Scottish guy has no idea what he wants to buy

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High Lander

High Lander

Active Member
Posts
390
Location
Inverness
I don't do many miles, and I love a V8, leather, 4x4 goodness and the ability to tow stuff down a beach - so looking to buy a P38 petrol in the next week or two.

Before anyone helpfully suggests that I use the search function, I already have and didn't find much. Anyone got a wee checklist I can work through when examining these beasties please?

Thanks

High Lander
 
Most important thing to look for when buying a P38 is that it has been well maintained, everything works and that it has a diesel engine. Nothing else really matters.
 
High Lander said:
Thanks wammers - what's wrong with the V8?
Click to expand...
It's the right powered engine for the RR. But.....they have a habit of dropping cylinder liners / blowing head gaskets. My '02 4.6 is on the 3rd engine from new & has gone through 4 head gaskets (in my ownership over 4 years) .....despite meticulous maintenance. If you can find one with a top hat linered block already fitted your half way there. Many V8's will run into high mileage without issue but it can be the luck of the drawer. The block castings are not the best it has to be said.
Still, i couldn't cope with the diesel.
 
Cheers Martyn, very useful, I kind of assumed that like most V8's they were pretty bullet proof

How does HG failure usually show itself on these engines? There are so many different symptoms:

Mayonnaise
Dirty coolant
Bubbling header tank
Wet block
Steam in the exhaust
Overheating

Which tends to come first on these engines please?
 
Personally the only engine for a Range Rover is a petrol V8, the performance is night and day compared to a diesel, get a post 99 Thor engined V8 and its surprisingly swift. As for the reliability issues, and the gas boys wont like it, but most of the ones that give real big trouble are on gas/have been on gas. I've had two 4.6 V8's both Thor's, and a friend of mine had two as well one a Gems and one a Thor and engine wise none of the 4 gave any trouble apart from one had to have an injector and one had to have a coil pack. I'm not saying there havnt been plenty of other issues but the engines were all good. Often the ones on gas will all have had "the all important rebuild..." but its generally just the gas powered cars that have had to have this rebuild.

It might be the gas cars have a harder life as they are "more economical", jurys out for me and maybe have done a higher mileage etc. I'm not saying a topline modern gas conversion is always a disaster but if you buy one that's been on gas or is still fitted, who fitted it? Who messed with it to try and make it run properly? Who mapped it? Just a recipe for a disaster IMHO
 
Ah - again very useful. I was instinctively shying away from gassed ones - just another layer of complexity and stuff to go wrong. I'm a bit of a simpleton, so like to keep it simple.
 
High Lander said:
Cheers Martyn, very useful, I kind of assumed that like most V8's they were pretty bullet proof

How does HG failure usually show itself on these engines? There are so many different symptoms:

Mayonnaise
Dirty coolant
Bubbling header tank
Wet block
Steam in the exhaust
Overheating

Which tends to come first on these engines please?
Click to expand...
A poor cooling system is a big no no for the V8.
Check the rad, waterpump etc. A weak system can cause the engine to overheat which is the kiss of death = failed head gaskets, cracked blocks, slipped liners.
In all my HG failures these were on the middle cylinders so never had a loss of coolant. as the passages are only on the outer cylinders. My symptoms have always been lumpy tickover followed by loss of power as compression is lost between cylinders. I suspect my slipped liner was down to a rounded off cam lobe on that cylinder as it could have caused a localised overheat which caused the liner to give way.
I wouldn't disagree with Quavey, a poorly installed / maintained LPG system may add stress to an already weak engine block.
 
Sure there's plenty of EAS advice on here if you do a search.
Check it rises from access to extended height by selecting the rocker switch on the dash. It should take no more than a few seconds to reach each height. Check the heights are consistent on each corner.Take for a drive & check the height adjusts to motorway setting (after 30 seconds at 50mph+, i think. & back to standard height etc). Pump should not be running continuously. Check the airbags for cracks / wear. They should be replaced around every 6 years. If time allows i'd leave it on extended height for a while to see if there is any obvious drop although this is not always practical. Manual inflation valves fitted would point to a neglected system IMO.
Oh, & don't go for a coil converted, it usually points to further neglect.
 
quavey said:
Personally the only engine for a Range Rover is a petrol V8, the performance is night and day compared to a diesel, get a post 99 Thor engined V8 and its surprisingly swift. As for the reliability issues, and the gas boys wont like it, but most of the ones that give real big trouble are on gas/have been on gas. I've had two 4.6 V8's both Thor's, and a friend of mine had two as well one a Gems and one a Thor and engine wise none of the 4 gave any trouble apart from one had to have an injector and one had to have a coil pack. I'm not saying there havnt been plenty of other issues but the engines were all good. Often the ones on gas will all have had "the all important rebuild..." but its generally just the gas powered cars that have had to have this rebuild.

It might be the gas cars have a harder life as they are "more economical", jurys out for me and maybe have done a higher mileage etc. I'm not saying a topline modern gas conversion is always a disaster but if you buy one that's been on gas or is still fitted, who fitted it? Who messed with it to try and make it run properly? Who mapped it? Just a recipe for a disaster IMHO
Click to expand...

LPG runs hotter = more likely for these issues to occur
 
4.6 hands down. Very little in terms of MPG difference but the 4.6 has much more power / torque & also a better transmission HP24 as apposed to the HP22 the 4.0l shares with the 2.5 diesel.
Also, i'd go for the Thor over the earlier Gems as much more torque (a 4.6 Gems is similar to a 4.0l Thor).
 
High Lander said:
Relative merits of the 4.0 vs 4.6 V8 chaps?
Click to expand...
4.6 same bore longer stroke, about same fuel economy due to greater torque. I would find a top hat linered or post LR production Mitchell cotts (coscast) block and if I couldn't find it, buy a classic.

wammers said:
Most important thing to look for when buying a P38 is that it has been well maintained, everything works and that it has a diesel engine. Nothing else really matters.
Click to expand...
How do you dislike a post @wammers you feckin NOx whore slàg:mad:
 
cooltide said:
4.6 same bore longer stroke, about same fuel economy due to greater torque. I would find a top hat linered or post LR production Mitchell cotts (coscast) block and if I couldn't find it, buy a classic.


How do you dislike a post [USER3201]@wammers[/USER] you feckin NOx whore slàg:mad:
Click to expand...
You can't. If you want reliability you use a diesel engine simples. ;):D:D
 
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