jonaf

The drive was lost when towing a horse trailer, the owner says. He has had the clutch replaced but still no drive. Has to be the gearbox or the IRD then, I think

I haven't seen the car yet, the symptoms were described by the owner. I have never heard of a failing oil pump in a K-series before so I think the oll pressure light may just be caused by shorted switch. If there really is no oil pressure I think I'd better walk away He described the drive problem: "When I release the clutch pedal there is no drive neither forwards nor rearwards". Could it be a that the clutch is stuck in disengaged position or is there a known gearbox problem that could cause this?

I have been offered a project FL which according to the owner's description has two main problems : - Engine oil pressure light won't go out after the engine is started (K-series engine). - No drive neither forwards nor backwards with gear engaged and clutch released. I believe I can just unscrew the oil pressure switch to determine whether there is oil pressure present or not. If OK, it must be an electrical problem. The drive problem may be clutch related possibly or could it be a broken gearbox input shaft ? Anybody with experience regarding these issues?

Agreed. Give the cat a thump and listen for a loose core rattling inside.

I fitted the propshaft and VCU today and everything works fine. I have no binding when reversing with full steering lock, still the 4WD works OK in the snow.

I experimented both with heating and cooling the VCU. First i put it on the stove and heated it to more than 50 deg C, put it in the vice and torque tested it. Then i put it outside in the snow for a couple of hours and did the same test. I think it was a little easier to twist when it was hot but the difference is hard to tell. Taking exact torque measurements i not easy because the torque increases when force is applied. A mate bought a new VCU and when I gave him a hand with fitting the bearings I also took the opportunity to assess the twisting force. I think the one I now have put fresh silicone into is pretty much like a new item, maybe a little softer.

When the old style HG blew it often did so with at jet of water from the gasket just above the alternator. An MLS gasket that does not seal properly will "sweat" when the engine gets hot and leak either into the crankcase or into the air. But if your are lucky it may be just your expansion tank cap that is leaking. Radiator sealer may cure the symptom but it can also block narrow passageways in the cooling system.

I had no success getting the old gel out with compressed air. However I have pressed fresh silicone fluid with a vicosity of 12500CS into the unit to dilute the old thick gel. I threaded grease nipples into the VCU and pressed the fluid in with a grease gun. The unit is now easier to twist so I am going to put it back and try it out soon.

I have heard nothing from Beaumont yet but I think I may have found the fluid to fill my old VCU with. I have ordered two different grades of the stuff and I hope the thinner one may give a looser engagement. Getting the plugs(they are bearing balls actually)out was tricky but I made it finally. In a few day when I get my fluids I will know how it works.

If you think you have a sensor messing up the fuel system you could try to squirt fuel directly into the inlet plenum. If it still wdoes not run the problem lies with the ignition or the timing. Silly suggestion maybe, but the symptom also matches a blocked exhaust...

Thank you for the link, Dave. I have sent them a mail and asked for a quote on a VCU similar to yours. I am afraid the shipping will be expensive, so maybe I should try to do a fluid refill myself.

Did you also check that the dowels in the end of each camshaft are in the correct slot in the sprocket?

Good news, Dave! Myself I am looking for a "loose" VCU but I have not been able to source one. How does the new unit work at serious 4x4 work? Did you have to return your old VCU in exhange? I wonder whether the reconditoned unit just has had the silicone jelly replaced with a thinner fluid or it has been totally stripped and re-welded and filled with fresh jelly. Did you notice what the filling/bleeding points on each side of the VCU drum look like? Are they pressed-in steel balls (approx. 4mm dia.) or threaded-in plugs? Jon, Norway

I fit an MGF header tank and a LoLarm kit. Now I get a warning when the coolant level drops. Unfortunately it does not have a delayed signal so it beeps briefly when I drive on bumpy roads. Better than not having an alarm, though.

What is different on the modified expanison tank? Does it have a low level warning device?