Some of you may remember my ongoing P38 running problems and I'm sure you were bored to death by what seemed insoluble. Well, you will be relieved to hear the problem has been solved by my blowing the engine the other morning delivering her 'who must be obeyed' at 5 in the morning on way to airport. She missed the plane and I have damaged the engine seemingly beyond economic repair by leaving waterfiller cap off (in dark) and valves and camshaft damaged and no cylinder pressure. But, I have found a virtually similar P38 to buy and am collecting it soon. I want to ask, is it straight forward to replace the road spring mod it has had with my wonderful air springs (much superior ride) and although it had been LPG converted (most removed - don't know make) can I transfer my Zavoli type system to new vehicle. They are same year and engine. Are there things to be done to ECU when LPG fitted? I would value any advice !
I suspect this explains the phone call I received earlier today while in a meeting. Sorry to hear you destroyed one but at least you've managed to find a replacement. Depending on how much of the air suspension has been removed, it should just be a case of swapping over the bits from your old one to the new one. What does the dash say? If it says EAS MANUAL when you turn the ignition on, it will have had either a bypass loom fitted (have a look for extra wires plugged in by the BeCM under the RH seat) or a couple of links fitted in the plug to the EAS ECU (under the LH seat).
The LPG system is much the same. The feeds to the petrol injectors will have been intercepted. If it has been done using a piggyback loom where the plug to the petrol injector is removed, plugged into a loom and then a plug on the loom fitted back to the injector. If that is the case, it is a swap over job. However, the other way of doing it is to cut the feeds and solder the LPG loom onto the cut ends. That isn't so easy to remove and refit. You'd need the inlet manifold, or drill yours, for the injector nozzles too.
do you have any dashcam footage? Not sure if I'm more interested in hearing the engine seize up, or the choice words from your wife about "this f***ing car, it's always going wrong etc etc"
No - don't normally bother with the camera - and it wasn't very dramatic - driving about 70 -80 and sudden loss of power - sort of clicking tapping sound started - got worse within seconds and then just slowed to a stop. Engine didn't seize - just buggered the valves camshaft and pushrods - turns over on the battery - no compression on cylinders - very sad for me but the one I'm collecting tomorrow is virtually identical - same colour and was first registered only a few days later! Will have to swap LPG and air suspension though.