Eeek. How on earth do they manage to make such a lightly loaded bearing so badly that it collapses under intermittent use.

Used real it is. Off to E-Bay tomorrow.

Clive

Pulled the compressor today and started rebuild process. On closer inspectionI'm not happy with the motor. Clearly been run way too much with the usual "hot" smell. Internal inspection showed well worn commutator and tons of carbon dust inside. Surprisingly the piston seal looked fairly good but the cylinder liner was seriously scuffed.

Island will sell me a new Dunlop branded compressor with two year warranty for £180. I know these are said not to be as durable as the original but, as a low mileage user will it be good enough for long enough. or should I get a used real one and re-build that as I have the kit.

2026 is shaping up to be a bad year all round!

Clive

Finally got my release papers from Manchester signed on Saturday night. Herself working into tizzy about snow issues. It's a P38 for chrissakes, not an Audi A6 Quattro like hers. Snow is not an issue. But anything for a quiet life!

Took about 15 minutes to lift up before setting off on Sunday but held fine at lower setting for the motorway leg. Dropped during a 10 minute pit stop after 200 motorway miles tho' and took about 10 minutes to come up. Once off the motorway he took nearly half an hour to climb back up to normal setting. Which was worrying. Frankly I expected the thermal link to go after running the pump that long. About 3 minutes to drop once home. Effortlessly under 5 hours for the 300 mile run so everything else is just fine tho'.

Pulled the valve block this morning and was surprised how much air there was still in the system. The front two pipes were a right pain to get off.

Two blocks to rebuild, this one and the spare, so nice warm workshop jobs. Dunno whether it's worth inspecting the pump. I have a re-con kit just in case but it's maybe 12,000 miles and several years since I re-conned it last time I had valve block issues. Cheated and bought a re-conditioned valve block that time after the original refused to let the pump turn off despite replacing all the O rings and seals. Now wondering how good that purchased recon job was.

Is there a way to part fill the EAS system from an external compressor so the pump doesn't have to run so long when coming up from empty?

Clive

When I changed the two short brake pipes and flexi hoses at the reart of my year 2000 P38 I clamped the caliper piston right back and ran the ABS pump running bleed process with the caliper unmounted. I figured this gave the most direct route for the air to escape without any being entrained in the fluid pumped into the cylinder.

Second run through with the calibers in position gave a decently firm pedal. A third run after lunch break shifted a few more air bubbles. All was fine until the next full bleed process a couple of years later.

I make sure I have properly sealing male and female pipe connector caps in the right threads before commencing any brake pipe work. A bit anal but sometimes it saves the day,

Reckon I just managed to get away with things by not introducing too much air into the system. I was fully prepared to go for a full bleed process but thought the short cut was worth a try.

Clive

Harv wrote:

Driving 300 miles on the bump stops would be horrible.

Doesn't bear thinking about. Fortunately he seems to stay up OK when running. Just collapses when parked. Bit like me.

Thats really nice of you to offer your extra Schrader valve set but I've just ordered a new set for myself along with seal kits from X8R.

So, hopefully, I'm about as well prepared as I can be. At least I've got no running around to do up here.

Thanks for the recommendation. I've got a spare valve block at home so might as well buy two kits and do that one as well.

$64,000 question is whether to try a rebuild up here with nowhere to work and only the on car toolkit, basic spanner roll, screwdrivers'n socket set, or run 300 miles home with an "only when parked up (so far)" fault.

Clive

Had another play this afternoon.

Seems to be confirmed that system works OK when up and running on the road but has a significant leak bypassing the EAS solenoid valves when power is off and parked. Takes 10 to 12 minutes from starting before the flashing amigo stops, which is about right fr0m empty tank, suggesting no permanent bag side leaks.

So diaphragm issues are very plausible.

Paying more attention, just waiting and watching, I reckon 10 to 12 minutes is more realistic time to drop to bump stops. Probably a bit longer to fully empty the tank. Some flow of air out of the exhaust can be felt with filter removed but not enough to be vastly noisy.

Settles on right rear first followed by left rear then fronts together. But although the drive looks superficially level it's actually somewhat ske-wiff tilting every which way albeit higher at front. The EAS doesn't get involved whilst he is settling down. No solenoid clicks and leaving the doors open to inhibit the EAS makes no difference.

Wish I'd followed my instincts last time I got involved with the EAS and fitted an LED indicator to show when the compressor is running. Be nice to know that it's not overworking on the run back. Once home I can get some instrumentation involved for a better idea as to what's happening. Nanocom in the glove box not a great help here.

Time to rebuild the valve block methinks. 4x4 Seals talk a good game and package well but does the product match the appearance. The reputable diaphragm only kits seem to include an extra part and bolts. Are such needful.

Maybe ditch the 12 year old airbags and fit the new ones I've got in stock whilst I'm at it. Gets all the pain over in one hit. Mr MoT Man is muttering about the bags anyway.

Clive

I'll check that tomorrow. At least its only under power off conditions. No way would it pump up with leak that bad.

Clive

Got permission to play cars for an hour this afternoon after helping with the Christmas tree.

Comes up to normal ride height in about 10 minutes. Drops to bump stops fast and level in about 3 or 4 minutes. Almost too quickly to disable the self levelling before things start to move so looks as if the bags are OK.

Usual occasional clicks and puffs from the valve block as it comes up. Pump stops just fine as it should so it seems that the fast drop is a power-off issue as the pump would never be able to overcome a leak that big to bring it up. Assuming it is a power-off problem things should be working normally when running so it seems that at least the pump won't overwork driving home. However he stayed up for duration of a pee & stretch stop on the way up, maybe 10 minutes, so whatever cased the drop has gotten worse.

Valve block O ring recon time perhaps? If so who does a good kit these days.

Clive

Hoping for some time on the EAS tomorrow depending on progress with her ladyships list of things to be done. 5 months between visits means plenty of time for her to work one up. Might be Monday before I get a permit to work! So much easier home alone.

6 ft (and a bit) scaffold pole bent my G clamp ball joint extractor device just fine and even heat didn't help the stubborn one. I was really surprised how effortless the knock off hydraulic device was.

Clive

Totally agree that getting the original abs sensor out is objectively the hardest part of the job. Factory didn't use enough coppaslip or equivalent on the assembly line to hold back corrosion for more than 5 to 8 years (at a guess). Even after destructive removal it was almost a workbench job to shift the remnants of the collet and corrosion from the holes on mine. Used lashings of coppaslip and the white anti-corrosion grease when I put mine back in about 10 years ago after doing the ball joints. Almost fell out last month when I did the nearside CV joint boot.

I have all three of the common import bearing press tool sets and found all the pressing cups and other gubbins needed. Pretty sure one would be enough but which one?

Unconvinced by the giant G clamp extractors. The one I got managed three but was clearly working hard and bent a bit under the strain. The fourth one defeated it completely. Made a knock off of the proper Sykes Pickavant 18771100 hydraulic extractor using a US Pro version of one of the cheap import "12 ton" rams sold as spares for various hydraulic extractors. Did the stubborn one effortlessly so I should have just made one in the first place as even the ones the giant G clamp managed would have been easier.

Shoulda done a batch.

Reckon Richards £1080 bill included a full Sykes-Pickavant set. Nearly £680 list these days, much cheaper then, but at least it does include all the press tooling for all the Land Rover and Range Rover models. Sykes-Pickavant want over £130 for the 12 ton ram unit alone when US Pro want under £30, albeit without the pointy bits for the end. Outrageous.

Clive

Thanks for that advice.

It's well over a decade since I've had any non obvious suspension issues and I've forgotten all the tricks.

Should be able to find some time for that over the next day or four. When I'm not under orders!

Clive

Well yesterday actually.

Summoned to Manchester for month over Christmas by the "official un-official kid sister" the big red beast appreciated the chance to stretch his legs and clear his sinuses over 300 odd miles at motorway speeds. I'd forgotten just how good the P38 is at the magic carpet bit when settled on a decent road.

But now we are here he has dropped down onto the bump stops so clearly a leak somewhere. Took about 3 - 4 hours to drop I think.

Is there anything obvious I could check, and perhaps sort with only my on car toolkit, 300 miles away from the big toolbox and the set of new airbags in the spares department?

If not is another 4 hours / 300 miles (mostly) on smooth motorway roads with a leak of that size likely to be OK without killing the air pump or thermal fuse. Should have been suspicious when he'd dropped after loading the night before and took about twice as long to lift as he normally takes on the odd occasion when I park in just the wrong place so he self levels down.

If worse comes to worse it might be possible to get the bags sent up and arrange fitting up here, assuming it is a bag. They are old enough that I don't mind changing on spec.

Clive

Eeek!
I think I'll try and forget how to get an 8 x 4 sheet in. All a bit too close to my head for peace of mind.
That said I have done similar with smaller stuff, 2 x 4 et al, diagonalised and appropriately strapped. Frankly I'd have taken money that a full 8 x 4 sheet would have needed an inch or two more lengthwise than was available.

My method is to strap the two parts of my sectional ladder side by side on the roof bar cross rails to support the sheet(s) and strap them down to the ladders. Mucho faff solo but it works. Hopefully I'm past playing Bob the Builder tho'. 12 ft plumbers tube goes on for long thinner stuff but a length of 2" round steel bar and 3" alloy bar in together was bit optimistic. Insufficient padding made for serious sound effects. It's great having a comfy car that also does the Transit Substitute thing so well.

I really should sort my version of a tow hitch'n tripod crane tho' to help with loading.

We've been summoned to Ramsbottom for Christmas. Doing the 300 odd mile run from Crowborough in one hit should do the big red beast good, he pretty much never gets over 40 miles in a run normally, and remind me how good an imitation of a magic carpet a P38 can be.

Clive

Plan A is to run mine until I get too old to drive. As I'm 71 now that should take me past 2035.

Far as I'm concerned the P38 pretty much ticks all the boxes. Lower fuel consumption and being able to load in a an 8 x 4 sheet of ply would be nice but thats about it. Anything more modern seems to be loaded to the gills with unfathomable unfixable electronics and lost of posh stuff that really doesn't work that well. Quirky or not at least a P38 is generally say to fix and most of the quirks can be worked out if you put your thinking cap on.

Clive

Another vote for coil pack.

Similar issue ages ago not seriously long after I bought the car. New set of plug leads cured the problem for a while but it came back in, I think, a couple or four thousand miles. New coil packs nailed it.

As with yours problem was mostly on one plug so plug leads were obvious first step.

Big worry these days is replacement part quality. So much China Inc stuff out there without rigorous quality control. Presumably paying the green oval tax is safe. I did due to wanting to minimise the risk of having to get behind the Thor engine again. My glove size 6 hands are small enough to get in there but it's still a right pain. I'll shift the manifold if there is ever a next time.

Double ended coils can be really weird.

Clive

Do it the other way round. Set the Tablet into pairing mode, and then find that in the iPhone Bluetooth settings. someone on another Android Stereo forum had the same issue !!

Thought I'd tried that but gave it another go. Or four.
Still the same result. Connects quickly. Both phone and tablet agree they are connected but system doesn't go on to pair. Doesn't help that there appears to be no way to explicitly force tablet into pairing mode but apparently re-set then power on off followed by selecting car play does so.

I'm never complaining about P38 electronics again!

Clive

Well new one has arrived from Amazon. Same problem, connects but won't pair. Suggests the issue is my end.

iPhone displays a code number that it expects the tablet to show. Which never happens. Attempting to pair willy nilly leads to both iPhone and tablet reporting being connected but the tablet stays stuck on the connection management screen instead of displaying the use CarPlay message to indicate proper pairing.

Did I say how much I hate Bluetooth!

So Amazon is getting the new one back on Monday.

Everything else works just fine on the original one so, as the reverse camera was what I really wanted, I might just wire that in and craft a flip down mount so the tablet doesn't look silly in normal driving. Objectively straight to E-Waste and write off £60 (ish) is a more sensible use of time though.

Unusually for something from China Inc the label had an apparently genuine address, e-mail and phone number for a UK representative. Replab Consulting. Likely fictitious however. Mrs Google finds 4 different addresses for same firm none of which look plausible on Maps. All same phone number but that is dead. E-Mail address actually works and produced a reply saying that they are "only the UK representative, any complaints have to be taken up with the maker in China". Good luck with that methinks. Language in E-Mail text suggests AI generated for a not native English speaker so the whole thing is probably virtual. A for effort but why did they bother.

Clive

Actually thats good news! Now I know it ought to work.

Fortunately there is a UK supplier address on the label so I've E-Mailed them to see if they will swop it.

If not I'll just get another from Amazon, swop over and send the new box back with the old one in it for a refund. Be in trouble if the new one doesn't work either tho'.

Tested an android phone earlier and it still won't bluetooth pair so something wrong with the embedded software.

Clive