Hawaii
Active Member
- Posts
- 241
- Location
- Doncaster, South Yorkshire
mornin' all
last Thursday whilst in traffic (moving at a steady 50ish) I noticed that the temp gauge went straight into the red and the red light came on. It stayed there for about 3-5 secs then went back to the middle (where it normally sits).
I continued on and twice more, over approx 15 miles, the gauge shot up into the red then came down again, neither time was I stuck in traffice under pelting it.
Pulled over and popped the bonnet, no loss of coolant, hoses all pliable (not pressurised), didn't smell hot so carried on and took it home.
Rang local indy LR who went through possibilities over the phone (80% likley thermostat, 20% maybe water pump). So ordered both (£20 for thermostat and £60 for uprated water pump with bronze impeller, also got a new sertentine belt for £7).
Fitted it all on Saturday, what an easy job, all bolts came out easy and didnt even burn myself on the coolant. Thermostat looked OK but the water pump had a plastic impeller and was loose against it's shaft, meaning that the belt was driving the shaft but not the impeller - refilled with red coolant, burped it as per RAVE - problem solved.
Really surprised how easy that was - the joy of P38 ownership. Only job now is to remove passenger front doorcard to remove something that is rattling about in the bottom of the door that really annoys me if I go over a bump (not unusual on our roads!!)
last Thursday whilst in traffic (moving at a steady 50ish) I noticed that the temp gauge went straight into the red and the red light came on. It stayed there for about 3-5 secs then went back to the middle (where it normally sits).
I continued on and twice more, over approx 15 miles, the gauge shot up into the red then came down again, neither time was I stuck in traffice under pelting it.
Pulled over and popped the bonnet, no loss of coolant, hoses all pliable (not pressurised), didn't smell hot so carried on and took it home.
Rang local indy LR who went through possibilities over the phone (80% likley thermostat, 20% maybe water pump). So ordered both (£20 for thermostat and £60 for uprated water pump with bronze impeller, also got a new sertentine belt for £7).
Fitted it all on Saturday, what an easy job, all bolts came out easy and didnt even burn myself on the coolant. Thermostat looked OK but the water pump had a plastic impeller and was loose against it's shaft, meaning that the belt was driving the shaft but not the impeller - refilled with red coolant, burped it as per RAVE - problem solved.
Really surprised how easy that was - the joy of P38 ownership. Only job now is to remove passenger front doorcard to remove something that is rattling about in the bottom of the door that really annoys me if I go over a bump (not unusual on our roads!!)
