Don't own anything mentioned but I like the idea of a BMW V8 in a P38. Good engine, timing chain doesn't seem to go wrong, plenty BMW V8's in scrapyards anyway. I've converted a lot of them and regardless of mileage they all seem to pull the same vacuum and have same performance without leaks or smoke. Usual bits that go wrong are just rotten rocker breather pipes (I think due to ethanol in petrol, inexpensive and easy fix) and water cooled alternators (when fitted). Hear a lot about throwaway BMW straight 6's when hg has blown due to overheating (overheating means head bolts pull threads when refitting) but don't hear of many problems about post nikasil issue V8s. Plumb a reducer into a BMW V8's water circuit and they bleed themselves up no messing, the straight 6's can take some bleeding though. While it would cost more to rebuild a BMW V8 than a Rover V8 and some parts wouldn't be rebuildable anyway, I wouldn't bother rebuilding one while there are so many in scrappies. I once bought 2 good RV8's for a total of £80 from an ad in Autotrader, doubt I'd see a similar advert now.
Lol! I think I'm getting to that old and out of touch stage you never imagine yourself reaching when you're young, into tech stuff and promise yourself you'll never be far behind others.... I could ask my son (who used to ask me stuff about computers) but I'll ask you - How do you know it's Russian bots that have been 'visiting'? So it's possible to take a user's web address and denote a geographical area then?! When I worked for chamber of commerce there was a guy doing a similar job as me (teaching / training others) who said he'd only got into computers due to thinking he was out of touch / behind the times and needed to catch up.. so he did loads of courses, got loads of quals on it and eventually ended up teaching the subject. At the time I would still have pissed all over his IT skills when it came to more in depth stuff but these days I doubt it - it''s me that's becoming the old out of touch guy. I might have to chuck myself into IT again, maybe even start DJIng again. Focused so much on LPG for such a long time I fear I've become a one poker in the fire guy... DJing always helped prevent the one fire aspect ;-)
What I don't like is when you have a procedure that says X ft/lbs then Y degrees then Z degrees. By the time you get around to Z the actual torque can be very different on different bolts.
I don't like doing up stretch bolts - but they do exist for a reason, Got to weigh it all up from there.
Edit - Unanswered so far... In my last post I asked could the head / block have corrosion pitting due to the long term water leak?
A long time ago, before I was into LPG or even pro mechanics, I used to do some jobs on vehicles that mechanics within a fairly wide radious wouldn't want to take on (or would quote ridiculous fees for) including changing Sierra / Escort Cosworth head gaskets.The Cosy HG's seldom leaked on the compression seal (unless they were 400+bhp ) but would piss water down the drivers side of the block and the head usually suffered corrosion because of it (though maybe electrolysis).
Probably more likely on an engine with iron block and aluminium heads (less likely on an RV8) - If coolant has been leaking from the head gasket area long term could there be some pitting on the head/block?
Tour de Yorkshire next year Miles? Comes straight past here.. Not been tempted to get my bike down from garage rafters for a decade though, last time I did I only went to Pontefract and back but had a sore ass for ages. I'd be more inclined if it had an electric motor to switch on in case I suddenly got very knacked but then would probably want an engine to charge the battery in case that went flat lol. I was gonna rig my dads old mate's disability scooter up with a lawnmower engine and alternator because he liked to go on long distance jaunts on it and was always risking flat batts but then he had another stroke.
If you've already ruled out all other water areas the head gasket is where the leak must be coming from. But like you say, I'd be removing stuff to check (stuff that would have to be removed to change hg anyway). HG has one function but that function breaks down to 3 functions - seal cylinders (metal rings), seal waterways, seal oil-ways. The worst way a hg can fail is on metal cylinder rings but if a hg fails in any other way it's still got to be changed.
Are the rocker cover bolts imperial? Been a long time since I dug at all deeply into a P38's RV8 but seem to remember this.
Could make up an M10/M8 stepped stud with a bit of welding and grinding. Always a concern drilling into heads (of any type lol) but got to do it to fit helicoils anyway. I'd go with the stepped stud idea rather than helicoil and have done that on Chrysler 3.3 V6 alloy heads.
My cousin's ex-girlfriend's brother was a tree surgeon... chainsaw slipped, artery cut (more Texas style that just a nick to the wrist), dead. Got to wonder if it was a one in a million accident that couldn't have been anticipated (given that he used a chainsaw every day at work) or if he was particularly reckless that day. Mate's got a glass eye, he probably won't be getting down close to a lathe again so see what's going on closeup with his other eye lol. Other mate calls in to watch me work every Thursday, as a back seat passenger he was involved in a bad car accident around 1990, car with 5 people on board but he was the only person with more than a few cuts and bruises... due to his head going through the side window and hitting a wall. Very similar in character to how he used to be but now with an unusual mix of both paranoia and extreme optimism. I understand the paranoia when I have to test/calibrate a car and ask him if he's coming for the ride.. I have to promise I won't be driving fast.
Wouldn't worry me to cut it while laid under the car but probably not with the grinder just above my head...
Guards and handles get in the way for tight spots, most of the grinders I've bought (smaller than 9") have never had handles or guards fitted.
Best to grind/cut with the tool pulling away from you, if it's pushing toward you it'll bite/jar which is dangerous in itself but is also another cause of broken discs... but pulling away from you means sparks fly back toward you if you're behind and in line with the disc... better if you can get to one side. Sometimes the only way you'll get access is with the disc pushing toward you.. two handed job while applying only light pressure while wishing it spun in the opposite direction. Can often direct the sparks by adjusting point of contact with the disk circumference but it gets progressively more dodgy as it shifts away from pulling away from you. If you can't avoid sparks don't forget ears.. sparks in ears don't seem to cool as fast as they do when hitting skin etc, if a spark goes in at just the right wrong angle it can feel like there's red hot metal slowly burning inner ear (because it is) and it takes a bit of will not to start rolling around while still holding the grinder, then expect earache the rest of the day. Not as bad as welding sparks though.. I wrap a wet towel round head to prevent that when overhead welding. My 9 incher is much scarier than a little 'un, always a tight grip on that ;-) but now I've got to say I only used the 9 incher on one 'project' this year lol. Can't remember the last time I used a saw, grinder is good for all sorts of stuff besides the obvious, such as trimming boot floor carpet that's glued to a thin wooden board (when fitting a cylinder tank to the front of boot space). No worries cutting a 6mm bolt / 10 mm nut even if only way of access means it pushes. Next lesson is on sucking eggs (as opposed to 9 inches).
Will it be a winter camp lol?
Thanks RutlandRover...
Just noticed it's David's P38 lol
I like the 1mm disks for cutting bolts and thin bar, need to buy more as local suppliers have been out of stock for a while. Much more likely to break up if any sideways force is applied than thicker ones but wouldn't want to see them banned.
Awww... doesn't work if you click on the link (does for me)? Bugger, that's taken the spontaneity out of it even if I get it working then!
10mm headed nuts usually have 6mm thread with 1mm pitch (standard M6) but vehicle bolts aren't always standard... Gilbert would be far more likely to know what nut you need. If you have a bit of the old bolt left (which you cut) you could try cleaning up the end of it's threads and if you have any generic 10mm nuts around (which would be very likely to be standard M6) and they screw onto your bolt you'll know you just need an M6 nut with a similar flange.
I sometimes do a bit of mild grinding but don't often dance and definitely don't go on grindr...
Daring types use angle grinders without the guard attached to allow getting into tighter spaces but some of us have scars on arms, indentations in thumbs and bits of metal burned into scalps that didn't used to be there before using an angle grinder.
The 1mm cutting disks are great for cutting but while you can use a 2/3 mm disk for a bit of very mild grinding (and I know it shouldn't really be done with a 2 or 3mm disk), don't try even mild grinding with a 1mm disk lol.
I now look at it like this... It was a bad call by the RAC man to have me continue trying to pull the caravan up Bodmin Moor (grr!) but I can kind of see his predicament and it was also a bad call from me to agree to do it. He'd probably had umpteen self proclaimed mechanics self diagnosing none-issues over the preceding weeks and sent many on their merry way after their engine had cooled down etc. The first guy the AA sent to me was a great old bloke, said he was semi retired but the AA was paying his fees for him to stop in his own caravan in mid-Cornwall so they could send him to peak season call-outs such as mine. This bloke turned up, asked me for the story in which I explained the cat problem and told him the engine had seized, he took in what I'd said, looked me up and down and didn't even bother opening the bonnet before apologising that AA had sent him in a van and he'd have to call for re-reinforcements to get my car home. I said I didn't mind as I'd be enjoying breakfast in the pub on the beach over the road ;-) He told me about in his early days as an AA mechanic (which must have been 40 years ago) he had a Viva which were known to have a common problem of dizzy drive gears breaking up, he self diagnosed his problem and told AA staff but they still sent a little van to try and fix the problem on his drive..... at a time when his wife had begun labour with his first child and he intended to drive her to hospital. A good chat and I asked him if he fancied breakfast but he had stuff to do on works time.
Latest on this on LPGforum..
OnTheFenceDev posted
'Just to let you guys know that I also contacted Damian about taking on the hosting, maintenance and support of the forum - it certainly is too good a resource to let it die.
My primary connection with the world of LPG is that I developed the FillLPG Android application (not the website, just the app) - and am currently planning a new release which will include an iOS version.
Anyway - I'm not an installer, but I am an IT professional so I'm willing and able to take the site on from a technical standpoint. What I would not be able to do is moderate the site - I have neither the time nor the insight to do so.
The offer is there but if someone else is better suited to take it on then I'm happy to stand back'.
I keep getting calls from claims companies who'd have me claim the fees I've paid Barclays for this 'enhanced' or whatever account. I've never used their travel insurance or mobile phone insurance but I have used the RAC a few times. I haven't taken any claims firms up on it because I went into the agreement with eyes open, I;m not a 'claims culture' type person anyway, and I did wonder if Barclays might close my account (which I use a lot for business) if I claimed which would be quite a hassle... But if I find there was small print which said the RAC cover was limited I might take them up on it. The first RAC guy was OK, we didn't fall out or anything but I got the full impression he didn't really believe the problems with the car and would in any case rather fob me off so he could get onto another job. He also told me we were on the top of Bodmin Moor so it was all downhill to Newquay when actually there were still the steepest hills to go up. If we'd gone with my suggestion in the first place or if it really was all downhill from there to Newquay my engine probably wouldn't be shafted now... but I know there are different ways of looking at it.
That's interesting Bri, I'll look into this thanks but I suspect you're right again on it being due to being covered through the bank.
