Thread: Some more County info please...

From you post, I assume the radiator place only checked for coolant flowing through the radiator and did a back flush.

That will not ensure that the radiator is OK.

The problem is that the radiator is cross flow and the lower tubes will block up, while coolant can still pass through the upper tubes. Also flushing is not always successful. With blocked lower tube you can loose a lot of cooling area (and area is vital) and still have similar coolant flow.

With a normal radiator that has the tanks at top and bottom, sediment drops out in the bottom tank and doesn't block the tubes unless it is severe. In the cross flow radiator, sediment drops out in the lower section of the tank, and the lower tubes.

The only way to do it properly is to remove the tanks from the core so each and every tube can be cleaned properly.

Originally Posted by JDNSW

A couple of points.

1. Temperature gauge - this is subject to variations with voltage (and hence engine speed) if there is a fault with the earth to the instrument cluster or the gauge itself - loose nut on the back of the gauge in my case. Same applies to the fuel gauge. If this is the problem, switching the dash lights on and off will affect the gauge as they use the same earth (but the gauge response is slow, so give it thirty seconds to see if it moves)

2. Hard to get out of first when cold? Common with the LT95 - change to synthetic oil. (note that the oil must be light or you will break the oil pump, which will not be immediately obvious)

Hope this helps

John

Thanks John
I will try the dash lights test - my observation is that the temp reads the same as described with lights on or off, but I've not watched it while turning them on.
I need to change the 'box oil anyway, as I suspect it has EP90 in it . It also chucks some of it out through what I assume is a wading plug on the leading edge of the bell housing.

Originally Posted by andy_d110

If you have some vacuum lines disconnected at the load (switch or actuator) but still connected at the source (manifold) it may be running lean and causing it to overheat as well?

Hi mate good point, IIRC, it was doing the the same before I messed with the heater controls though...?

Originally Posted by Bush65

From you post, I assume the radiator place only checked for coolant flowing through the radiator and did a back flush.

That will not ensure that the radiator is OK.

The problem is that the radiator is cross flow and the lower tubes will block up, while coolant can still pass through the upper tubes. Also flushing is not always successful. With blocked lower tube you can loose a lot of cooling area (and area is vital) and still have similar coolant flow.

With a normal radiator that has the tanks at top and bottom, sediment drops out in the bottom tank and doesn't block the tubes unless it is severe. In the cross flow radiator, sediment drops out in the lower section of the tank, and the lower tubes.

The only way to do it properly is to remove the tanks from the core so each and every tube can be cleaned properly.

Hi Bush
I might have to phone "radiator guy" and run it past him, as he said, "it's been a long time since I worked on of these!"

Got rellies here from the UK at the moment, so not too much spare time for tinkering. The D2 was supposed to be fixed before they arrived, but the adjectives for the shop supposed to do the work are not postable.
Cheers
Mike

Originally Posted by 2 rocks

I have to reconnect the vac lines to rear of the heater control panel, the radiator guy said the heater tap was opening and closing - but I'm still getting hot air through the vents. I think I've seen posts alluding to another vac solenoid doing something in the heater box - not sure what - but is this the one under the vent on top of the left front guard, or is there another one?

The flap under the vent on the left guard is just your "fresh air" control. Not sure if this is a problem on the V8s but on my isuzu the hot water was able to get back to the heater box in the opposite direction, so even though the heater switch was working it still got in there. The isuzu has a funny set up with the thermostat that caused this, but don't think the V8 is like that. Maybe it is still somehow getting in there the opposite way?

Hi Ads
I'm not sure at all...I'm waiting to get the time to be able to start having a good rummage. The thing is, with heater tap cable now reconnected but the vac lines off - I can't yet tell if the temp control is working but unable to operate without vac. All may be fine once I have them sorted, but I can't pull the dash out again at the moment.

You could be right though, as without an original for comparison, i don't know what, if anything, has been 'played with' to provide water flow for the LPG.

On the cooling front, I performed a simple test the other day - dunno why I din't think of it before , open D2 bonnet give the viscous fan a shove - hardly moves...open County bonnet, do the same and it moves far more easily, so I deduce the viscous hub is at least partially buggered. If nothing else, it'll at least be an incremental improvement when I swap it.

Cheers
Mike

Originally Posted by 2 rocks

Thanks John....... It also chucks some of it out through what I assume is a wading plug on the leading edge of the bell housing.
.......
Cheers
Mike

Yes, it is a wading plug hole. Oil here can come from either the gearbox or the engine - you can tell which by the colour, but don't do what I did - pull the engine out to fix the main seal - and then find that it was a mix of engine and gearbox oil. I pulled the gearbox the second time. Not sure which is easier - neither is easy, but depends on what gear you have.

The most likely gearbox oil leak into the bell housing is from the oil pump on the front of the box. The diecast cover will be warped. Remove it, lap it flat, and replace with a new gasket. Simple job - apart from removing the box!

John

Hi John
Thanks again . More homework!
I'm waiting for it to hurl it out again for another look at the oil, but I'm suspecting it might be rear main.

Mate, if at some point I have to pull that motor out, I'll be selling it to the nearest boatie in need of an anchor and putting in a diesel.

Cheers
Mike

That whole heater setup on the County gave me the creeps. It is very very difficult to get to and work on. My fan control stopped working and I could not get heat. So I by passed the lot. I put in a switch that switches the fan on and off, and I got a Holden hot water tap that I switch on for the winter and off for the summer. I still use the lever inside to control hot air in or off.

Re the temp guage, I also had to replace the viscous coupling fan, and I had the tanks removed and cleaned on the radiator. Mine runs on 1/2 mark all the time with very little movement up when she is working hard.

But don't ditch that V8. Its a torquey little beast under revs. which is great for sand. And it sounds fabulous when it roars!

Hi Jim
I know what you mean - and I thought the rust rotten heater box on my Fiat 124 Sport was scary, it's got nothing on this contraption. What a ridiculously devised system. Discos aside, AFAIK, every other car I've had one control that opened or closed the heater tap, and another one or possibly two to direct the air where you wanted it.

So from what I understand and the mods you've done, the tap is controlled by the cable, but inside the heater box - or is it the front guard? - there's a vacuum servo to to allow the hot air through? So in it's place you now have a manual tap, so how does the lever control the hot/cold air mix? Apart from the vacuum operation of the dash vents, I really don't think I have a "handle" on the system at all...

Yes the viscous hub will be the next item on the list, and I have a good feeling this will solve my problem

The V8. Hmmm, it does sound great . I just groan when I open the bonnet and see all that "stuff", y'know, plugs, plug leads, dizzy, carbies - so many links in the chain of keeping a motor running well. Get a nice mechanically injected diesel running and everything else can die around it and it'll keep going - ok, it will need a lift pump. . On top of that there's all the LPG plumbing...in my Tdi it was soooo simple under there!

I have a tendency to think of petrol engines as fragile, over-complex systems. I actually think I'd like it better without the LPG, and a transplant of an injected 3.9...for simplicity under the bonnet and room in the load space. We'll have to see...
Cheers
Mike