Zel's Motoring Adventures...Volvo, Renault, Rover, Trabant, Invacar & A Sinclair C5 - Updated 13/11.

[LightBulbFun]

10 hours ago, Zelandeth said:

I needed to get TPA out of the garage today to fit the ladder in to finish routing the air line from one end of the garage to the other so used it as a good excuse to take her out when I needed to run a couple of errands.

Which also meant this happened.

That's us ticked over the 2,000 mile mark.  Second one rolled around a lot quicker than the first.

very cool to not only see TPA continue to get runs out but to see she has clocked over 2000 miles now with you   and apart from a Popped belt (which was because the belt itself was already knackered) I dont think she has let you down at all?

nice and reliable! I can only hope that REV is this good and reliable when I finally get her home and on the road!

 

it wont be long till you have caught up to @dollywobbler's millage at this rate  

 

on a side note do you have any plans to go the NMCR in September?  

[Zelandeth]

You know I mentioned a couple of posts back that my intention had been at some point to ditch the regulator on the tank and fit a decent (or at least passable) one in a more user friendly location?  Apparently it heard me.

This afternoon I'd just gone in to seal up a couple of joints on the pipework I'd identified as having tiny leaks.  While rummaging through the toolbox I heard something bounce off the ceiling, land on the roof of the Invacar then roll off and disappear behind it.

Turns out that it was the pressure adjustment knob from the regulator.

The threaded section in the body has completely stripped out, allowing the spring pressure to launch the knob off the top of the regulator.

Cue a run round to Toolstation to grab a replacement.  Which of course is far larger than the original one so I couldn't just screw it in the same place as the original until I finalised the pipework layout etc. 

So it's been stuck on a random screw on the wall for now and I'll set things up better over the weekend at some point.

The supply line will be larger than that one long term... it's just what I had laying around with the right fittings on... I'll need to pick up a few more bits and pieces to finish this off.

I've got a 30 foot hose reel on order so this is probably roughly where the regulator will live, most likely just moved a foot or two up so it's a bit further from elbow bashing height.  The reel will probably be fitted up above shoulder height so I can reach around to the far side of the Invacar when checking tyres without falling over it.

[Zelandeth]

Bit more progress today.  First job was to reattach the air filter/muffler to the compressor as it fell off a while ago.  Have gone for the epoxy putty approach first...if that doesn't hold I'll get the welder out and tack it back onto the metal stub screwed into the body of it.  That's how it was originally done.

Then it was a matter of shuffling things around, putting up an additional shelf on the rack and generally tidying.

It does actually feel like we're starting to make some forward progress now.

My plan for the hose reel when it arrives is - assuming it will fit - is for it to go somewhere in this vicinity.

There will be a second reel arriving soon as well with an electrical extension socket on.  This will save a huge amount of faff when using things like the pressure washer.  The one I'm currently using was a cheap Argos special we bought about 15 years ago and it was a maddening piece of cheap tat even then.  That one will go just to the left of the air one.

One of the things which is on my to do list for the next week in here is getting the garage door opener working again.  There's nothing whatsoever wrong with it mechanically or electrically, just we don't have the remote control for it or the key for the manual control outside...so one new receiver unit with a matching remote and a new keyswitch and we should be in business.  Given the amount of times I have to be in and out when playing car Tetris getting the Invacar in or out of the garage that would actually be quite useful. 

Did of course find another couple of bits that should have gone with the Xantia so I'll need to get those dropped off shortly.

 

 

 

[Zelandeth]

On 8/20/2021 at 2:04 PM, LightBulbFun said:

very cool to not only see TPA continue to get runs out but to see she has clocked over 2000 miles now with you   and apart from a Popped belt (which was because the belt itself was already knackered) I dont think she has let you down at all?

nice and reliable! I can only hope that REV is this good and reliable when I finally get her home and on the road!

 

it wont be long till you have caught up to @dollywobbler's millage at this rate  

 

on a side note do you have any plans to go the NMCR in September?  

That's the only actual FTP to date, though I've had a few issues.  Battery has needed charging twice, issue there is simply that the cut in point on the generator is such that you don't really get to the point of properly charging it at a decent rate unless you're on the open road.  Nearside door top fell to bits and had to be glued back together recently.  Have had a few instances of the carb playing funny buggers, though those were mostly in the early days.   Plus the throttle cable coming off the twist grip twice and eventually snapping at which point I replaced both the cable and twist grip.

She's not been too bad...but there's definitely a degree of vigilance required to keep on top of things.  Also in all honesty, I've been pretty lucky all told.  There are issues I'll need to address going forward at some point.  Not least the oil leak on the diff, which will be fun as I'll need to pull the driveshaft to sort that and I'd still really like to replace the nearside hub at some point for peace of mind.

Was out for a run today, actually turned out to be quite a nice day for it.

Couple of observations.  One is that while she's a fun car to drive, poorly surfaced roads, especially ones which you need to keep your speed up on are bloody hard work.  Between the quite bouncy ride, godawful amount of rattles and crashes from the body over bumps and the tendency of varying camber to try to alter your course, it's quite tiring.  This was 30-ish miles each way on quite poor roads.

The other thing I noticed today was that I'm tending to cause the brake lights to flicker a lot when driving.  Anything more than the tiniest deflection of the brake control brings on the lights.  Step one will be to replace the switch, as I suspect it may simply be switching at too low a pressure.  However I'm wondering if there's something I could do to create a detent in the "brake off" position without getting in the way.  I'm wondering about a magnet to hold the handlebars up, there's enough free play before appreciable braking takes place that I don't think that would impact brake behaviour, and certainly wouldn't get in the way of emergency application.

I definitely don't want to fit a stronger return spring as the brakes already require a pretty firm shove as it is when you're braking down from higher speeds.

Need to have a think about this one.

[Zelandeth]

This parcel arrived for the garage yesterday.

Sadly didn't have time to get it fitted until this afternoon.

It's a *heavy* sucker so I had to use some pretty serious fasteners, got there in the end though.

Think this location is a pretty good idea as it's using what would otherwise be totally dead space.

Also positioned such that if it *does* decide to pull the ceiling down, it'll more likely land on the door frame rather than the car.  Not actually hooked up yet as I need a reducer for the outlet as it's 3/8" and everything I have here is 1/4" - and nowhere locally I could think of had a 3/8" quick connect.

You can see how it's completely tucked away so shouldn't get in the way.

The multiple holes in the ceiling was me trying to find a ceiling joist.

There is a package on the way from Germany for the Merc with a pair of reproduction tail lights...if it ever makes it here.  They appear to be having serious problems with shipping... it's ended up back at the dispatch depot twice now.  Have also just ordered a new set of rear springs and tailgate gas struts.  Be nice in particular to get the springs changed to get rid of the horrible gronking noises.

[Zelandeth]

Having had the Mercedes out once in the dark it was obvious that the headlight alignment was way out - a ten second check quickly traced the reason for this.

As with many things on this car, the headlamp beam height adjuster control operates the mechanism by vacuum - and the hose had come adrift behind the nearside headlight.  I probably knocked it off when I pulled the cover off back when I first got the car to help get the condensation out of that headlight.

Reattachment of the vacuum line to the actuator on the nearside headlight has restored the level adjustment function and a more or less sane looking pattern.  Reckon it could do with a tweak, but it's hard to say looking at the far side of the road.  I'll see about checking it against a known good pattern on the garage door at some point.

I did make another discovery of something on this car today which again made me go "hey, that's a really smart idea..."

Normally the bonnet opens this far.  Which is better than on a lot of cars.  Plus sprung hinges mean there's no faffing about with bonnet props.

However if you press this little lever on the hinge mechanism...

It allows the bonnet to be lifted all the way vertical and latches there.

Which essentially moves it entirely out of the way of anything I can think of...plenty of room to get in there even with an engine hoist I reckon.  A feature that probably never gets used after the day 98% of the cars left the showroom, but nevertheless is really nice to know is available as a home mechanic.

Doing a lighting check however I noticed something it *doesn't* have which surprised me.

Side indicator repeaters...if memory serves it was 1986 that they became mandatory on all new cars, so this must be one of the last ones not to have them fitted.

I had TPA out for a run down Dunstable way today, mainly because I remembered there being a set of roadworks down there which tends to cause quite a queue and the Merc gets warmer than I really like in traffic...so was an obvious choice.

Ever since I changed the dynastart belts they have been quite noisy.  Originally I'd just put this down to them needing to bed in...but after a few hundred miles they're still making a din.

Looking closer I think I can see why.  The inboard one isn't sitting properly.

Same story on the bottom pulley.

So I'll pull that again tomorrow and shuffle the shims around to see if I can improve matters.  Suspect it may just be a little too tight and being pulled too far down into the groove.

In other matters the 3/8" to 1/4" adaptors arrived so I was able to get the air line all hooked up.

Leak test initially revealed one from this join.

Apparently because I hadn't used enough PTFE tape...second try it sealed up no problem.

With that sorted...time to resume where I left off on tidying.  Oh...after I've worked up the power switch.  The socket it's fed from is pretty inaccessible so I wanted a remote on/off control. 

Went with that style as it was cheaper than an IP rated double pole rocker switch, and it won't be bothered about getting used when I've got oily hands etc.

[Zelandeth]

Only one small job done today. Due to a missing trim clip the trim panel in front of the centre cubby hole sat a good 1/4" proud of the surrounding trim and looked obviously wrong. 

The way this whole panel is secured is that it slots into place under the ashtray then slides forward to locate. So replacing the missing clip wasn't something requiring *too* much precision. Cue careful use of a woodscrew...being careful to not break the surface. There was already a void here from where the original clip was secured so I've just used that space really rather than screwing further into quite a thin bit of wood.

Sophisticated it isn't but it works.

The whole panel used to wobble around and rattle before, none of that now. If I find what type of clip was originally used there I will see about replacing it properly.one day, but it's pretty low on the priority list.  I really do like how with this interior that they seemed to have figured out exactly how much and where to use the polished wood trim to make it feel properly special, but not be too over the top and brash. Especially with a contrasting interior colour like blue or green.

[Zelandeth]

Nothing car related today.  We had been trying to rehome some koi from the pond which we inherited unknown to us when we bought this house following the filter packing in a few days ago.  After the third person failed to turn up we've now given up on this plan.  So I'm sorting the pond properly. 

The pond filters we've had in there before have always struggled to keep up, especially in the summer.  My guess was that it had always been marginal in terms of capacity.  Plus being a submersible one was an absolute pain to clean as you had to drag the whole thing out the water.

Having done like for like replacement once before and established it wasn't ideal I decided to take a pretty typical approach for me and went for the nuclear option.

For a sense of scale, those pipes have a 1 1/2" inner diameter.

It will be buried so the pipework is basically at ground level and hidden in a rockery once we get this area sorted out.  It's probably oversized for our pond by a good 30-40%, but I'd rather have that than the alternative.  Having a proper integrated cleaning system which doesn't require me to pull things out of the water is worth it.  Plus the ability to have the filter remotely makes things a lot more flexible if we do rearrange things.

Hopefully we'll have happier fish because of it.  I enjoy them being there to be honest, just hated having to faff about with the filter every week in the summer.

I did have a mess with the dynastart belts in TPA yesterday evening.  Struggling to find what seems an ideal setting for both belts but I think it's a lot better than it was.  I'd rather have them slightly loose than tight, at least that's not going to wreck the bearings in the dynastart.  If this will stop the cursed squeaking remains to be seen.

Hopefully get her out for a run tomorrow to find out.

[Zelandeth]

Yet another headache trying to turn into a migraine today meant I only had about half an hour before it became apparent that I wasn't just going to be powering through it and getting on with things.

Did get one tiny job done though.  While I had managed to get the trim on the tailgate to sit flat again there was still a gap at the ends and a sharp edge there as the rubber capping had long since been ripped off.  As this was moulded as part of the rubber strip itself it's not something you can just replace as a spare.

So I made a replacement "end cap" from some epoxy putty.   Not perfect but it'll be less conspicuous once I slap a bit of black paint on it. 

It means there's not a sharp edge there (on either side actually) so I'm not worried about me or some random member of the public snagging on it.

[Zelandeth]

The oil on the dipstick was looking distinctly dark again so it was time for it to be dropped.

Not black, but definitely dirty.  This has been in the engine for about 700 miles.

You can see how much grime the filter has been collecting.

Somewhat worryingly there are a few ~1mm sized bits of metal flake in there.  Optimistically they're from the camshaft as we know that's been subjected to abnormal wear due to oil starvation.  It's entirely likely though they're from bearing surfaces deeper in the engine.  Short of dropping the sump and pulling a couple of the bearing caps off the crankshaft for examination it's impossible to say.  It's worth keeping in mind that the previous oil filter that I removed the first time I changed the oil on getting the car had failed so most of the oil was probably bypassing it.

I am going to have a look at how hard it is to drop the sump anyway as given the state of the top end I'm expecting the sump to be just as bad - and I'd really rather not have all that slime ending up blocking the oil pickup screen (as has killed innumerable 90s and early 00s Saab engines).

We've got acceptable oil pressure at idle, not great but acceptable, so I'm not immediately worried it's about to explode, but definitely something I need to keep an eye on.  I'll be keeping on the "change the oil once it starts to get dark" routine for the foreseeable future.

Also found I need to order up a new bracket for the heater controls.

Which I think is why this whole console is wobbly.  That plastic frame is meant to be riveted to the front of the heater box, and the temperature controls are then bolted it it, and that locks everything together.  With that broken (it's worse than it looks, I counted eight pieces) nothing is really secured properly.  I'll aim to replace the cable for the passenger side temperature control while I'm at it...the valve moves freely but the cable is completely seized up.

Given the number of posts on various forums I found when searching for the part I'm guessing that bracket failing is a common issue.  Get a horrible feeling that replacing it is going to be a pig of a job though as I reckon the whole console will need to come out to gain access.

It's worth noting that thanks to sensible design by Mercedes that I was able to complete this oil change without spilling a single drop.

[Zelandeth]

Spot the difference?

Well the obvious one is the stainless screws now holding the door handle on.  What you can't tell is that this is actually the handle which used to be on the other door.

Something that I hadn't (for obvious reasons!) mentioned was that one issue I had yet to deal with on TPA was that the nearside door lock was seized.  The offside one worked fine...but I very seldom use that door as it's an absolute pain to close and likes to stick on the runners.  Sorting it out is on the to do list, but I've not got there yet.

I had come up with a bodge with allowed me to make it appear locked - but with a solid pull on the handle you could still open it.  There was no way to actually lock it properly though. 

Today I finally got around to drilling out the screws holding the handles on so I could transfer the good one to the door I use.  Then I set about seeing if I could get the seized lock apart and sort it.  The answer was "sort of." It's still very sticky but does actually move now.  Realistically it wants replacing though.  For now though I've got it into a locked state...which given I don't use the offside door having it locked is just fine.  You can still open it from inside - for example if I needed to exit that way in an emergency.  The nearside door now locks and unlocks properly.

Something I'd been meaning to do for ages so nice to have it ticked off.  I mean security is very much relative with these cars...but it's better than nothing!

 

Definitely a bit less of a worry when parked up anywhere public anywhere.  Especially busier places like while when we were out today.

Ease of parking is definitely a plus with driving the Invacar.  I remember those spaces being far tighter last time I was in this car park.

I also wasted about half an hour...they have the stairwells in that car park set up as one way...one to go down, one to go up.  I found the "down" one just fine.  When I came to return to the car...could I for the life of me find the other one?  Not a chance.  Eventually I gave in and walked up the vehicle only route.  Still haven't the foggiest where the entrance to the other one is!

 

Had a box arrive today I've been waiting a couple of weeks for - the replacement tail lights for the Merc.  Took forever to arrive as there were issues with the shipping - with the goods having been returned to the sender twice - I assume due to issues with export paperwork.

Before and after for the offside.

Fit is...average at best.  But given they were about 10% of the cost of most of the used genuine ones I've found I'd say it's reasonable.  I doubt you'd notice unless you were looking for it. 

The original here has pretty well had it.

Sadly the nearside one fared less well during transit.

Seller immediately agreed to send a replacement, so hopefully that will be here soon.  Be nice to get these sorted out.  Small detail really, but a very visibly obvious one.

 

[Zelandeth]

Not been anything going on since the start of last week as entirely predictably my second COVID vaccine dose pretty much clobbered me.  I'm just about feeling like a vaguely functional human being again now.

It was actually quite pleasant outside over the weekend but I just wasn't well enough to do anything...today this nonsense has reappeared.

About 23 is the upper limit I can tolerate while still being anything resembling productive.

So I went out for a drive and to pick up a few things.

Upon arriving home the offside rear window latch exploded in a shower of bits of brittle black plastic when I closed the window...so I guess I can't put off buying a new set of those any longer then!  To be fair they've been knackered since the day I got KPL and I've no idea what has been holding them together for the last three years so it's no huge surprise.   I managed to stuff enough of the bits back together to hold itself in place for now so it's not a major issue, needs dealing with when I get the opportunity though.

[dollywobbler]

I've bought a full set of four for TWC, but I don't think I need all of them. Would be willing send one on if it helps you stave off the day you have to buy a set.

[Zelandeth]

8 hours ago, dollywobbler said:

I've bought a full set of four for TWC, but I don't think I need all of them. Would be willing send one on if it helps you stave off the day you have to buy a set.

Thanks for the offer but they're all pretty knackered - and the one that's not cracked doesn't latch...so is pretty equally useless!

Have been meaning to order some forever, it's just kept dropping off the to do list.  About time I just fixed that.

Plus doing them all in one hit hopefully will mean it's not something I need to revisit further down the line.

[Noel Tidybeard]

i thought everybody knew about the Merc bonnet "service" position

Honda provide 2 positions for the prop on a spaceship so can do 45*ish and 90*ish

[Zelandeth]

1 hour ago, Noel Tidybeard said:

i thought everybody knew about the Merc bonnet "service" position

Honda provide 2 positions for the prop on a spaceship so can do 45*ish and 90*ish

Nope!  Doesn't surprise me it's there but I had no knowledge of it.

It's worth mentioning that my total knowledge of these cars prior to jumping into the driver's seat of this one was having driven the earlier saloon one a friend owned back up north a couple of times about 15 years ago.  Aside from checking the fluids prior to a long journey I'd never had reason to get involved in the oily bits.

My knowledge extended to knowing it was bloody comfortable and that I wanted one.  Then I looked at the prices of them and figured that was the end of that.

[Zelandeth]

Hmm.  Definitely concerned that it looks like my hot idle oil pressure in the Merc has dropped somewhat over the last week.  I know it's hotter than Hell out there just now, but  I'm pretty sure I was seeing 1.5 bar with a similar reading on the temperature gauge last week.

Have always said with gauges like these that I don't particularly care what the raw number shown is, so long as it stays in a consistent state from week to week.

Given the absolutely filthy state of the top end this isn't entirely a surprise, I'd always been braced for deeper issues...going to be one of the following:

[] Blocked oil pickup strainer.

[] Crap in the oil pressure relief valve meaning it doesn't seat properly.

[] Big end bearing shells and/or crankshaft are scored beyond recognition like the camshaft lobes.

[] As above but oil pump body and/or rotor.

[] Or it's just a bit of a worn out old engine and wants some thicker oil thrown in.

It's very much on the "keeping a careful eye on it" list for now.  Think I will first change the oil for a grade or two thicker at the next change and see if that helps.  That would do a lot to help identify if it's a supply issue or excessive leakage going on here.

Kinda kicking myself for not taking some actual notes of where it sat after a run.

 

If it does turn out to be an actual problem developing here what do folks reckon?  Rebuild or replace the engine?

If the crank is even close to as bad as the camshaft it's scrap I'd reckon so I'd need to replace that.  I'm tending to think that sourcing another engine might be the more economically sensible solution.  Especially if it came with a working gearbox attached as this one isn't 100% happy and the fluid smells like burned toast which is seldom a good sign.

My gut feeling is that finding one shouldn't be *too* bad given that the cars tend to rust away to nothing long before the power units fail

I'm hoping it won't come to this anyway, but I'd rather have a plan thrashed out just in case.  I believe it's the M.103 engine in this. 2.3 litre four cylinder/134bhp anyway for what that's worth.

[spike60]

I don't suppose it makes any difference but yours is not a M103, as far as I know they're the straight 6. If you have concerns about the pressure get a gauge and check it properly. I don't think the senders are particularly accurate, my 1985 M117 reads 1 bar, - before I start it!  Fresh oil and filter won't hurt it, the cheapest thing you can fit to an engine is good quality oil.

[Zelandeth]

56 minutes ago, spike60 said:

I don't suppose it makes any difference but yours is not a M103, as far as I know they're the straight 6. If you have concerns about the pressure get a gauge and check it properly. I don't think the senders are particularly accurate, my 1985 M117 reads 1 bar, - before I start it!  Fresh oil and filter won't hurt it, the cheapest thing you can fit to an engine is good quality oil.

I'll double check the codes later... working from memory and the database on facts figures etc on this car is still being worked on.

EDIT: M102.980 actually according to my notes.

Oil and filter were changed last week - as this engine has clearly suffered a serious lack of changes until the last year or two of its life those are happening frequently at the moment.

This is the condition of several lobes of the camshaft as a result.

I'm pretty much expecting a similar story elsewhere.

I do have a good used camshaft (attached to a whole head, fuel metering assembly and intake manifold), but if the rest of the engine is in a similar state it's a bit like washing the windows on the Titanic. 

Hooking up an accurate gauge is a good shout, though what's worrying me isn't so much the numbers it's showing me but that they seem to be changing as time goes on.

[spike60]

The black crud coating the engine innards is not good, as you say it's often a indicator of poor servicing and the the best economical repair would probably be a replacement engine. Wynns used to sell magic potions to add to oil to boost oil pressure for the short term, - usually until the car was sold! 

[dollywobbler]

I seem to recall my W123 dropped oil pressure rather a lot on idle, but it soon picked up again. I wouldn't fret just yet unless the pressure fails to rise with revs. If that was your first oil change on this car there's no knowing what grade was previously used. Maybe something thicker?

[Zelandeth]

This was the second change.  No idea what was in it when I got it, but both changes so far have been refilling with 10W40. 

When I did the initial change I did get a visible improvement in hot idle oil pressure, Though it's worth noting that when I took the oil filter element out to do that first first change I found that it had collapsed internally because it was that clogged.  So goodness only knows how much of the preceding year it had spent with that doing nothing beyond providing a restriction in flow.

I'm not outright panicking or anything here, I've just noticed a slight change in behaviour and am keeping a close eye on it.  Given the sheer amount of crud inside this engine and how chewed up the camshaft is though it's hard not to wonder what state it's in elsewhere.

I really do want to get a manual fan override sorted out though, not having the cooling fan cut in until 99C (a bit over 2/3rds on the gauge) is way too warm for my liking!

 

 

[Zelandeth]

Well I've got news and it ain't good.

Figured dropping the oil and putting some heavier weight in there wasn't the worst idea.

The drain pan tells us what we need to know I think.  It was cleaned before use.

All those specs in there?  They're all shiny.

So yeah... something is breaking up in there.

With 20W50 in there, we've gained maybe 5-7psi of oil pressure when hot.  A bit but nothing dramatic.

Now I have a quandary here.

I know the camshaft is buggered.  I am assuming the bearings it sits on are lubricated in a similar way to the crankshaft, so it should always sit on a cushion of oil.  Therefore an excess of play there in theory would allow excessive oil flow and bleed off more oil pressure than it should.

Is there any mileage in me swapping the good spare camshaft I have over into the car?  Though I don't know if it sits on removable bearing shells or if they're milled into the head itself... because if those are chewed out it would be a pointless exercise.  Probably would be either way, but I'm kinda just thinking out loud at the moment.

Definitely time to start looking at my options I think.  The glitter in the oil has confirmed that I'm not just chasing a random gauge fluctuation.

[Dyslexic Viking]

Have you thought about taking an oil analysis?  Because then you can get to know a lot about the engine and they are not that expensive. I have used Blackstone labs before and have been very happy with them but there are several that offer this.

[dollywobbler]

To be honest, swapping new bits into an engine that's creating slushy metal doesn't seem the best move. How sad that it was neglected to this degree. "It's a Merc (Toyota/Lexus etc), they run forever" so often seems to mean people don't bother looking after them at all.

[Andyrew]

16 hours ago, Zelandeth said:

Is there any mileage in me swapping the good spare camshaft I have over into the car? 

If its only going to cost some time and a few consumables then why not i say,  gives you the ability to get to know the type of engine and its not at any risk of making it worse. 

If it strings the lump out for a few K more then all the better. 

Then its a bottle of lucas time

This stuff is hilariously thick.  Like  honey.

 

[Minimad5]

That Mercedes is blooming lovely.

I'd personally drop the sump and have a poke around, no point in guessing the state of things.

Have a look at a Journal bearing or two, this will give you a pretty good idea what's going on. 

If it looks grim then you have two options

1) Get quotes for rebuilding the original engine.

2) Try buy a known good replacement, and hope that it isn't buggered.

 

[Zelandeth]

First potential replacement engine has been spotted, £800 for the bare unit without any ancillaries/manifolds etc.

Apparently a known good unit with service history, no leaks untoward noises etc. 

It's a data point at least.  Last time I was shopping for an engine was 20 years ago for my father who had a Sierra which used as much oil as petrol - I've no idea what the going rate for things like this is in 2021.

[Fumbler]

That glitter looks coppery to me, which would indicate bearing wear, which would also point to oil being the consistency of water and/or the pump being clogged up with all that tarry sludge. Pardon me if you've done so already, but would it be worth dropping the sump to have a look at the engine's guts? If it's good, dumping a couple ounces of Seafoam into the engine could help thin that sludgey stuff out and help the pump work a bit more.

[dozeydustman]

I’d have a look at the bottom end first and check the mains and ends, then the oil pick up. I can imagine all sorts of grot in the strainer.

If the bottom end looks serviceable at least a head swap is an easier job than the palava of dropping/lifting out the whole engine for rebuild/swap.