Watchlords

With my British cars out of commission I've been down in the dumps.

Last week I started assembling the bits to convert the XK8 to a LS1. The first bit was purchasing a rolled, running and driving 2003 Denali with a 6.0 liter for $700. The drivetrain is in great shape.

As I've purchased a watch or two too many in the past as many months the kitty is short to purchase the $2k conversion kit . . .

So, I've decided to fix the Rolls and Range Rover this month.

First the Rolls. . .
Headed home from the All British Field Meet last September, the Rolls developed a horrible front end thump and wobble at speed. My initial diagnosis was wheel bearing. The right front wheel bearing was out and I replaced it last week. I also determined that the dual calipers needed pads so I replenished them with the four sets.




As some of you know, I wrenched as a British car mechanic through high school and my undergraduate. I know how to do it, but hate it now that my body is old and broken. But someone has to do it. . . And as with all things medical, legal, and house related, I DON'T trust anyone and I'm too thrifty to pay them, so if it is going to be done, I'm the one who does it.

Before doing the wheel bearing and brakes on the Rolls, I did an oil change and front and rear brakes on Dad's car.






(Did I mention that I hate working on cars?)

Wobble was better, but still there. I put the Rolls in the air Sunday to determine the track rod joint were blown.





Track rods are super expensive on a Rolls, but found the LH on ebay (a new one) and just sourced a good used RH out of Florida.

Had a big shopping day on Ebay yesterday:


You will see Range Rover parts too. I'm going to slap the rebuilt heads I purchased five years ago on the Range Rover!

I fixed it up six years ago or so with a new water pump, hoses, battery, tires, etc and started using it again. In a couple of weeks of use it developed a cracked head or blown head gasket. (As it warms up it becomes a steam locomotive.)

As soon the gaskets arrive from the UK and the new head bolts and pushrods arrive I am going to back the Rover into the garage and switch out the heads over a weekend.

By the end of the month, the Rolls and Range Rover will be fixed. Then onto the Jaguar build.

That's fucking amazing. I don't even know how my fucking toaster works.

Cool as hell, man — anything I try to fix winds up costing me three times the money for DIY complications.

Nice work!

I only turn wrenches on simple stuff like chaging the oil in my 240Z and swapping wheels on my Corvette in fall and spring. Oh, I can check air pressure too. Otherwise, I leave it to the professionals.

I admire thoise that have the background, skill, knowledge and courage to do these jobs themselves. Kudos!

Nice work Lord Smells.

I'm with you. I also work on my own stuff mostly cuz I'm poor plus I want the job done correctly.
Recently rebuilt the power steering rack on my one owner/30 yo truck. Had to do the seals, clips, boots, etc because a complete unit (new or reman) is not available.
Was Not Fun, hoping the damn thing will last another 225,000 miles.

Am interested in how your LS swap goes.

I can do brakes and stuff like that. Replaced the rotors, calipers, and pads on my truck a while back. The car is starting to chatter a bit when you get on the brakes hard. Probably do the fronts here soon. Don't bother with oil changes-with no lift you'd have to be a contortionist to get the filters off of my daily driver.

codguy wrote: ↑

August 31st 2022, 7:01am

Nice work Lord Smells.

I'm with you. I also work on my own stuff mostly cuz I'm poor plus I want the job done correctly.
Recently rebuilt the power steering rack on my one owner/30 yo truck. Had to do the seals, clips, boots, etc because a complete unit (new or reman) is not available.
Was Not Fun, hoping the damn thing will last another 225,000 miles.

Am interested in how your LS swap goes.

Will do! It is all just a matter of $! But it will ride again, by Xmas.

Mark1 wrote: ↑

August 31st 2022, 7:42am

I can do brakes and stuff like that. Replaced the rotors, calipers, and pads on my truck a while back. The car is starting to chatter a bit when you get on the brakes hard. Probably do the fronts here soon. Don't bother with oil changes-with no lift you'd have to be a contortionist to get the filters off of my daily driver.

I hear you!

My wife's most recent car, the C250 Mercedes which really should be badged C180 Turbo is the AMG version and is way too close the ground to make use of a normal shop jack viable. After changing the oil twice and having to use three sets of scrap wood to get the car up and down I purchased the external oil 🛢 sucker pictured here:



I've used it probably 25 times. It sucks the liquid pan contents dry and was only $50 on a popular interwebs based auction site.

It has saved my back.

People will say what about the metal chunks. . . My response. If you have metal chunks coming out in your oil, you have bigger problems.

Great effort. My patience/skill extends to bleeding brakes. And even that simple task has been known to end in a nervous breakdown. Wish I had your skills and determination.

Can't wait to see how the Jag LS1 turns out.

When I was a lot, and, I mean a lot younger, I used to do a lot of my own work. Starter motors, brakes and bleeding, oil obviously, exhaust etc. Now I'm 78, fairly well disabled and sweat changing out my wiper blades. My son, up from WV for a short vacation, changed oil and filter on my 2005 Chevy Trailblazer. Otherwise I have the oil changed when it gets it's yearly inspection.
Stay young and agile, fellow Lords!!

EXCELLENT post!

I feel you Smells! I’ve written a LOT more checks over the last few years compared to previously doing pretty much everything exclusively on my own…. For the same damn reason: I don’t trust others to do it right.

About 5 years ago I met a local mechanic who is a godsend and does everything (for my cars) personally while his mechanics work on other costumer cars. It’s the way to go for the particularly messy jobs…

But, as I have recently verified, there are some tasks it’s just difficult to delegate for a labor cost when I could simply to it myself, verdamnit.

My shoulders, back, and knees had recently contacted me to emphatically confirm they do not approve of my stubbornness…. Meh, fuck ‘em - I’m the damn boss, you do what you’re TOLD.

Well, those rebellious fucks got together with my hands, apparently, and convinced them to go numb while I was cramming under the Shadow to install a new vacuum shift module… (later I’ll have to take it (and a jack) to the DIY commercial-style car wash to clean up all the gross old ATF that leaked out and coated the undercarriage with novel rust proofing.)

But, while I’m under there fiddling around my damn hands were aching on the inside, but were preventing any tactile input from the outside. I couldn’t feel shit! “Is the bolt still in my hand? Beats me… Awe, crap, I dropped it. I guess it WAS in my hand…”
It wouldn’t have been terribly expensive to have my guy Armando do it…. But this was some simple ass bull crap! It was my aging creaking (super hot) body that made the simple job a huge pain in the ass!

BUT - I DID do it… and that pleases me.
But the aches and discomfort that lasted the next day made me question my choices.

Then again, driving the car to lunch with my wife yesterday convinced me “DIY” was the right call… though, we’re out of ‘Motrin’.
And - thankfully - NO LEAKS! (…it looks like there is a drop, but it’s actually a small gouge in the asphalt)

Nuvolari wrote: ↑

September 1st 2022, 3:21pm

EXCELLENT post!

I feel you Smells! I’ve written a LOT more checks over the last few years compared to previously doing pretty much everything exclusively on my own…. For the same damn reason: I don’t trust others to do it right.

About 5 years ago I met a local mechanic who is a godsend and does everything (for my cars) personally while his mechanics work on other costumer cars. It’s the way to go for the particularly messy jobs…

But, as I have recently verified, there are some tasks it’s just difficult to delegate for a labor cost when I could simply to it myself, verdamnit.

My shoulders, back, and knees had recently contacted me to emphatically confirm they do not approve of my stubbornness…. Meh, fuck ‘em - I’m the damn boss, you do what you’re TOLD.

Well, those rebellious fucks got together with my hands, apparently, and convinced them to go numb while I was cramming under the Shadow to install a new vacuum shift module… (later I’ll have to take it (and a jack) to the DIY commercial-style car wash to clean up all the gross old ATF that leaked out and coated the undercarriage with novel rust proofing.)


BAA4D712-08ED-43FC-8216-657FCD311780.jpeg

But, while I’m under there fiddling around my damn hands were aching on the inside, but were preventing any tactile input from the outside. I couldn’t feel shit! “Is the bolt still in my hand? Beats me… Awe, crap, I dropped it. I guess it WAS in my hand…”

9EBA27E6-E5F2-4C00-BFEA-B58B941D5CAE.jpeg

It wouldn’t have been terribly expensive to have my guy Armando do it…. But this was some simple ass bull crap! It was my aging creaking (super hot) body that made the simple job a huge pain in the ass!

BUT - I DID do it… and that pleases me.

A5853162-0B2C-406B-B891-602AF7E94DD0.jpeg

But the aches and discomfort that lasted the next day made me question my choices.

Then again, driving the car to lunch with my wife yesterday convinced me “DIY” was the right call… though, we’re out of ‘Motrin’.

7C8E2A73-DD50-4DD0-8340-F9490F02A77A.jpeg

And - thankfully - NO LEAKS! (…it looks like there is a drop, but it’s actually a small gouge in the asphalt)
43E0D2AE-732C-48D6-BF6A-F5281E210445.jpeg

Well done and fabulous motorcar.

I wish I had a mechanic. My nephew is good but three hours away. Everyone else charges like they are fucking scientists.

Updates. I have a trunk full of new parts. Mounts, hoses, chips, headers. . .

Here is the brand new Camaro LS1 pan with modifications to clear the front cross member.




By in large the most expensive part that will be on the car (new pan cost, less coupon, plus alumunim fabrication. . .).

Picked up the last bits for my conversion. Camaro/Vette LS1 front accessories. I purchased a truck version of the LS1 where all the accessories sat high on the front of the engine. Wanting to retain the bonnet I needed these accessories and brackets to sit low.

.
Do you have a top down view of that oil pan?
Wondering how oil in the front portion transverses to the back. Pick up tube from both chambers to the pump??

With the front accessory parts off, would be a grand time to replace the consumables due to access.
I replaced the idler wheels and tensioner on my 40k mile Mustang------because they were in the open from other work I was doing and hopefully starts their clock anew.

Next up is a EGR delete on my truck and try to get the R12 system converted to R134a. <------ any hints, tricks and/or secrets on doing this AC conversion would be appreciated.


That LS Jag is going to be sweeet it is !!

codguy wrote: ↑

January 22nd 2023, 7:14am

.
Do you have a top down view of that oil pan?
Wondering how oil in the front portion transverses to the back. Pick up tube from both chambers to the pump??

With the front accessory parts off, would be a grand time to replace the consumables due to access.
I replaced the idler wheels and tensioner on my 40k mile Mustang------because they were in the open from other work I was doing and hopefully starts their clock anew.

Next up is a EGR delete on my truck and try to get the R12 system converted to R134a. <------ any hints, tricks and/or secrets on doing this AC conversion would be appreciated.


That LS Jag is going to be sweeet it is !!

Have you exhausted all of the other options to keep your r12? Here’s a hint keep the r12 as long as possible. Better coolant than r134a. If you do convert make sure that it is 100% flushed out before as the oils aren’t compatible.

https://newoldcars.com/r134-conversion- ... an%20R134a).

ocean wrote: ↑

January 22nd 2023, 2:05pm

codguy wrote: ↑

January 22nd 2023, 7:14am

.
Do you have a top down view of that oil pan?
Wondering how oil in the front portion transverses to the back. Pick up tube from both chambers to the pump??

With the front accessory parts off, would be a grand time to replace the consumables due to access.
I replaced the idler wheels and tensioner on my 40k mile Mustang------because they were in the open from other work I was doing and hopefully starts their clock anew.

Next up is a EGR delete on my truck and try to get the R12 system converted to R134a. <------ any hints, tricks and/or secrets on doing this AC conversion would be appreciated.


That LS Jag is going to be sweeet it is !!

Have you exhausted all of the other options to keep your r12? Here’s a hint keep the r12 as long as possible. Better coolant than r134a

I've had succes converting one time. On my w126 300sd. They use GM based compressor as used on 350 everything in the 70's. I bought a new one from pep boys, back when we had pep boys, and switched it out. I added the recommended conversion oil and charged it. 25 years later, it still blows cold , but not freezing as Ocean suggests.

Thanks guys, I've enquired locally with two shops and both stated they can't get R12 refrigerant.
Thinking that was how it was and had to go R134a-----------

Will need to dig in to this further. Appreciate the reply!

codguy wrote: ↑

January 22nd 2023, 6:02pm

Thanks guys, I've enquired locally with two shops and both stated they can't get R12 refrigerant.
Thinking that was how it was and had to go R134a-----------

Will need to dig in to this further. Appreciate the reply!

If you need help getting r12 let me know I can sign for it as part of my licensing. If they are AC certified they can purchase it on eBay.