Wish Me Luck & Tourists Welcome!

[Skibum346]

Well... I'm still having problems with the cooling circuit on my beastie... it's being pressurised and I've got a gurgling heater matrix (with dry carpets!). This after a new water pump and radiator.  :roll:

So I think we all know what this means... I'll be backside up with my head in the engine bay as of tommorrow morning getting my heads off!  8-[

First time I've tackled this one so not a little nervous...  :pale: But with the manual... some common sense and you lot, I should do ok!  8)

That said... if you happen to be passing... and fancy a "coffee"... feel free to pop in... you might be made very, very welcome!   [-o< :clap: :dance:

[Guardian.]

 :lol: :lol:  good luck mate, hope its an easyish fix.

[clbarclay]

Where abouts in rugby are you?

[Skibum346]

Where abouts in rugby are you?

Near Sainsbury's at the Dunchurch end... Hillmorton...

 ;)

[Skibum346]

:lol: :lol:  good luck mate, hope its an easyish fix.

Thanks matey... me too!   :?

[Range Rover Blues]

Well all have to start somewhere, best of luck, take your time and drink plenty of tea ;)

[stuvy]

Well all have to start somewhere, best of luck, take your time and drink plenty of tea ;)

Dont for get the biscuits! :P

[Skibum346]

Well... phase 1 is finished...!  :dance:  Everything except the heads is off now... no dramas... expcept for the sump emptying faster than my draining can could fill...  :doh:  So a bit of moopping up required there!

One thing I did notice... last thing I did before knocking off for the night was try to undo the head bolts... thy were pretty damn tight...  :-k :?  I didn;t try too hard but a long breaker bar was used and still all I got was a couple of very small "Crack" noises with very little movement...  :shock:  Can someone re-assure me that this is normal... and maybe offer an advice..?

The good news was that the rockers and all the gubbins around them look clean and healty... as did all the spark plugs... only problem I found was on the carbs...  the linkage that sends the choke setting to the second carb was undone and the bar was hanging free...  :roll: No wonder cold mornings have been a b****r!

Anyway... I'll check back later for advice and I'll get some snaps tommorow when my hands are clean!

Skibum

[TDi90]

'bum, this is normal  :P
basically they are special bolts (dont reuse them) they stretch and are extra tight (very tight torque settings) and if they never been undone then very very tight!!
dont worry bout it, just be gentle and go slowly...
Rob

[Skibum346]

Thanks Rob.... I'm reassured... already got a new set of bolts so that's covered!

Righ... spinach for breakfast then....!   :pale:

[TDi90]

good stuff  :)
im doing my full 0 milage rebuild next week, and im scared  :shock:

[Skibum346]

ok... problem 1... alternator bracket... there is an allen screw holding thebracket onm... last thing to undo... I've thrown WD40 at it... freeze spray at it... snapped one allen key and bent another...   

Any ideas guys...?!  [-o<

[clbarclay]

Where abouts in rugby are you?

Near Sainsbury's at the Dunchurch end... Hillmorton...

 ;)

If your still at it sunday evening then I may come and spectate. I'm staying in dunchurch during the week. Can't lend a hand at the moment though as I'm back home and just started a chassis swap.

[Skibum346]

I'd say gimme a call... but just realised I've lost my mobile!  :doh:

I'll PM you my address and home number if you want to come round... course... if I'm stiull at it Sunday evening I might not be in the best of moods!!!  :roll:

[Skibum346]

ok... officially given up for the night!  :clap:

That [insert adjective] allen screw...!   

I've tried heat, cold, muscle power..the lot!   8-[

Still not budged... one last thing to try tomorow and then it's the drill!  :boohoo:

hey ho... nowI'm off for a curry!   :D

[clbarclay]

What sort of allen keys are you using?
I have a set of hex bits that go it on a 1/2" socket I can bring back with me if the are any better than what you have.

[Skibum346]

Next Update...

I finally managed to get the allen screw out... blunted every drill bit I had... and I'm sure cheesed off the neighbours with the compressor and drill going all day!

In the end.. the vibration from drilling broke it loose and with an old srewdriver hammered in I was able to unscrew it... go figure!

Anyway... new gaskets are in and heads are back on loosely... gasket has no holes for the outer row of bolts, bolts that CLBarclay suggested were designed out on later heads and some people leave them off. Taking the day off tomorow to check with my friendly 4x4 specialist and either get new gaskets, remove the current ones and trim them or whatever else is suggested.

Oh... BTW... don't try and shortcut the process by leaving the rocker on the head... the push rods are a nightmare, to remove neatly or put back in... unless your an octopus!   :oops:

Feel like I'm on the home straight now... ok took much longer than it should have... but nearly there now.

My thanks to CLBarclay... his timely arrival and previous experience gave me a much needed morale & confidence boost!

Right.. off to bed... and back at it in the morning. Hopefully last update tommorow!

Skibum

[Skibum346]

Getting close now guys!

Garage confirmed it was OK to leave the outside row of bolts off... so..

heads - on
exhaust manifolds - on
inlet manifold - on
rocker covers - on
alternator bracket - on
power steering bracket - on
powere steering pump - on
alternator - on
heater pipes - on
water pump to inlet manifold pipe - on

Still got some bits to finish off... but hunger and snow forced a break!  8-[

Lookng froward to having her running for this afternoon!

Skibum

[Range Rover Blues]

One thing I did notice... last thing I did before knocking off for the night was try to undo the head bolts... thy were pretty damn tight...  :-k :?  I didn;t try too hard but a long breaker bar was used and still all I got was a couple of very small "Crack" noises with very little movement...  :shock:  Can someone re-assure me that this is normal... and maybe offer an advice..?

The bolts should have been fitted using a lubricating thread lock, though I've seen copper ease used :shock: and even then they crack when loosened.  Steel bolts, aly block, it's what happens.

Put the big bar on and be brave :D

[Range Rover Blues]

Getting close now guys!

Garage confirmed it was OK to leave the outside row of bolts off... so..

heads - on
exhaust manifolds - on
inlet manifold - on
rocker covers - on
alternator bracket - on
power steering bracket - on
powere steering pump - on
alternator - on
heater pipes - on
water pump to inlet manifold pipe - on

Still got some bits to finish off... but hunger and snow forced a break!  8-[

Lookng froward to having her running for this afternoon!

Skibum

It is indeed ok to leave the ouoter row os bolts in the toolbox, if fitting themn don't do them very tight at all.

Did you check the heads for flatness though, the outer row of bolts actually warps the heads :-.

Also make sure you fit the alternaor bracket correctly, including the push-bar from underneath.  Otherwise the bracket bends when you tighten the belt up and the belt gets lashed in a matter or hours.  Go on, ask me how I know :roll:


P.S. the bolts on a V8 are re-useable, they are not stretch bolts.

[clbarclay]

The new head guaskets were are composite, so should be more accomidating for a little warp that the steel ones. The main reason for leaving the outer row off was the replacement gaskets appear to be latter type ones with no holes for the outer row of bolts, which lead to some confusion, wondering why the bolts wouldn't go in :doh:

[Range Rover Blues]

OEM compositer gaskets don't have the holes as they are intended for the 10 bolt heads, but you can buy composite 14 bolt gaskets.

[Skibum346]

Quick note to say I'm finally doen.. wasn't without mishap... again!

But more of that later... got to dash out for now!

Thanks for all the re-assurance guys!

Skibum

[Skibum346]

OK... now I've got time to tell the full story...

Getting the heads, rocker shaftsetc on all went well, as did all the other ancillaries. The problems started when it came time to fill up the coolant & oil.

I had a 4.5l can of Duckhams best 20/40 and a 1l can of same. They were dark blue in colour. Knowing that there would be some oil left in the filter etc I put the 4.5l in and checked the level... perfect slap bang between the full and low marks.

Next... in went the coolant... 5l can with 2 l left in it... so happens it's also dark blue in colour. reched for the 1l can of coolant I'd sent SWMBO for... dark blue in colour... cracked the lid... and... "ooohhh... that's thick coolant........**pregnant pause**....AAaaaagggghhhhhh!!!!!" The 1l can of coolant SWMBO had bought... was a different brand and came in a white bottle... I'd just picked up the small oil can and pured 2 table spoons into the expansion tank!  :doh: :oops:

However, a quick undo of the pipe from the rad to the water pump and 10 litres of clean water flushed through rad and another 10 litres through the expansion tank, I seem to have gotten away with it. However, word of caution guys and gals... when it's been a long job, yer body is all sore and the light is going... keep yer mind on the job at hand and double check what is being put where!

other than that, everything wehnt fine, I had adjusted the choke settings to see if I could make it smoother to use... but all I did was make it impossible to move from the cab! So... head and shoulders inside again and fiddle till the choke is pullable but still has a good range.

I left her idling for about 40 minutes to see how she would cope. Part of the origonal problem had been a tendancy to get too warm with no thermostat in. initialy, despite a new thermostat and a new temp sender, it was going the same way. Then I spotted that the pipe from the water pump to the inlet manifold wasn't sealed. After sorting that I left the coolant cap off by mistake and it was the best thing I could have done... it bubbled on and off for a good while before settling down. The temp needle headed close to the last white line, then I guess the thermostat opened cause the water level dropped and things got cooler for a bit. next time it headed that wqay the low temp fan (driven by the fancy new X-eng temp switch housing) kicked in and down it came to normal and the fan switched off again. I let it do this a few times to make sure that staionary, I was not going to overheat.

So.. after four days struggling, one and a half of them with a [insert adjective] allen screw, my baby is back together and my mekanikin has gone up a level... ok... maybe half a level!  :lol: :dance:

Again... thanks for all the support and it's a great feature of the club that both new and old members are happy to kleep a fellow member on track.

Give yourselves an official pat on the back!

Now... I'm off for some cheese on toast and a couple of very large Morgan Spiced & coke!

Skibum

[Range Rover Blues]

Cheese on toast :drool:

[lee celtic]

It's now 10.49 and I fancy cheese on toast  :roll:

Thanks for that  :lol:

How many spanners does haynes say that job is 4 or five .

[Range Rover Blues]

I don't recall.  Perhaps it's 4, don't they rate a 5 spanner job as "run and hide, quickly".

[lee celtic]

don't they rate a 5 spanner job as "run and hide, quickly

 :clap: :clap: :clap: :lol: :lol:

[stuvy]

OK... now I've got time to tell the full story...

Getting the heads, rocker shaftsetc on all went well, as did all the other ancillaries. The problems started when it came time to fill up the coolant & oil.

I had a 4.5l can of Duckhams best 20/40 and a 1l can of same. They were dark blue in colour. Knowing that there would be some oil left in the filter etc I put the 4.5l in and checked the level... perfect slap bang between the full and low marks.

Next... in went the coolant... 5l can with 2 l left in it... so happens it's also dark blue in colour. reched for the 1l can of coolant I'd sent SWMBO for... dark blue in colour... cracked the lid... and... "ooohhh... that's thick coolant........**pregnant pause**....AAaaaagggghhhhhh!!!!!" The 1l can of coolant SWMBO had bought... was a different brand and came in a white bottle... I'd just picked up the small oil can and pured 2 table spoons into the expansion tank!  :doh: :oops:

However, a quick undo of the pipe from the rad to the water pump and 10 litres of clean water flushed through rad and another 10 litres through the expansion tank, I seem to have gotten away with it. However, word of caution guys and gals... when it's been a long job, yer body is all sore and the light is going... keep yer mind on the job at hand and double check what is being put where!

other than that, everything wehnt fine, I had adjusted the choke settings to see if I could make it smoother to use... but all I did was make it impossible to move from the cab! So... head and shoulders inside again and fiddle till the choke is pullable but still has a good range.

I left her idling for about 40 minutes to see how she would cope. Part of the origonal problem had been a tendancy to get too warm with no thermostat in. initialy, despite a new thermostat and a new temp sender, it was going the same way. Then I spotted that the pipe from the water pump to the inlet manifold wasn't sealed. After sorting that I left the coolant cap off by mistake and it was the best thing I could have done... it bubbled on and off for a good while before settling down. The temp needle headed close to the last white line, then I guess the thermostat opened cause the water level dropped and things got cooler for a bit. next time it headed that wqay the low temp fan (driven by the fancy new X-eng temp switch housing) kicked in and down it came to normal and the fan switched off again. I let it do this a few times to make sure that staionary, I was not going to overheat.

So.. after four days struggling, one and a half of them with a [insert adjective] allen screw, my baby is back together and my mekanikin has gone up a level... ok... maybe half a level!  :lol: :dance:

Again... thanks for all the support and it's a great feature of the club that both new and old members are happy to kleep a fellow member on track.

Give yourselves an official pat on the back!

Now... I'm off for some cheese on toast and a couple of very large Morgan Spiced & coke!

Skibum

Jamie oliver did that to his camper on Channel 4 years ago, he put oil in the air box and smoke belowed out of the  heater vents!!!

you were damn lucky with flushing it out mate, well done on finishing it though :P