After going nearly insame trying to align my replacement upper tailgate (it wouldn´t shut) I found out that the lock somehow got stuck and didn´t "grab" the loop that would hold shut the tailgate. So removed the lock assembly, rinsed in brake cleaner, oiled it up and it worked again.
Then aligning the tailgate worked, finally.
Richard had sent me a refurbished valve block but since the tailgate didn´t close, the EAS wouldn´t work. So now the new valve block works beautifully, no leaks, no sinking overnight, quick height changes, finally all as it should be. Thanks again to Richard for saving another P38 !
Thanks, I´ll try that.
I finally changed the upper tailgate which was very very rusty, found a mathcing one a couple of years ago.
Went fine although changing it alone was tricky (balancing it on my head while fumbling to find the screwholes without seeing them) but now it doesn´t shut properly most of the time. I know the screwholes are variable and it seemed to sit fine according to the vague RAVE instructions and that the look that goes into the lock is movable too but I can´t get it adjusted that it will always shut tight.
Also tried loosening the "lock loop" and then shutting the tailgate for it to position itself properly and then screwing it tight but that didn´t work either.
Any hints ?
Finally got my MOT done yesterday (the german equivalent), yay !
Luckily the tester is a friend of mine (but very thorough) so the leaking eas valve block officially wasn´t an issue....He knows that if I say I´ll take care of it, I will. I just had to start the engine a couple of times in between when I saw that the car started sinking down....!
Thanks to Richard that problem will be gone soon too !
It was running a tiny bit too lean to pass the emission test but holding the exhaust pipes closed with paper towels did the trick....
Only advisories were Oily engine, rusty exhaust from the outside and brake disks a bit rusty (it sat for a year)
Glad I got it on the road again, while it sat waiting for a new flex plate I wasn´t sure if I would have the stamina for it...
That's what I believe too.
Even though the engine looks a lot wetter from underneath than just a litre....
At the MOT yesterday the tester looked at it and said "Oh, quite dry for a British engine" :-D
Since I started using 15W-50 I am not losing so much Oil anymore.
I would say I have to top up about 1 litre in between oil changes and this is what the engine naturally eeds to conserve it's underside against rust ;-)
Typing some loose ends here, I always hate it when posts don't have a meaningful ending...
I found where my leak came from.
If you remove the long black liner covering the roof rack fixing points you can see that at the front where the metal goes down to the windscreen there is some sealant which apparently gets hard with time, I could see little cracks.
Since this is an area where two metal parts are welded together during construction water could sleep through.
I smeared some new sealant onto the area and since then everything has stayed dry.
I hope my explanation is comprehensible....'-)
What can I do differently ? I did the Block three times now. I could sand/grind the rubber part of the plunger so that the circular groove is gone so it might seal better, otherwise I don't have any better ideas. The O-rings I renewed last night were all put in carefully and everything was very clean...
Is it possible to buy the plungers and/or NRV valves separately ?
Since my EAS valve block was leaking at the base of the solenoids I decided to di the O-ring job once again. Also the thin valve stem ones, I could feel on some that they had creases and bumps on them even though I changes them a couple of weeks ago.
System is still leaking air quite rapidly (abot 30 minutes for one corner to go all the way down) but this time from the cables that come out of the solenoids.
From where does that air come from ?? The valve stems again ? But wouldn´t the extra o-rings stop the air leaving the whole solenoid...?
I attached a photo and short clip here:
"https://c.web.de/%40337510546125364120/YIGJy3S8TNMUx5Vy6QMRdw"
I have overhauled the block three times now and still it´s leaking....! I don´t get it....
Had an appointment fpr MOT today but I guess that´s off. If the car sinks down while looking at the underside that´s not helpful.....
I had the last O-Ring set from X8R, but heard some comments that they are not always perfect anymore. Does it make sense to redo the overhaul? How are the experiences with 4x4airseals?
Or could something else be the problem?
The square seals unter the solenoids are just for dust, aren't they ?
Must admit I hadn't tested that thoroughly when I overhauled the block, so could have been leaking some time...barely drove it afterwards...
Hab some more small things to do before I finally drive the car to TÜV (german for MOT), adjust the handbrake, got the headlight wipers going again (fuse blown due to being stuck because on non usage for a year), changed a rear airbag that was leaking (production date 44/08). Thought that now the EAS should be behaving better. Did a leak check with soapy water but found the solenoid casings leaking.
See photo:
"https://c.web.de/%40337510546125364120/J_0TKZf264G4s5aX7PzIqQ"
I had overhauled the valve block about a year ago before it sat there beacuse of the flex plate....
Then 2 weeks ago I saw that the front solenoid was leaking so I removed the valve block and saw that the thin o-ring was not seated right, changed it for the old ones I had kept and checked all other o-rings for correct seating.
Now this - all top solenoids leaking !
Should I get a complete new set and to the overhaul again or could it be something else...?
I actually had that already....!
After I finally changed the flex-plate and ran the engine for the first time it ran for about 15 minutes before it just died. Thought there was no petrol left as it had been sitting for a while on reserve and I had no idea how much was in the tank. Went to the petrol station, got some petrol, still no running engine.
Did all kind of fault-finding for hours, thought the fuel pump died because of running dry.
Finally had a look at the CPS and saw that the metal tip was gone...sheared off by the tags on the flywheel...! Ordered a new CPS, bent the tag that had the corresponding marks on it back into place and it went again.
I also had another look at the CPS again - because the sound does sound a bit louder from the bottom - but it was undamaged. Can the tags hit anything else down there...?
I put in an engine cleaning agent, let it idle 15 min., did oil and filter change (Oil was so black as I only see it when changing oil on a diesel engine) put new 15W-50 oil in and added an oil additive especially for noisy lifters. Still sounds exactly the same.
But it needed a change anyway and from what I here here I shouldn´t worry to much about it.
I also feel a slight roughness/coughing every couple of seconds (did that before too). Could that be from a worn cam too...?
Is it possible to run the engine without valve covers or would that make an oil mess...?
It´s weird having such a smooth engine but then having to put up with such quirks....but then again, as long as it runs OK....:-)
I also have no Idea how much mileage the engine has, the odometer says 278.000 km but the prevoius ownder said the engine was replaced once and the km on the odometer are the kms the engine did, the car has more...but it doesn´make sense to me how that can be done....
Maybe I'll do a flush before change and then some additive afterwards, found one especially for noisy lifters....usually don't believe in magic potions but what have I to lose ...:-)
OK, thanks for the pointer in a direction. Does it make sense that they tick when warm ? I only knew it the other way round.
Oil I use is a 15w-50, but it's been in there a while...
Maybe a flush with a solvent and then oil change...?
Would like not to tear apart everything again, especially as I have the LPG setup on the inlet manifold...
Does driving with a sticky lifter do any harm ?
But I am happy that it does not seem to be a slipped liner, I don't think I would rectify that anymore .
Greetings,
Max.
Good evening.
I am finally back in the P38 game after taking nearly a year to replace my shattered flex-plate. I also had some "ticking" sound from a hole in the exhaust manifold, got that welded too.
Since this car is constantly testing my faith, now I have a new sound ^^.
When engine is cold it sounds fine, when it warms up there is a ticking sound, coming from the middle of the engine. I have used a mechanics' stethosope to find the sound but it sounds the same everywhere. Up, down, left right. Sound very central like where the camshaft is. It is also about 6 times a second, so quite exactly half the RPM, so camshaft speed.
Any ideas please what that could be ? I was already fearing the liners.....
I have attached a sound file, first couple seconds engine cold, then engine warm.....
greetings,
Max.
https://c.web.de/@337510546125364120/wG6ArPRS8KkJ1kI5dHarGA
(you have to mark the whole link and then paste into browser...don´t know how to do it better...)
Yeah, that's true...!
Whew, finally made it.
Flex plate was in 10 pieces, got it out and the new one in, now the whole procedure in reverse...
Thanks for the help, still more things to fix....
Finally made it. Was a real fight with the bolts and myself and the car.....had to have a serious word with Rangie, if it refuses to give me the bellhousing bolts I would have to make it see its creator....that seemed to work :-)
I can see the parts of the flex plate now and can change it.
While I am there I wanted to check the output shaft seal, but am I right to assume that if the "flywheel" and ringgear is clean and dry that I do not need to change it? The engine is very oily but the inside of the bellhousing is clean...