stinging nettles (Whoever was responsible for developing the Opel Astra Classic rear brakes, that would be).

You see, Opel G cars come with rear brake calipers from either Bosch (I think) or Lucas. The former being much more common.

Of course the pads that fit the one caliper are almost but not quite entirely unlike the pads that fit the other.

S6301938r

For your edification.  The pad on the left is what they’ll give you if you mosey on down to Goldwagen and say “brake pads, Opel Astra Classic”.

The one on the right is what you want if you have Lucas calipers. This will entail printing out above picture (because the sample has to go back in the car so that Tanya can get to work) and taking it to Masterparts, then waiting for half an hour while the fellow finds the right thing.

Don’t ask me how I know.

Another tip: don’t believe the manual when it tells you to line up some indent with some boss when compressing the piston back into the caliper. Apply force with a G-clamp and turn the pistol with a waterpomp tang.