I have the Lone Wolf lit!

Got in the car to to to friends place - turned key and click but nothing else. 2nd time fired up.

Got in car to come home, and it didn't want to know again. Rocked the car in gear and it then fired up.

So looks like my starter motor is knackered.

Sounds like your battery is just about to fail GG. And the starter is about to fail too. How old is the battery? I expect the starter is the original.

Oh and your rattle could be the interior light. Mine rattles too.
It sounds like you need to centralise your engine.

Glad it worked out ok.
At least you know what the main problem is now.
Mike

Nodge68 said:

Sounds like your battery is just about to fail GG. And the starter is about to fail too. How old is the battery? I expect the starter is the original.

Oh and your rattle could be the interior light. Mine rattles too.
It sounds like you need to centralise your engine.

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I'm skeptical about the battery being on its way out. When the stars align and the starter turns, it turns the engine over at good speed. It was replaced a while back - not sure if it was a "couple" of years or more. I do tend to blink these days and 5 years has passed, but I'm sure its not that old.

I think I'll start by getting the starter motor reconditioned - hopefully that is something that can be done! Even if its not what's causing the fault, its 18 years old so could probably do with some TLC. If I'm still getting problems - I'll then look to the battery.

There is the chance of course that its a bad earth or relay - and if so I may be not using my hard earned appropriately. I'll have a dig through old threads to see if there's advice on testing these things before I start pulling the starter.

Nodge68 said:

Sounds like your battery is just about to fail GG. And the starter is about to fail too. How old is the battery? I expect the starter is the original.

Oh and your rattle could be the interior light. Mine rattles too.
It sounds like you need to centralise your engine.

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I had the starter motor replaced today, and all's good. The battery is definitely not new, but its been starting the car in very frosty sub zero mornings no problem, so I'm sure its got plenty of life left in it.

The rattle from above my left ear is the back of the sunroof visor - if I hold it up it stops - it also stops if I push it back slightly.

The vibrations since I changed the engine mount and lower tie bar are very bad though - especially when the engine is cold and throughout the rev range. The steering wheel is blurry, my feet tingle on the peddles and there's lots of rattles. Something is wrong! What do you mean by "centralise your engine" @Nodge68 ? After I did the work, when I put the undertray back on - I could not get the socket on the bolt closest to the oil filter - the oil filter was in the way. Its normally very close/tight - but I definitely could not get it on and had to use a spanner. So the engine has "moved" on the new mounts. Nothing looks adjustable and the new mounts looked the same dimensions as the old ones. So I'm confused. Unless there is some feedback/advice, I may try putting the old tie bar back on to see if that shifts the engine back away from the bolt.

GrumpyGel said:

The vibrations since I changed the engine mount and lower tie bar are very bad though - especially when the engine is cold and throughout the rev range. The steering wheel is blurry, my feet tingle on the peddles and there's lots of rattles. Something is wrong! What do you mean by "centralise your engine" @Nodge68 ? After I did the work, when I put the undertray back on - I could not get the socket on the bolt closest to the oil filter - the oil filter was in the way. Its normally very close/tight - but I definitely could not get it on and had to use a spanner. So the engine has "moved" on the new mounts. Nothing looks adjustable and the new mounts looked the same dimensions as the old ones. So I'm confused. Unless there is some feedback/advice, I may try putting the old tie bar back on to see if that shifts the engine back away from the bolt.

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The engine tie bars are on slotted mounts. This allows the engine to be secured in a neutral position. You release the large ends of both upper and lower tie bars. Then grab the top of the engine and wiggle it as hard as you can. The engine will then settle in a neutral position.
There are a couple of things to keep in mind when doing this.
1 make sure the box is in neutral.
2 make sure the car is level.

There definitely shouldn't be any vibrations bad enough to shake the steering wheel. That sounds like the engine isn't being suspended by the mounts, but is resting on some part of the body.

Nodge68 said:

The engine tie bars are on slotted mounts. This allows the engine to be secured in a neutral position. You release the large ends of both upper and lower tie bars. Then grab the top of the engine and wiggle it as hard as you can. The engine will then settle in a neutral position.
There are a couple of things to keep in mind when doing this.
1 make sure the box is in neutral.
2 make sure the car is level.

There definitely shouldn't be any vibrations bad enough to shake the steering wheel. That sounds like the engine isn't being suspended by the mounts, but is resting on some part of the body.

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Cheers Nodge. I was wondering if the engine is resting against something, the vibrations coming through the peddles feels like the 'peddle box' is rested against the engine.

I didn't realise there was adjustment in the tie bars. When I did the mount, the engine did rock onto an angle as I jacked it up. I assumed when I lowered it it went back to the right position, so didn't check anything. The first I realised something had changed was when the socket wouldn't go on the under tray bolt. I'll give the adjustment a whirl tomorrow. I'm a bit cautious about driving it as-is because if feels like something's going to fracture.

The top tie bar is adjustable on its 'little' end, so I slackened that off. The big end doesn't appear adjustable and the securing bolt is a bugger to get to. So left that alone. When I changed the mount, I left the big bolt as-is and the tie bar rotates up and down reasonably easily.

The lower tie bar doesn't appear to be adjustable at all. I loosened both bolts off though.

I then rocked the engine as good as I could. Gave it a 'hands-on' rock, then put a rope around the IRD bracket and gave it a few tugs. In the middle of all this I also started the engine to give it a shake down under its own vibratory power.

Tightened both the mounts up again.

Its a lot better, the steering wheel doesn't vibrate when driving now but there's still a fair amount of vibration and can feel it through the peddles. TBH I'm not sure what it was like before changing the mount. I can't recall if there was no vibration or some! I've always described the L Series as agricultural. I'm sure it was better than it is now though. I might give it another rock tomorrow or maybe put the old tie bar back on then maybe the old mount and see if 1 of the new parts is causing the issues.

The strange thing is that the clutch works perfectly now. Before changing the mount & lower tie I had a huge and alarming amount of judder pulling away from rest.

Is the new hydromount identical to the original? Is the new mount a genuine mount, or aftermarket copy?

Its a Bearmach not genuine. It looks exactly the same but does feel different. The one that came off was rock solid, very difficult to move the bolt on the top that the engine bracket fits to. I don't know if they are made like that or it has gone stiff with age. The new one is much more supple and while its still firm, it can move.

What has flumoxed me is the fact that it has cured a really bad clutch engaging issue!

GrumpyGel said:

What has flumoxed me is the fact that it has cured a really bad clutch engaging issue!

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Make sure there is space all around the engine and things like the block, sump and, manifolds aren't touching anything bodywork related. It is possible the a solid pipe (PS or AC pipe) has got bent, when the engine was being moved about to fit the mount. This could then be cause vibration to transfer to the body.

Also, if the new mount is softer. Is it compressing under the engine's weight. If so, the sump could be hitting something it shouldn't.

If the engine is softly mounted, and clutch judder is evident. It is often reduced if the engine is held more rigidly.

Well, I've only driven the car when the engine's been warm over the last few days, and its driving supurb. Its smooth, quiet (L Series quiet) and the gear change is great. I'm still getting the smallest of 'tingly' vibrations on the peddles and I'd be happy with that - however, when its cold it still vibrates like crazy - so I'm told by Mrs Grumpy. Haven't tried swapping back any old pieces yet.

The new starter motor went in last Thursday which fixed the starting issues. However, Mrs Grumpy went to go down the shops of Saturday, came back in 5 minutes later and said car won't start! I went out, and of course its started fine for me. The car's been used lots since then and hasn't failed to start perfectly. Before the new starter went in it was failing to start a lot more than it was starting, so I'm leaning toward some form of pilot error at the moment and waiting to see what transpires.

Here's the outcome if anyone finds this thread looking to solve vibration issues...

The vibration gradually got worse and worse.

In the end I took the "new" Bearmach engine mount off and put the original LR mount back on and after suffering with vibrations for so long, it was like driving a Rolls Royce - vibrations and shaking completely gone and car is a pleasure to drive again.

My car had failed its WOF (MOT) on the mount which was why I replaced it - but when I removed it, it looked fine. So it will be interesting to see if it passes next time!

Best of luck bud I hope it pass ok I am glad the vibrations and shaking has gone you know what they say don't look a gift Freelander in the mouth you have one thing going for you the sea will be much cleaner than skeggy beach and the views you have breath taking

tlo said:

Best of luck bud I hope it pass ok I am glad the vibrations and shaking has gone you know what they say don't look a gift Freelander in the mouth you have one thing going for you the sea will be much cleaner than skeggy beach and the views you have breath taking

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lol, ta.

Next weekend we have a 750km road trip over the Alps to the West Coast, over via Arthurs Pass (which had a couple of inches of snow this week!) and back via Lewis Pass, harsh mountains, Beech and Rain forest, open grassland, rugged coast, crystal clear lakes, braided rivers - some of the best scenery in the country. Bits of the journey we've done many times and others never before. Was quite worried about it before changing the engine mount - really looking forward to it now

Shall be packing the fishing rods as well to hit those West Coast Sea Run Trout chasing the Whitebait!

Glad you're sorted GG. It still looks like the vibrating mount has been rubbing on something, hard enough to damage and wear the rubber (circled). This could have transferred engine vibrations to the body.

Nodge68 said:

Glad you're sorted GG. It still looks like the vibrating mount has been rubbing on something, hard enough to damage and wear the rubber (circled). This could have transferred engine vibrations to the body.

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It is interesting, I still don't know what was actually causing the vibration.

The base is bolted to the chassis. The big metal mounting bracket off the engine slides over the bolt and a nut secures it. There was a gap all round the mount, the only thing that could have caused the damage to the mount is the bracket off the engine.

I can only conclude that the rubber wasn't up to the job and deformed sufficiently to wear against the bracket. Somehow the mount transferred the vibration - maybe the bolt was pushed down far enough to hit the base of the mount?

I didn't notice that chip out of the metal plate at the top until I saw the picture. Not sure if that was there before it was installed or has broken whilst on the car. The metal filings visible on that plate are probably from the bolt or bracket as the bracket was lower into or off of it as the engine sort of moves orientation as its raised (jacked up).

There's not much that can be done wrong with the installation - either you put it in tight, or the engine falls off!

I think this is the first Bearmach product I've bought - I shall be warey of buying anything from the in future. I will definitely not be buying their engine mounts again!