Got a front cover on the way from East Coast Range Rovers, an uprated oil pump from Turners and the rest of the bits from Island 4x4. Big ends are at +10 thou and all are slightly worn but no damage to the crank. So it'll be new bearing shells, new front cover and oil pump and a cam chain as the one on it is a bit floppy (can't find a spec anywhere of how much slack there should be in it, but it just looks like too much to me), I've got a brand new water pump I bought ages ago just in case so I'll fit that too. Front cover and oil pump will be here tomorrow, just got to hope Island are on the ball so I can get on with putting it all back together.

Yeah, all bits there and I can't find any that weren't in place (not that they can really go anywhere other than into the oil filter and there was nothing in that). My magnet on a stick looked more like a hedgehog after probing around in there though. Although I can get a replacement oil pump for around £50, personally I think the front cover is too badly scored to be worth putting back in and with a new front cover, even a Chinese made one, at over £500 notes, I think I'm going to looking for a secondhand one and put a new oil pump gear set in

In other news, the Ascot is on eBay and has already met the reserve, item 387000091030, so that will easily pay for the engine bits for the red one (in fact, it will pay for buying the red one too!).

What have I done? Finished pulling the engine on the red one apart and I think I've found the reason for a lack of oil pressure. This hasn't been the easiest job due to the engine having previously been put together by a Gorilla, even the oil filter needed a chain wrench on it. I needed to make up a new tool to hold the water pump to undo the fan nut. Using a 2 foot bar, and extending my viscous coupling spanner, managed to shift that (eventually). So the radiator is out, the fan is off, the water pump is off (only two of the bolt heads sheared off), the crank pulley is off (using the socket bar against the chassis rail and flicking the starter method and it came undone far easier than I was expecting), sump is off, front cover is off and the oil pump has been exposed (although I did have to use a cold chisel on two of the bolts holding the cover on as the screw heads were chewed up so much that even an impact driver couldn't get enough of a grip on them). One of the big ends (number 4) has play in it but not much so I should be able to simply fit a new set of shells. However, it's nice to take something apart and be able to immediately see the cause of a problem.

The problem? A lack of oil pressure, the reason.....

Just got to clean everything off, check the front cover to see if that can be reused or if it is too badly scored and work out a (long) shopping list.

I think the only difference is that on a GEMS the plate covering the lower part of the bellhousing/flywheel is held by bolts through the plate into the bellhousing but the Thor uses bolts going the other way. So all that is needed is to drill out the threaded holes.

jacckk wrote:

Sounds like "Supergaz" on Washwood Heath Rd? I like that station. They open late and even fill your car for you so you don't even need to get out.

It was, I was staying a couple of days in Coleshill and it was the nearest one from there, but looking on autogas.app, there's plenty more all around the same price if not lower.

Direct injection can be converted these days, albeit at a marginally greater cost than a port injection system, the factory fit Dacia range being a prime example. They actually produce more power and are more economical on LPG too.

Agreed, I'm doing 30-35,000 a year, so the cost saving, even if it isn't great, is worthwhile. If you aren't doing the mileage then the benefits aren't anything like as good. I will say though that I attribute running on a cleaner hydrocarbon fuel without any additives to the longevity of my engine. I change the oil every 10,000 miles and it is still clean after that mileage.

There's multiple reasons why LPG has gone up in price. It always did rise (and get harder to find) during the winter due to the demand for people using it for domestic heating and cooking, but this year hasn't gone back down. It went up to around a pound a litre when petrol and diesel almost hit two pounds but it hasn't come down correspondingly. The other problem is the Motor Fuel Group (MFG). A few months ago my local Flogas depot was selling at 78p per litre and the 4 Morrisons in my area (Wisbech, St Ives, Camborne and Pinchbeck) were all at 79.9p. Any filling stations operated by MFG, were all selling at 99.9p so not doing much business unless someone had no alternative. The other cheap ones were operated by Euro Garages, owned by the same people as Asda, with a local one selling at 64.9p when Flogas were 78p! The local EG one has changed hands and I suspect is also now run by MFG as they are charging £1.05.

MFG have taken over the running of all Morrisons forecourts and all immediately put there price up to 99.9p, to match the other MFG owned sites. It may be that they have also done the same with ASDA sites too. The takeover of Morrisons was subject to an investigation by the Competition Markets Authority and they were forced to keep petrol and diesel prices down, but obviously not LPG. My local Flogas depot were told by their head office to increase their price to get closer to other sources in the area so are now charging 90p. One area of the country that MFG don't appear to have a foothold is Birmingham. If you look at autogas.app in the Birmingham area, not only are there plenty of filling stations but most are around the 70p mark, if not lower! I was there recently and filled up at one (not far off the M6 either) that only did LPG (no other fuels), 4 pumps, 6 huge tanks and 73p a litre.

So, while the price differential between LPG and petrol isn't great, making it seem like it is hardly worth it, particularly if a car doesn't run well on it. Mine actually runs better on LPG than petrol, probably because it very rarely uses any petrol. I'd say stick at it and wait for the differential to increase. Plus the fact that I do a lot of driving in Europe and the most expensive country is France at 1 Euro a litre (so roughly 85p) while most of the others are less or a lot less (anything between 50 and 80 Euro cents). I'm fortunate in having Flogas locally, and 4 branches of Morrisons all within half an hour but if it gets really difficult I'll just invest £300 in a pump so I can fill from 47kg bottles and that will be enough for my local use (and a fill will easily get me to Dover so I can get on a ferry to more sensible countries). My step-daughter lives in the Netherlands and has two filling station just around the corner from her house. 3 years ago neither did LPG but have both since been refurbished and have had EV charge points and LPG installed. In fact, not far from where she lives a new filling station has been built with LPG, CNG, Hydrogen and EV charge points but no petrol or diesel at all.

and I can report it worked. Just stopped to fill up with fuel and on walking back to the car noticed the puddle under the centre of the car, so the AC drain is now doing what it should.

But back to the red one. Over the last few days, I've bled the brake modulator again and got a brake pedal that felt right. Replaced the dead Front left ABS sensor and no longer have any warning lights or messages on the message centre. Idle was rough and didn't maintain the correct idle speed and I'd found that the idle air valve had been butchered so could rotate so wasn't moving in and out as it should but was rotating instead, so ordered one of them. That arrived and was fitted but still the idle wasn't brilliant and it had all the symptoms of a rich mixture. Spark plugs were black and the exhaust smelt of unburnt fuel yet both lambda sensors were sitting at a constant 5V showing lean. As I had 3 lambda sensors of unknown condition that I'd previously taken off mine (the FAE ones from Island 4x4 that they claim are no good for running on LPG), so tried a couple of them. Reset the adaptive values and the RH bank started flipping between 5V and 0V just as it should. LH bank still sat at 5V so that sensor is dead. Then looked at the one I'd just taken out of the LH bank and noticed 2 of the 4 pins had pushed back in the plug. Reseated them, put it in and that one started to work too. Suddenly, the idle was perfectly smooth and it sounded like it should. Time for a quick (highly illegal with no MoT or tax) test drive on the lane out the back of the village. Pulls well, brakes work, steering feels like there is probably the odd ball joint that will need changing but that can wait until I take it in for an MoT and see what the tester finds when it is in the air.

As it has a custom exhaust system on it with no cats, it will fail the MoT on that if running on petrol, so I need to get an LPG system installed. Sorted out what bits I have and what I will need to order and spent a couple of days removing the remains of the old system and wiring in a new one (an AEB Galileo that Mick at LPG Auto Supplies was selling off on special offer for anyone that may be interested). Got the wiring done and decided to pressure test the AC system as I'd previously changed the compressor. Found a leak at one of the compressor O rings but as I didn't have any spares, couldn't do any more with that. A mate is a mobile AC technician and he was going to be in the area on Friday so I'd already asked him about re-gassing the Ascot as that was low on refrigerant and checking the red one. So they both needed turning round so he could get at them. After shifting my car, Dina's car and turning the Ascot around, tried to start the red one. It had spent 2 days with doors open and interior lights on and the battery is one that had been on mine but I'd replaced as it was starting to get tired, turning the key just gave me a click and all the panel lights went out. Put the charger on it, left it for a while and ordered a new Hankook battery for it.

After it had been on charge for a couple of hours, tried it again and still the starter didn't want to turn it over, so pushed it back a bit so I could get mine close enough to use jump leads. Connected up the jump leads, turned the key and the starter spun it over and it started up with a horrible crunching sound. Figured the starter hadn't disengaged and was being turned on the flywheel, switched it off and tried again. Fired up immediately but still making not pleasant noises. Ignoring that, I turned the car around and upon getting out, I could hear the engine knocking, sounding very much like a big end so killed it immediately. Switched the ignition back on and noticed a distinct lack of an oil pressure light. Now whether it had been working before or not I couldn't say as there were so many other warning lights on the dash and the engine has obviously been recently rebuild (but no idea by who) so I would have expected it to be OK.

Time to check the oil pressure switch and it's wiring. Getting at it isn't that easy but managed to get in there. Unplugged the wire to it, grounded that and the oil pressure warning light on the dash came on. Tested the switch and it was open circuit. By then it was almost 7pm on Thursday so called it a night. First thing Friday morning, went to my local motor factors and got a replacement oil pressure switch. Got home only to find the thread was different and it wouldn't fit. The correct one for a 98 GEMS has an Imperial UNF thread, the one I'd taken out had a metric M12x1.5 thread. Phoned the factors who cross referenced the part number from the one I had taken out only to find it was for a Land Rover 2.4 diesel engine. It seems that the later Thor engine has a metric thread but has two pins on the connector instead of just a single spade terminal like on the GEMS (and obviously the diesel). So it looks like whoever rebuilt the engine used the front cover from a Thor on a GEMS block with a single spade terminal oil pressure switch that would fit but was from a diesel. The pressure switch I needed wasn't a stock item but they could get me one by 2:30.

The AC man arrived, we replaced the leaking O ring on the compressor and pressure tested it, which it passed, but without being able to run the engine (as there was no oil pressure switch in it), couldn't gas it. Gassed the Ascot so that now has just about everything working, the only things that don't is the passenger side mirror doesn't adjust and the driver's one dips in reverse but doesn't return. Not bad for a 28 year old P38......

So, off the the factors again, pick up the correct (incorrect) oil pressure switch and fit it. Put everything else back together as I'd taken the alternator and alternator mounting block off to give me more room to get at the oil pressure switch. Turned on the ignition, oil pressure light comes on, start engine and it stays on and the engine still has the bottom end knock. Now the question is, do I have no oil pressure due to the knock from a big end, or has it lost oil pressure which has caused the knock from a big end? From the crunching, clattering sound it made when initially started, I suspect the oil pump has shattered. It's been run for no more than a minute, so probably hasn't damaged the crank and will just need a set of big end shells but I'm going to have to get at the oil pump, which involves removing the front cover which means the crank pulley has to come off. A job I've never attempted before and aren't looking forward to but it needs to be done. So the saga will continue......

Today I've found the cure for the wet passenger floor. I'd been out in the car, parked it and noticed water dripping off the passenger side sill. Lifted the rubber mat and the carpet underneath was sodden with water. Got underneath, squeezed the rubber bulb and it was completely dry. Dropped the panel behind the glovebox and the water was dripping out of the join in the air duct from the blower. Found the small corrugated rubber tube that goes to the underside of the heater box and pulled that off, also completely dry. Just to be sure I'd found the correct one, poked a nylon draw string down it and confirmed it did indeed come out of the rubber bulb underneath. Poked the same nylon string up into the heater matrix where the rubber tube had been connected and was rewarded with a constant stream of water. It seems there was so much water in there that couldn't find a way out, it had flooded into the ducting and was dripping out of the joint.

Car is currently sitting in the sun with the passenger door open and the rubber mat out to dry the carpet out.....

Been doing some more work on the red one over that last few days but that is a story for later when I have more time, there's good news and potentially serious, bad news.

That's good news and seems to confirm you have a slight leak around one of the liners allowing combustion pressure into the coolant passages. At least you can monitor the pressures and see if it stays that way.

Yes, remove the 4 bolts that connect the flex plate to the torque converter. I normally wedge a lump of wood up through the inspection hole to stop the torque converter from moving forwards out of the gearbox. Then, once you have moved the engine forward, undo the bolts that hold the (remains of the) flexplate to the crankshaft. Reassembly is the reverse, bolt the new flexplate to the crankshaft, move the engine back and put the bellhousing bolts in and bolt the flexplate to the torque converter.

It should be, it's only ordinary steel. I wouldn't attempt it but my welding is terrible, I can stick two bits of 5mm steel together but on anything thinner I just end up blowing holes in it.....

It shouldn't wobble, it's an expansion joint. While it is off, seal the bottom and fill it with water. If it leaks out, it's split.

Depends what he uses. Stuff like K-Seal, Radweld, etc will clog up the passages, Steel Seal or Sodium Silicate (the active ingredient in Steel Seal, but far cheaper) won't as it needs to come into contact with combustion temperatures when it turns into a solid. It will seal a slight leak around a liner for quite some time. Just buy water glass and follow the instructions for using it on the Steel Seal website. Sloth on here had it in his 4.6 for almost 3 years to cure a pressurisation problem before he swapped the engine for an M57 BMW lump.

I'd agree. The only time I've been able to stall one is when testing after a rebuild and they will normally get up to about 17-18 bar before calling it a day. So letting air out and seeing if it runs normally, for a while anyway, seems like a good plan.

That one comes up on the UK site for a 1996 Range Rover https://www.check-vehicle-recalls.service.gov.uk/recall-type/vehicle/make/LAND%20ROVER/model/RANGE%20ROVER/year/1996/recalls

Looks like it is cracks at the plastic welds.

I tend to use LRDirect, Island 4x4 and British Parts (britishparts.co.uk). Island usually are slightly cheaper, LRDirect can be relied on to almost always deliver next day and British Parts are less than an hour away so while they may be slightly more expensive than the other two, I can nip down there and pick stuff up if I need it quickly. Not had any complaints with any of them.

But to your point. Not sure what you are looking at but you're not seeing the same as I am. The sensors are STC2786 and looking at the LRDirect site (https://www.lrdirect.com/stc2786-sensor-abs-new-rr-front), there's two options and 3 prices. They have Allmakes at £15.42 or Britpart OEM which means they are genuine Wabco ones but supplied through Britpart. With the Britpart ones, if you buy just one, it will cost you £97.64 but if you buy two (or more) the price drops to £94.09 each. I'm quoting the ex-VAT prices as you won't be paying the VAT (although you have have to pay the ROI equivalent), or are you looking at them priced in Euros (€) but writing Pounds (£)?

I suspect the Allmakes ones will last about a week (although they do have a 1 year warranty) but if the others are OEM, they will be Wabco and will last as long as the originals.

A hint, if you have a UK computer keyboard and don't have a Euro symbol, try AltGr and 4, some keyboards have it marked, others don't.

Dunno, these seemed a bit floppy in the wheels. Not a huge amount of slop but not a push fit as I expected.

If coolant is overflowing that would suggest there is some air in there. Air expands far more than coolant and the only time the reservoir will overflow is when there is too much expansion. As you've got LPG on it, do the hoses to the reducer go over a hump so air could get trapped in there? Ideally the reducer needs to be mounted as low as possible so the flow and return hoses are going downhill so any air in the system remains in the cooling system and doesn't get trapped somewhere.

That is what I thought too but having just been out there armed with a wire brush on a power drill to clean out the hole and a rubber mallet to knock them in, they just fell into the hole in the wheel. Probably Britpart engineering tolerances..... So I coated the P38 hub centre with copperslip and fitted them on the hubs instead otherwise they would have fallen out of the wheels when putting them on..