Escape

The P38 uses an hydraulic booster instead of a vacuum operated brake servo. So o take-off or one-way valve present in the base plate. But should be easy enough to swap over. I agree with above it probably wont make a noticeable difference which one you use. Filip

I had similar with a Range Rover P38 manual. As long as you used the clutch, it was fine. But after doing some distance on the highway, it felt like there was air in the system and the pedal needed pumping before the clutch would fully disengage. Heat from the exhaust sounds like a very probable explanation. As repeated bleeding didn't work (not for long at least), I carried on like that for some time. By accident, I found a solution: I didn't tighten the cap from the reservoir fully at some point, and that solved the issue. I can only assume the improved venting was enough to prevent air from accumulation in the system. Filip

Looks even more like a Transit than the Puma 😞 But still better than the new G-class, that's actually cramped and crowded inside despite the huge size.

We'll need a bit more info. Left/right, front/rear, does it drop to the bumpstops or just leaning, does it happen once or regularly on the same drive? Locking/unlocking wont affect the EAS, but by doing so you are cycling the system. Playing with the height selector should have the same effect. To determine leaks, disable the EAS by either pulling fuse 44 or the timer relay under the left front seat. Then check which corner or side drops. The EAS is actually pretty robust and reliable, but it helps if you have some understanding of how the system works. Rave is a good start. Filip

Maybe the records aren't up to date? It started with the website being 'temporarily unavailable', now https://www.totalparts.co.uk/ can't even be found. 😞

Last couple of years I've bought most of my parts from Total Parts (from Skelmersdale, Lancashire). About 2 weeks ago their website went offline and mails don't get answered. I fear they may be out of business. Anybody know more? It would be a shame, they were always ready to help and had good prices and shipping to Belgium. Filip

Not sure what you mea by 'hold it in by hand'. If you're just bypassing the relay, try putting in another one.

If the pump is running, remove the exhaust damper and check there is no air escaping. If there is, the diaphragm valve is leaking and needs to be replaced. It will dump all the compressed air before it can reach the tank. Filip

I've uses a (shortened) rat tail file in a drill to speed things up. That worked pretty good as well.

You can't rely on a cheap(ish) impact driver to undo wheelnuts. If one is stuck (for whatever reason), you'll be stuck as well. They can be a big help around the garage and speed up work/ decrease load, but you always need a back-up for when (not if) they can't cope. So a breaker bar or a HD wheelbrace or even the standard one is a better idea, especially if you add a length of pipe. This will greatly reduce the strain on your wrists. If it's only for emergency use, it doesn't matter if it takes a few minutes longer. I've found the handle for the LR bottle jack excellent in combination with the standard wheel brace. And if all else fails, you can put the (bottle) jack under the wheelbrace and use the weight of the car to undo the nut. Filip

I have a corded one from DeWalt, and it has come in handy. Mind you, it's not always the best or easiest solution. As you say, you can reach bolts etc that are difficult with an angle grinder. And you get more control. It is important to chose the correct blades (as always). I used a standard blade on suspension bolts and only got half way. The Bosch heavy metal seem to last better. To get the best results, you need to be working on something solid and be able to rest the saw against it, so you don't lose reciprocating motion. Once you have one, you'll find plenty of uses for it. The flexibility of battery power will be a big bonus as well. Filip

Just checked in Micrcat, it is indeed a standard M20 nyloc nut.

The BMW diesel needs a good strong battery to make it spin fast enough, especially in this cold weather. So make sure it's fully charged or add jumpleads. They can also be fussy about fuel level. The V8 is a lot easier to start. Filip

If the immobilizer is activated, it wont even turn over. The BMW engine can be difficult to start, the cold weather wont be helping. Are you sure the battery is up to the job? If it's not spinning fast enough, it wont fire. Maybe try jumpleads just to be sure. Otherwise check if you're getting fuel from the filter to the injection pump on the block. You can always spray some start pilot (brake cleaner) in the intake to verify it's fuel related. Filip

For the record, Ashcroft just supplied me with 2 pegged airlockers for my P38, so also in a short nose housing.

I think it was Renault that had made an easily removable battery in some prototype. As said this would avoid having to wait for it to charge but you just replace with a charged battery. Pretty much how we use battery powered tools nowadays.

Good to know it's been done. Now if only we could swap the front and rear output housings, so handbrake stays at the rear...

Something for a new Thombraider film?

The intermediate propshaft bearing in Mouse was from Rakeway. 😉 Not cheap, but good service when it needed replacing.

I wonder what we could do with a P38 donor... (I'll get my coat on the way out) Seriously, very impressed with Mike's Ibex!

George, the drill looked like it could be put into use whenever needed. Though maybe not ideal so close to the old F1 cars... The oil can was just sitting on the foot, as decoration. I would love to have one of those on display in our Workshop! Or just a pack of JPS fags for that matter. I took my JPS Elan to Brooklands for the new years day gathering, the marshals gave it a nice spot not far from the main building. 😎 Filip

Ignition is the likely cause of a non-starting V8. Pretty sure we had a P38 running with the coil pack unbolted at some point. As Fridge said, the LT side gets its ground through the wiring loom. If the crank sensor isn't working, I don't think you'd get a spark at all, as the ECU would know when to spark. Cam sensor is not vital, it will run without it, just used for fine tuning. Lambda isn't needed for starting and even without a MAF it should go to a default mode and start. A bad or unplugged temperature sensor will cause a low reading (high resistance), and overfueling that can prevent it from firing. Are you sure the plug leads are in the correct position? Another thing to try is new spark plugs. Sometimes they spark (a little) when out in the open, but lack the strength to ignite the mixture under pressure. Filip

Indeed, getting it to line up with diffs on the other side is the big challenge. Putting it upside down could affect lubrication. You could mount it back to front and drive through the PTO, but the casing on the rear doesn't look like it will safely handle the forces applied. Filip

The chain is a bit of a weak point as it can/will stretch under load, compared to the all gear LT230. But I wouldn't consider that a real weak point. For me the appeal of an LT230 is be the mechanical difflock instead of a viscous. Not sure an LT230 would have faired any better when hitting that rock. And as that would have been modified to fit a P38, finding and fitting a replacement would be a lot harder! Filip

A saw a twin turbo V8 powered Mini (the real one, not the German Maxi) at Brooklands. Must be a hoot and seemed quite driveable when he left the site! On another note, our outing to Bunny Lane has forced me to add some underbody protection to the list of necessary modifications. 😛 Filip