2.25 Petrol Servicing - A Dummies Guide...

Shonky, if your cooling system is muddy it really is time to get the radiator dismantled and cleaned properly.

Unfortunately there is not much point doing that if the mud in the block clogs it up again a few weeks later, so as someone else suggested, time to get the whole cooling system done at the same time. Removing the core/welch plugs and poking about with a srewdriver and a bit of squashed copper pipe in the end of the garden hose works remarkably well but you need to persevere for quite some time.

New core plugs of course and some corrosion inhibitor will see it happy for years and change every hose while it is apart and use new hose clamps, as it is not worth spoiling the ship for a halfpenny worth of tar,

Cheers Charlie

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Leo109

Was warned not to use EPX 80W90 or any other GL5 spec oil in Series gearboxes. EPX 80W90 is fine for the transfer case, diffs and swivel housings.

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Oh ****. :(

After much consernation and asking various people "what oil" I decided to use EPX 80W90 all round.

Now I have to drain my gearbox and go and buy another oil.

**** **** ****.

:(:(:(

Thanks for the advice charlie - I don't think I am going to be able to get it done in time for Corowa... :(

I need to get my alternator rebuilt too. :(

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Shonky

Oh ****. :(

After much consernation and asking various people "what oil" I decided to use EPX 80W90 all round.

Now I have to drain my gearbox and go and buy another oil.

**** **** ****.

:(:(:(

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Hi Andrew,
Just had another look at the Castrol website Lube Guide (Castrol Australia - NetLube) and it says VMX80 for the transfer case as well. Must be phosphor bronze in there too. Sorry, I must have been thinking of my 300Tdi, which runs EPX in the t/case.
Ian

Thanks for the heads up Ian - I didn't know about that site. :(

4 L of oil down the drain. :(


Moving on - I went to change the oil in the RHS swivel, and I took off the drain plug...


...and nothing came out! :o I was worried initially that it had drained itself dry, but a good poke around in the filler hole revealed that it was in fact filled with grease... :eek:

So I have one swivel running oil, and the other running grease! :no2:


It isn't making noises so I will leave it as is until after Corowa I think. I am battling to get everything right in time as it is. :(

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Shonky

Thanks for the heads up Ian - I didn't know about that site. :(
4 L of oil down the drain. :(
Moving on - I went to change the oil in the RHS swivel, and I took off the drain plug...
...and nothing came out! :o I was worried initially that it had drained itself dry, but a good poke around in the filler hole revealed that it was in fact filled with grease... :eek:
So I have one swivel running oil, and the other running grease! :no2:
It isn't making noises so I will leave it as is until after Corowa I think. I am battling to get everything right in time as it is. :(

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Sorry, wish I could have told you earlier. In any case, if the old oil was really old, a 'flush' with EPX (albeit a bit expensive) will have done no harm.

Re. your RH swivel: probably wouldn't hurt to put a bit of EPX in it, to soften-up the grease. It may have had grease put in because the seals are shot and grease doesn't leak out as fast, but grease doesn't get thrown up into the top Railco bushes very well and they can get dry.

What's on at Corowa? Not that I'll be attending - we're in Tassie at the moment.
Ian

PS: Regarding the Castrol site - recommending "Modern Engine Oils" like GTX3 for the LR 2.25 seems a bit odd. I'd use (if it's still available) ordinary old GTX or maybe GTX2 (20W50). I think 'thin' (10W or 15W) "modern engine oils" in a 2.25 might lead to some alarming oil consumption between changes. Mind you, this may be completely wrong, in which case one of our resident oil gurus (e.g. Rick130) will drop in shortly and put me firmly back into my box...

It's all good Leo - thanks for your help thus far. :)

I might chuck some oil in there then - It couldn't hurt.

Corowa hosts the GPA (amphipious Jeeps) swim in each year. Google it - they have a website or two. :)

I was going to use Penrite HPR30 in the engine. It should be thick enough and it is recommended by their website (not that it means much)

If this is bad please tell me now people! :o


It seems to be running a little warm, although Gus has a Holden in it that doesn't run so I have nothing to compare it to. I have no temp guage so I am only going off ambient.

I am tossing up getting my radiator checked/reconditioned before I go, but I'm pinching the funds and time very tight as is. :( I guess it will be worth it if it means I don't get stuck on a tow truck and sent back to Syd with a blown Head Gasket. :(

It all happens at once doesn't it? Our Fairmont is disintegrating too so I need to replace that in the next few weeks as well! :( My credit card is copping a hammering! :o

Today:

EPX-80W90 drained from gearbox and t/case, and funneled back into container for reuse. Dodgy I know, but while contaminated it is bound to be better than whatever I drain out!

VMX-80 pumped in to box and case.

Recycled EPX-80W90 pumped into rear diff.

LVS have sent me the wrong bloody oil filter... :mad: There goes the plans of oil changes tomorrow.

Taken for a test run:

-There is some noise emanating from the front end on full lock, but it is fairly quiet and not worth worrying about at this stage. I will keep an eye on it.
- I am going to have another crack at the tappet clearances. I did as the book said last time, setting one valve while a corresponding other was fully open but I might just set them all when open themselves and see how that goes. It is a little noisy at present.
- It still seems a tad warm to me, but it isn't playing up and I could just be paranoid.

Thats all for now. ;)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Shonky

Today:
Taken for a test run:

-There is some noise emanating from the front end on full lock, but it is fairly quiet and not worth worrying about at this stage. I will keep an eye on it.
- I am going to have another crack at the tappet clearances. I did as the book said last time, setting one valve while a corresponding other was fully open but I might just set them all when open themselves and see how that goes. It is a little noisy at present.
- It still seems a tad warm to me, but it isn't playing up and I could just be paranoid.

Thats all for now. ;)

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Hi Shonk,
. Front end noise on full lock might be just the tyres touching the chassis, especially if they're wider than standard. Look for rub marks on the chassis or inner guard panels.
. "I might just set them all when open themselves" - I hope what you really mean is when they (the valves) are closed (and the rockers are "rocking"? I'd stick to the 'book' method but that's 'cause I'd just confuse myself if I didn't.:(
. How about a coolant temp gauge? I have a cheapie K-Mart bulb-type gauge in Leo109's Holden 202 and it works well (and is accurate - I've checked it in boiling water a couple of times).
Ian

G'Day Leo - funny you should mention rubbing tyres... been there before! :o I made that embarrasing mistake once and its not that this time! :lol2:

I think it was just the new UJ bedding in. It has stopped now after a good run on loose dirt in 4WD on the weekend.

All is now quiet. :)

I did mean valves closed, but decided that the book knows best so just rechecked them all. They were fine so I put the noise down to needing an oil change. I grabbed a new (correct) filter off Hilton on Saturday so filled her up with HPR30 on Sunday and now hes running smoother and quieter and the tapping has almost dissappeared. ;)

Being a military model, it has the combination water temp / oil pressure guage on the dash. Oil temp works fine but the water temp is broken. I will have to pull it apart when I get the chance but it seems to be fine now that I have got the last of the air out. My Radiator cap is a bit dicky however.