I did a favour for a stranger on the Elgrand forum the other day, picked some secondhand custom Elgrand bits up from a scrapyard very near me (and much nearer to me than I though when I first offered... the guy said Wakefield area and that could have meant up to maybe 15 miles away but it turned out the scrappies is 1 mile from me), stranger sent me money by Paypal, I went to the scrappies and paid cash, boxed the bits up for him, he arranged collection. At the scrappies I saw the Elgrand the bits were being taken off, highly customised and in decent condition before it was rolled... and it still has it's engine! So, because of the favour I did I learned that there's a VQ35 engine (specific due to the Elgrand due to block engine mount casting position) only 1 mile away. So of course, while at the scrappies I asked how much for the engine... Wouldn't give me a price but asked me to make him an offer. I said I dunno, not only would I have to buy the engine I'd also have to fit it and rather than all the expense/time/messing I might just scrap mine. Scrappy said phone him back tomorrow and he'll give me a price (I suppose when he's researched how much they sell for), that was a few days ago and I haven't phoned him back yet... I don't want to seem over keen but haven't had much time anyway. I'll phone him back sometime next week and find out what price he's come up with.

Yeh, can read a few implications into what you've said and would agree with them. Dial the number for the Merc dealer and the recorded message (press 3 for parts dept etc) sounds like a well spoken professional young lady.. and I'm sure that if I pressed 1 or 2 or waited to speak to someone the phone would be answered very soon... But I had to press 3 so had to wait 10 minutes for someone to pick the phone up, their answerphone system trying many times to connect me to someone in their service dept between the music and unfinished messages advertising they'd pick my car up to service it etc (presumably if I'd bought a fairly new Merc from them). Surprised that the young lad didn't know that locking wheel nuts slot in at only one position (around 360deg) though.. In his box the masterkeys were all facing key side up and given the shapes of the key it should have been a bit obvious... They make toys for 3 years olds where shapes only slot into holes at one orientation eh!

It was OEM but reckon I'd struggle to tell the difference. Glad it was or it'd have been a wasted trip to the Merc main dealer.

Thanks Chris but don't send me it yet...

I took your earlier advice, took it to a Merc main dealer today. The young parts dept lad did finally find a key that fitted out of the master set of 30 keys and I've got that key on order. He set about finding the correct key wrong way though! When trying each key he didn't rotate it through 360degrees so missed the correct key and at one point said he'd found the correct key until I pointed out that it didn't slot in to the bolt far enough. Had to tell him to go through all the keys again rotating each one full circle to see if it'd slot in fully... then we found the correct one lol.

Having found the correct master key on a locking wheel bolt I haven't attacked with bolt removal tools etc I tried the master key on the bolt I have been bashing and it slotted in OK, When I get the new key I'll remove the bolts I haven't bashed before trying to remove the bashed one. I'll give all the bolts a good jet washing first to get any crap out that might prevent the key slotting in fully.

Bit of work to do on customer stuff now then I'll be under the ML seeing if I can find what's up with it's drivetrain.

Not having any luck trying to get the locking wheel bolts off at all!
Tried various tools including (in this order)...

Locking wheel nut remover that has the left hand internal threads... Might have worked if the bolt wasn't so tight but ended up just spinning and chewing the circumference of the locking wheel bolt.

Locking wheel nut remover 'bash on' type that's very similar to a broken hex nut removal tool in having internal spiralled spline except this type is thin walled and only 3/8 drive so as not to foul the wheel itself. This tool broke apart but it was 19mm when perhaps 13/16 would have been better if I could have got hold of this type in 13/16. Only 3/8 drive.

Heavy duty 1/2 drive bash on hex nut removal tool, which does foul on the wheel itself. At least this hasn't broken apart and can get a fair amount of torque on it but it still ends up slipping and has marked the wheel.

Pretty sure the OSF wheel bearing needs changing but there's also an increasing rumble from mid vehicle and now no drive to the front wheels (supposed to be constant 4wd) so seems I've got a few big problems to sort out with this car. See if I can get some time on it today / tomorrow.

no10chris wrote:

I hope it was fixed free of charge, half of the half wits that work on cars shouldn’t go anywhere neer them.
Most probably got there nvq and think there qualified mechanics.

Problem is, get their NVQ and they are qualified mechanics lol.. Still, the NVQ is probably slightly a better sign of experience and aptitude than any supposed sign in my (LPG conversion) trade! I used to deliver NVQ's for a chamber of commerce training dept, would agree they don't mean much. Learners varied a lot in terms of previous experience, aptitude and attitude... but most passed. You know the story already, at one end of the scale were kids who had been slotting V8's into Fiestas with their dads (and then by themselves) since they were 6 years old, loved learning mechanics / electronics and computer stuff / lots of aptitude and great attitude. At the other end of the scale were people with no experience and every opposite trait who'd been coerced into a course they weren't really fussed about... Both types might end up working as a mechanic, both might work for themselves, both might say the same things when advertising.

Morat wrote:

Welcome :) I'm jealous of your off-road opportunities already - send more pics :)

Thought you might have done enough off-roading in a previous job?

At least Gilbert didn't tel you it was your round already... as he told me when I first joined this forum. Not really my place to say it because I don't even own a P38.. but welcome from a resident LPG (propane) conversion specialist!

I've seen a few cars on bricks in out of the way public car parks, owners not very happy when they return!
Can see why people enjoy having a vehicle that stands out (vehicle model / nice wheels / etc) but any vehicle that stands out will be the first to draw attention of thieves/vandals.. such concerns would detract from my enjoyment of a vehicle. I've seen people driving around supermarket car parks trying to find 2 empty spaces so they can park their expensive/special/sports car on the line between spaces (to leave space at each side of the car so nobody opens a door onto their car), caused me to wonder how much they were enjoying their car at that moment and if they'd be having a better time in a car they didn't worry so much about.

Still not done anything about this, not had time! But not convinced it needs a wheel bearing now. Seems more like it needs a UJ joint on the prop to the front diff and a track rod end on the nearside (or inner track rod joint on OS). Haven't even checked if the inner track rod joints can be changed or if it'd be be a case of a new rack. Getting worse though.

I've heard a new airbag blow on the back of a Disco... That, along with gunshots, exploding exhausts and exploding tyres, I call loud. The Disco one blew because it was over-pressurised.

Heat-shields and the securing bolts always corrode/seize on every model of vehicle... If worst came to worst I definitely wouldn't pay £200+ or mess about drilling/tapping holes trying to fit original spec shields. Wrap's a good idea where possible but failing that I'd just cobble something up from sheet steel.

Bet I'm not the only person to have been expecting to see a wreck but a full car wreck not just a dash panel.

Gilbertd wrote:

You've obviously not looked into the differences

Correct! I don't see diesels, only knew it'd need the petrol ECU and it's loom (but now you mention it Becm seems obvious), expected you'd point out a list of other bits, longer list than I expected ;-)

Gilbertd wrote:

A manual, base model diesel on springs, got absolutely nothing going for it in my book.

Would anyone buy if they'd just had engine and gearbox rebuilt on their own P38 only for it to be written off due to accident damage...transplant V8, interior and other necessary bits.

Morat wrote:

Sunny Scunny the top honeymoon destination? lol

Scunny (Scunthorpe?) mentioned again... Thought Cunny was the top honeymoon destination lol.

Haven't even measured it yet, too busy working on customer cars.
I don't hold much hope regards the Merc dealers being much help, locking nuts will probably turn out to be aftermarket anyway. Maybe I'll contact them, or might just buy some removal tools as recommended above and buy some new wheel bolts.

Thanks for replies, I'll check the adaptor for a number and look at tools in links this evening.

Anyone got a recommendation?
Bought a wheel bearing for the ML the other day, didn't expect fitting it to be dead easy but didn't expect to get stuck at such an early point as removing the wheel!
On my wheel bolt to 17mm hex adaptor some of the male security drive pattern has snapped off, so now I'm going to have to find another method of getting the security bolts out of all 4 wheels.
Haven't yet measured the security bolts outside head diameter (circular so nothing to grip to, will need a tool that hammers on and bites in), the other bolt heads are 17mm (hex) so without measuring would guess outside diameter will be 17mm..
I'd imagine there'll be tools on the market that are far better than others. Loads on Ebay but would rather not buy plastic/snap-off quality stuff!

Is it available in black? lol.
I do work on Mustangs that've been resprayed in a very similar colour, same guy who wanted his LPG tank (where back seats used to be) chromed.