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
Air springs are complicated. I have an inch and a half thick textbook somewhere that barely scratches the surface.
Anyway mine is on standard Dunlop airbags about 20,000 miles old so they should still be behaving fine. What I don't understand is why it has started behaving as if the springing is too soft. Looking back it started misbehaving about 1,000 - 1,500 miles ago and has steadily got worse. Putting the stiffer Bilstein dampers on has done pretty much what I'd expect from trying to control over soft suspension on a steel sprung car by uprating dampers instead of springs.
No leaks. It stays up for over a week when parked and pretty much never takes more than a few seconds to sort itself out ready to drive off regardless of load. Unless I park in just the wrong place with the left hand front wheel in an annoying dip perfectly matched to the tyre radius.
Clive
Got the full set of yellow Bilsteins from Paddock. Including the steering damper. With a couple or three hundred miles on the clock preliminary assessment is that they are stiffer than what came off and more progressive. Damping increase with larger suspension movements is noticeably more aggressive than standard.
Which may annoy the living daylights out of me when I finally get things sorted.
Its still not right. Stiffer damping seems to be covering up the underlying problem.
If it were conventional car with metal springs I'd say the symptoms point to worn out way too soft springs. But I don't think that's possible on a P38 as spring rate is effectively set by the pressure in the air bags which in turn is defined by the ride height. Way I see it so long as the car can hit and maintain the right ride height there must be enough pressure in the bags. Certainly my three amigos are behaving just fine and waving the tape measure around between arch and wheel centres suggest its about right. A little high perhaps on standard, maybe 1/4 - 3/8", but I'll sort that next time I can get on Mikes nice level barn floor. Best part of my drive puts a canter wise tilt of about 1" across the car so I guess thats close enough for the spacers to work just fine. But its so much easier to play with spacers with a chassis lift instead of futzing with a jack doing one at a time.
Steering isn't happy either. Seems to have picked up a bit of play in the system and car doesn't wan't to run dead true. Time to get my steering box rebuilt so I know I have a decent one fitted instead of that second hand one of unknown history. Local(ish) land Rover guy can get it done for £350. Lot more than the E-Bay exchange mob but it will be the full monty not a wash'n seal jobbie. If I'm going that far hafta wonder if it makes sense to dump a fat £100 into an OEM steering shaft too. I know I tend to dump more money into new parts than most folk but at least then I'm pretty sure it will be right.
Clive
I'm surprised that folk are only getting 3 or so years useful life from a battery. Mine is over 6 years old and still working fine despite lots of standing around and charge ups "when I think about it". Dunno what brand it is. Just whatever the local independent tyre & exhaust place was selling back then as a decent mid range choice.
Don't think I've ever put two batteries on a car but as I've had the P38 since 2011 it may be the first.
Clive
Are we sure these are for vehicle applications?
Various makes show ---31MF as a leisure battery (whatever that means) where --- is the makers letter code. Lucas version is LX31MF. Quite a few of the usual mail order suspects list it.
Link here https://advancedbatterysupplies.co.uk/news/2012/04/what-is-the-difference-between-a-car-battery-and-a-leisure-battery/ purports to explain the difference but the electrochemistry sounds suspect to me.
Clive
Gilbertd wrote:
I've got a Garmin sat nav that comes with free lifetime map and speed camera updates and also has the capability of connecting a wireless reversing camera. You have to use the genuine Garmin camera kit which costs as much again as the sat nav but works perfectly. If powered from the reversing light feed, as soon as you select reverse the display shows what the camera can see.
Garmin have an online one day "30 th birthday" 30% off sale today, 18 th September 2019, ending just shy of midnight. The BTC30 back up camera kit is down from £135 to £94.50. So if anyone intends to get one might be an idea to go online and get it today.
Not much there, mostly smart watches and fitness stuff but there are couple of car sat navs and the motorcycle (Zumo) ones listed too. I've just got a Zumo for the bikes which comes with a car mount kit so might get a camera too and I use it in the car as my old one is running out of map space.
Clive
Glad its all sorted.
Clive
Spoke to Paul Johnson, near Crawley, Sussex. He has a 4.6 GEMs already out of the car. 118,000 miles with full service history. Says it ran nicely. No alternator but everything else is there. About £600.
Clive
He's knocked $8,000 off.
Down to $47,000 now. Still outrageous. Despite the E-Bay notification excitement over such a big drop.
Clive