Dodging The P38A Overheating Bullet (I hope)
Had a worrying call from a new P38A owner yesterday: the car (1999 Gems 4.6) had overheated and the engine wouldn't start immediately after the event. Made a clicking sound like having a flat battery. Later they were able to put in about 4L of water and start the car but it wasn't running very well. What should they do?
I said I would come over and have a look and was wondering how I would tell two newlyweds with their recently purchased (for $9k) Rangie that either the motor had seized or the heads had been cooked or a liner or two had shifted or possibly all three and that they'd probably need a new motor.
It got worse as I needed to put in another litre or so of water and, satisfied that nothing was leaking out, got them to start the car. It sort of ran OK but appeared to be a cylinder down and was making a clicking sound that sort of sounded like a sticking hydraulic lifter, but not quite; or perhaps it was a liner working loose, but again, not quite. Perhaps it was a MAF issue. In any event, poor running was an nth order issue. What damage had the overheating caused?
As the motor was warming up, I poked around a bit. Hang on, what's that spark? A rubber cover had worked loose at the coil block and, sure enough, a shorting spark could be seen clicking away in perfect time with the missing cylinder. Stop motor, secure rubber cover, start motor, running perfectly. Young man thought I was a genius, but I felt like a goose for not picking it up sooner.
Motor warmed up and the gauge held a constant temperature. I had been worried as to where all the water had gone. But then I noticed a leak at one of the temp sensors. It had worked loose and was letting water escape under pressure. Tightened that and could not find any sign of leakage anywhere else.
As the temperature gauge was happily sitting where it should and the motor was sounding as good as any 4.6 I've ever heard, I suggested they drive around for half an hour or so keeping a keen eye on the gauge and stop immediately if it moved even a smidgen higher than normal.
They called me later in the day to say all was well. They're bringing it over tomorrow and I'll remove the radiator and have it flushed or replaced as necessary and show the young man how to do a basic service.
But I reckon, as things stand, they may well have dodged the P38A overheating bullet.
2013 D4 expedition equipped
1966 Army workshop trailer
(previously SII 2.25 swb, SIII 2.25 swb & lwb, P38 Vogue, 1993 LSE 3.9V8 then HS2.8)
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