Hi folks.
Now I realize you guys know all about Richard at Banks Engineering but I just feel I've got to go public about some amazing service the guy has done for me this weekend. The background is that last week the intermittent clutch problems I'd been having started to worsen and as I had a week to go to my annual UK MoT test (a safety/roadworthy thing) I thought I'd just drop out the gearbox and change the clutch. I had one in my spares, I've changed clutches before, so how hard can that be ?
Yeah, you know what's coming next, don't you ? It took me a day to get it apart and as I pulled the release bearing forward to check it out I was met with the gentle tinkling sound of cast iron parts dropping in the bell housing - the clutch fork had decided to retire on me. I went internet searching, found nothing other than it's happened before to others on the Yahoo group and it's apparently not made in cast iron, it's now made in "un-obtainium".
But I did find that Richard advertises the part on his website, so I rang him on Friday morning. No, he didn't have any in stock, he'd just sent the last one over to you guys in the States. He explained how they made them up and that it's normally a week or so for a batch to be made. We chatted for a few minutes and when he heard my position he said "I'll make some calls and get back to you".
At just before 4:00pm that afternoon, a time when normally on a Public Holiday weekend over here everywhere is closing down, he rang back and left a message on our phone to say he'd got one made for me. Unfortunately I didn't get the message in time to get it sent out that day but that's down to us and not Richard. (he only knew he was making the part for "Brian" who lived in Lincolnshire and didn't have our full address)
These days most of the old dodgy dealers aren't around any more and we're left with fewer, but much better, suppliers who will send out parts for next day delivery. But for someone to go and manufacture the part and then try send it out on express delivery roughly 6 hours later, well, that's a new level for me. A public "thank you" to Richard and for anyone who hasn't used Banks Engineering, go and give them a shot.
Brian
ps - yep, engine/clutch/gearbox all back, now what's the betting the MoT test finds a few loose spanners or left-over bolts lying in the engine bay
