Preparing an RR V8 Classic for a trip to Morocco?

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MikeV8SE

MikeV8SE

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I am looking to purchase a Range Rover Classic V8 which has an LPG conversion for a trip to Morocco next year. LPG for the journey down there, and will then run it on petrol in Morocco.

Aside from all the usual overland preparation stuff, is there anything specific to the V8 I should do? I’m thinking mostly about cooling issues and dust into the airbox, but is there anything else I should consider?

Also, I understand they run hotter on LPG, but if I am running it on petrol I assume it will run like a normal V8 temperate wise?

The car is a late-model soft dash with EAS, so if there is anything else pertinent to that then please advise. Was thinking of replacing the EAS with a coil-spring conversion with a small ride-height raise - perhaps 1"?

Many thanks!
 
Dont know about running hotter on gas . as from my experience in Australia , the evaporator uses lots of heat from cooling system to change the gas from liquid to gas.
snorkle is a good mod to take clean , cooler air into engine from higher up (not underbonnet) flexible hose an drain pipe will do the job if you are looking to keep costs down . Put synthetic oil in auto trans , ordinary 20/50 in engine.
Get your rad serviced (ie dismantled and cleaned out as they clog up with ali deposits etc) The eas is the only real weak point I would consider.
Make sure all the heater hoses are new , this is quite often a fail point , esp with lpg conversions and make sure the hose clips are retightened after a bit of usage .
apart from that Morocco is not really going to bother a legend of the 4x4 world
HTSH
 
Arre you going to do much off road stuff? If so fit as beefy springs/shocks as possible would be my advice if you are going down the springs route.....otherwise....boing boing, boing. Fitting a snorkel would be a good idea but not essential I suppose. Other than that, our V8 Range Rover performed perrfectly when we took it to Algeria and back.
 
Thanks guys, cheers for the advice. Will service the cooling system before we go for sure, and thanks for the tip on the heater hoses tacr2man.

Rusty Rhino - any pics of your Classic on your trip to Algeria?
 
We fitted an electric fan to ours and also have uprated oil coolers. But I don't think it would have struggled without these either?

Is yours an auto? All I would say is that our box got a little warm when we were temprarily stopped (not stuck!) in the sand...nothing to worry about though.

Yeah have loads of pics of the Rangie in Algeria/Tunisia...most of them are at The Rusty Rhinos - Saharan Rally 2009 - photographs if you want to cift through...but here are a few :) :

IMG_51811600crop800.jpg


9rangeroveronthemove.jpg


13LRandRRonsand.jpg


5campingsomewhere.jpg


P1010020.jpg


P1010018.jpg


P1010273.jpg


P1010286.jpg


We have learnt our lesson and have sinced beefed up the suspension a little...even though the springs/shocks were supposed to be "uprated" (Pro Comp if I recall) they just didn't cut it once loaded up - the rear shocks and springs pretty much gave way and ended up boinging about all over the place.

We now run this setup with dual shocks at the rear:

rrdualshocks.jpg
 
Thanks Rust Rhino - looks great!

Mine's an auto and I'm sticking with the EAS but will fit new air springs and also overall the comporessor and valve block before I go.

What mods would you recommend as essential? Snorkel to reduce dust intake? Sump guard? It's got Monroe Adventure shocks on the rear, but maybe a second set of shocks would be worthwhile...?

As for the electric fan, I was told these werent such a good idea as the dust and sand gets in the switches and causes them to fail...plus, you'll want the fan on all the time anyway, so a viscous one should be fine?
 
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Thats OK :)

Snorkel is not essential, but i would strongly recommend it as I am sure others would as well. Sump guard? I would not have that high on the list of priorities to be honest...just dont go pounding over rocks I suppose! As for the suspension if you are staying with the air stuff I cant really comment as I dont know enough about it...but what I would say is that I would rather rely on springs and shocks than electronics and compressors, but thats my old fashined way of thinking I suppose.

Electric fan..dust and sand in the switches? Hmm if you are to worry about that....worry about all th other electronics you have going on! Personally I dont see that as an issue at all. As you say, the standard fan should be fine anyway :)
 
MikeV8SE said:
Thanks Rust Rhino - looks great!

Mine's an auto and I'm sticking with the EAS but will fit new air springs and also overall the comporessor and valve block before I go.

What mods would you recommend as essential? Snorkel to reduce dust intake? Sump guard? It's got Monroe Adventure shocks on the rear, but maybe a second set of shocks would be worthwhile...?

As for the electric fan, I was told these werent such a good idea as the dust and sand gets in the switches and causes them to fail...plus, you'll want the fan on all the time anyway, so a viscous one should be fine?
Click to expand...

EAS and expedition loading works well ;) but i should advice to bring 4 specific inflation valves for the case it doesn't last or the case you explode an airspring
 
A rangie will be fine. Don't get too carried away with mods. A good service and tyres are the most important thing. Check the suspension and cooling system in particular. There aint much a moroccan can't fix en route 'whilst your having a cuppa'.
 
muddyfox said:
A rangie will be fine. Don't get too carried away with mods. A good service and tyres are the most important thing. Check the suspension and cooling system in particular. There aint much a moroccan can't fix en route 'whilst your having a cuppa'.
Click to expand...

My plan is to fit some BF Goodrich A/T tyres, service the EAS and cooling systems and fit a rooftent + storage system in the boot. That's pretty much it!
 
Service the EAS isn't enough believe me. Take some inflation valves with you. Those are like the spare tyre but for the suspension
 
996TURBO said:
Service the EAS isn't enough believe me. Take some inflation valves with you. Those are like the spare tyre but for the suspension
Click to expand...

For the EAS I was going to service it, take a spare front and spare rear airbag (maybe a pair of each) and some precisely cut blocks of wood that can be used as a temporary fix to hold one corner up should an airbag give way - should stop the car levelling to the bump stops.
 
MikeV8SE said:
For the EAS I was going to service it, take a spare front and spare rear airbag (maybe a pair of each) and some precisely cut blocks of wood that can be used as a temporary fix to hold one corner up should an airbag give way - should stop the car levelling to the bump stops.
Click to expand...

If you want to hear the group saying that you should have converted to coils, not taking those valves is the way to go.

As an example, what will you do if you have a compressor burnout due to a leaking airspring you didn't hear because of the trail noise ?

You'll be funny on the bumpstops with your spare airbags and your blocks of wood. How will you fill those airsprings:confused: except with some valves and a tire compressor.

This example is 1/10e of my EAS experience on the rough terrain.

If you want to hear others saying that you should have converted to coils, not taking those valves is the way to go.
 
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