I got my Bilsteins from Paddock Spares as they were getting on for half the price of other vendors. Still show at a little under £70 for fronts and £75 for rear. About twice the price of Monroes, which in turn are about half as much again as blue bag specials.

Clive

Harv has it.

If properly sorted by professional Land Rover engineers a P38 on springs would be comparable to a Disco. How much worse than the real thing at higher speeds would depend on whether or not it was set permanently lower and, if so by how much. Probably fairly acceptable if set-up as a pure road car with normal road car axle articulation and suspension travels.

Kit from aftermarket (non) experts with "that'll do spring rates and sounds about right for the load damper characteristics". Which is what you actually get. Fergedditt. Just pray to God that it doesn't do something lethal if you push the wrong edge of the performance envelope.

Aftermarket guys may be good at optimising for a fairly specific advantage. Especially when compared to a clapped out standard set up. But the engineering and development effort needed to make something that works well over the full range of road and off road conditions a P38 handles with aplomb is way beyond any aftermarket outfit. Even if they could be bothered.

There are good reasons why Land Rover went air suspension and retained live axles for the P38.

Clive

Yup Bilstiens are a bit harder but they are either growing on me or settling in a bit with miles.

Frankly my OEM Boge set were so clapped out after surprisingly few miles that its hard to be sure how much stiffer the BIlsteins are than decent factory shocks. Certainly not unacceptable with standard wheels. I suspect the big wheel'n rubber band tyre fraternity might be in Morgan territory with Bilsteins tho'.

Bilstein steering damper is significantly stiffer. Not nice if you have play in the steering box. I really need to get my old one properly re-built soon as the used one I put on when mine lost power one way is clearly getting old.

Clive

I've been mostly using Mahle filters and not noticed any significant delay in oil pressure light going out. OK I don't watch it like a hawk but a couple of seconds between starting and light going out I would notice.

I guess the difference between Mann and Bosch is down to the bypass valve pressure setting. Assuming both are standard 40 micron filters of same size with, presumably, similar filtration areas a lower pressure setting on the bypass valve would mean it opens more with cold, thicker, oil so you get a bit more flow early on before the pump has come up to speed.

Couple of interesting links https://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/topics/309758/Re:_Exactly_how_does_a_bypass_ and https://www.machinerylubrication.com/Read/29026/engine-bypass-filtration.

Clive

Mine was £65 off E-Bay including delivery. The cross bars were another £50.

Neat but I'm not entirely sure its worth it. Rack follows the curve of the roof so its hard to get something flat seated properly. Not exactly bungee friendly either. Especially as there are no uprights to tie back against or any easy way to fit them. On average I need it two or three times a year.

One of my "never get around to it" projects is to re-engineer things to have a fairly quickly detachable system with flat bars, easy fit cross bars and provision for tie back uprights. Roof rack engineering generally sucks outside of the 'kin ugly but effective things made for the man with a van.

(I really need to start figuring out a way to replace my Bridgeport with a Hass or similar CNC.)

Clive

PicoTechnology, the oscilloscope people, suggest 100 amps initial spike quickly dropping to 70 amps then further to 45 amps over the next 5 seconds and holding until the glow plug relay switches off after around 11 seconds. Their page (https://www.picoauto.com/library/automotive-guided-tests/glow-plugs/) implies a four cylinder engine so your figures don't seem too unreasonable for a 6 pot.

I imagine the details and actual current according to the type of glowplug and car engine involved.

Clive

Finally convinced me to order one of those clamp on meters. Bit cheaper off E-Bay.

Those Sealey TA120 current testers look handy but the plug in part always seemed too big and potentially clumsy to me. If I ever need one I shall modify an old fuse with trailing leads to fit one of my multimeters.

Starting to notice how old and sometimes obsolete my electrical and electronic test gear is. Time to update really. But nobody gets my Avo 8. OK! Wonder what a Textronix 7000 series storage 'scope is worth these days?

Clive

Probably got something similar to that cheap meter in the big box of meters I have kicking about the place if anyone wants a freebee. Probably be a couple or three quid to post tho'.
Done my back in yesterday so it'll be a week before I can reach up and get the box down off the top shelf.

I like the meter Sloth suggests. Looks like they have finally sorted the economical DC clamp meter thing. And with a usefully low current ranges too. Maybe its time to get one for myself.

Need to watch the specifications if going for a different "looks the same" breed. The real cheapies will almost certainly not have DC current capability or if they do only on a very high range. I imagine you could easily pay more for less. Looked into this a year or so back for a guy who I was not going to lend my clamp meter to and it was a minefield. My clamp meter is AC only but its a good few years old.

Clive

Agreed. Changing one bag is false economy. If its been done though its good evidence that whoever was looking after the car in the past didn't really know what they were doing!

Mine had one front bag changed shortly before I got it. On the advice of a fairly local expert I let it ride. Within 3,000 miles all the rest had gone and had to be changed. Other front bag went bang after about 1,500 miles. All on its ownsome with the car stood on the drive! So much for fairly local experts assessment that it was good for "several thousand miles" more. Apparently the guy was so good that people used to bring cars over from the Netherlands for him to wreck, sorry, service. Shoulda smelt a rodent when he offered me a car via a "sometimes" reliable mate who said the guy was good and that the car was a good deal. Erm. Not.

8 years on I think I've finally chased all the "stupid mechanic" mistakes out of mine but would be unsurprised if there are still some lurking. Why does the P38 attract the sort of mechanic that would find a Trabant technologically challenging.

Clive

Remember its an old car so "do it once, do it right" rules. Fixing the immediate fault usually means the Gremlin gang have pushed the potential one behind up to the front. Sort complete systems or sub units and always but always verify that electrical connections and contacts are good.

Frankly a lot of issues are due to things ageing out rather than wearing out. Regular use and decent miles are generally pretty effective at stopping things getting old. Just sitting around seems to be stressful.

My list is close to that of Morat except for the diff issues and some of the cabin electrics. But I'm in mid 80,000 to mid 90,000 mile pre-emptive attack mode and, generally, not waiting for things to go wrong.

Clive

romanrob wrote:

Using the bearing race method for the radius arms is v easy, it just goes down the m12 thread. Minimum hands required

Having a floor standing a hydraulic press I tend to forget that a pull thread system set up on the part itself can be much easier to keep aligned than a press where stuff has to be mounted relative to the ram (or pusher) on the fixed workpiece support. Most especially so when the part is, like the front radius arms, both heavy and not straight.

(Must get round to making the extra bits needed to turn my hydraulic steering joint extractor, which uses one of the cheap a 12 ton rams supplied as spares for the import puller sets, into a mini "take to the job" hydraulic press.)

Clive

If someone has the dimensions its would be no great hassle for me to make up a compression bush for you. Something on the list anyway as I plan to do mine next year. I imagine one of the chinee universal press'n pull kits will have suitable bits for the actual pushing duties. Although effective I'm no fan of using a bearing race as a compressor. Seems to need too many hands to keep it all aligned.

The panhard rod bushes can be well and truly in. My back ones came out OK but the front ones didn't budge under my 12 ton, bottle jack style, press. They go in nice'n easy tho'.

Clive

Main issue is probably going to be getting the seals. These folk https://automotivecompressor.co.uk do Nissen for around £15 a pair but dunno about other brands.

Should be a do-able fix if you can simply remove the outer seal from the outside and push the new one in. If you have to disassemble the pump it might get iffy. Best to find a dead one to practice on! Should be one of unknown origin in one of my stalled project boxes. (Was gonna rob the electromagnetic clutch for re-purposing.)

Clive

Morat

The kit I have is much simpler than the one in the link. There are two RCA sockets on the little box containing the gubbins. There is a 3 mm stereo jack plug to twin RCA plug converter lead in the box.

Clive

Morat

Mention of the Grom reminded me that, back in 2012, I wanted to link up my iPod (the original hard disk one) to the radio and bought a box made by a firm called Connects2 to give an axillary input. Which I discovered I still had hiding at the back of the bench. Unfortunately the supplier didn't include proper instructions or all the leads. By the time I'd tracked down Connects2, sorted out what was missing and got the extra adapter lead enthusiasm had waned so it sat on the bench steadily being buried by all the other not got time for ideas.

You are welcome to it. PM me your address and I'll drop it in jiffy bag to post up if you fancy giving it a try. I still don't know if it works tho'. Constructional quality didn't exactly inspire me and there is fair bit of wire to find homes for. The enclosed instructions seriously lower the bar for Ikea style but sub Ikea quality. Difficult when, basically, you have only 4 connectors to plug in but they managed. I have some E-Mail correspondence with the Connects2 support folk dated September 2012 which may make things clearer when the radio is out. I never did find out how you actually selected the axillary input. I suspect it replaces the CD player.

Connects2 are still around and list the P38 as an application for the CTTLR001 "Land Rover ISO T-Harness for Amplified Vehicles. Handsfree mute interface for amplified vehicles. Allows phone call/music audio to be output through 4 speakers"

see https://connects2.com/Product/ProductItem/CTTLR001 for website details.

Looks like a metric boatload of wires and its not clear exactly what it does beyond linking a hands free phone kit to the main audio system.

Clive

Morat

Alpine in the 2001 I think. Used to be an outfit that could fit one for you for a significant price but they seem to have disappeared. I did find a DIY half guide on how to do it, basically pictures of where the wire goes, but never took it further. Nowadays I reckon that the only futzing around with auto et al is getting one of the Android tablet screens.

As I understand it the issues are finding the right place to tap into the audio system and fooling the system into accepting the line in as a valid source. I think the DIY method basically disabled the cassette system and fools the electronics into using the line in instead. Probably just a dummy cassette and disconnected motor power.

Clive

Interesting comments on safety of space savers here https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/car-news/31947/are-space-savers-safe . The idea of a temporary tyre being good for 80 mph is slightly worrying. Especially as you still have the short life issue.

Not surprised by the poor performance of the run flat tyres. Sidewall compliance has a massive influence on how a tyre grips and how the vehicle handles. A run flat effectively doesn't have a sidewall so it pretty much has to be worse. That particular objection goes right back to the original Dunlop (Denovo?) days. Seems to have been waffled around ever since.

From an engineering perspective what really worries me about spacesavers is the age issue. If its been used how much of the 50 safe(ish?) miles life is left. If its not been used and ahs been sitting in the back of a car for a decade or more just how good is it. Tyres do age. Officially a space saver should be changed after use but how many folk do. More £££ for apparently nowt.

Given the hefty tyres on a P38, how much of an issue are punctures for us anyway?

Clive

Looks wonderful compared to the one I took out of mine half decade ago.

I cheated and wound a new spring myself. Actually 2 new ones so I have a spare (somewhere!). Quicker than chasing around finding where to buy one and having to take the switch all out again to fit it.

Clive

I'm in Crowborough which is close to you. But I'm chasing a handling issue myself so trying mine isn't a perfect comparison. But he goes well!

Got a Nanocom (and Lynx) so would be easy enough to to do a diagnostic check.

Up in Scotland next week, back Saturday. Pretty much anytime after would work. Retired old fart so usually available.

Clive

Plenty of grease on the tap usually collects the swarf in a satisfactory manner. I'm surprised Helicoil don't offer form taps for this sort of job. No swarf. Dunno about collecting the tang. Allegedly magnetising the end of the tool helps.

Potential tang collection issues is why I use Wurth Timeserts rather than helicoils as these are solid bushes with both internal and outside threads expanded into place by the insertion tool. More expensive and theoretically capable of coming loose at high temperatures in aluminium due to differential expansion between the steel bush and alloy. A Helicoil being basically a spring is said to follow the expansion. I've never had any issues and think the analysis is over simple.

Clive