Ol'Wolf
New Member
- Posts
- 1
- Location
- Golden CO USA
Greetings (or perhaps My Sympathy) fellow Land Rover owners. Please let me introduce myself: I'm The Old Wolf and I live in Golden CO, just a few miles west of Denver. My wife and I own, among an assortment of other things, a 2003 Freelander SE3. How we became Land Rover owners is an interesting story.
A few years ago, actually 12 years ago, we were driving past a local used car dealership while discussing what she wanted for an anniversary present. About that time she spotted a bright orange SE3 on display in the front row. She asked if we could look at it. Well, we slapped a dealer plate on it and flogged it up I70 toward the tunnel (about 20 miles of mostly 6% grades) to see if it could make the grade (pun intended). Nothing overheated, seized or fell off and we were able to keep up with most of the traffic. We didn't even try to keep up with the big diesel pickups running light at 85MPH. The return trip was down some twisting secondary roads where we tested brakes and the ability to avoid bouncing off guard rails (where installed - guard rails are optional in many areas of the Colorado mountains). On return to the lot and after about an hour of discussions/negotiations with the salesman Carolyn had her anniversary present.
When we bought the Freelander it had 60k on the clock. For years it required only minimal service. New shoes, brakes and the occasional broken plastic coolant line. Any time I had to repair a coolant line I would put in stainless steel lines with stainless steel fittings. I know that is overkill but I had stock on hand. Why would you put plastic lines and fittings on a pressurized coolant system? About 9 months ago another plastic fitting broke and while under the hood I noticed some coolant on top of the block. Investigation showed that there were several leaks in the area of the thermostat.
OK, so I pulled off the manifold and started checking things out. What? The pipe from the water pump to the thermostat was leaking at both ends. Also where the base of the thermostat plugs into the block was leaking. I did some measurements and found that material at the base of the o-ring groove was only 0.020 in thick, in a plastic part no less, and both had separated at the base. Well, that would never do so I chucked up some 1.5 in thick wall aluminum stock in the lathe and whittled a new tube with considerably more "meat" at the base of the grooves. I ordered a thermostat and while waiting for it to come in decided to check the timing belts. Oh boy, time to replace belts.
I was getting deeper by the hour (actually by the day) into this engine. While pulling the timing system apart I found several problems. All the bolts locking the cam gears to the cams were loose, VERY LOOSE. Since exact cam timing is set by moving the gears within a range and tightening these bolts I"m sure cam timing was wandering all over the place. I also found the plastic outer parts of the front timing belt idler wheel in the bottom of the housing. The belt had been running on the metal center of the idler wheel. That explained why the front belt had much more wear than the two secondary belts. Well, get on the computer and order belts, bolts, and idler wheel and, since I was already replacing several items, throw in a hydraulic tensioner and wheel.and while I'm at it order a water pump and a serpentine belt. The folks at UPS and FedEx are getting to know my address.
It has been 9 months and I'm still in the re-assembly mode. Had to buy a timing belt alignment kit. Some online sources said the belts could be replaced without the kit but they assumed that the cam gear bolts were all tight, belts would be replaced individually and the bolts of each section would be tightened before continuing to the next belt. That couldn't happen since this vehicle had a screw loose somewhere. Now I'm putting back all the "stuff" that had to be taken off just to get to "the problem." I'm beginning to like my old Bronco with the cast iron inline 6. I completely rebuilt that engine in under a week -- and all the parts were in stock at the corner auto parts store.
Well, that's my story (so far). Hope to meet a few of you on the forums. I'll give everyone the advice I gave back in the dark ages when I owned a '53 FIAT. -- ALWAYS KEEP A TOW CHAIN HANDY.
73 Orlen
A few years ago, actually 12 years ago, we were driving past a local used car dealership while discussing what she wanted for an anniversary present. About that time she spotted a bright orange SE3 on display in the front row. She asked if we could look at it. Well, we slapped a dealer plate on it and flogged it up I70 toward the tunnel (about 20 miles of mostly 6% grades) to see if it could make the grade (pun intended). Nothing overheated, seized or fell off and we were able to keep up with most of the traffic. We didn't even try to keep up with the big diesel pickups running light at 85MPH. The return trip was down some twisting secondary roads where we tested brakes and the ability to avoid bouncing off guard rails (where installed - guard rails are optional in many areas of the Colorado mountains). On return to the lot and after about an hour of discussions/negotiations with the salesman Carolyn had her anniversary present.
When we bought the Freelander it had 60k on the clock. For years it required only minimal service. New shoes, brakes and the occasional broken plastic coolant line. Any time I had to repair a coolant line I would put in stainless steel lines with stainless steel fittings. I know that is overkill but I had stock on hand. Why would you put plastic lines and fittings on a pressurized coolant system? About 9 months ago another plastic fitting broke and while under the hood I noticed some coolant on top of the block. Investigation showed that there were several leaks in the area of the thermostat.
OK, so I pulled off the manifold and started checking things out. What? The pipe from the water pump to the thermostat was leaking at both ends. Also where the base of the thermostat plugs into the block was leaking. I did some measurements and found that material at the base of the o-ring groove was only 0.020 in thick, in a plastic part no less, and both had separated at the base. Well, that would never do so I chucked up some 1.5 in thick wall aluminum stock in the lathe and whittled a new tube with considerably more "meat" at the base of the grooves. I ordered a thermostat and while waiting for it to come in decided to check the timing belts. Oh boy, time to replace belts.
I was getting deeper by the hour (actually by the day) into this engine. While pulling the timing system apart I found several problems. All the bolts locking the cam gears to the cams were loose, VERY LOOSE. Since exact cam timing is set by moving the gears within a range and tightening these bolts I"m sure cam timing was wandering all over the place. I also found the plastic outer parts of the front timing belt idler wheel in the bottom of the housing. The belt had been running on the metal center of the idler wheel. That explained why the front belt had much more wear than the two secondary belts. Well, get on the computer and order belts, bolts, and idler wheel and, since I was already replacing several items, throw in a hydraulic tensioner and wheel.and while I'm at it order a water pump and a serpentine belt. The folks at UPS and FedEx are getting to know my address.
It has been 9 months and I'm still in the re-assembly mode. Had to buy a timing belt alignment kit. Some online sources said the belts could be replaced without the kit but they assumed that the cam gear bolts were all tight, belts would be replaced individually and the bolts of each section would be tightened before continuing to the next belt. That couldn't happen since this vehicle had a screw loose somewhere. Now I'm putting back all the "stuff" that had to be taken off just to get to "the problem." I'm beginning to like my old Bronco with the cast iron inline 6. I completely rebuilt that engine in under a week -- and all the parts were in stock at the corner auto parts store.
Well, that's my story (so far). Hope to meet a few of you on the forums. I'll give everyone the advice I gave back in the dark ages when I owned a '53 FIAT. -- ALWAYS KEEP A TOW CHAIN HANDY.
73 Orlen
