Sandringham 6x6

[RWD3M]

Ah sorry, we got slightly busy / distracted. Short(er) version I decided with all the extras and sundries needed for Sandy on top of sorting out the oiling it wasn't going to go to Scotland.

A friend has agreed to lend me a 300Tdi to go into the 110 as that had made a horrible metallic screeching noise when I last drove it. So I pulled the engine out then found a kaput clutch bearing. Ah that'll be it then. New clutch and bearing in, Mrs was happy as it was a 110 one not a 130 HD so much lighter. Put engine back in, started up 20s later rattle came back . Found the "oil slinger" on the back of the crank pulley had come off, so pulley off and new one pressed on. Loaded up and set off to Scotland on a Wednesday. Made it 60 miles to Beulah when my freshly fitted low coolant sensor triggered. Pulled over, coolant ******* out of heater hose past tight jubilee clip. That'll be the head gasket then .

Limped her back home, had a new gasket, took the head up to @GRW so that I could check for flatness. Less than 2 thou warp in one corner, sod it, new gasket, new head bolts and send it. Found out afterwards 4 thou is tolerance before LR say scrap the head (they don't suggest skimming but plenty do). Just over 2000 miles later and we're back home with only a minor weep from P gasket between water pump and block. Suspect the head gasket going and pressurising the coolant found and weak spots and those are notorious on 300s for being a bastwerd to seal.

Had a chat with @GRWs boss and going to pull the block and take it to them for checking and reconditioning. After the gasket saga I've decided to just get the engine 100% sorted.

Funnily enough Adam (boss) while we were away had a Merc V6 in with similar symptoms to the V8 (good compression but burning oil) cross hatching visible, 200k from new, one owner so known to have no work done to it. The oil rings had coaked up letting oil past so he's thinking the same thing has happened here. It was a "sight unseen / tested engine" when I got it and according to MOT history had 105k on it so we think it's unlikely to have had work done on it.

Busy for the next week or so but hopefully towards the end of next week I can find some time to pull the engine and strip it down and get it up to Hargreaves.

Didn't mean to nag! I really enjoy reading your updates, so thanks.

Great result on the 2k mile trip too

Now, just don't leave it so long next time!

 

[Jelly_Sheffield]

Some obligatory photos, shagged bearing and rear oil seal
View attachment 511315
Old engine going back in
View attachment 511316
Cause of all the kerfuffle with it.
View attachment 511317
New shelves welded up and pull out drawer made for the fridge
View attachment 511318
Kaput head gasket
View attachment 511319
Last track
View attachment 511313
Our last night wild camping on the north coast
View attachment 511312

Reading your engine travails suddenly makes me a lot more sanguine about the way my own maintenance and projects are going.

Top work managing to get things sorted so quickly and still enjoy the your trip!

 

[sako243]

Reading your engine travails suddenly makes me a lot more sanguine about the way my own maintenance and projects are going.

Top work managing to get things sorted so quickly and still enjoy the your trip!

Thanks! Oh and there was more than that too. Some bulkhead welding to prevent the bonnet flying off (bulkhead is shot so once the 6x6 is done the 110 will be next in line), welding up the shelves for the fridge in the back. Percussive maintenance of the seat latch for the Range Rover seats.

Didn't mean to nag! I really enjoy reading your updates, so thanks.

Great result on the 2k mile trip too

Now, just don't leave it so long next time!

Well work has taken a back seat whilst focusing on the 6x6 so that'll have to take priority for a bit. However, we're debating heading out to Morroco next April with the 6x6 so...

 

[minimutly]

Some dedication to the cause shown there.
I'm really glad I don't have a landrover fetish, as well as not having the tractor fetish that afflicts many of my friends and neighbours. I guess it just leaves room for others...

 

[RWD3M]

Well work has taken a back seat whilst focusing on the 6x6 so that'll have to take priority for a bit. However, we're debating heading out to Morroco next April with the 6x6 so...

Now that'll be some trip!

Mmm.... and picture heavy? Hope so!

 

[GRW]

Morocco!
Will you be towing a Fuel Bowser

 

[sako243]

Morocco!
Will you be towing a Fuel Bowser

Not definite yet, but it's a significant year for the Mrs and when Joe mentioned the trip her eyes lit up. We'll have to line up all the ducks first with the house though.

A friend in a Defender ambulance has done similar trips with a 4.6V8 in it and a safe average would be 15mpg. With a 20 gallon fuel tank it gives us a respectable 300 mile range without relying on anything else. On the motorways they were seeing lower fuel consumption too.

 

[addjunkie]

Some dedication to the cause shown there.
I'm really glad I don't have a landrover fetish, as well as not having the tractor fetish that afflicts many of my friends and neighbours. I guess it just leaves room for others...

Not sure Fetish is the right word for Landrovers or Tractors, but get your point

an inanimate object worshipped for its supposed magical powers or because it is considered to be inhabited by a spirit.

 

[sako243]

I wouldn't have said I'm a fetishist or loyalist to Land Rover but they just work for what I do. We do enjoy these offroad trips and green lanes and rarely am I not going somewhere without a trailer.

The 110 I bought over 10 years ago and I know it inside out, it's not prestine nor is it standard but it's been adapted to our needs and consequently is quite comfortable for longer journeys. The 6x6 was offered to me and only 300mm longer than a 110 (which isn't a big vehicle in modern terms) yet so much more capable than a pick up. I honestly didn't know just how rare it was when I bought it.

The Range Rover is well, a Range Rover, nothing I've tried comes close to it's comfort, capabilities or power. Bearing in mind we also use that offroad as well. This bit is relatively flat but there's some good rutted climbs to get to that point where the photo was taken.

So many I'm just denying it...

 

[OJCar]

Not sure Fetish is the right word for Landrovers <snip>

an inanimate object worshipped for its supposed magical powers or because it is considered to be inhabited by a spirit.

The only word I would have difficulty with in that definition is "inanimate".
They are definitely alive and many could be considered possessed by spirits.
Well, the Owners rapidly become possessed by Spirits Gin, Rum, Whiskey, Vodka, Meths, etc

 

[Jelly_Sheffield]

A friend in a Defender ambulance has done similar trips with a 4.6V8 in it and a safe average would be 15mpg. With a 20 gallon fuel tank it gives us a respectable 300 mile range without relying on anything else. On the motorways they were seeing lower fuel consumption too.

Will 300mi be sufficient?

Driving from Algiers to Tamanrasset (non-stop, in a hire car), I got stopped leaving In Salah by a gendarme who was doing his best to explain there was nothing for about 850km once I left town.

He was refusing to let me continue until I convinced him that I had sufficient fuel and water to complete my journey, which when not resolved by showing my Sonatrach gate pass and saying "Desole, Je ne parle pas Francais" began to test my Arabic skills beyond their limit, and was eventually resolved with some animated gesturing to the boot which had two crates of bottled water and a selection of hastily acquired secondhand jerrycans.

I don't know Morocco but would assume once you get away from the coast it's similarly sparsely populated?

 

[sako243]

Will 300mi be sufficient?

Don't know I suspect so as its a friend organising the trip and I don't think he has much more range in his Land Cruiser. Our friend with the ambulance actually said about 16mpg average but sitting with Series vehicles / lorries would get up to 20mpg. I know him and he doesn't hang about. I'd hope if we make a lower profile camper box that we'd be better than him as the gearing is similar but I don't know how much resistance the 6x6 would add (we do have free wheeling hubs on the middle axle).

There's space for a bigger tank if we're that inclined. I get about 350 (reliable) miles out of the 110 with a 300Tdi so it would be similar range.

 

[Farside]

There's space for a bigger tank if we're that inclined.

In my CrapOldToyota I had an extra 50 litre marine tank boxed in behind the bulkhead. Caused some raised eyebrows at inspection, but all they could quibble about was the cable I'd used for the metering.
Gave me a range of a thousand miles if I were so inclined.

 

[Robotstar5]

In my CrapOldToyota I had an extra 50 litre marine tank boxed in behind the bulkhead. Caused some raised eyebrows at inspection, but all they could quibble about was the cable I'd used for the metering.
Gave me a range of a thousand miles if I were so inclined.

But what sort of range has your bladder got?

 

[Jelly_Sheffield]

Don't know I suspect so as its a friend organising the trip and I don't think he has much more range in his Land Cruiser. Our friend with the ambulance actually said about 16mpg average but sitting with Series vehicles / lorries would get up to 20mpg. I know him and he doesn't hang about. I'd hope if we make a lower profile camper box that we'd be better than him as the gearing is similar but I don't know how much resistance the 6x6 would add (we do have free wheeling hubs on the middle axle).

I imagine it's something you can only look at when you get to actually a route planning anyways, but worth bearing in mind.

There's space for a bigger tank if we're that inclined. I get about 350 (reliable) miles out of the 110 with a 300Tdi so it would be similar range.

I suddenly feel quite smug about the 28-32mpg I can eak out of the 2.5Lt D4D in the pickup... not often something comes along to make that happen!

Although it was a selling point in getting that as a daily driver, that it retained the 500-600mi range of the Focus I had before it, albeit with a fuel tank double the size.

 

[sako243]

The 110 used to fairly consistently get above 25mpg but a tired old engine, bigger tyres and always pushing it hard it's now averaging 25mpg regardless of use case.

 

[Farside]

But what sort of range has your bladder got?

No shortage of field gateways.

 

[sako243]

@RWD3M here you go, an actual update...

Well a small update. After playing move the vehicle I got the JCB out of the workshop (had been in there whilst in Scotland and Southwold for a wedding to stay dry for a new door window to be fitted) and put the 6x6 in. Then decided it was probably better to have it nose into the blacksmiths rather than tie up the workshop so it moved back out under its own power.

I was supposed to be starting supper but got slightly distracted, what started out as draining the coolant morphed into engine ready to come out apart from bell housing bolts.

Lots of oil in the exhaust ports as expected.



Got back into the house before the wife has finished bedtime so I think I'm safe

 

[Wildefalcon]

(last ever recorded post by Sako).

 

[sako243]

Nope, supper cooked and now waiting for her to come in from the horse duties