But with it blanked, there's no path back to the header tank for any air trapped in the inlet manifold. Think about it, that's one of the highest points in the cooling system so air is going to sit there. Anything trapped in the heater hoses will get pushed through by the water pump and end up in the header, any in the radiator will do the same through the bleed hose but any in the top of the engine has nowhere to go.

Clive603 wrote:

Depends on whether it behaves like nylon or delrin.

Problem is it behaved more like marshmallow! Not like plastic at all, very soft and squidgy but also very tough to cut with anything.

The way they started to melt as soon as they got remotely warm, I reckon a blowlamp would have been the easiest way of removing them. If only one of us had thought of bringing one, we'd have been able to light the Sunday lunch barbecue too I would think.

Only one of them though. I've got one of Marty's spares(with my new bushes) on the nearside and my original one on the offside after it finally succumbed to much brute force and butchery. Still had to chip the scale out of both holes before the new bushes could be pressed in though.

Oddly, they hadn't deformed much and the central hole was still in the centre. Even after pressing the central tube out the poly bits still didn't want to give up.

Morat wrote:

So, the million dollar questions - did replacing your radius arm bushes improve your P38s? Was it all worth it? :)

See here https://rangerovers.pub/topic/1335-3-reasons-why-you-shouldn-t-use-poly-bushes?page=1.0#pid19682, I didn't think there was anything wrong with mine but swapping from polys to OE has made a hell of a difference.

RutlandRover wrote:

Was the one with the seized bolt also the most rusty bush hole?

No, all the bush holes were as bad as each other, all rusted to hell and full of scale that I had to carefully break out with a punch and hammer. We were a bit concerned that it would leave the hole too big for the new bushes to fit properly but they still needed a fair amount of grunt to press them in so I don't think they'll be going anywhere.

Having just changed my (and others) radius arm bushes here's a few observations for anyone considering poly bushes.

1, The yellow Britpart ones have a reputation to wearing out and turning to dust within a few months (no idea about the black or blue ones but I suspect they will be much the same as the yellow or orange ones).

2, My car was fitted with the supposedly far superior orange poly bushes (the ones that cost about 4 times the price of genuine original bushes). They've lasted quite a long time and many miles, but although the car didn't exhibit any of the usual complaints of wandering steering, vibrations or anything like that, it has always felt like the front tyre pressures were too high over small bumps and uneven surfaces even though the ride was fine on smooth surfaces. Having now changed to standard bushes, the steering is more responsive, the ride over uneven surfaces is vastly improved and the whole car feels much smoother.

3, The poly bushes are an absolute pain to remove. It took Marty's 20 ton press, a number of different sized mandrels, hacksaws, hole cutters and just about everything else we could find short of burning them out, to remove them from the radius arms. When we finally got them out, we found that they also allow moisture to get between the bush and the arm so rather than pushing the old ones out and finding a nice clean shiny hole, the inside of the radius arms were rusted to hell. It took a rotary wire brush to clean the surface, a punch and hammer to knock the rust scale off the inside of the radius arm and emery cloth to clean them up before they were smooth enough to press the new bushes in.

So the moral of this is poly bushes should be put into the same category as coil spring conversions, don't even consider them.

Upload the photo to imgur.com, in your post put the cursor where you want the photo to appear, click the add image button (fifth one across that looks like a picture in a frame) and a box pops up asking for a URL, in imgur click the image, then select Direct Link on teh right and click the copy button, paste that link into the box asking for a URL. It will show the code in your message but when you post the reply the images will show in the post (you can also preview it to make sure you got it right).

I thought they only ever fitted SUs but someone may have swapped them for Strombergs which are the only other dashpot style carb I know of.

So, you wanted pictures and here's a few from me. Others took more, the best being Rick's blend motor.....

However, this was the scene that greeted me when I arrived on Saturday morning

Within minutes, David (DavidAll) and David (Rutland Rover) got stuck into removing the radius arms from David's (RR David) car

First one off, new bushes fitted and ready to go back on

However, Morat was sorely missed. Two axle stands don't make a good support for a barbecue (fortunately after the burgers had been cooked)

and it didn't get any better at lunchtime today when we failed dismally to get a disposable barbecue lit and Rick ended up diving down to Tesco to get another.....

However, despite the odd little setback, both Davids got new radius arm bushes pressed in, as did I (which is a whole new thread on it's own). David (RR) also got his heater core O rings changed while Rick (Rcutler) got new O rings and a set of new blend motors. While we were getting stuck into that lot, Marty and Nick (Sloth) got loads of little jobs done on their cars when not operating the press for the bushes.

I would think you won't have a problem with the thinner walled hose. It's not like it running at any huge pressure. I suspect the first lot I bought that has been on my car for about 3 years (which for me is over 60,000 miles) is the thinner walled stuff the same as you have. When I ordered the second lot they said they didn't have any black or blue but could supply red and that is thicker wall which makes it thicker overall and not as easy to route.

We found the same on Rick's car when checking it after fitting the new blend motors. Initially it was reading 19 degrees, which with the engine running and a nice hot pipe, seemed a little on the low side. Wiggling the connector on it and it dropped to -20, then with another wiggle started to read 50+ degrees which seemed about right. So it does appear that the connector is the weak point.

Just got home, great time had by all I think. Not as well attended as previous ones but I think everyone got everything done they needed to. Rick, I've realised where the two spare self tappers go. Either side of the glovebox surround. You've got the three along the top and then one each side a bit lower down. I only realised because one of the leftovers was rusty and I remember taking that one out on the side nearest the centre console

Yup, that's right, back in the hotel now. But I'll confirm, SU HIF series carbs, The engine smelling of blowby could suggest sticking oil control rings, Try dumping some ATF down the bores while you've got it sitting there.

Wheels off and in the back of the car along with bushes, tools, jack and axle stands (one 1 pair as the SE is sitting on the other pair), Dina asked me what we planned on eating and when I told her Morat won't be there, she's just been and got a disposable BBQ, burgers, cheese slices and buns. As long as someone supplies coffee, sugar and milk (assuming your workshop kettle still works) we should be sorted.

In previous years there have been photos but not that many, I'll try to remember to get plenty this time.

Martyuk wrote:

Once I get there I have to move one of my other P38's out of the workshop

Ooh, Ooh, Ooh, can I tow it out?

Sorry about the address, I wasn't sure if just the postcode would be enough.

Just off outside to sit the SE on a pair of axle stands and a couple of lumps of railway sleeper.......

Marlborough, SN8 2NJ. A sat nav will take you the long way round but keep you on proper roads although there is a shorter route to get to it that involves a bit of off roading......

That looks good. I'm impressed you got the front bumper off, I changed mine with it still on by using a 3/8 drive socket though the vents to get at the bottom bolts. Not laziness (well, not entirely) but the one time I tried a socket on the bumper bolts there was this feel of a twisting bolt rather than one that was coming loose so rather than shear them off when the time comes to replace it, I'll just chop the bumper off and use the angle grinder on the bolts.

It's on spring clips so should just pull out with a good pull. There's a steel pin on the underside at each rear corner and clips on the bodywork so you shouldn't break anything.

Small Tupperware and a couple of old towels to catch/soak up the coolant that will dribble out and a pot of coarse grinding paste in case the screw is tight. You actually lose very little coolant, just the contents of the pipes. TPS will need the adaptives resetting after it's been fitted but my Nanocom will do that.