Rover P6 2000TC - exciting* video action

[N Dentressangle]

OK, I won't bore you with the tedious re-assembly. Stainless tubular exhaust manifold went back on as easily as they always do, ie not. But it's not my first rodeo and I'm wise to all their tricks, and had all the bolt holes lined up eventually. Carbs are a piece of piss to take on and off on these, so that was easy.

I had actually drained the 80 mile old oil out ready to refill, but I just didn't have the heart will all that dirt in it, so it got fresh 20w50. Fill of fresh water in the rad, with a flushing potion to be added later, and we were there:

Spun it over on the starter, plugs out until the oil pressure light extinguished.

Then there was only one thing for it really. Plugs back in and.....

SHE RUNS!!!!

and not just runs, but doesn't knock or make any horrible noises, revs and idles smoothly too.

I'm a genius. It's the only explanation.

[Matty]

Excellent 👌

[Peter C]

I love it when a plan comes together.

Congrats. 

[tooSavvy]

Boring story #alert# ... 🤣

I had an 875 IMP with shot bores but picked up a Talbot 1.0 engine [Imp but front engine/rwd] these had 930cc sized pistons....

Local engine shop overbored the block 'to suit' + set of Cord 'ridge dodgers' rings (.. oh, so Cheapz!!)

Ran like a dream, used the 1.0 Reinz gasket 🔧✔️

You Dunn Gudd 🎉 .... 101% wood read agin 😋

🚙💨

[N Dentressangle]

Quick 10 mile run round the block and I'm well pleased

Much smoother, loads more power, no knocking or horrid noises and no obvious catastrophic leaks.

Carbs need balancing again, obvs - the idle is now 500rpm higher, which tells its own story I guess. Will try a new compression check at some point too.

[N Dentressangle]

So what still needs done?

Well, the handbrake which was fine has decided to not be. And living in a town built mostly on steep hills, and handbrake is kind or, er, handy.

Under we go again to find out what's wrong. The easiest* way to do anything with the back brakes is to unbolt the drive shafts and remove the rear discs. This is the second time I've done this (first time was to replace the discs). Ho hum.

Here are the sodding calipers:

and this is what the frankly daft handbrake mechanism kind of looks like:

It does all move freely despite appearances, but it's received plenty of WD40 and spray grease to make sure.

The problem is the way I set the brakes up when I put the discs in. I should have set them up like this:

and ignored Haynes and other internet 'experts'. My calipers are click adjusting and working fine, but if you don't 'prime' them the way this guy shows then you end up with stupidly long handbrake travel and no workee.

Seems good now though, and comes on after a few clicks of the handbrake lever. Phew.

Just going to do a bit more rustproofing whilst I'm under there. Raising a P6 this high at the back is a challenge and slightly hairy, so I'd rather not do it again soon:

[DSdriver]

The Citroen DS has inboard discs at the front which also are used for the handbrake. There have been cases where people who have parked on a slope with the handbrake after a lot of braking which made the discs hot, when they returned to their car found it was not where they left it because the discs had cooled and contracted thus reducing the grip of the handbrake.

The only time I have had this happen the car started rolling as I was getting back in and I was able to stamp on the foot brake. I was lucky as it was going to roll into a main road! It was a useful reminder that on an incline you should also leave the car in gear.

[N Dentressangle]

Yep - I'm one of those guys who's never believed handbrakes are entirely to be trusted, and always leave the car in gear when parked.

[Surface Rust]

I've had several Saab 900s and whatever I drive now I still automatically leave it in reverse when parked!

[comfortablynumb]

My grandad used to say there was only one thing worse than a car that wouldn't go, and that was one that wouldn't stop😁

[SiC]

If someone on here doesn't have burned into their brain to always put their car in gear from bitter experience, they probably shouldn't be on here as they've been always driving too nice a car. 😂

[Dyslexic Viking]

1 hour ago, SiC said:

If someone on here doesn't have burned into their brain to always put their car in gear from bitter experience, they probably shouldn't be on here as they've been always driving too nice a car. 😂

I have previously driven for a whole year without a working handbrake. Do I win a prize?

[comfortablynumb]

Moved MK2 sons s type Diesel earlier, been sat for a week.

Handbrake wouldn't release, and then did, but warning light stayed on.

Remind me what was wrong with a cable again??

[camryv6]

16 minutes ago, Dyslexic Viking said:

I have previously driven for a whole year without a working handbrake. Do I win a prize?

Don't admit to that on here look what happened to @Peter Cwhen he admitted wrong doing !!

[N Dentressangle]

23 minutes ago, Dyslexic Viking said:

I have previously driven for a whole year without a working handbrake. Do I win a prize?

 Got to be an achievement in S Norway, I'd think?

[Dyslexic Viking]

2 minutes ago, N Dentressangle said:

 Got to be an achievement in S Norway, I'd think?

I don't know, but you get used to it quickly, just park the car in to walls, lampposts and more and it's fine.

[N Dentressangle]

I'd completely forgotten the TV notoriety of the Rover P6 handbrake. Or maybe I hadn't, because I remember this first time around when it was on TV.

Surely the choice of car is no coincidence? 🤣

 

[Stanky]

3 hours ago, Dyslexic Viking said:

I don't know, but you get used to it quickly, just park the car in to walls, lampposts and more and it's fine.

[Three Speed]

7 hours ago, SiC said:

If someone on here doesn't have burned into their brain to always put their car in gear from bitter experience, they probably shouldn't be on here as they've been always driving too nice a car. 😂

True - my 59 Chrysler parking brake is a single drum on the prop shaft. It is a very powerful brake - but depends on one single cable / ratchet. There is no park position. I don’t park on hills without chocks. 

[Three Speed]

11 hours ago, DSdriver said:

The Citroen DS has inboard discs at the front which also are used for the handbrake. There have been cases where people who have parked on a slope with the handbrake after a lot of braking which made the discs hot, when they returned to their car found it was not where they left it because the discs had cooled and contracted thus reducing the grip of the handbrake.

The only time I have had this happen the car started rolling as I was getting back in and I was able to stamp on the foot brake. I was lucky as it was going to roll into a main road! It was a useful reminder that on an incline you should also leave the car in gear.

I left my first GS in a B &Q car park and it had rolled out of its space when I got back. I’m sure it was this reason. Luckily it didn’t hit anything, just blocked the car park. Oops.

[tooSavvy]

18 hours ago, N Dentressangle said:

Yep - I'm one of those guys who's never believed handbrakes are entirely to be trusted, and always leave the car in gear when parked.

P ..... I'm spoilt, but MOT proofing the Hb mech, I still yarkk it on 👀

🚙💨

[DSdriver]

4 hours ago, tooSavvy said:

P ..... I'm spoilt, but MOT proofing the Hb mech, I still yarkk it on 👀

🚙💨

Both our Saabs are auto and just left in P (a habit left over from when we had a CX which used to be dealer serviced, they insisted it needed new handbrake pads every service despite us never using it meaning there was an argument at bill-paying time), back to the point, it takes a few moments to realise why the car is so sluggish after a mechanic has driven it because the always pull the handbrake on as well as putting it in park.

p.s. apologies @N Dentressangle for the thread hijack

[Oi_Oi_Savaloy]

Love the car and the work you've done and continue to do.  Always liked these.

[N Dentressangle]

My dad (81) is not interested in cars. He normally drives a 20 year old Mercedes diesel automatic. Slowly. My parents live around the corner from us - we 'moved' them there nearly 10 years ago, using the bait of a grandchild and the argument that age is easier to manage independently if you live close to family.

So far it's worked well, and they've settled into life here and made many more friends than we have. Their diary is packed. One of these friends saw me out and about in the P6 the other day, and within a couple of hours I had heard the news from my parents. You know how it is. This friend is actually interested in cars, so I have suggested they take him and his wife out for the day in the P6 one day next week.

I had to get my dad used to driving the P6 first though. He is a natural diesel driver, loves to labour the engine and change up at every opportunity. He also spent many years driving a Saab 95V4 with a freewheel, and has the bad habit of dipping the clutch and coasting for far too long. Oh, and he's oblivious to the people behind him he's holding up by driving too slowly. I mentioned all these things, but you wont hear them in this video 🤣

I doubt we got over 40. I'm in the passenger seat (obvs) but hopefully it gives a flavour of the car on a rural B road.

[Matty]

1 hour ago, N Dentressangle said:

My dad (81) is not interested in cars. He normally drives a 20 year old Mercedes diesel automatic. Slowly. My parents live around the corner from us - we 'moved' them there nearly 10 years ago, using the bait of a grandchild and the argument that age is easier to manage independently if you live close to family.

So far it's worked well, and they've settled into life here and made many more friends than we have. Their diary is packed. One of these friends saw me out and about in the P6 the other day, and within a couple of hours I had heard the news from my parents. You know how it is. This friend is actually interested in cars, so I have suggested they take him and his wife out for the day in the P6 one day next week.

I had to get my dad used to driving the P6 first though. He is a natural diesel driver, loves to labour the engine and change up at every opportunity. He also spent many years driving a Saab 95V4 with a freewheel, and has the bad habit of dipping the clutch and coasting for far too long. Oh, and he's oblivious to the people behind him he's holding up by driving too slowly. I mentioned all these things, but you wont hear them in this video 🤣

I doubt we got over 40. I'm in the passenger seat (obvs) but hopefully it gives a flavour of the car on a rural B road.

The rev counter made an appearance a couple of times and he was making use of a third to a half of the available revs.

I feel you've undersold your Dad a bit there pal 😁

[N Dentressangle]

3 minutes ago, Matty said:

The rev counter made an appearance a couple of times and he was making use of a third to a half of the available revs.

I feel you've undersold your Dad a bit there pal 😁

You didn't hear the number of times I'd already yelled at him to give it some beans 🤣

[High Jetter]

You sure you want to lend it to him?

[N Dentressangle]

13 minutes ago, High Jetter said:

You sure you want to lend it to him?

Yeah, be fine. He's a safe driver - just a bit slow and idiosyncratic in his ways.

It'll do him good.

[High Jetter]

First time I drove a P6 (PHC 99M, the company's Dr's car), the acceleration both scared and enthralled me. Was a 3.5 manual, and I was 17.

[Wibble]

I thought he did great!