P38A A series of faults

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Tenebreaux said:
EAS dryer is easy and cheap to replace. Don't bother f*cking about refilling the dessicant.
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~£60 quid though and I've already got it open (did I mention that I'm tight?), I was eyeing up this kit: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/272755371314?hash=item3f817cad32:g:1hAAAOSwcqxde8~Y as it contained all the parts I could possibly need to sort out the under-bonnet wind section...

Currently weighing up replacing all the air springs with new Dunlop ones or slightly used Arnott's for the same money (will having Arnott's add value come selling on time?)

Now need to work out which transmission cooler hose that it is that appears to be leaking transmission fluid and liberally spraying the nearside engine bay in oil
 
The leaking oil pipes are the engine oil cooler, the gearbox one is behind the bumper where the passenger fog light would go, the cooler pipes do not come off the cooler very well and usually wreck the threads so new cooler and pipes, your front bags are not that bad i cant see the cordes unlike mine when i got it:D
 
Tenebreaux said:
Someone will correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm sure I remember someone saying those red O rings are a bad idea.
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I'd read the exact opposite lol no doubt a forum Minefield!!! Amusingly having a little dig around on the seller Original_Landyair/Mercia_Air yielded a google maps picture of a house with 3 P38's on the drive :D

brianp38dse said:
The leaking oil pipes are the engine oil cooler, the gearbox one is behind the bumper where the passenger fog light would go, the cooler pipes do not come off the cooler very well and usually wreck the threads so new cooler and pipes
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Curious, as from the manual they looked to be the ones for the transmission, and I thought I traced them down to the cooler behind the nearside bumper corner where the fog would have been :/ The fluid drips forming on the various low points underneath is also red (there's a theme here...) and thin just like Dexron III ATF, but of course that could just as well be coming from the power steering, and I know only too well that those BMW plastic reservoirs go porous with age and exposure to mineral oil and that is in the same area too. Another look tomorrow methinks
 
In the first pic the two by the alternator are oil cooler the gearbox ones can be seen in the second pic running under the engine mount and oil filter housing
you can carefully cut the clamps of the rubber bit clean up the metal pipe and clamp new hose on but it is a fiddle.
 
brianp38dse said:
In the first pic the two by the alternator are oil cooler the gearbox ones can be seen in the second pic running under the engine mount and oil filter housing
you can carefully cut the clamps of the rubber bit clean up the metal pipe and clamp new hose on but it is a fiddle.
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Good point, I have a Dremel and probably sufficient suitable oil proof hose so it's worth a shot
 
As for the pump and distribution manifold rebuild kits; there's no standard for O ring colours that denotes what they are made from unfortunately. Digging around and black can be just about anything and rust brown/red seem to mostly be silicon. Silicon doesn't want to come into prolonged contact with any petro chemicals or mineral oils as it absorbs them and goes porous as a result before eventually dissolving. Silicon though is better for coolant and air seals, while Viton is the great universal with high temperature stability thrown in, just don't burn them as the residue they leave contains Hydro-Floric acid which you really really do not want to come into direct contact with!
 
Slooby said:
Go coils you mean?
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no coils you may as well have bought a Freelander if you do that :D, the whole concept of the P38 was built around the EAS system.
But in my opinion it is a compete waste of time and money refurbing the dryer. Its cheaper to buy a new one that will give you 100% clean moisture free and dirt free air that is crucial to the EAS system.
The red O-rings in the kits are not high grade O-rings . They harden after about 4 months of use and in some cases are slightly oversize causing another leak path.
The compressor seal kits are ok as long as you do not damage the piston seal on replacement.
All this will be a waste of time , money and effort if the motor itself on the pump is knackered or the thermal trip is on the way out.
The valve block kits are ok but once again the O-rings are cheap and if you have problems with the base rubber of the solenoids being worn then you will still have a leak.
I would attack one job at a time and definitely get the Dunlop air springs for now so that you can kind of guarantee that they are ok. Spending too much on gen this and gen that air springs is pointless mate if the rest of the system is not running right - in my opinion.:);)
 
As for the desiccant, open the dryer, spread the material out on an oven tray, put into the oven, 100c for an hour to 90 mins, reuse.

Do not under any circumstances put in a microwave, it will explode.
 
Cheers for all that info Kurt :)
The aim of buying a P38 was to give myself a tow car suitable for recovering all my projects (divorce = house sale = rehoming) for less than it would cost to hire a vehicle for all the trips it will take or fitting a tow bar to my sister and brother-in-law's 2012 VW T5.1 (850 quid because of the electrics and recoding of the ecu required and then only 2.5 tonnes towing!), I'll probably only keep it till one of the Series projects is running...so 20 or so years then lol
I was contemplating the clean out and refresh of the drier because I managed to get it open without breaking anything and it could be a saving seeing as new driers seem to be the best part of £60.
I'm completely with you on the Viton seals (I hadn't read the description of the X8R kit till this morning)
On the springs front I was tempted by some very clean looking, but used, Arnott's for 200 quid as they do look superior to the O/E Dunlop, but I take your point about new over used
Best go have a trawl for new driers...
 
Slooby said:
I had considered it, but the desiccant has started to denurture and crumble so is beyond saving
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If you do go down the refurb route on the drier then make sure you change the collets and O-rings in the drier ports and when you seal the top of the air drier back on use a good gasket sealant that will stop any leaks.;)
 
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