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.

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).