mr_s
Member
I've recently purchased a P38 diesel manual of 1997 vintage. I bought it dirt cheap as I knew it had a few issues, and I'm still waiting for the log book to return so I have only driven it on my drive and very briefly in a car park (before loading on the low loader to bring it back home) thus far.
First problem I had was that the gear stick sat a little too far to the left. Fixed this with a slightly stronger detent spring behind the ball on that side of the shifter, it now sits nicely between gears 3 and 4, just like it should. I used a spring I found that I suspect was part of a handbrake once upon a time, modified slightly.
The problem that I can't suss out is that sometimes, in first gear in low range, it seems as though the clutch is slipping. If you then put it into reverse there is no slippage and it's ok. Back into first gear and it still slips. If you drop it back into neutral, select high range, back into first gear and try again it's fine. Sometimes in low range it works fine.
Whether it is a low range/first gear problem, I can't guarantee as I haven't driven it far enough to see if it happens in high range at all.
From the (I'll admit, somewhat limited....) description of the symptoms above, can anyone offer any ideas as to what might cause this sort of behaviour?
Good news is that everything else seems to work, it's a basic DT model, so there's no electric seats, no air-con, no cruise control etc. Only thing a bit dodgy is that the d/s/f window is a bit stiff at the bottom of its travel. As with so many things in life, it's nothing a bit of lube won't sort out, I'm sure!
First problem I had was that the gear stick sat a little too far to the left. Fixed this with a slightly stronger detent spring behind the ball on that side of the shifter, it now sits nicely between gears 3 and 4, just like it should. I used a spring I found that I suspect was part of a handbrake once upon a time, modified slightly.
The problem that I can't suss out is that sometimes, in first gear in low range, it seems as though the clutch is slipping. If you then put it into reverse there is no slippage and it's ok. Back into first gear and it still slips. If you drop it back into neutral, select high range, back into first gear and try again it's fine. Sometimes in low range it works fine.
Whether it is a low range/first gear problem, I can't guarantee as I haven't driven it far enough to see if it happens in high range at all.
From the (I'll admit, somewhat limited....) description of the symptoms above, can anyone offer any ideas as to what might cause this sort of behaviour?
Good news is that everything else seems to work, it's a basic DT model, so there's no electric seats, no air-con, no cruise control etc. Only thing a bit dodgy is that the d/s/f window is a bit stiff at the bottom of its travel. As with so many things in life, it's nothing a bit of lube won't sort out, I'm sure!
