If it's any consolation, I did the same when I changed the oil in Dina's Merc. Thought it odd that there wasn't a copper washer on the sump plug until I found it at the bottom of the drain bowl when I was cleaning up after doing the job. Expecting it to leak with no washer in there I put it somewhere safe to put back as soon as it started dropping oil on the floor. It didn't so got left. Did another oil change recently and remembered the copper washer. Found that I had put it somewhere so safe I couldn't find the thing so it still doesn't have one and still isn't leaking.

Looks like Gordon was able to recover at least some of the thread. Only problem now is whenever we add to it, Ferryman's name stays at the top of the first page.

So keep it up lads......

Although quite why they tell you to disconnect the battery I have absolutely no idea......

Isn't that one of those lightweight, small diameter racing pulley's from Britpart?

Pressure switch is a real pain to get to on a GEMS, you can't even see it from above or below.

Forwarded to me by a mate.......

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/222530261135

(Only another 15 to go now Tony)

It's valvetrain related from the speed of it. Mine made a similar noise when I first got it at 204,000, slightly deeper, more of a clunk, and not as loud but at the same speed. It never got any worse but at around 270,000 I decided it had to be a dodgy cam follower so replaced them, no difference. At 287,500 the engine came out and went to V8Developments but before taking it in, I dropped in to talk about what I wanted doing to the engine and discuss when. They had a listen to it, declared it an odd one and it sounded similar to something serious like a liner problem but as it wasn't drinking coolant or pressurising, it couldn't be that. The engine went in and came back with new top hats, big ends, mains, pistons, rings, camshaft, followers and oil pump and drive. While that was being done the heads were treated to new valves and guides. Put it all back together and the noise was still there and still is, no different, after 45,000 since the rebuild. I've tried starting it with the serpentine belt off to make sure it isn't something silly like the power steering pump and still the same.

Now the only thing that hasn't been changed when the engine was rebuilt is the rocker shafts and rockers. Although mine is outside the range that were affected by the sinking insert problem on the rockers, I thought it could be that. Although I've heard an engine suffering that problem and the noise sounded completely different, it sounded like the standard tappet rattle that you get on pushrod engines with adjustable tappets that need adjusting. So far I've had one rocker cover off and all of the rockers are fine and will get around to checking the other side sooner or later. However, I had to trailer another car over the V8Developments last week (a long and very sad story) so asked Ray to have a listen. From the front, it sounds like it is coming from the right, from the right it sounds like it is coming from the left, from the left it sounds like it is coming from the right, from underneath it sounds louder suggesting it is coming from there. Ray tried an engine stethoscope on it and declared it to be coming from the engine, it wasn't possible to identify from where though. So, even the expert doesn't know, maybe I'll find something when I pull the other rocker cover off.

No, gearbox and transfer box are completely separate and have their own fluid fillers (both need Dexron3 ATF). Transfer case is the easy one, there's a drain plug and a level fill plug, drop the old fluid out and pour the new stuff in until it dribbles out of the filler plug. Gearbox isn't quite as straightforward, especially if you have the later one with no dipstick.

There are some parts they can't get wrong (although I did once buy a Britpart hose only to find there was no way it would fit as it was too small diameter) and others are OE but just supplied through them. Problem is, you don't know the bad from the not so bad......

Now you've just got to fix the oil leak that caused oil to get in there in the first place......

Assuming it's a Hall effect sensor like the ABS and crank sensors, checking the resistance would be a simple place to start. If it's open circuit or very high resistance, it's likely to be dead.

I used to have access to a garage with a pit and stopped using it as I found it more comfortable laying on the floor. The pit wasn't quite deep enough to stand up and if I was kneeling then I was working above my head with my arms fully stretched. The advantage with the P38 is if the suspension is put on high, there's enough space to crawl under there with it (although I'm only skinny).

Clive's thread on lifting his car has disappeared not because it broke any forum rules ('cuz there aren't any), but because Ferryman started writing a reply and then attempted to edit it. Unfortunately, he deleted the whole thread and not just his own post......

It might be recoverable but I'm not sure how often backups are done so it may have been lost forever, doh!

Both of mine have it on the inner wing next to the battery. Fine unless you have a huge non-standard battery fitted.

They aren't actually microswitches but plastic blocks with the contacts underneath them and a small plastic shuttle that bears on the indents in the quadrant at one end and the springy contacts at the other. So contact cleaner will find it's way there eventually. On the two non-working ones I've opened up, the moisture has got in the vent hole and rotted through the thin wires running from the terminals at the far right in the picture (where the wires are attached on the other side) and the tracks that run to the switch contacts. I've managed to dig enough of the plastic out to allow me to solder jumper wires in place of the rotted bits. Fiddly but with the cost of a new one, worth the effort. When that happens though one switch (X, Y or Z) stops working completely so the display makes no sense at all. I would suspect that if it is only Neutral that isn't showing, the Y switch shuttle or the quadrant track is worn so the Y switch isn't closing when in Neutral but it is working when needed in the other gears.

First one is standard SMA not RP (Reversed Polarity), second says it's RP SMA but the picture shows standard SMA. The only one I could find on eBay is this http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1-RP-SMA-Female-Plug-Center-to-RP-SMA-Female-in-Series-RF-Adapter-Connector/322065869481 but the seller is in China so no telling how long it would take to get here.

You like the difficult ones don't you. I don't even have RP SMA adapters in my inter-series adapter kit. The only one I can find is here https://www.data-alliance.net/rp-sma-female-to-female-coupler-adapter-reverse-polarity-connector/ but as the supplier is in the US, it might take a while to get one. Your alternative would be to use a RP SMA to SMA adapter like this http://uk.farnell.com/amphenol-connex/132169rp/adaptor-sma-jack-sma-rp-jack-straight/dp/2293719 and a SMA male to RP SMA female like this http://uk.farnell.com/amphenol-connex/132171rp/adaptor-sma-plug-sma-rp-jack-50ohm/dp/1462750. Not cheap but the two screwed together will give you RP SMA female to RP SMA female.

It's what we refer to at work as an incompatible systems interface or bodge dongle.......

Hmm, well I did once try to start a car that had been standing for 7 years on the fuel that was in the tank. Took a good blast of starter fluid in the air intake to get it to fire and once running it absolutely stank. Didn't run that well either. However, you'll be pleased to hear that I now have a blend of roughly 25% 9 month old Latvian petrol and 75% BP Ultimate in my tank. I suppose I'll need to use some now.......

Yuck, that one has definitely had something inside it. Water in the vent hole or someone has already tried filling it with WD40 or the like. Normally they are dry inside or at least should be.

I've want to call in at Marshall's sometime today to get the EKA code for another car I have here, I'll drop you a text when I'm in the area.