I'm wanting to tidy the yard up a bit and make a bit more space because I'm looking at buying a boat and/or motorhome and there's been too much crap in the yard for years anyway.
So first off I scrapped an old Merc ML 3.2 7 seater I've owned for around 5 years. I bought this ML in a rush when I needed a tow car to pull my caravan to Cornwall, bought it one day and used it for the tow the next day. New iridium plugs in it (12), new tyres on the back but a bit tatty, AC didn't work (compressor), PAS reservoir to pump seal issue so it leaked PAS fluid out over a couple of days, osr bumper needed a bracket fabricating. One previous owner car, I could have fixed it up but it wouldn't be worth much so I scrapped it and got paid £250 scrap value. No problems there, it was a runner and the local bloke who picked it up made short work of getting it on the back of his truck, just drove it on.
Different story getting rid of the Jeep. Flat battery but it wouldn't crank on turn of the key from a good jump start. I got it started by removing the starter relay and jumping the switched connection.. Jump starting from my car it started straight up after maybe 3 years since it was last started but it would only run for 3 seconds before cutting out... some sort of immobiliser issue. Brakes were binding and I only had a normal car to pull it with if I were to use a rope, so I rigged a longer wire from the relay connections to the cabin so I could touch the wires together and start it from inside then move a few feet during the 3 seconds the engine would run whilst trying to avoid crashing into my car that I was jump starting it from. Took around an hour to do a total of around 80 yards including a 5 point turn for the Jeep and the jump start vehicle having to be constantly repositioned around the Jeep in a kind of vehicle dance but I managed to manoeuvre it in the yard to get it nicely lined up with the entrance for when the scrapman came with his truck to collect it. Phoned the scrapman I used for the ML... "I'm in Tenerife mate, back Tuesday". So I told him "I want it gone before then really but if it's still here on Tuesday I'll call you again". Phoned the driver of another scrap firm I've used in the past, not so close but still only 10 miles away. He said "Phone our office mate, I'm just a driver". I phoned the office they said "We'll be sending a different driver and she's a lot better looking". My mate was with me, he was hurt badly in a car crash in his 20's and doesn't work but we've known each other all our lives and he comes to see me at work and 'help me' a few times a week. He says "Heh I might come tomorrow then if there's a bird coming"'. The scrapyard office hear him so they're all laughing. Next day the driver turns up to collect the Jeep, looks a bit young and giddy but manages to reverse the truck down the drive OK. I don't want to make it seem I'm looking over her shoulder so I don't watch her attach the tow line from the truck to the Jeep. Goes to winch the Jeep onto the truck, the Jeep doesn't move but it's front wheels turn inwards because she'd attached the line to the steering arm instead of to the axle and the truck moves backwards. At this point I release the line and attach it to the axle. What should have been an easy job winching the Jeep onto the truck turns into half an hour of faff because of the front wheel tow-in so not being able to steer it very well and because the tow-in pushes the ramps inwards during the climb. At last it's on the truck, spend half hour talking about her horses with her taking pics of my old boat because her mate might want to buy it, then she says goodbye without giving me the cheque for £340. All good in the end though.
Had a Merc ML55AMG in the yard for around 7 years, not mine, it belonged to a customer whom had me convert his newer Merc ML63AMG to LPG around 7 years ago. When coming to collect the freshly LPG converted 63AMG he asked me if he could come in his 55AMG, drive home in the 63, have me LPG service the 55 and come back to collect the 55 next week. It turns out that in that week his then missus discovered he was having an affair with his secretary, he ran off with the secretary, the 55 was the missus daily driver.. The car was left with me for 7 years and the owner was very difficult to get hold of. But I managed to get in touch with him last week and he agreed to give me the car to compensate for the storage, a logbook in my name for it arrived today. I'm not sure what to do with the 55AMG now, it has a 'special' LPG system because it's previous owner was an LPG installer and went to town fitting multiple LPG tanks to maximise range, I quite enjoyed driving it when it was roadworthy. quick for a small 4x4 SUV type thing and could be a 'street sleeper' if de-badged to shock boy racers from the lights, or pull a boat when I buy one (or existing caravan). But it's obviously deteriorated in 7 years, brake pedal goes to the floor but I haven't had a good look around it and ML's do have a common problem of rusted rear brake lines so the brakes might be an easy fix. Got it started but it was running on 6 cylinders at first, it turned out rats had eaten some engine bay wiring! But I've fixed that and the V8 now runs nicely. Maybe if it seems structurally good I'll fix it, maybe then keep it myself or sell it, if it seems it'll cost too much to put back on the road I'll sell it as is. Maybe regret scrapping the other ML because the door sills were better on that one than this and same colour.
Wonder if boat exhaust manifold/risers and mating plate to an Alpha/Bravo boat leg are available for the Merc 5.5? If so it might be an idea to buy a boat with a knacked engine and stick the 350/400hp Merc 5.5 in a boat designed for a 4.3/5.0/5.7 Mercruiser/Volvo setup.
On a different forum someone posted this link to a 'save LPG' petition https://chng.it/JByWb6c6zw
I'm not sure who they're going to send it to etc but I've signed it and I thought others running on LPG might want to sign it too.
I've also posted about this on LPGforum
Seen on a few forums people seem to prize stainless exhausts, but why?
Back in the 70's a mild steel exhaust might only have lasted a few years so a stainless system though more expensive could work out cheaper than changing a mild steel system a few times during the life of the vehicle. These days exhausts last a lot longer but people seem willing to fit a stainless system even on an old car, the exhaust will then outlive the car but a mild steel system fitted on an old car might also outlive the car and even if the mild steel system needed replacing once again it still might work out cheaper than the stainless system. Stainless systems look nice and shiny but you can't see the system when it's under the car and you don't worry about the look of other bits you can't see under the car...
Just a quick post..
I LPG converted an early L322 with BMW 4.4 for a guy from the other side of Barnsley from me (over 10 miles away) around 8 years ago, the same owner phoned me a couple of days ago to say it had started losing a lot of water and could I have a look at it please, asked me to give him a call when I had a bit of time. So today I phoned him and he drove over 10 miles to see me, in the last couple of days he's also been using it on the motorway..
As soon as he pulled up I saw loads of steam coming from under the bonnet. Pulled the bonnet and saw the steam was coming from the back of the engine. Removed the engine cover and removed the middle/heater air filter panel on the bulkhead for visibility and access (he's an ex mechanic who now works for a firm that supplies HGV bits but he'd never had the engine cover off and didn't know the middle panel could be removed).
I found a coolant T (for the LPG reducer) had snapped, there was hardly any coolant left in the engine at all. After leaving the engine to cool for some time and after I'd fitted a new T and put the middle panel and engine cover back on I put some antifreeze and water in it and it ran absolutely fine.
He said he has been topping the water up at home and at work but I'm very surprised the engine was still running and wasn't cooked, especially as he'd been on the motorway with it etc, it must have quickly pumped all it's coolant out due to the severity of the leak.
Happy New Year...
A strange time to be online but everyone's in bed and I'm bored with the TV, might as well set the ball rolling. Hope for less Covid this year.
Sorry this isn't range rover stuff but I'd appreciate your thoughts on this...
My missus has been learning to drive, we bought her an old Corsa to practice driving with me sat beside her but because I've been so busy she's spent more time driving with her instructor than with me.
Now I'm not so busy to me it seems the ideal time for us to go out in the Corsa together for her to practice driving - the roads are quieter than they're likely to be at any other time and if we don't need to refuel we're still isolated in the Corsa, which has a full tank of petrol at the moment... so enough fuel for plenty driving practice without having to refuel and bring either of us close to any other people. But she takes 'You must not leave the house except for work, shopping or medical reasons' very literally and refuses driving practice.
I think I take the common sense point of view, what do you think? The only potential issues I see are if: She crashes the car (lol) / or the car breaks down (so we'd need to call AA/RAC which might bring us within close contact of the services guy). Hardly concerns that are likely to be realised IMO. Not a joy ride or excuse to break the monotony of lockdown but something useful and productive timed ideally - What do you think?.
I don't want this to turn into another debate on the rights or wrongs of emissions, I'm looking for answers in trying to avoid charges and don't care if anyone thinks it is right or wrong to avoid charges ;-)
As some here know I go on a forum for imported (from Japan) Nissan Elgrands. There's been some talk on there about original Nissan emission figures for petrol Elgrands (from 2002 onward) stating low enough figures that they should in theory be able to avoid having to pay the London ULEZ charges (?). Being imports there is no 'Euro4' etc rating for these cars and the emissions data sections on the V5 are usually blank... which is a good thing in one way in that owners don't have to pay the higher road fund duty but might be a a bad thing in another way if this is the issue that means having to pay ULEZ charges.
Several people have tried to get an exemption from ULEZ charges by sending 'evidence' of low emissions to TFL Transport For London but TFL ask for a signed letter from the vehicle manufacturer (technical department was mentioned) to support the emissions figures, the signed letter has to include the UK registration number and VIN number. Nissan don't know the reg number of the exported Elgrand and refuse to send such letters anyway. People have tried sending copies of Nissan documentation and letters from dealers but TFL refuse to accept anything but the signed letter from the manufacturer's technical dept.
Some people are trying a different tack, they have got a vignette for Paris and similar for Berlin and intend on asking TFL if these will suffice as evidence of low enough emissions. I note that nobody has tried this for an LPG converted Elgrand and IIRC their Paris vignette is a higher figure than Gilbert's vignette for Paris for his P38.
Anyone know (particularly Gilbert) if the Vignette tack is likely to work? Or any other way around it?
Side subject of the Paris / Berlin Vignette... Will not having a Euro rating or emissions figures on the V5 (boiling down to them being imports) effect the grading or application for such vignette if the Elgrand is LPG converted?
I nearly quoted one of Gilbert's posts on the subject of Vignettes but I don't know if it would be needed as a reference in any reply.
No need to spell out the implications if Corbyn were running the shop.. IF :-(
Anyone else alarmed?
Edit - That's zero net carbon emissions (not gross)... But can't see how there'd be much scope to make negative carbon emissions (planting trees etc), in which case net must be similar to gross, which implies no internal combustion engines?
Also seems like both Labour and SNP are intending Glasgow to be the first place to go ice engine free zero carbon emission.
The question is in the topic title...
My old Tomtom is no longer supported by Tomtom, map is out of date and would like one with a bigger screen. I recently fitted a double din head unit (this isn't a P38) did consider an Android type (which could have had satnav built in) but went for a basic (none Android) touch screen type. Might as well also ask if point of interest files can be used with Android satnavs, or better still, be set up to keep updated with real time LPG station price info from Filllpg?
Posted in Opening Time as not really an electrickery subject.
Quite a few years ago I sold a DIY LPG conversion kit for this Autobiography.
The current owner recently bought it from a guy called Karl. I'm not sure if Karl was the owner I sold the DIY kit to or if the side vents (from an L322?) were fitted last time I saw it (when I calibrated the DIY install). The current owner reckons it's been stood a year with a HG problem, he's had a 'new' engine fitted and came here today for me to check it all over (wasn't confident the engine fitter had put the LPG system back on properly). I found the calibration was still spot on, only slight issue was someone had got wires to 2 LPG injectors mixed up which was causing a momentary 2 cylinder misfire when switching between fuels.
Still looks good! I wonder if anyone here knows this car or the previous owner? I advised the current owner to join this forum.
Someone fitted a pressure gauge to the air suspension.
The owner won't care that the reg number is visible
Extremely tidy condition all round. Immaculate and original(?) sheepskin rugs in the rear, I didn't take a pic though.
I do have a record of fitting a new LPG ECU on this install shortly after the DIY conversion... The owner had jet washed the original LPG ECU, I can remember finding it full of water! Must have removed the ECU box top cover when jet-washing, Thor so the LPG ECU is fitted where a Gems ECU would be.
Yesterday I bought a new petrol lawnmower from B&Q for £140. Got to agree with my dad's engineer mate than a complete lawnmower with petrol engine and all the other bits for that money seems ridiculously good vfm when you consider what went in to making it... Probably couldn't even buy the engine separately for that much. So I wondered about buying another just for the engine and using the engine to drive an alternator to charge a battery to power an invertor to make my own invertor generator. Alternators are cheap from scrapyards and the lawnmower engine would have enough power to drive several alternators.. So how about a high power invertor and several alternators in parallel... But are there any issues with wiring alternators in parallel?
Had a chat with an ex Landrover specialist garage owner today, Chris (mentioned on Mazz's diesel problem thread). During the chat he told me that a P38 that I'd converted years ago, a 2002 4.6 that he'd personally rebuilt the engine on only a couple of years ago was recently sold for only £1100 because the owner (who is or was owner of a factory in Halifax who chain smoked all his life and now carries a bottle of oxygen on the front passenger seat) had been messed around by a couple of potential buyers then reckoned he couldn't get a higher price for it. And I thought he was a clever bloke and businessman.. daft lad! It was an extremely nice example with no issues whatsoever. I'd like a P38 but haven't got good reasons to justify owning one... but still I'd have snatched his hand off for a far higher price.
What's this then ? ;-)
I was asked the same question on a different forum... I nearly submitted a guess which would have been correct but didn't guess and failed lol. If the pic had been higher res I may have submitted my best guess.. Reckon some of you lot will do better than me!
Probably wait til we've had 3 guesses before naming the naked vehicle.
On LPGforum thread https://www.lpgforum.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=27&t=14613
I'm converting an ex ambulance Rover V8 powered LDV van to LPG, it has twin dashpot type carbs but I'm not sure if they're SU's or something else. I've had mixers on shelf to suit SU's as fitted on some Rover V8's for years... they might fit this but I'm asking in case they don't as it could save me a bit of time when I start the job if mixers on shelf don't suit and I need to order other mixers - Mixers for dashpot type carbs are not circular they bolt directly on so need to match the bolt pattern and flow area. Day off work today, just had the van dropped off and took the pics.
Quaife LSD on this van... And on the floor seen through the window to the left of the sticker Romano reducers I removed from this P38 https://www.lpgforum.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=27&t=14509&sid=7a71dc88de8366acee8e5d1015589dcc
The LDV has only done 26000 miles in it's 21 years but the engine smells a bit blow-by breathy and exhaust smells rich so I'm half expecting a few complications, running rich on petrol won't affect running on LPG but blowby and crankcase ventilation issues can. The engine has a bit of a tick, if it's had so little use wonder if rust ever formed in cylinders and damaged rings, no smoke though. The van is high roof, automatic, carries a cooker and camper gear, canoos etc on the massive full length roof cage and owners reckon it gets 14mpg which I'd think seems about right.
Didn't enjoy converting a supercharged L322 last week.This week I'm converting an XJ8, more or less the same engine but without the supercharger, still needs a fuel return fitting, still needs a lube (but at least not electronic type)... But I wasn't counting on this car having air suspension stuff in the middle of the spare wheel well and it seems this air suspension stuff is going to be much more of a pain to shift than it is on an L322. Some pipes run through a rubber grommet in the wheel well floor to the suspension, pipes also run internal in the wheel well to the pump, so to shift it from the spare wheel well so I can fit the tank I'll have to extend the pipes.
Pic of the air suspension stuff in the wheel well
But how to extend the pipes... I don't want to have run new lengths of pipe to each suspension corner, pump, etc... I just want to buy more of the same types of pipe and use pipe joints. Can anyone help identify what type of pipe joints I need and where to get them in a hurry?
Here are some close up pics of the pipes marked 6x1 and 4x1 (which I take to mean 6mm diameter x 1mm wall thickness etc) and the end fittings which use little collets. Reckon I don't need to worry about the end fittings as I should be able to re-use them on the pipes I add as extensions, but I do need to buy some of this 6x1 and 4x1 pipe and fittings to connect 2 lengths of 6x1 together and 2 lengths of 4x1 together.
Anyone know where to get those bits in a hurry? I'm not sure what thread they are etc but I thought perhaps they're usually a standard type and some of the knowledgeable people here might know.
I didn't mean to post this in Opening Time, had a look to see if I could shift it but seems beyond my moderation powers... Higher mods feel free to shift this thread.
Thanks, Simon
Considering buying a press. I've previously managed without one even for jobs where a press would have made things much easier but I now have a few wheel bearings to change at around the same time and buying one seems to make sense. Don't want to spend a fortune on some massive 75ton overkill rated floor standing thing but don't want to buy anything that's not up to the job either. First use will be for wheel bearings on the ML and on a Corsa (just bought for the missus to learn to drive in). What tons rating should be on top of the job but without too much overkill / bulk / expense?
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!
Here you go....
Not a P38 but there may be P38 owners who could profit out of this at my expense!
While using my Nissan Elgrand to tow my large caravan from near Doncaster Yorkshire to Newquay Cornwall I felt a drop in engine power coming up a hill on the A30 20 miles from Newquay. I immediately suspected the very common (to Elgrand) blocked cat problem - there are 4 cats in total, two at each side of the V6, the front cats break up and clog the entrance to the rear cats, the usual preventative measure is to decore the rear cats which I've done for plenty of customers but not on my own Elgrand!. I pulled into a layby and checked things over... oil clean, had a few codes pointing to cam sensors, pulled the cam sensors and cleaned them up, phoned the 'Elgrand guru' who still reckoned it'd only be a cam sensor (which I doubted). Connected LPG software and found bank 1 was running with 30% less fuelling than bank 2 so I suspected the problem would mostly be affecting bank 1 (since both lambda's flicked and since bank 1 therefore was pulling 30% less air than bank 2). Tried driving again but the problem remained. Stopped in another layby and called the RAC out, like the guru the RAC man also doubted it'd be blocked cats, he also advised me that only my car was covered so if I wanted recovering they'd have to call in one of their subcontractors who would shift the caravan to Newquay for me for £500! I insisted we did something about the cats so he loaned me a hammer and chissel and I knocked a hole in the downpipe on bank 1 before the rear cats... found it full of cat debris. Knocked another large hole further up the exhaust. Set off again and the car pulled much better, RAC man (who had been following) left me to it but another 2 miles down the road and the problem recurred only this time with overheating and the oil was black. Called RAC man again, another bloke came out, this bloke gave me the number to his mates garage who recovered the car and caravan to Newquay for £150+VAT and got me onto the camp site. Next day I borrowed step son-in-laws car to go into town and buy some tools and oil from Halfrauds, I disconnected bank 2's second cat and tried driving the car very noisily up a steep hill away from the campsite. Made it 100 yards and the engine seized! Reverse rolled all the way back to the camp site.
Hired a Zafira which I can drop off in Doncaster so this will get us home but not the caravan (no towbar) and not the Elgrand. Plan now is that I'll have to hire a car trailer to come back for the Elgrand with my Merc ML and then come back again in the ML for the caravan. I can store both the caravan and car here for £20 per week and may try to arrange things so we get a few days 'holiday' each trip, but that's 2 x 700 mile round trips and potential time out from work I haven't arranged things around.
I wonder if any capable vehicle (i.e. P38) owners would like to make a few bob by shifting my Elgrand from Newquay to South Elmsall W.Yorks? Timescale - Well, plan A is that I come back for the Elgrand first leaving the caravan here the longest so I can get 2 extra 'holidays' out of it rather than just the 1 if I pick the caravan up first. This may change if I arrange for someone else to shift the Elgrand (could maybe get both at the same time). I can leave both here until November but don't want to leave either here that long and would suit me better if I get the Elgrand back first so I can drop another engine in it if only I wasn't so busy at work. I'm fairly tied up at work until September and it may take me that long to source another engine anyway.