Thanks to all for the discussion. I know it’s a lot harder than it looks.

Is replacing the flex plate something worth doing when you have the engine out? I believe that it is. My spare engine, the one I’m rebuilding, doesn’t show any damaged teeth or cracks on the flex plate.

While crossing a pothole my reservoir split and sprayed hot coolant all over my engine bay. It was all rather dramatic and alarming. I’ve since replaced it and bled the coolant system. This time I ordered a spare just to keep in the vehicle as the failed one didn’t even make it two years.

Separately, I got my spare engine out of storage. It’s now in my garage ready to be torn down.

Wouldn’t a logic analyzer be more appropriate for recording the entire communication? My limited understanding is that a scope is better suited for analyzing repetitive signaling or the signal integrity. I ask because it’s on my someday list of things to do, to grok the P38 wire protocols and bend them to my will.

On a related note why couldn’t someone clone the functionality of a nanocom, which itself is a clone of sorts of testbook, by watching the signaling on the wire between the nanocom and the various ECUs? I realize that being able to see the digital signal doesn’t mean you can know the data payload. Exploring this has been on my someday list for a long time.

What cheap scope would be worth getting for a P38?

Harv wrote:

Jastutte are you in the USA? I’ve tried ordering the rebuild kit for my Marelli from Maniac, but it won’t accept my Canadian address. I’ve tried emailing them but no reply. Does anyone know another source for these kits?

I'm in Seattle so if you wanted to, have it shipped to me and I'll forward it over.
I'm surprised that they would care.

Thank you Gilbert, I see it there now.

Dav3d, yeah, that was exactly what prompted my threaded rod question - after someone mentioned just using threaded rod and it working fine it made me wonder if these studs were not as special as I had presumed. The steel OEM studs were fused to the bolts and came out as a unit but the replacements are (I think) zinc plated. We will see in 10 - 20 years which has held up better.

As the title says should new exhaust manifold studs (TE110051L) be coated in anti-seize or a high temp locking compound like Loctite? The internet seams to contradict itself on this subject. I'm asking b/c I'm in the process of replacing my catalytic converts as they were stolen (cut out).

I've not located in RAVE the correct stud bolt torque value if anybody has that though I'm sure I'll find it here soon enough.

Off topic, but could threaded rod cut to length and bolts on each end work just as well?

Buy a busted out P38 1999 - 2002 that otherwise mechanically matches yours. Something with a blown motor or tranny for example. They're great as a reference and pay for themselves in random spare parts.

I do indeed have a source for new NRVs, I've bought two sets before as a test run and they're the same as the OEM units. I'm buying these now really just to stockpile them. I'm not going to post the details publicly but I'm happy to share the details if anyone DMs me.

Hello, I know there was a post on here late last year on this subject but I can't find it now ...

I'm looking for a friendly soul willing to receive some small parts for me and then forward it all to the US.
Specifically I'm looking at new EAS NRVs and a set of blower motor resistors. The parts are small and I'm not in a hurry.
The issue I'm having is the seller of the NRVs won't ship out of the UK. I'd also like a few sets of Valeo blower motor resistors which are very cheap in the UK but very expensive to ship or unobtainable on the US side.

Thanks

Today I picked up two air blocks in great condition and a set of new heater elements, all for less than $100.
Thinking about tapping the air ports and trying compression fittings.

My old bump stops were replaced with the Britpart bump stops about two years ago. They look identical to the old ones except are orange, the old ones being either a pale yellow or grey and crumbly.

The new ones wouldn’t go on dry. Lubed the metal nub up with Vaseline and then twisted / pushed the bump stop over it.

During my air bag conversion the chassis sat on the bump stops a few times. The bump stops held the chassis off the axles and then returned to their original shape. I’ve also used silicone spray.

An update ...

I had read that genuine bushings were the way to go so that’s just what I used and torqued everything to spec. Everything on the list above was done and oh my word, on the first drive the ride was so harsh. And also as if I was brushing my hand along the pavement as I drove across it, just that level of feedback.

The ride improved slightly after a week or so. A 1000 miles later and the ride had far surpassed that while on the old bushings. I’m now about 1500 miles in and the ride has softened just a little more, and is just that little bit better. I no longer become aggravated when driving.

I should note I’m running 32” Hankook’s and Koni Reds set at “2”. The way the Koni’s are set, they perform very similar to fresh oem Boge’s (I would not purchase Boge’s again. They lasted barely a year.)

I expect that once I finally get around to the ball joints, install the new track bar and drag link, and then do a badly needed alignment things will feel really nice.

Nothing special, just drove it around.
Pic because it’s fun.

You’ve all been very helpful and enjoyable company this year. Thank you for helping me get through it.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you all.

leolito wrote:

Beowulf, taking the sump out for a look and clean would be on my list, can it clear easily the axle? How did you do it? Tks!

Pulling the pan the way Gilbert described is the way to go. Additionally, you'll want a 4x4 (a short block of lumber, like the end of a fence post) to give your floor jack enough reach.

Pulled sump, oil pump housing and water pump off my parts engine. Engine degreaser and a pressure washer cleaned up the first two nicely. They’ll get swapped over to my daily runner here soon. The previous owner must have cleaned the sump at some point because there was just no debris at all in the bottom of the pan. Many loose bolts though I noticed.

Is it advisable to clean out the oil bypass spring? If not I’ll just stick to replacing the gears.

The spare tire wheel well has a small bung at the very lowest point. If you stick your head underneath it’s location is very clear.

A long screwdriver tapped by a hammer against the bung will crack it just enough to let any existing water to drain out. Once the leak is sorted a tap on the underside will reseal it. The loosened bung will let water out but I never had an issue with it letting water in.

This is the only vehicle I’ve ever owned that I’ve not done ‘the ton’ in. If I even get close this image pops into my head of an Abrams running over a goat. There’s nothing left of the goat of course, it’s too late, you can’t fix that so I generally keep it under 80.

However, after a long day of 4wheeling in low range that engine will run noticeably smoother for weeks afterwards. Makes me feel better too.

Marshall8hp wrote:

Automagics, yes. Once when in Burine @mad-as and driving my first auto, a Holden Overlander panel van, built in Launceston as you may remember, I pulled up in the street and parked. I got out, shut the door and went to put the key in the lock ....... only to discover the lock was a foot to the right from where it should have been, and that distance was growing. I always remembered to put it in Park after that..

This whole story is kind of bizarre... It was my first manual transmission'd car and I lived at the top of a long slow grade. I had just come back from grocery shopping. It was nighttime and the road wasn’t that well lit. I parked, pulled the e-brake, got out and brought my groceries in. I came back to lock it and the car was gone. I'm looking around, I keep looking around and asking myself ‘I parked right here. Right? Right? Did somebody steal it?’ It's been 3 minutes. That’s when it dawned on me what may have happened. I refuse to believe it and I can’t see very far down the road but I start walking down the block, down this slight hill. I go one block, then I go another. I’m just dying by now b/c if the car had made it this far it would have been going fast enough to do some damage. A lady is standing on the corner looking at her house and I'm like 'Oh God. Please no.' No car so I keep going. I notice as I'm walking that by some random fluke on that night at that time there's no cars on the side of the street that I had parked on. So my car could just kept going. I walked 3 long blocks to finally find my car humping a VW Bug. Not a belly flop on top of the VW but it had done some damage. I had left the car in neutral and hadn’t pulled the e-brake hard enough to keep it from moving. It was late but I knocked on a few doors, nobody knew who the car belonged to, and finally I left a note. The car sat there and a week later it was towed. Nobody ever called me about it and never again did I not see at least one car per block parked on the side of the street my car had rolled down.

Haven't gotten the pillars off yet as they seam to be a friction fit. Once I get those off i'll pull the other rockers and inspect the shafts. I wanted to try out the ultrasonic cleaner so I just did the easy to access ones for now.

If it's better to just build new rocker assemblies I can do that no problem...