The Range Rover Classic thread
Discussion
Huntsman said:
I might be in a slight pickle.
I booked the Range Rover in with the local Land Rover man for new discs, pads, calipers, flexi hoses, metal pipes if needed and master cylinder, a full brakes overhaul since I'll be towing 3.5 tons.
On the way, oil light came on and gauge dropped to nothing.
Hopefully it's a sender or wiring failure.
But if it's not, I might be in need of an engine.
My thoughts, from a gite in Morbihan, 3.9/4.0 or 4.6, gems or Thor, doesn't really matter, but if I'm doing it then it needs to be a top hat block.
Thoughts?
You may have just blocked the filter. If the pressure just went when driving and the oil level is ok then I think the list is: gauge, pump, filter. I booked the Range Rover in with the local Land Rover man for new discs, pads, calipers, flexi hoses, metal pipes if needed and master cylinder, a full brakes overhaul since I'll be towing 3.5 tons.
On the way, oil light came on and gauge dropped to nothing.
Hopefully it's a sender or wiring failure.
But if it's not, I might be in need of an engine.
My thoughts, from a gite in Morbihan, 3.9/4.0 or 4.6, gems or Thor, doesn't really matter, but if I'm doing it then it needs to be a top hat block.
Thoughts?
As an unknown engine that you've not used and with the light coming on during driving and then pressure failing quite quickly, I think I'd start with a flush and change while hoping it was just a load of sludge from standing a long time and it's blocked the filter.
4.0L gems pull out from a Disco or P38 was the traditional route. Thor never seemed to be universally loved. And you can refresh them yourself. The trouble is that by now the odds of buying a dog feel quite short and I'd be tempted to rebuild the existing and use something like a holly carb.
Huntsman said:
Why not a Thor?
Land Rover man doing the brakes this week has a 4.0ltr TVR engine coming out of a 90 thats being converted to TD5. I can see that heading my way.
It seems harder to get chips etc with the Thor system than the Gems and various RV8 tuners favour Gems so my thinking has always been that it's better in the long run to use what the majority are happier fettling. When I was putting a layer engine into my 72 there were also some other things about the Thor that I can't remember but I arrived at the general conclusion a gems was going to be simpler. Others can probably debunk or expand on this as I've simply forgotten. Land Rover man doing the brakes this week has a 4.0ltr TVR engine coming out of a 90 thats being converted to TD5. I can see that heading my way.
Be wary of TVR engines in Rangies. You need to replace the cam as they deliver the power where you don't want it. Especially if you're going to be towing your need to think carefully about where you want the torque curve. The standard cam is actually pretty much ideal as it puts everything between 2 and 4. If mostly towing then arguably you want to go lower.
jon-yprpe said:
Rostyles are fine on 235s, and you can go tubeless with the later (common) welded ones. All the alloys are a little wider and are fine with 235s.
18s can be cool as well, esp on the later cars.
I am also a huge fan of the TWR 5 spokes and the LSE/CSK alloys.
Jon, did I see that at the top of Fish Hill a couple of days ago? I caught a flash of an unusual coloured Rangie as I was turning down to Chipping Campden. 18s can be cool as well, esp on the later cars.
I am also a huge fan of the TWR 5 spokes and the LSE/CSK alloys.
jon-yprpe said:
If last Monday then was me DA, on way back from some work at Twenty Ten. Haven’t seen yours about recently?
Nor have I!!!Having work done at the new place and left it at a friends for a week. That was three months ago! Was aiming to have it back last week but sunshine and football = no builders, no skip removals and no grab trucks. Mental.
It does sound like a bit of an electronics freak out. The bad pick up between 2-3k rpm isn't uncommon on RV8 engines with the flapper system. It feels like the engine when it's in the peak torque area is down to 6 or 7 cylinders.
It can be a raft of reasons from leads, to coil to afm etc. Even the ECU. Might be nothing to do with the car wash and that might just be a coincidence but no harm in pulling the dizzy cap to see whether it is dry etc.
Rev counter going to zero might be the lead coming off the alternator or the alternator having decided it's taking early retirement.
It can be a raft of reasons from leads, to coil to afm etc. Even the ECU. Might be nothing to do with the car wash and that might just be a coincidence but no harm in pulling the dizzy cap to see whether it is dry etc.
Rev counter going to zero might be the lead coming off the alternator or the alternator having decided it's taking early retirement.
Filibuster said:
Update:
Just went for a drive. If I use no light and/or hvac it is absolutely fine (slightest (!) hint of a flat spot @2.8k rpm).
When I turn on the light and/or interior blower (a/c is not working today (not blowing at all on III) but was working fine yesterday) I have the same problem as yesterday, although much less.
I think it might be the alternator or the fan belt tension. Maybe it got wet and slipped?
Fan belt has been replaced by my mechanic just last month (200 miles ago).
(Because my mechanic had to get surgery last Friday, I couldn’t go to him. Otherwise I would of course have contacted him already.)
Can you get a meter on the alternator to test its output?Just went for a drive. If I use no light and/or hvac it is absolutely fine (slightest (!) hint of a flat spot @2.8k rpm).
When I turn on the light and/or interior blower (a/c is not working today (not blowing at all on III) but was working fine yesterday) I have the same problem as yesterday, although much less.
I think it might be the alternator or the fan belt tension. Maybe it got wet and slipped?
Fan belt has been replaced by my mechanic just last month (200 miles ago).
(Because my mechanic had to get surgery last Friday, I couldn’t go to him. Otherwise I would of course have contacted him already.)
Assuming current is good then it wouldn't strike me as any problem there but others will know more. I agree with paintman re checking everything is dry. My way would be to just pull plug connections and spray in something like wd40/ac50.
What's bugging me is that I have experienced the 'woolly/fluffy' engine response in the torque band of RV8s several times over the years in both TVRs and Rangies but I've not yet been able to drag out of the old, shrunken brain what was causing it. The web always went super dark, super early with suggestions for the cause. Only the once in 30 years of owning Rangies and TVRs simultaneously has the cause been one of those pita issues and it was my F reg 3.9 that required an ECU.
New HT leads are things I recall being the most common fix. The back cylinders are weirdly always issues. It's where the cam lobes wear the most, where the exhaust manifold always needs tightening and the leads that break down quickest.
What's bugging me is that I have experienced the 'woolly/fluffy' engine response in the torque band of RV8s several times over the years in both TVRs and Rangies but I've not yet been able to drag out of the old, shrunken brain what was causing it. The web always went super dark, super early with suggestions for the cause. Only the once in 30 years of owning Rangies and TVRs simultaneously has the cause been one of those pita issues and it was my F reg 3.9 that required an ECU.
New HT leads are things I recall being the most common fix. The back cylinders are weirdly always issues. It's where the cam lobes wear the most, where the exhaust manifold always needs tightening and the leads that break down quickest.
When I moved out to the Cotswolds full-time, I assumed that it would be the opposite of central London in that I wouldn't by default pick the keys to an old Rangie over a sports car and that the Rangies would switch to being the least used cars. 7 years on I've sold the sports cars because down the lanes and just travelling around a well sorted Rangie is just such a wonderful thing.
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