Albert here....So? what's buzzin' in the world? Peter Kay's back!!!! Now I'd suggest that's way more important than any news on the state of the nation, and far funnier than the Saturday night turners that currently performs daily in Parliment. Old Blighty is slowly sinking into oblivion and there's nobody manning the pumps.....
Down tha' yard int' Old Sidevalve Bar parcels have been arriving, which is pretty damn lucky 'cos the posties are either on strike or working to rule.. (Only cos' the Railway chaps did it first)....oh and the nurses too so better be super safe with power tools and such like 'cos there's nobody down int' hospitals to work the sticking plasters. Back to the parcels...at great expense and I'm not jesting I purchased an new oil pump and 'bling' sump plate for Lovely Maroon.('The BSA that time forgot' if this is your first read of any Vintafake blog) Now, the oil pump...although pretty much the only one on the market apart from an even more expensiver one in Dutchman land has rather a significance to your Uncle Albert in it's branding. It's of Hepolite' manufacture. Wow! Never heard of them? You would have if you had been engine building pre-1980, and who didn't? Yes, a long time ago before Pokemon took away the kids brain cells and mobile phones were invented. Oil down finger nails...not man buns and hipster beards.
Hepolite was the brand...Hepworth and Grandage was the company. That's where my Grandad worked....All his working life. They were a manufacturer of Pistons, Rings and such like. The worlds best, race winners ...if you had Hepolite pistons in ya motor tha's knew what's what...
So, just had to have a Hepolite Oil Pump. Certainly not manufactured in Bradford anymore, Hepworth and Grandage long gone, in fact despite the Union Jack flags on the packet top will it be UK manufacture? C'mon let's pretend it's all Blighty.
Aye, Grandad worked in the piston ring department. In fact he was once called back to work during his annual leave to urgently make some piston rings for a ships engine. The ship was stuck in port unable to sail without replacement Hepolite parts.
So, Lovely Maroon's new oil pumping heart has a connection to a family member long passed. How good is that? Not only that but, the bling oil sump plate is thicker than the original so I made some longer studs and nuts in stainless to fix it to the engine (rather than use 'modern allen socket bolts' as suggested and sold). Hey, hang on I haven't finished the connection yet. My tap and die holders were made and used by Grandad. Rather fitting his tooling should help to make the fixings that seal the oil pump in place. An honour to use for such an important job.
What a connection.....hang on there's more!!! The tin badge in the picture was his. Celebrating 'Hepolite Golden Jubilee 1907 - 1957' He not only celebrated at work that year but at some time the same year he celebrated my birth too!!!! I was born 'at home' as they called it...A time when 'Dad's to be' brought boiling water and towels to the bedside just to keep them busy whilst the midwife and 'Mum to be' did all the shouting and pushing behind closed doors. When I say 'At home' I mean I was born actually at Grandads house. My mum wanting to be where her family was.....Now if ya don't think all that ain't connecting with the past then ya not in the same groove as me!!!!!
Posh!!!! Get kettle on, it's time for a cuppa......Wot no beer? Yep.....
