Allright guys, it's just the way it is. I cannot justify the running costs (or should I say keeping costs) anymore of my P38 so I had to decide to sell it.
Registering it on LPG means €260 each month, that is road tax plus insurance. For that amount I may park it up on the public road without driving it one meter.
Registering it on petrol means €153 each month plus have to deal with petrolprices.
There is one escape, if I can become a G3 certificate roadtax will be €170 each month but only with a bill of an installer.
Further communication with the authorities learn that such a certificate for Rover V8 only is given when it has a Lovato vapouriser, they paid some 35000 euros to the government to be authorized. My vapouriser is Landi Renzo and is just as adjustable as others with a computer controlled system. (is this a banana country or not?)
I sold it to a gentleman who always wanted to have a well functioning P38, I told him I'm not a polisher but want everything technically to be sound, he accepted the sagging headliner and payd my asking price, I told the missus I'm almost running even.(☺)
Last night he sent me a message that after his drive home (1.5 hour) he was very satisfied and she drives lovely.
That's good to hear.
So guys, I thank you all for the cameradery and helpful tips, I'll be lurking of course and keep my mouth shut (and don't delete any threads).
Regards, Tony.
Not for the RR but the boat that needs another engine (Volvo Penta V8= Chevy 5.7).
The block I found is a similar Mercruiser and a couple of GM heads that need refurbishing and grinding the valves.
I already have the woodstick with rubber end, I want something more sophisticated for in the drill but don't want to pay €100 to Midlock for their tool, is there something more affordable on the market?
And yes, it can be used for RR too.
I hope there quickly appear 17 more topics in this section so my name moves to page two...☺
What diagnostics (apart from Nano and Testbook) can I use to read/reset HEVAC codes?
I've got the booksymbol since two days and can't think of any cause.
- if I manually set the functions (contact on-engine off) I can hear the blendmotors for a couple of seconds and then stop, no clicking of missing sprocket-teeth.
- The a/c has a leaky drier but still kicks in now and then, past winter I had a leaky condenser, that did not give a booksymbol. Switching a/c off makes no difference, book stays.
So I need a codereader that can reset HEVAC too, I'm not in the market for a Nano unless the lotteryman comes at the door.
Tony.
Just found out that PMs give an e-mail notification to the recipient, which is great!
Always improving...
Today I did some small trips around town and went to the village nearby to our son's home, to pick up a small trailer.
Parked in the middle of the (small) road to pull the trailer from his driveway, hooked it on and wanted to start. Soft click- no crank!
Tried again, no click, no crank. First car coming up to wait for me clearing the road.
What to do? Opened UB fusebox, blown fuse 40 (starter, EAS).
I know, don't just replace a blown fuse without knowing the cause but a second car waiting already.
Replaced fuse, blew again when turning the key in pos 3.
Maybe a short in the starting circuit? Pulled the small wire from the startermotor, replaced fuse again and it didn't melt when key in pos.3. Presto!
Unhooked trailer and pushed the RR up the drive, drivers in waiting cars looking annoyed. He guys, I need a hand!
Jacked it up and unbolted the starter (with limited tools, 8mm allanbit at home) and went to the electroshop in my town at 16:00 hrs.
The starter appeared to have a short inside, the guy opened it, the brushes were about 80% worn but still in place. All was covered under a thick black layer of greasy smudge that can have caused the short.
Luckily he had a new one on the shelf, original Bosch and I could have it for €160.- on exchange basis.
We went back, bolted it in and starts again! Can be imagination but it looks like she spins faster.
Came home, too late to do the job with the trailer. "Hi honey, that is quick, did you finish the trailerjob?"
"No love, I just lost 160 euro's"
Electrickery, in fact it is mechanical.
When I pull the key out the steeringlock does not kick in, only after a tap on the barrel.
The barrel itself works fine but when I pull the key and open the door I get the 'key-in' message (beep) and a tap on the barrel lets the pin engage.
Before I take it all apart and do something stupid I like to know what the barrel does inside and what the best strategy is. Never done this before.
What I did dare is taking the shrouds off and replaced the blown barrel-bulb.
Tony.
As the title says I want to treat the box with an oilchange. I've got a new set with screen, O rings, alloy rings and rubberseal.
What worries me, I've read some posts about the suctionpipe breaking when swapping to the new screen, due to becoming brittle over time.
Is this the case so I better order a new suctionpipe beforehand?
Tony.
Yesterday I had a blown indicator bulb, nothing shocking. The audible indicator sounded the fast click-click-click as we know from regular indicators when a bulb has blown and the message 'blown bulb' showed.
Looking outside which one it was I saw the remaining good bulbs were flashing the normal pulses per minute, as obligatory by law. Pretty sophisticated that central brain of ours!
"If it leaks it's in here" the subtitle says, although it's rainwater and not oil.
As mentioned in a previous post I'm searching for water ingress, we are having a lot of rain these days and I think I managed the heater-airinlet to be dry now.
Had a clogged roofdrain and blew it free with compressed air, now a new spot shows up in the right headlining corner.
I wonder where it comes from, can it be the roofrail? What are your experiences in this and is it easy to take off and check?
Regards, Tony.
Just a quick one, had my wiperarms off (to paint and to find a dripping leak on the missus's feet) they are different in length.
Where comes the short one and where comes the long one? (driver's side/passenger side, I am willing to translate offside/nearside.)
Tony.
I found a couple of new interiorfilters in the shed and thought 'why not renew them', last time was one year ago and I have done less than 9000 kms since.
This is what came out, people let me believe I live in a clean air region. Not dramatically dirty but stilll.
Here I have two coolantpumps, what is the difference?
I know, one has a hose attached to it but I mean the impeller. The steel one I found and recognised it as I bought it a year ago, the bronze came with another block and accidently I fitted it on my refurbished block. In my perception the steel impeller produces more flow and swapped it to my engine, together with a new thermostat.
Anyone recognises the bronze impeller as being an older version maybe?
Tony.
For once I'll share some private info, it happened this weekend.
For my missus and me december 17 is special, it's the date we met. Romantic as I am (she believes me) I booked a hotel and romantic dinner in the east of Holland, in forrestal area near the German border, we also wanted to visit the Chrismas markets over there.
On our way I noticed the 3rd brakelight had two bulbs not working (reflection in rearscreen) and stopped at a gasstation. Send her in for coffee, in the meanwhile I looked after the bulbs by putting a screwdriver between brakepedal and driversseat. Engine was off, key in pos. 2. It took me 5 minutes to investigate, bought the new bulbs and off we went.
Oh no! Click click flat battery. Phoned our son to look at the web for a batteryshop nearby, saturday at 13:00 hrs. He found one and the guy promised me to wait, he should close in 20 minutes.
I asked a passing taxidriver to lend me some spark (I always carry the cables with me), it started right away and went off to the batteryshop, just in time and bought this 102 Ah battery for €119.- including 30% discount. It's the largest one to fit on the tray. He put a tester on the old one which was shot he said. Probably shorting on the bottom. (In fact I should have to know it, a week ago I had a flat battery over night but since then no problem).
The rest of the weekend was as expected, we had a good time with Glühwein und Bratwurst!
Moral of this story: when you plan something romantic, double check the jealous other lady in your household!
I'm struggling with some misfiring, on LPG but on petrol too. I still have the bog standard grey cables (yes OB, I've seen your jealous making red box of Magnecors) and the standard NGK plugs. Pushing some caps firm on the plugs makes it better so I guess I need a new set.
But since I have no diagnostics and wanted to know which lead it is I did some digging in my toolbox and found my old xenon timinglight and clamped the sensor to each lead, one by one to find the one that did not light up, that is lead #8 and #4, not all the time but now and then. I also noticed that not all the leads flash in the 'double tempo' (wasted spark) but in the normal single tempo, does this mean that the coils are on their way out and what leads should I buy except Magnecors?
Got this front diff from a breaker for very few €€. I know it is hard to judge from two piccys but what do you guys think, is it worth keeping it?
As my username suggests, I have my background in shipping. Started my professional life on the river Rhine as a deckhand, later first mate and captain. Later in service of the city of Amsterdam (portauthority, ferries). I worked with several engines of that time and still have a weak spot on them.
Last weekend I had the opportunity to join on a trip with the tugboat Elbe, formerly owned by Smit tugs in Rotterdam. The boat was first in service in 1958, later sold to the US Coastguard, later to Greenpeace and since a few years back home as active museumship.
With the help of many volunteers the ship has returned in it's original state including the original engines. It is driven by two 6cylinder Smit-M.A.N. engines of 1750Hp each. The two engines are connected to a shared transferbox, from there a single propellorshaft is driven.
The two engines can be engaged or disengaged via a pneumatic clutch, each engine can be started in forward or reverse. When manouvering there is one engine running forward and the other in reverse, whatever is needed the respective clutch is engaged. Once out on the trip both engines can be started forward to get the full 3500 Hp.
When not pulling the ship sails on one engine, for obvious reasons. I made a short vid of the running engine (partly with my phone) to give you an idea of these engines of the '50s. I thought I might share my weak spot.
How to handle when EKA code is needed, I've learned it inside out. What puzzles me, in the example from the owners handbook they use 4-3-2-1, or even-uneven-even-uneven.
After 4 times in lock direction you start giving in the digits.The even digits you give them in the unlock direction and the uneven digits in the lock direction.
Or must I look at it first digit unlock, second digit lock, third digit unlock and fourth digit lock direction and conclude with turning the key in unlock direction (no matter even or uneven)?
I don't dare to try it just to see what happens because my code starts with an uneven digit...
What is the best way to clean the black baked muck from pistonheads? I bought a can of carburettor cleaner but that's a spray and only works on light polluted surfaces.
I want to put the pistons upside down in a soupcan with some solvent to soak (the soup is out) and brush it off, what solvent can I take?
Tony.
My 2000 P38 has had 3 engines in my one year of ownership. The original when I bought it had a venthole in the block where connectingrod #5 had stepped out, the dipstick was turned around the camshaft. The replacement from a breaker was not the quality the guy promised it to be, it had a rattle I could not define and when I found another one for not too much money I bought it to make one good engine out of two.
The one that is in now is a 60D engine (Thor) and becomes too hot when outside temp is high with AC on, pressure of coolant is pretty high and loses some coolant.
The other engine in my garage (the one from the breaker) is a 46D block (also 4.6 for automatic) originally Gems but I had it converted to Thor (bracket for cranksensor rewelded) and swapped the other sensors, flywheel and camsprockets. The liners of cyl. 4 and 6 have lowered 1 or 2 tenth of a millimeter, so this is a matter of time that it will be trouble.
I found a shop close by that does tophatted liners, right now he is busy with a TVR block to convert and I think he does a good job.
If I give him the tophatted liners plus base gaskets he will mill my block, place them and skim the tops afterwards. Plus insert new camshaft bearings for around €400,-
The rest, main- and conrodbearings I can do myself including the obvious as new cam, tappets and so on. That gives me the feel of an engine I can trust.
But which engine will be converted? the 46D now lying around and gives me the time to do it in my own tempo, or the 60D that first has to be taken out and leaves me with no transport?
And where do I buy tops?
Any comment welcome, Tony.