Thread: P38 4.6 What would you do?

that sold ages ago slunnie (it was just waiting to be picked up), but there may be another in its place soon.

Andy

Originally Posted by andrew e

that sold ages ago slunnie (it was just waiting to be picked up), but there may be another in its place soon.

Andy

Hmm, another green Autobiography?

Stu, before spending too much on your motor, after you get the heads off, have them checked for hardness (It's a simple non-invasive test). If the heads are soft, they will need to be replaced, too.

That motor does sound dirty and as if it has had long periods between services - even though it was previously owned by a LR specialist. Maybe it got that way before he bought it and on-sold it to the chap from whom you bought it.

Yesterday, I had a look at another one that had the heads off. Yours sounds like it as far as sludge goes., It had been regularly serviced but at 10,000km intervals. It has around 250,000km on the clock and the lifters are stuffed. The cam needs replacing, too.

I believe my P38A had been overheated before I bought it and that was the cause of the coolant problems which made us think of head gaskets. When we pulled the heads, I could find nothing wrong with the gaskets, so I fitted new ones, a new cam, lifters, chains, etc., and buttoned it up. That was before the slipped liner problem was well known.

I guess the problem with any second hand motor is knowing its provenance. Has it been overheated at some time? Does it use water? If you want to sell it on, do the cheap fix and sell it to a dealer. If you want to keep it and can do the engine change yourself, maybe a second hand motor, at the right price, could be a stop gap whilst you rebuild the original up to the specs you want, e.g. different cam, port matching/polish - all stuff you can do at home if you have the time.. Then you can refit it and flog off the other motor.

Sounds like the perfect time to do that LS1 conversion you wanted.

Originally Posted by Scouse

Hmm, another green Autobiography?

yep. exactly the same as the one i am doing now. more bloody green leather seats that no one wants.

Actually i almost got 2 today, but the auctioneer was bouncing dummy bids off the walls with the other.


Stu, if you do need a stop gap motor while you rebuild yours give me a pm, i will have one next week (providing it compression and gas tests ok).
Andy

Chev.

Originally Posted by andrew e

more bloody green leather seats that no one wants.

Hmm, I wonder how Rioja Red would look with a green interior ?

Originally Posted by 350RRC

Chev.

Yeah Yeah, one day, turns out marks 4WD don't make engine mounts for P38's, I think i'll just build up a really good 4.6 and don't really have a good workshop for fabrication any more.

Stu