Oops - took my v8 RRC swimming !!!

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Mr Noisy said:
as far as i see it, here's the situation:

youve sat your rover v8 up to the bonnet in water at hill n ditch (of all places)

so, you need to check DEFINITELY

front axle
rear axle
gearbox
transfer case
fuel tank
engine sump, rocker covers, pancake breather.
if no snorkel then OMG the whole ####ing engine but start with the inlet plenum.
distributor.
power steering reservoir
starter motor
alternator
ecu
radio (will be ####ed)
heater box (will hopefully recover)


its very likely that if your car is standard you now have a lot of work to do now!

this may be alarming for you.

also, please avoid hill and ditch, once you have rebuilt the car it is not worth returning. i am still finding sand in places that i havent stripped down yet from a couple of hill and ditch sessions nearly 3 years ago.

so.

where do you want to start?

we/i can advise you on all aspects of repairing your offroaded v8 land rover.

trust me on this i HAVE been there!! :D
Click to expand...

Sound advice Noisy, I would also add remove hubs and check/clean wheel bearings - sandy muddy watery stuff is the most amazing grinding paste known to man!
 
Too true. Good post Sam.
There's the immediate issue of getting it started running again, then the clean up and checks.
I enjoyed my recent visit to Hill n Ditch, but yeah, totally agree that sandy dust will get in everywhere.
To give you an idea of how potentially bad wearing it is, mine had new brakes pads all round, and after the visit they look to have ground down about half the friction material in just one day outing.
..that's aside from breaking front n rear diffs, but that was us just having fun :/


Hope you get it up n running. You'll feel better once that first step done
 
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i was just wary about running it before the engine had been inspected!

the axles and gearboxes are the first port of call for me, check them and drain if necessary. you dont want to leave water in there for any length of time, but usually a few fluid changes will sort all your issues.

the engine however is a different problem, because oil changes wont be enough if you have got sand inside, so you really need to get various things opened up to have a look in.

it will be fairly easy to determine where the problems are and what it will take to rectify.

cheers :)
 
Yep. first step is give the engine a check and up n running first.
Strongly suspect all the breathers will have been breached when left in the sandy pond at hill n ditch.

It might not be the best method, but assuming electrics dry out give everything a oil/fluid change.....run for a bit, then change oil n fluids again..i.e quick change.

If damage has been done, it would've already happened on that 20min run on the way home before it stalled.

Yep, strip down everything to do it properly if ya want t check for wear n all that crap if youve got the time,facilities and inclination....but I'm assuming you just want it up n running again for the immediate future?.

then vow not to go into water without checking depth beforehand again
 
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Morning guys - Thanks for all the advice whilst ive been gone! I fully agree that sandy water is probably the coarsest rubbing compound known to man and i planned to strip/restore each component/axel etc down myself over next couple of years but guess im going to have to shrink that down to nxt couple of weeks!

Anyway, sit rep is....i now i have working Fuel pump!!!! Fuse 3 in Sat box 1 had blown which is the trip/switch wire for the F.P. + ECU relay :).

Next prob is - its not turning over! nice Desiel rep mobile attatched to the battery that has been idling for about an hour on it and its not turning over - like its in gear or imboilised. I have 2 immobilser boxes - one i know is iffy and a new one of a 200tdi disco. Same parts numers etc but the 'new' one does nothing! is it goosed of does it need reprogramming - cant see anything in the RAVE yet !

And i mean what i said above - Thanks for your help! Im on the LZIR thing and if you guys ever need just an extra hand lifting something in/out or sexual favours let me know haha!!

Update - Gone through the starting test on the Rave - Test 1 ok, test 2 was 1/2 the batt voltage, test 3 ok, test 4 ok, test 5 - D'oh! For those you cba trawling through the RAVE that points to BY + BO wires, starter relay diode, theft alarm unit and P/N gear switch! Gonna start working through these now!
 
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Get rid of all electronic security devices would be high on my list of tasks!!

First thing I did to mine was rip out the retrofit alarm and immobiliser, back to 200 spec now, no security no problems!!

You don't want to Jetwash your car out and end up with a non starter every time!!
 
If its factory fit it won't be easy easy like you say, "discool" is the man for OEM security, he knows more than most about the way this era of vehicle was wired up, but doing it the long way round isn't especially difficult either, you just have to find out which circuit the alarm and immobiliser boxes are switching, find the "in" circuits and "out" circuits and join them together, literally cutting out the security measures and finishing up with a simpler loom.

I have never gone so far because mine had retrofit security which is easier to dig out, but I would probably end up removing the dashboard loom for a good look about of I were doing it to mine.

Not difficult tracing wires etc as long as you are competent at vehicle wiring!

Even at the age of your vehicle the wiring is not especially complex, just difficult because the looms are wrapped up tight. Lay it out on the floor and its much more simple.

Involved task so make sure the vehicle is a keeper, but no serious off roader has and ala or immobiliser so if you're doing a proper job it should be high in your list as above.

I will help where I can but I'm only practised on 200 disco which is a simpler machine although very similar to your later RRC.

Cheers :)
 
Guys....SHEs ALIVEEE !!!! Very poorly but she is idleing so im presuming ive still got HT leads in wrong order! The LPG system is also working :)

Sit rep - Shes on the drive finally :) ! All soft interior out except roof lining and all been hosed with fresh water and is somewhere warm. Little fan heater in there and a battery charger sorting the poorly battery!

Bypassing the alarm was supprisingly easy :) but wont go into details on here but im sure those in the know will know what ive done!

Jobs tomorrow, make her run properly again and sort all the essential electric out (i.e. indicators/lights) to get me 7miles down the road to my mates whos gives me a lift to work. Next wknd ill begin flushing oils, servicing hubs etc.

PS if anyone who has previously commented on this thread (and has a few posts) wants to know the mod ive done PM me - im pretty proud of myself lol! In the meantime ive sent my 'new' unit back and will be getting another one and my Rangie is blocked in by a new Audi, Mondeo and my old Ferguson T20 tractor haha so she wont be going anywhere!
 
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Was presuming/hoping most of it would of evaporated after the drive home - went up a few steep hills lol suppose there could still be some somewhere tho but saying that it wasnt steaming much today.

There was no air filter in there so cud that give it more air than its use to - presumably the air filter gives some resisitance? Got a new one at the auto shop down the road ready + waiting for me tho
 
Whoo ! Started on the button today (once i'd re bypassed the imobilzer)! Idled nicely on the drive with no tickleing of the throttle for about 2 hours all in with a break inbetween!
All headlights/horn/side lights + brake lights work - BUT.....

Indicators dont work which ive narrowed down to be the flasher unit which is on the radiator. To test this (for future reference) - turned off key, removed flasher unit (big black relay on fuse panel Lucas brand), i turned on the hazards (switch pressed in) and shorted the 3 O'clock + 6 O'clock pins in the fuse board and had a 2nd person check all the indicators where now on and they were. Apparently the units are a common fault on leaky defenders lol

Next prob was the wipers had a mind of there own! Few things online about park switches etc but luckily the wiper motor is a PITA to get to so looked else where. Got my Multi meter out, grounded one end and probed either Red/Light green wire or the Blue/light green wire in the long plug under the driver kick panel by the bottom of the steering colum. Everytime the wipers went batt voltage would show on the meter. Looking at the drawing, if it was the park switch, i wouldnt of got the voltage up there. Equally with hindsight, if it was the Park Switch, it would of been constant this was like it was in setting one on the stalk (i.e. on/off for abit/on/off for abit).

There is one new light on the dash which i think is coolant alarm? Its like a "F" shape with a dotted ring around it top left of the dash?

Apart from that, everything seems fine. Steering ATF is emulisified so need to sort that, brakes are fine, no emsulified oil in auto box or engine etc but will be flushed either way havnt check axel etc yet...Need to focus on getting her doing the 7 miles to my mates and back at the moment.
 
Sounds like you're making a good job of sorting it out pal, nice work :)

Just beware of water in the axles, worth checking and sorting before you drive it, I knackered both my diffs when I had water in the axles, didn't even manage a couple miles before they started whining and had badly pitted the gears.

It's dead easy to sort out the fluids so IMO you should do that before driving it any further!!

Great results otherwise, cheers for the write-up :)
 
Another update - my hunches on the wipers + indicators where right. Left them in a bowl of rice on a radiator for a week and they are fine now :) - even the coolant temp lights gone :)! SO the only remaining gremlin is my radio + Parrot. All iPods/Phones etc are working again etc.
Got autoden in knutsford ordering me 4litres of EP80/90 oil for the diffs and ive already got 4litres of ATF for the steering.

Every cloud has a silver lining...Atm the moment all the carpets/insualtion etc are strung up in the garage which has unearthed some rust underneath. Nothing major - no holes - just bit of surface bubbling so will get some rust converter on it and a top coat before it all goes back together!

A good hint for you all is the rice trick. Im a boat builder/demo driver and frequently end up getting my blackberry soaked - at least once a month!!! As soon as i realise, i rip the battery/sim/memeory card out and get the whole lot in a bowl of rice on a hot radiator! Turn it on in the morning and its fine! Had the same phone for a yr - its been down to 7m in an open pocket and im still using it now thanks to the rice trick!
 
Penulitmate update!

Changed the autobox, Diffs + steering today. Autobox i wasnt planning to change but double checked today and it was slightly milky so thought for the same of £23 of ATF - why not? Rear diff was a complete PITA - ended up using a 20ml syringe !!! Front one was ok, got about 80cm of garden hose and a funnel and ran it from above the radiator down to the diff and was easy! Steering took 3 to 4 emptys, refill, empty, refill cycles but seems ok now! will prob do another one tomorrow to be on safe side

Also got some hammerite rust conveter on every single bit of rust that has previously been hidden by the carpet! Proper wirep brush, clean, degrease and then 2 coats of converter! Was quite happy with the state of it tbh - no holes what so ever even with quite an aggrsive wire brush in a drill in the footwell corners :)! Gonna put a silver top coat on over the rust converter tomorrow morning and get the carpet + front seat in tomorrow so shes on the road again :)
 
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