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Viking Longboat trials and tribulations! Roffle £5.00 per ticket


Steve79

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Haven't checked the air filter yet, but am pretty sure it will be clean as the rest of the fluids and filter look brand new.

 

Going back through the service history (which dates back to when the car was 2 years old) it looks like the car has had numerous failures on the carbon emissions after 2nd fast idle. All of these have been caused by failures in parts of the exhaust system which has had no fewer than 4 repairs to resolve these MOT fails.

 

Hopefully this will mean that its something minor like a manifold gasket or a blow on a join. I've ordered a load of parts from GSF and ECP which include the exhuast manifold gasket and even a Bosal cat. I'm hoping i won't need the latter, but with the 60% off at GSF yesterday, it only came to £60.00

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Have now checked air filter and its pretty much clean as a whistle.

 

With the lack of power when i brought the car home and the slight blowing noise from exhaust, i'm leaning towards part of the exhaust system being the main cause of the excessive carbon emissions. Especially as according the the service history this has been the primary cause where this has happened previously.

 

Exhaust manifold gasket is first port of call!

 

On a seperate note, which Lord Sterling will no doubt know the answer, does the 95 model year 800's have an obd2 port?

 

I've got a delphi ds150e clone so was querying compatibility.

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...On a seperate note, which Lord Sterling will no doubt know the answer, does the 95 model year 800's have an obd2 port?

I've got a delphi ds150e clone so was querying compatibility.

I'm afraid 800s are not OBD2 compliant. Only from the 75 onwards were they.

 

There may be a connector behind the triangular peice of carpet just forward of the centre console (around where your left knee and lower leg would be touching, but again, it is not OBD2 compliant. Back in the day, Rover used its own (even then - aging) technology and what have you to diagnose problems or check the car's general health out.

 

I understand there are some specialist Rover garages who are able to speak to the ECU usong thier own customised ECU diagnostics tools but I'm afraid I don't know who they are. I personally haven't touched my own cars for a few years.

 

There is/was a shiter on here (owns a Peugeot 607?) who developed a diagnostics tool for Rovers but how far back it goes and whether it's compatible with your car I don't know.

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There is/was a shiter on here (owns a Peugeot 607?) who developed a diagnostics tool for Rovers but how far back it goes and whether it's compatible with your car I don't know.

 

That would be dieselnutjob, thoroughly nice chap - I've seen the software in action on the 420 I bought from him and it's pretty impressive but no idea what else it can talk to. 

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Been on a spending spree today and got all the necessary bits to do the job, or so i thought!

 

It was bad enough having to wait behind 10 other people at ECP today because of only one person manning the counter, despite the fact they seem to have more staff then their entire inventory of parts!

 

When they did eventually get someone on the other till, they were so incompetent that the original bloke had to take over anyway! (Grumpy thread rant over!)

 

Because of work being busy i've been lazy and got my mechanic mate to do the work!

 

Had a phone call off of him this afternoon to say what a b**tard of a job it was to get the calipers off as they were seized solid and needed gas to get them off.

 

Whoever changed the brake pads last time has majorly taken the piss. The nsf has a practically new pad with about 19mm of friction material left on it, the osf however is totally fooked and had basically no material left on it and crumbled into pieces when removed.

 

They obviously didn't fancy trying to wrestle with the osf caliper so only changed the nsf which is disgraceful and dangerous.

 

Manifold gasket turns out to be ok, but flexi downpipe is looking iffy and probably where the exhaust blow is coming from.

 

Got to go back to ECP tomorrow as then fuel filter they sold me is the wrong size, SHOCKER!

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Things are not going to plan and i ain't happy!

 

So after new discs, pads, osf brake caliper, thermostat and correct ngk spark plugs i thought all was golden and we're on the way to an MOT pass.

 

WRONG!

 

Went to pick it up and mate says it's smelling a bit 'fumey'

 

Dip stick out, filler cap off = OMGHGF MAJOR KETTLIDGE CARAMAC EVERYWHERE!!!!

 

BUGGER!

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Wouldn't mind if it was the k-series astheyalldothatsir but this is the t-series.

 

I thought it sounded a bit blowey and down on power on the way home and this is obviously the reason why. Guess this can happen when a car is left for 4 month totally unused and then driven 45 miles home with partially seized brakes! :)

 

Not giving up just yet though. I've had good results with steel seal as a temporary/permanent solution in the past so am going to give this a try later today before i go spaffing five large on a full gasket water pump and belt change.

 

This car ain't getting away from me that easily!

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  • 3 weeks later...
  • 4 weeks later...

Time for an overdue update!

 

So after basking in the glory of an MOT pass, the Rover has been left to its own devices for a few weeks until yesterday. 

 

I'm not a big fan of oil changes as i'm a creature of comfort and my natural environment isn't lying on my back with oil inevitably pouring on my face.

 

SIC has previously has previously mentionned the delights of a Pela pump so clearly this was the way forward. Unfortunately the local stockist Force4 chandlery were out of stock of their 6-litre Pela 6000 and none were showing in the company (shame since they were selling at £42.99).

 

However screwfix are selling an unbranded version which is identical at £49.99 so duly bought it.

 

https://www.screwfix.com/p/oil-fluid-extractor-6ltr/21663

 

Time to crack on with the job

 

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Cream where it shouldn't be? Check!

 

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Minging Block? Double Check!

 

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  Definite oil and water mix here

 

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I'm not going to lie, it took around an hour to get the all of the oil out and this was entirely down to my own stupidity of not running the engine for a long enough period to warm the oil up sufficiently!

 

I dug out from the depths of my garage an unused 5-litre bottle of Castrol Magnetec 10/40 diesel oil which i've had for about 10 years. Still looked like oil so in it went. I know its not the right oil but its only in there for flushing purposes and will change it in a few weeks plus a new filter. 

 

Then it was off to the local tyre and exhaust place as the car has been sounded a bit 'throaty' under acceleration (what little of it there is as the car seems lethargic). 

 

S9eXIqY.jpg

 

Result was no blowing but they reckon that the baffles inside the centre or back box might have collapsed making it noisier.

 

Checked the oil when i got home and after 10 miles showed no water mix so all good.

 

However, a hissing noise was coming from the expansion bottle. This has been repaired previously by the last owner but looks to have finally failed as much bubbling and farting noises was coming from here

 

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Lord Sterling might be able to advise as i understanding new bottles are no longer available. I seem to remember some mention of Volvo 850 bottle being compatible with some mods.

 

I'm not taking this any great distance until this is sorted as i know it'll end in tears if i do!

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i really like these, but as a local radio DJ I cant bring myself to own one due to Alan Partridge connotations.

 

Once my radio days are over i'll be giving one a try

 

I think they look quite fetching with COCK PISS PARTRIDGE sprayed along the side of them. And if you get bored you can alter it to  COOK PASS BABTIDGE.  :-D

That first series was superb, but otherwise I cant stand the prick.

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Correct. New bottles are no longer available for the 800, they were made from the wrong grade of plastic. New tanks can sell for 3 figures on Ebay when they come up. I fitted a tank from a Volvo 850, (£5 from a breaker) which is much stronger. All I needed was a piece of hose with a 90 bend and a piece of tube to join the tank to the bottom hose. The top hose from the thermostat fitted with no problems. This tank has been on the car for 10 years now and it has been a very reliable mod.

 

Leaks from the cam covers are common, mine still leaks after a new gaskets and two goes at fixing the leaks.

 

Keep going and dont throw in the towel, though you may be tempted to do so at times.

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post-20535-0-91808500-1523265564_thumb.jpg

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I think they look quite fetching with COCK PISS PARTRIDGE sprayed along the side of them. And if you get bored you can alter it to  COOK PASS BABTIDGE.  :-D

That first series was superb, but otherwise I cant stand the prick.

Not a fan of Alan Partridge but all my mates are. I've already been threatened with a silver rattle can down the side if I pick any of them up in this!

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Correct. New bottles are no longer available for the 800, they were made from the wrong grade of plastic. New tanks can sell for 3 figures on Ebay when they come up. I fitted a tank from a Volvo 850, (£5 from a breaker) which is much stronger. All I needed was a piece of hose with a 90 bend and a piece of tube to join the tank to the bottom hose. The top hose from the thermostat fitted with no problems. This tank has been on the car for 10 years now and it has been a very reliable mod.

 

Leaks from the cam covers are common, mine still leaks after a new gaskets and two goes at fixing the leaks.

 

Keep going and dont throw in the towel, though you may be tempted to do so at times.

No chance of me giving up, the OCD side of me will prevent this. Anyway, apart from my XJ8 this is the only car I've owned that the wife likes!

 

I really need to get down to the lack of power issue as it drives well but feels like it's got a 1.4 under the bonnet.

 

Also the autobox is exhibiting odd behaviour. 1st and 2nd gears are OK but the box very quickly changes into 4th from 3rd. Not sure if this could be due to low box fluid level or something more serious. Also takes an eon to kickdown!

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Steve79, it seems you have a whole range of issues to work through on your 800. Bonus is that the wife likes it and should not object to the time you spend fixing it. Lack of power? Change the plugs as a first step, they are under £10 for 4 plugs.

 

Low fluid levels will cause an auto box to behave in an erratic fashion. You will experience: drag strip take offs, clonks. harsh changes that rattle your teeth, etc.I have never owned an auto 800 but a good first step would be to change the auto box fluid if you have no record of when it was done. My last auto was a 170k Mondeo and changing the fluid on that made a big difference, smoother changes and an extra 4 miles per gallon. So your apparent lack of engine "oooph" may in fact be down to excessive slippage in the auto box.

 

Work through everything in a methodical fashion. Above all, enjoy owning an 800. They can be good cars to own if you can keep on top of the maintenance.

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  • 1 month later...

Brief but long overdue update.

 

With the excitement of the BMW arriving the poor Rover has been a bit neglected.

 

I checked the gearbox fluid and it was below the low mark but still was showing a cherry red. I bought some dexron 2 and topped it up. This made the absolute world of bugger all difference and it was still ridiculously sluggish.

 

However, my MOT tester mate had a look and has provisionally diagnosed collapsed wadding in the rear silencer. We're going get the silencer off and check how it drives without it. If sorted then it'll be new silencer time.

 

Quick question for Lord Sterling. Am I supposed to be using Hondamatic ATF DW1 oil in the 2ltr autobox or am I ok with dexron 2?

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The Rover has gone to my mates MOT garage today so we could get it up on the ramp to whip the back box off. Good job we did as it took a solid 20mins and a broken 16mm socket to get the bugger off!

 

As suspected, the crappy wadding that the manufacturers now chuck in the silencers had almost completely collapsed. A quick jaunt down the dual carriageway proved fruitful and its now changing gear properly and feels a lot smoother.

 

A new silencer is being fitted later today.

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Today has been a success and failure in equal measure!

 

The success:

 

The Rover now has a new bright shiny silencer which seems to have released some of the strangled horses that the old collapsed silencer was preventing escape. I think that its still slow but driving a newer turbo diesel as my main car and having the jag means that the Rover is snail like in comparison.

 

The Failure:

 

Because the Rover was going into the garage at 9am, i used it to drop the little un off at nursery. Its been parked on the main rd for the last two days instead of the drive and i haven't touched it. I went to open the passenger door and the handle practically came off in my hand. Some fucker has walked by and has given it a good hard yank!  :mad: This in turn has sheared off one of the plastic arms which pushes down the release mechanism for the latch.

 

Luckily, its still attached by a clip so i have glued it and hopefully this should be enough. If not, further bodgery will be required.

 

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Good to hear that you have resolved the Rover lack of power. That rear silencer in the picture was intended for the Mk1 800. I had one on my Mk2 and since the exhaust exits under the car, I found it much noisier than the type with the straight pipes that exits at the level of the rear bumper. Because the back boxes tend to rot out through condensation after 4 years or so, I have drilled a 3mm hole right at the back underneath to allow water to escape. Seems to have done the trick as my Klarius rear box is still good after six years and plenty of short runs.

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Quick question for Lord Sterling. Am I supposed to be using Hondamatic ATF DW1 oil in the 2ltr autobox or am I ok with dexron 2?

From my understanding; The Rover 820 automatic grearbox is a ZF gearbox (ZF4 HP 14) which was designed for use with the Honda oil if completely draining and refilling, otherwise Dexron II is Ok to use for topping up.

 

Also, on your earlier question, yes, a Volvo 850 expansion tank is definitely the way to go for expansion tank replacement. Get one that doesn't have extra foibles like tank level monitor, just get a simple one, less hassle. A bracket will be need to be made up to clamp it to the inside of the engine bay otherwise you are good to go.

 

I have a theory that Rover 220/420 expansion might also be a good idea, however, the expansion tanks might have different tolerances being as the 800 is a much bigger car, plus they may just be as badky made as the original tanks in the 800 (which were all the same from 820 to V6 825/827)

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Was reminded of this thread when I saw this the other day and snapped it today.i6kx1j.jpg102jodl.jpg

I was going to put in the abandoned thread but its still taxed and tested. These seem somehow rather likeable now and very narrow for an exec. Honda doing no doubt.

Hey! Interesting stuff. Yes the stretch 800s were often 827s with some 825 KV6 showing thier faces after 1998. This will certainly be an 827 given it's a 1993 L-reg.

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Guest Hooli

From my understanding; The Rover 820 automatic grearbox is a ZF gearbox (ZF4 HP 14) which was designed for use with the Honda oil if completely draining and refilling, otherwise Dexron II is Ok to use for topping up.

 

Also, on your earlier question, yes, a Volvo 850 expansion tank is definitely the way to go for expansion tank replacement. Get one that doesn't have extra foibles like tank level monitor, just get a simple one, less hassle. A bracket will be need to be made up to clamp it to the inside of the engine bay otherwise you are good to go.

 

I have a theory that Rover 220/420 expansion might also be a good idea, however, the expansion tanks might have different tolerances being as the 800 is a much bigger car, plus they may just be as badky made as the original tanks in the 800 (which were all the same from 820 to V6 825/827)

 

I think the only specs that matter on header tanks is capacity, bigger will be fine but smaller could be an issue & cap pressure. Most cars all run the same cap pressure but if you fit one too low then the car will boil easier.

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Hmmm. Interesting, because the Volvo looks smaller but I think is actually the same size or slightly bigger because the arch to bulkhead slant is taken into consideration when the original 800 tank was (badly and cheaply) designed.

 

I'm gonna dig on more into this because I'm sure there are better alternatives tp the Volvo header tank.

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