Thats the way to do it.

Gut everything engine side, manual box so you don't have to sort the engine / autobox interface complications needed to get a smooth gear change and a barebones BECM replacement. Just enough to run essential functions. Presumably no over-sophisticated alarm & immobiliser crap.

Simples, well relatively but still shedloads of work.

Clive

I fitted a Maplin kit shortly after getting the car. Put the sensors in a row down the middle of the bumper to be sure that there were no issues with scattering off nearby parts of the car. A friend decided to go all neat with his installation and put the sensors under the bumper so the back face of the bumper was a little behind the sensor. To his surprise and my non surprise the darn things saw the bumper and just wailed all the time. Ended up making little pods for them with short shielding lips. Many of the cheap aftermarket sensors are partially recessed to avoid similar problems.

Naturally another mate did a similar just below and behind the bumper installation with a different kit on a different vehicle with no problems.

I ran the sensor wires up through the long tailed "grommet" running up through the floor close to the right hand rear lights. Its a bit of a squeeze and you have to take the grommet out so it hangs down below the car. I taped my wires together in a staggered arrangement so only one plug was going through the grommet at a time. Put one section of my glass fibre rod cable puller thingies through first, taped the end of the wire bundle to it and just pulled them through. I reckon the larger diameter of the glass fibre rod as compared to string or wire helps open the grommet so the first plug goes through easier. Waving 3 ft of rod around under the car got interesting!

Best to get the back end nicely up in the air for this job. Theoretically it could be done by just pumping the suspension up into high mode but I reckon you'd need more than the standard complement of joints in your arms to manipulate things.

My control box lives in the rear light access area. Added a teeny toggle switch on a small bracket so I can turn the beast off if it has a meltdown.

Clive

If you are that forgetful its probably worth signing up for automatic notifications about MoT, Tax et al. At least you get a nice letter from DVLA about 3 weeks before your tax is due. Mine turned up around 7 th Feb and got paid online last weeks "finance evening". I do tend to overlook these things so have a pretty rigid methodology. Which doesn't mean piling stuff up on the windowsill!

All written down on the house and workshop calendars. Maybe its time for a few more baby steps into the 21 st century by putting reminders on the phone too!

Clive

Given the colossal number of parts, part numbers, suppliers, suppliers references and cross references folk like ECP have to deal with I'm surprised this sort of thing doesn't happen a lot more often. Especially when half the part manufacturers are just re-boxing and rebranding a generic pattern part from a supplier who, hopefully, has copied the OEM part properly before ordering in from the China Division of "CheapAsChips Inc".

Clive

Graph on page 5 of this link https://www.widman.biz/uploads/Transaxle_oil.pdf shows very little difference in dynamic viscosity for 75W-90 and 75W-140 over normal temperature ranges.

Graph and table here https://wiki.anton-paar.com/en/gear-oil/ for the fully synthetic version of 75W-140.

Page 10 of the first link https://www.widman.biz/uploads/Transaxle_oil.pdf shows a comparison between synthetic and ordinary 75W-90 dynamic viscosity. Synthetic is, as is often the case a little thinner.

However dynamic viscosity is probably not the best measure of what is actually happening in a differential as what happens to an oil film under load can be quite different between differently made oils. For sure the 75W-140 will be a better oil than what was originally specified. The wider range simply means that viscosity holds up better with increasing temperature. 75W specification is the viscosity at 0°F (-18°C), the 90 and 140 numbers give viscosity at 212°F (100°C) which are both thinner than 75 at 0°F (-18°C). Far more information that you want here https://www.substech.com/dokuwiki/doku.php?id=gear_oils , click the links at your own risk! You may miss dinner.

Frankly I'd not worry. Gear oil viscosities are much less than you'd expect from experience with single weight engine oils. Found that out way back giving my Norton Commander its first home service as the book called out SAE 140 gear oil for the gearbox. I was expecting to need a spoon but it just poured!

Clive

I was taught to leave in D with foot on brake for short stop, select neutral for red lights and similar. But that was on an Austin A60 with BorgWarner three speed and steering column selector.

I still think its worth learning to drive a manual, if only just in case. If nothing else it forces a much better understanding of whats actually going on dynamically when driving.

Folk I've ridden with who have only driven automatics often lack feel for the natural flow of traffic.

Then there is herladyship, the girl who re-defined the concept of MadameLeadfoot.

Allegedly passed her test on a manual but recent experience riding with her in a Mini Cooper showed serious clutch pedal operation problems coupled to a near total inability to judge and anticipate traffic movements. Thirty miles on quiet roads and my nerves were shattered. Back in an auto JCW Mini now thank god. In retrospect the experience explains a lot about her L322 = Hayabusa (or maybe cruise missile) driving style. No wonder the thing broke up on her. As the original laid-back-Larry who goes with the flow it irritates her no end that my normal road time over distance is as quick, or quicker, than hers. Motorways being different as she still figures blondes get to talk their way out of speeding tickets! 120 mph on a GSXR 1100 was pushing the envelope tho'.

Clive

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