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The only place for a coil spring is up Zebedee's arse
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Might be worth getting the VIN decoded by a LR dealer, a factory spec sheet you can get too.

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I suspect all that will show is that it is basically HSE spec. Quite what the options were for a 1996 HSE I have no idea but it seems to have most, if not all of them.

This is what DVSA say if you do an MoT check....

enter image description here

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HSE's were the upper most spec in V8 world before the Vogue most if not all had electric seats cruise control and the HK sound system,

I seem to recall yours has the painted lower valance on the bumper?

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New one of these.

enter image description here

Better runner now..

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StrangeRover wrote:

HSE's were the upper most spec in V8 world before the Vogue most if not all had electric seats cruise control and the HK sound system,

I seem to recall yours has the painted lower valance on the bumper?

That's right, it has electric memory heated seats, cruise control, HK sound, sunroof, headlamp washwipe, front fogs as well as the body colour lower valance. However, it also has the 2000 spec clear front indicators and later rear light clusters so they have been changed at some point in its life so the valance could have been painted then too.

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StrangeRover wrote:

Removed this.

enter image description here

And added this.

enter image description here

Helps having a spare in the right place, the first time its been there since 2003.

The opposite of what most people are thinking of doing.. But because you think LPG is done for because of MFG? If you wanted me to convert it back to LPG again, I'm fully booked until January ;-)

20mpg at 60mph... At £2 per litre that's 45p per minute and 45p per mile, 1p every 1.3 seconds. Even if there are no LPG forecourts in your area you might be able to get gas delivered to your door, at least in bottles. Bottled gas was very expensive compared to forecourt gas but in the bigger bottles these days not so much expensive at around £1 per litre - and compared to £2 per litre and when delivered to your door... Then decide whether to pump it into your vehicle tank or run directly from the bottle.

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LPGC I removed it because the tank was corroded through in the bottom.

As for forecourts yes I have none in my area, I would convert it back if I could justify the cost.

The outfit that did the last conversion did a shit job, so not really worth screwing around with the current system.

A whole new system is the way forward.

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doing the same as a lot as people I'm putting my range rover sport back on lpg got the tank full just looking for the oil bottle for it

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StrangeRover wrote:

LPGC I removed it because the tank was corroded through in the bottom.

You should have asked, I've got a rust free 90 litre toroidal tank here you could have. No idea of the date on it but I removed it, and the whole system, before selling a car for spares.

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just looked under the bonnet it appears when lpg was installed they didn't fit a flash lube kit

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Hi Richard, sorry for Your gearbox :-( please give an update if the hp24 fits, as I am planning the same swap (the one from a 4.6 GEMS with a bigger torque converter). If it is plug & play (I guess the tranny ECU has to be swapped, too?) but if they are the same lengths and how the 4.0 feels with the bigger TC? Would be gr8!!!

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Providing you get the right gearbox, one from a similar age GEMS, it is a straight swap. The ECU is the same, it detects engine load, and hence when changes should happen, from the MAF sensor so it doesn't need a different ECU. The only other difference is the spacer behind the flex plate is thinner on the 4.6 to move the flex plate closer to the flywheel to give room for the larger torque converter so that has to be swapped over. It's convenient that I'm being supplied with the 4.6 one with the gearbox.

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THX Richard, very useful info. Good luck with your swap. pls report how the bigger TC alters driving. From my experience the GEMS 4.6 have a lot lower rpm while in converter mode (before TC lockup), makes them feel a bit more relaxed.

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Oil/Filter and Pollen Filters.
I just realised the oil had been in for 12k which is a bit embarassing. :(

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nigelbb wrote:

Yesterday we drove down to Brittany again. This time I took the ferry from Poole to Cherbourg. It's a bit further to drive than my preferred Portsmouth to Saint-Malo route but we had been over in the New Forest for a college reunion so I thought that I would give it a try. When I checked in at Poole I chatted through the open window with a chap who was giving us directions who commented that my P38 sounded a bit noisy but I didn't think that it was any worse than normal. It's had a loud ticking from the engine for 8-10 years. It's probably a tappet but has never seemed to get any worse. Oddly it was even an advisory on the MOT last year. However I became aware as we were driving from Cherbourg to our cottage that it had developed a throaty roar when accelerating.

This morning I had a look to try & figure out what was up. It's definitely noisier when the engine is revved up but it's hard to place exactly where the sound is coming from. It sounds like a blowing exhaust but I clambered under the car & can't see any obvious holes. I couldn't feel any leaks either but the front pipes heat up quickly so it's not easy to get your hand in position while lying on the ground. I'm reassured that I probably don't have anything as deteriorated as @Garvin's exhaust in the photo above so for the moment I shall just keep on driving until it reveals itself by deteriorating further. If it doesn't get any worse then when I am back in the UK I will take it into the independent Land Rover garage that I took it into last & get them to have a look up on the lift. I've ordered some exhaust bandage & mastic from Amazon which will be delivered on Monday. Even if I don't get to use it next week it will be a useful addition to my emergency repair box in the boot.

To complete the story the verdict of the garage was that it's not an exhaust problem but a blown head gasket. It's now so noisy that it's basically undriveable but does still rev up & accelerate well. I have been pondering having the engine reconditioned for a couple of years & knew that I was living on borrowed time since an overheating problem was fixed with several bottles of Steel Seal about 18 months & 15,000 miles ago.

I have spoken to V8 Developments & for about £6,500 they will do a complete turnkey operation taking the engine out doing the full reconditioning then bench running in & refitting the engine back ready for me to collect the car. Unfortunately they have a long backlog of work & won't be able to do my car until the end of the year. I spoke to my goto P38 guru @Gilbertd who suggested a temporary fix by simply taking the heads off & putting on a new head gasket without skimming the heads or doing any other work knowing that it was going to be reconditioned in a few months. I was tempted but I would not feel comfortable knowing that there was the potential to fail again. More importantly my wife wouldn't feel happy with us driving backwards & forwards to France knowing that we might break down again. We have had a few minor issues over the last few years & instead of remembering the many journeys that passed without incident she remembers the coolant boiling over while we were queuing on the dockside at Caen & the water pump failing taking out the serpentine belt & fan (this was the only breakdown that required the car to be recovered) & the problem with the driver's door that required me to get in & out via the passenger side & wriggle across into the driver's seat.

I have put the car in my garage & paid £1,000 deposit to V8 Developments so now it's just a matter of waiting until they can fit me in. I'm in two minds a to whether I should get the car trailered up to Lincolnshire or drive it up myself. It's a 125 miles & 2 hours 15 minutes according to TomTom but apart from sounding like an old tractor it still seems to be running well. Inside the car the soundproofing is very effective so it just sounds a bit growly but wind a window down & it sounds really bad.

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I suspect yours is sounding just like this one that did exactly the same thing https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dKEqPY5rX7A

The head gasket was blowing out the side to the outside world, drove perfectly OK although from underneath you could actually see sparks of tiny bits of burning gasket material being blasted out the gap when it was revved.

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Gilbertd wrote:

I suspect yours is sounding just like this one that did exactly the same thing https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dKEqPY5rX7A

The head gasket was blowing out the side to the outside world, drove perfectly OK although from underneath you could actually see sparks of tiny bits of burning gasket material being blasted out the gap when it was revved.

That's it exactly!

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Only risk you have is torching the head or block through the small gap.

But as you're changing the engine it shouldn't matter.

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Well, yes and no, you have also deteriorating further hand and block which could be reconditioned and saved for another engine in the future. Do not know the policy of V8D (still pondering on how I will get my engine done and how), but from a mechanical perspective it would be a pity to totally ruin what left.
Sorry, I am a romantic :-)

If you expect to use the car these 6 months, maybe not as "intensive" use as originally planned, Richard's idea is not bad at all. And will save you some money on the trailer trip to V8D!

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My CKP crapped out last Friday.
I started from the workshop to go collect a few things, I had a busy schedule, but after 5min run in the traffic light it died on me. As I have been having troubles with the LPG system lately, I thought it was that but no, cranking and no starting at all. Thought fuel pump as well ....
Anyway, back it up on a side street, went back to the service, got the mate's T4 and went home to collect the nano and see what comes up, and also if it picks up revs on cranking (suggestion from a mechanic friend).
By the time I was back, 1h later, it started up right away no problem. I was baffled.
My friend says "CKP, gets some shit on it when hot, cools down and it works. Change it".
While my colleague checks for availability, I was thinking how to get home and get the "spare" (wife's old Micra) at least for runaround and get work done.
I was advised to leave rangie there and take the bus or taxi. Stubbornly, I decided to risk the way home, slowly (10km).
After 7km on the equivalent of your "M25" it dies again, and this time engine warmed up enough that I would have had to wait like two/three hours .... on the shoulder of the ring road, bad idea.

Called my mate towing truck and returned to the workshop amid laughter and shame thrown by all participants.
First time I ever had the RR on the tow truck.

Part ordered, strangely it was in stock (the RRP38 is a rare care at these latitudes), surprisingly cheap (55eur retail price, I got it discounted), some spanner work (thanks EAS, and a little jacking assistance), et voila'!
Funnily, it was in my "preventive maintenance list" since a long time ... oh well, at 263k km and after three years sitting, I cannot fault it. Pity I had to add the tow truck to it. Shame.

The worst part was having to have the P38 trucked half of the city, fueling the usual comments "ah these land rovers ..."