The stupity of manufactures Range Rover related

[Greeves246]

When I was at tech college in the 60s, City and Guilds Motor Vehicle Mechanics , two lads at the British Leyland dealers reckoned they had dropped a Mini engine out in 20 mins they were doing that many .

 

[Ubique]

People do get offended when its suggested that land rovers are poorly designed and unreliable.

I always give opinions the consideration they deserve.

 

[bert]

When I was at tech college in the 60s, City and Guilds Motor Vehicle Mechanics , two lads at the British Leyland dealers reckoned they had dropped a Mini engine out in 20 mins they were doing that many .

I'd managed to get it down to 2 hours on my own and thought that was good.

 

[Ubique]

When I was at tech college in the 60s, City and Guilds Motor Vehicle Mechanics , two lads at the British Leyland dealers reckoned they had dropped a Mini engine out in 20 mins they were doing that many .

I worked at a PSA dealer during the infamous 'Turkish piston' recall, got a DV6 engine swap down to seven hours - that was a bare engine, not fully dressed. We were going at them for months - most were pre-sale vehicles, I think there were 16500-ish in UK, it felt like we did most of them!

 

[Melvyn Best]

Bottom hose change in 9 minutes from start to finish on my old Mini van . I got Vauxhall Astra CV boots down to 4and a half minutes without taking the wheel off

I'd managed to get it down to 2 hours on my own and thought that was good.

 

[bricol]

Renault 19 16V clutch cable.
If you've done one you'll know

Probably very similar to the one on a Renault 11 . . the original lasted years, the replacement not. By then my sister had it, and somehow, her non-mechanically minded husband managed to change it too.

 

[dobbslc]

I reckon you could drop a toolbox through the spaces in the engine bay of a Renault 11!
The 19 has the engine fitted with the exhaust manifold up against the bulkhead
They also cook the starter motors.

 

[bricol]

I reckon you could drop a toolbox through the spaces in the engine bay of a Renault 11!
The 19 has the engine fitted with the exhaust manifold up against the bulkhead
They also cook the starter motors.

You can . . . but not down the back of the engine. Trying to get the cable up where it needed to be, and then through and connected to the pedal is still a strong memory - must be 33 yrs ago!

I had a large lump of lead strapped to the nearside chassis leg to counter the engine over the other side for more equal grip when trialling it.

A car I sued to thrash down lanes on scatters and road rallies faster than I have ever done with my Lancia integrale. When they pop up on ebay . . . I have to turn the computer off

 

[JOEPRO]

You lot would love my S600's engine bay. Or maybe not

This is the engine with all covers off and some intercooler pipes also removed.



No space anywhere. Can't fit hand down the sides or radiator area of engine.

I carried out alot of maintenance and restoration on this car. One such notable thing is that for engine mount replacement the Mercedes instructions start with removing the engine. Which on this car they say can only be done by dropping engine and subframe out from below.

But I got them changed with some minor faffing from below and no engine out.



This car gets a pass though. It's a twin turbo V12 so it's never going to be practical.

 

[MetalMonkey]

One such notable thing is that for engine mount replacement the Mercedes instructions start with removing the engine. Which on this car they say can only be done by dropping engine and subframe out from below.

Honestly I think the procedure for working on anything reasonably recent goes something like this:

1) Completely disassemble entire vehicle using selection of specialist tools
2) Replace pollen filter.
3) Refit is reverse of removal, ensuring all 278 specialist one time dealer only fasteners are replaced at exorbitant cost.
4) Recode pollen filter control module with £10K diagnostics system.

Ok exaggerated for comedic effect - but I did change a pollen filter which required the removal of the wipers, scuttle panel (with specialist fasteners), a selection of baffle plates and the ECU before you could unclip it.
Thirty years ago you just reached up under the glove box and pulled it out. If it was even an option fitted by the factory.

 

[Farside]

When I was at tech college in the 60s, City and Guilds Motor Vehicle Mechanics , two lads at the British Leyland dealers reckoned they had dropped a Mini engine out in 20 mins they were doing that many .

Used to do an Avenger clutch in under 20 minutes, that was two bods.
We weren't even on a bonus system, it was just to see how quickly it could be done.

 

[OJCar]

the glove box . If it was even an option fitted by the factory.

Nope no glove box fitted.



I came to conclusion that I don't want to work on any vehicle younger than the introduction of the Torx Head Fastener.

 

[Cobbler]

When I was at tech college in the 60s, City and Guilds Motor Vehicle Mechanics , two lads at the British Leyland dealers reckoned they had dropped a Mini engine out in 20 mins they were doing that many .

When I left school, I worked for a BMC dealer, the forman ran a knackered Minivan. Left a trail of smoke & when it got down to 2 gears left in the box, decided something needed doing. One lunchtime the van was brought in & all hands that could get to it worked pulling the engine out. By end of lunch, engine & gearbox split, stripped down & ready to be rebuilt. Apparently they got it running ready to go home during the evening. There were a team involved that just did Mini gearboxes, so knew exactly how to get it all apart quickly. From what I recall, the engine & box took about 20 minutes to remove. This would be 1965, so details are a bit hazy, I recall being pushed underneath to do the driveshafts couplings & mountings because i was small & expendable!

 

[JOEPRO]

Honestly I think the procedure for working on anything reasonably recent goes something like this:

1) Completely disassemble entire vehicle using selection of specialist tools
2) Replace pollen filter.
3) Refit is reverse of removal, ensuring all 278 specialist one time dealer only fasteners are replaced at exorbitant cost.
4) Recode pollen filter control module with £10K diagnostics system.

Ok exaggerated for comedic effect - but I did change a pollen filter which required the removal of the wipers, scuttle panel (with specialist fasteners), a selection of baffle plates and the ECU before you could unclip it.
Thirty years ago you just reached up under the glove box and pulled it out. If it was even an option fitted by the factory.

Again, a V12 gets a pass though!

 

[tom2207]

Haha. I still have mine. I still have that fear. I have an l322 range rover sat in the yard which was a massive mistake. The rust is crazy on the bottom.of the c pillar/sill.

at the moment I repair those for a living ,,,, no fun at all.

 

[roofman]

At the moment i have it down to 20 mins to take the complete front end off a Vivaro/Trafic...in the middle of a M9R engine build currently.

 

[reb78]

at the moment I repair those for a living ,,,, no fun at all.

It's sat waiting for me to build some enthusiasm to do it. I should never have bought it.

 

[tom2207]

It's sat waiting for me to build some enthusiasm to do it. I should never have bought it.

trouble is a nice one is actually still nice to drive ,,, when they are going . And thats what gets you every time ,,, its a wicked addiction .

 

[reb78]

trouble is a nice one is actually still nice to drive ,,, when they are going . And thats what gets you every time ,,, its a wicked addiction .

I agree. It is sooo nice (when it's running!). I was driving it in that 40° plus heatwave we had a few years back and it was like being on a different planet until I got out.

 

[Ubique]

I agree. It is sooo nice (when it's running!). I was driving it in that 40° plus heatwave we had a few years back and it was like being on a different planet until I got out.

Don't forget the pre-heating of the cabin, makes all the cold fall off the car before you get in, no de-icer, no scraping of windows, no having to make eye contact with the neighbours defrosting their cars, just start and go.... Oh, and the heated / cooled seats, as appropriate