I think the hardest part is getting the screws out that hold the butterfly in place, I've never attempted it myself. Looked at it once and chickened out so decided the play wasn't something I would worry about. The idle control valve will adjust to compensate for any excess air that gets through. I noticed that Rimmers say that the spindle is superseded but they don't say to what and Microcat says that it is also supplied as part of a kit (along with the bushes and seals) but nowhere can I find the part number of the kit.
Original tyres were either Pirelli Scorpion, Michelin or Goodyear. Sizes were 235/70x16 if equipped with 7Jx16 wheels, 255/65x16 if 8Jx16 wheels and 255/55x18 if fitted with 8Jx18 wheels. All were 109 load rating and HR speed rating. The closest you are going to find in appearance to original are going to be Goodyear Wrangler HP All Weather. I had a set on mine up until last year, not bad but not brilliant in the wet, too road tyre for mud and absolutely useless on snow.
There's always a little bit of movement in them but you can get new bushes and seals. Bush part number is ERR1756 (£6.78 each from LRDirect) and the seals are AUD3577 (£3.90 each from Rimmer Bros) but I can't find anyone that stocks both so you are looking at two lots of postage. For parts your best bets are LRDirect, Island 4x4 and Rimmer Bros. Rimmers tend to be slightly more expensive than the others but if you are in a hurry their next day delivery really is next day.
Nice one, it had all the hallmarks of an iffy earth anyway so having a poke around and clean up might be a good idea.
The basic engine was built by V8 Developments but it was then refitted and the intake assembled by the guy that had taken it out. He obviously took it off and just bunged it back on without doing anything with it. If you look very carefully at where the gasket has blown, there's a tiny hole in the casting right where the fire ring would be. I suspect it was a microscopic air bubble in the original casting that wasn't noticed when it was put together. You can see the marks where the head was skimmed, it has spacers under the rocker pedestals to make up for the metal that had been removed from the head face, top hat liners and stud kit.. Gasket had the Elring red lines on it too. So the actual engine is fine, except for the blown gasket, it was the refitting that wasn't done well.
One other thing I found was that Island no longer list the head gasket set with Elring gaskets but LRDirect list an Allmakes head gasket set that doesn't include head gaskets but also list the Elring gaskets on their own. So I ordered the head set and an Elring gasket. It arrived yesterday and LRDirect tell lies, the set does include head gaskets so I've actually got 3, an Elring and two Allmakes (with no markings to show who might have made them).
Received and with the extras you'd put in there, thanks.
Anyway, back to the plot. Got stuck in pulling it apart after I'd spent an evening moving the non standard coil location out of the way, taking off assorted plumbing and wiring for the LPG system so I could finally get to the engine underneath.
The engine itself looked pretty clean on the outside, but taking the plenum chamber off and it started to look a bit strange. The inside had a layer of brown oil emulsion on it
and the intake trumpets looked even worse and appeared to be covered in mud!
Yet once the inlet manifold was off, the inside of the engine was spotless, even the rockers looked like new
But with the head off, the cause of the noise was all too obvious
Having cleaned up the head, it does need a very light skim so will have to wait until my local machine shop is open again on Monday before I can drop it in.
Being a bit curious of the state of the inside of the plenum, I told the owner about it. When he had bought the car he'd spoken to the previous owner who had rebuilt the engine. It had suffered an overheat which had caused a liner to leak so he took it to a mate who took the engine out. That went away to be rebuilt with top hat liners, the Kent cam and Stage 2 heads (allegedly, although they don't look much different to standard to me) and was refitted by the same guy that had taken it out. The lazy sod hadn't even bothered to clean anything before putting it back together so the gloop inside the plenum has been there since before the engine was rebuilt and it as a result of the overheat that caused it to have to be rebuilt in the first place. I reckon I'm going to have to spend more time cleaning than I am putting it back together!
If it is the DSP amp in the process of turning up it's toes, then Marty has produced a drop in replacement that uses 4 door amps from the pre-DSP model. At least that allows you to keep the original head unit so it all looks original.
I'm not fussed about touchscreen either. The works van has a do everything unit in the dash and it seems to do everything but nothing properly and is a nightmare to use. I decided I wasn't going to leave my P38 original, as originally it was supplied with no stereo at all. I've got a Kenwood BT73, DAB, FM, MW, LW, Bluetooth, line in, CD and dual USB. When outside the UK I use a 3G tablet to listen to internet radio through the line in. The satnav is a Garmin stuck on the windscreen. Not only does it work but it's future proof as if technology changes, I can just change it for something else.
Lpgc wrote:
Oil in it is a bit black, would've thought a bloke who had spent so much on custom parts for his car and is also the son of a garage owner would have changed the oil before it got like that.
Nope, that's called maintenance and is a mystery to most of the kids these days. I'm not far from the East of England showground where they hold the Modified Nationals every year. The roads are clogged up with lowered, wide wheeled, custom paintjobbed, drainpipe exhaust equipped cars and a fair number of them clog up the hard shoulders too. Seems kids these days will think nothing of spending a grand on wheels, another grand on a stereo system, a couple of grand on body mods and paintwork but can't stretch to 25 quid for a gallon of fresh oil.
I actually meant which P38 but if it has the DSP, Marty is the only one that may be able to explain what is happening.
You've definitely got something that isn't right. I was only thinking last night, while hustling mine around some pretty narrow lanes with variable road surfaces and camber, how nicely it handles for a 2 and a bit tonne car. Mines done a lot more miles than yours too.
Which car is this on and does it have the DSP amp?
Although it's plastic as long as you don't get carried away and get it too hot, it should be possible to sand it smooth.
Very nice job except for the snorkel. If the water is deep enough to get drawn into the air intake, it's deep enough to drown the ignition coils and spark plugs (not to mention getting inside and drowning the BeCM) so isn't really needed.
My local factors had a generic sidelight bulb holder which fits in the hole but the connector was wrong for the plug. A bit of carving away of the plastic made it fit.
Not necessarily, I've got a set of deep ones too. Got the coils, LPG injectors, alternator, PAS pump and AC compressor off it so far so I'm down to the engine. Head should be off by tomorrow evening so I can drop it in to be skimmed on Saturday. If I get it in first thing, they may even be able to get it done by lunchtime. No gasket set yet either......
Dead easy to get to it on a GEMS, although it does have to be routed behind the alternator rather than under it. Not got a Thor here to have a look at I'm afraid, all 3 parked outside are GEMS, but I would suggest that it does need a clip. Rather than Jubilee you'd be better off with fuel hose clips or the springy ones used on LPG hose. Thinking about it, the throttle body can be removed on a Thor, why not take it off, change the hoses and put it back on?
I believe you are right, that would have been Clive.
I used my engine crane to change the engine on a Toyota MR2. Used it first to lower the unbolted engine down to the ground, then used it to lift the body up. Slid old engine out and new one in, then lowered the body back down and lifted the engine up into place.
I'll own up and admit I very nearly bought one exactly the same as that (yes, an Orvis with real leather and wood that somehow the Yanks manage to make look like plastic), except it didn't have the scrapes on the front or the mangled filler flap. But I decided that at £800 it was too expensive so over 4 grand is just plain silly.