Harv wrote:

Morat I had a Dakota that acted like that. The problem was a bad check valve in the fuel pump. It’s there to hold pressure for your next start. If it leaks a bit, the pressure won’t be there and you need to cycle the key a couple of times to run the pump for a few extra seconds. Maybe not the same issue but maybe?

Yes, that sounds identical. I just wish there was a hatch in my floor already! Thing is, the pump doesn't seem to run on the key, only on crank so it'll be a new pump rather than getting along with the "poor man's prime" on the key.

Gilbertd wrote:

It's an odd one as if the pressure was down or if there was a restriction, it wouldn't run normally once started.

Yep, that's the thing. I did test it by warming up on LPG, swapping back to petrol and flooring it in second. No det, no hiccoughs - smooth to the redline.

You can't force start most BRC gas systems on gas.

I don't think the potential for a leaking LPG injector or reducer has been mentioned? Run on gas and the gas system gets pressurised, turn the engine off and gas leaks into the manifold, try to start the engine and the engine gets petrol and gas instead of petrol and air until there's been enough cranking to pump the gas out of the manifold but by which point the plugs might then be wet with petrol.

At least worth ruling this out by driving on petrol for an hour before turning the engine off so if there is such leak gas will have been used with the engine running rather than displace air in the plenum?

Others will know better than me but iIrc the pump doesn't work on these until cranking, either that or it runs for a couple of seconds in pos2 then stops until cranking. 17 Seconds after stalling is probably about right?

A lot of engines give a really long 1 or 2 petrol injector pulses immediately on turning to the cranking position before reverting to normal pulse lengths for cranking which may be temperature dependent.

I'm confused, easy I know, but you say you can hear the fuel pump relay cut out after 17s yet you also say it doesn't run with the ignition in pos 2? Are you saying you can hear it over the noise of the starter cranking? You can often hear a relay click in but not drop out. Simon's suggestion is a possible too but if it is the fuel pump not running, then hot wire it. Run a wire from the fuel pump relay socket and put it on the battery positive (or put a jumper in place of the relay). Then you'll be able to run the pump before you try to start it. If it fires up immediately, it is a fuel pump problem, if it's just the same, it's something else.

In my post #625 above I should have written 'stops until cranking but obviously pumps during cranking'.

Gilbertd wrote:

I'm confused, easy I know, but you say you can hear the fuel pump relay cut out after 17s yet you also say it doesn't run with the ignition in pos 2? Are you saying you can hear it over the noise of the starter cranking? You can often hear a relay click in but not drop out. Simon's suggestion is a possible too but if it is the fuel pump not running, then hot wire it. Run a wire from the fuel pump relay socket and put it on the battery positive (or put a jumper in place of the relay). Then you'll be able to run the pump before you try to start it. If it fires up immediately, it is a fuel pump problem, if it's just the same, it's something else.

Sorry, should have been clearer - I'm using the nanocom to turn the pump on before cranking, same as the wire trick but from the comfort of the driver's seat. I crank it first, and on rare occasions it'll start perfectly. If not, I run the pump until it cuts out and crank again. It can take a few tries before it starts. I've found no obvious correlation between the number of times I need to run the pump and the length of time the car has been standing. Or temperature, or wet weather.
Once it has been running for a couple of minutes it'll re-start normally.

Simon's suggested test above seems a sensible way to go, if you don't want to drive for an extended time on petrol beforehand, if you have a single hole tank turn the valve on the tank off and let it run till it runs out of pressure. Or switch it to petrol and let the pressure out of the front end by releasing the hose clip to the injector supply should also work. Or even just check for any pressure coming down the vacuum line or out of the injectors when there shouldn't be.

Got 2 cars through an mot on Friday and put one in for a full valet . The car was looking great apart from a rusty tow bar sticking out the back . It was the original detachable swan neck type which looked as though it had never been touched for the 21 years the car had been on the road. What looked like a 10 minute job was a absolute nightmare. I loosened the 2 locknuts ,sprayed with a loosening agent and hit it with a heavy hammer. It didn't budge so I tried some heat and still no movement. I tried a heavier hammer and the 2 nuts rode up the threads stripping them . At this point I cut them off and carried on for almost an hour with a heavy punch and my mates induction heater . I will never try to remove one of these again unless it frees after a couple of hits . I was surprised the nuts stripped leaving me no option but to get it off. I'll phone landrover tomorrow and see if they supply the bolt an nuts for the towbar. I certainly won't be going to a scrapyard for one . The towball itself is stripped and painted and will be getting a good dose of copper grease upon refitting.

Moray I still think it pump or wiring to pump myself ---- if you got log too then maybe system cutting power to pump

Anyone considering removing an old swan neck towbar be aware that land rover say the bolt and the full towbar are now obsolete. I had to resort to buying a second hand bolt and nuts from eBay. Land Rover parts advised a trip to the local hardware shop which wasn't an option I fancied.

Land rover don't want to hold parts for 20+year old vehicles maybe Rimmer Bros or britpart do --- I'm only guessing though

I saw an original one for sale on eBay which ended up costing £20 inc postage I'm sure a new one wouldn't of been much dearer. I hadn't thought of rimmers or britpart cheers for that. As I said I'll never remove one again my arm was in shreds belting the thing, it was locked solid inside the removable hitch .

I leave mine in so dumbass drivers hit that not my bumper ---- had 3x bumps 🙄 that's Oxford for you Capital of education fool of tards

I don't think mine has ever been off since it came from the factory and I've no intention of trying to get it off either. The Ascot has the towbar and the swan neck and bolts are in the boot looking like they've never been used. I haven't looked at the markings but I suspect the bolts are not your average mild steel bolts from a hardware store. Microcat lists the swan neck as a separate part but not the bolts.

I thought it would be a good idea to take it off and put it in a wee cabinet blaster. Knowing what I know now a wire brush and a coat of black Hammerite would have been fine. We're due a good fall of snow in Scotland tomorrow so car should earn its keep.

Thanks for checking that I'd never heard of microcat . One of the main advantages of joining a forum is the information you can find that even google can't flag up .

Microcat is the tool used by the dealships to access parts catalogues. Not the most friendly bit of software to use, but can be a very useful source of info.

I googled it and see it offers a free trial. I take it work's on some type of subscription.

It does unless you have a cracked copy, in fact I don't think the current paid for version will work with something as old as the P38. The alternative is http://new.lrcat.com/#!/1234 which is basically Microcat online (and covers all models). Biggest difference is that with Microcat you can put in a VIN (or UK registration number) and it will only list parts fitted to a particular car, very useful when looking for parts for a diesel for instance and don't know which part number relates to a diesel and which to a petrol.

Cheers everyday is a school day lol. My friend runs the local garage I'll ask if it's something he uses. It was his induction heater I was using at the weekend. It's water cooled and has 3 different end caps , a fantastic bit of kit and had the nut and bolts glowing bright red many times but even that didn't free the bolt from the ball . I couldn't use gas as my lpg. Inlet uses the towbar electrics hole right next to the ball . Also don't think I'd of risked blistering the bumper.