M51 engines are not renowned for over-heating, even with plastic impellored water-pumps. All your symptoms point at a cracked head so do a sniffer test, that will give the truth.Even with an enlarged oil cooler I have never encountered cooling problems on the way through the Sahara so its not...

There was, I believe, a prototype called "Iceberg" that could be what you describe but otherwise there ain`t no such beast. I have, however, just come from a workshop preparing 4.4V8 twin turbo, MANUAL, no electronic dash,L322`s,what a beast. These are road cars not Overfinch toys, standard...

Ego trip over! You can get "land" on line. Will send you old ones having scanned the routes out of them if you say where. Seriously, part of aggro is towing idiots who are un-prepared for what there`re doing, seems mainly to be L322`s,if I can tow them with P38, how daft are they? Try keeping a...

If you have no knowledge of french then you are going to be in the .....on either suggestion,les flics are not very tolerant of people wandering through forbidden areas. As for french mags, Land publishes a route a month with tulip diagrams and Lat/Long, if you cant read them go buy a Yugo.

If you get the engine warm and its still black smoking, its definitely not the turbo seals, it would be white and pretty dense on boost. If you still think its turbo, its doable but make sure you have a 12 point Snap-on socket for the four turbo-to-manifold bolts, they are well on and tight and...

To put it politely, rubbish. There are Cathar routes that will take you three or four days, do your research. Even the old col routes are still open and a challenge for you, definitely L-R only,use french L-R mags to get best info.

Assuming you have`nt already gone, go look for "LAND" magazine (french) they have really good tips for off-road stuff in France. If you get to Pyrenees, buy a carte de randoneer(walking ) map, really good info. Some of the routes that were Cathar or shepherd paths are negotiable with care and go...

I quite agree with post on 2.5td, BMW dont make bad engines, admittedly its a heavier vehicle than BM designed it for but with a decent `box it goes. My sat-nav has recorded, down steep road to Macon and using two/three lanes and a sealed rectum, 138 mph, quick enough? It is possible to get the...

As soon as you get off the ferry, stop and buy "Land" magazine, very good help and specialist section,dont touch dealers, they define the expression stealer. Use the posters here, seems you are covered down through France for help. Here in Aquitaine we tend to regard caravans as targets...

know this one well! To keep going, the SECOND you feel the loss of power, dip the clutch and do not touch the throttle, in two seconds release the clutch and away you will go. I bought my car from the Garda with this problem, lived with it for four years. Tests your reflexes and patience but...

Has the insert in the top fallen out? If so you cannot tighten it enough. Assume it is leaking around the seal at the top? If so it suggests something further down the line is giving trouble,in years of 2.5 BMW diesel ownership, this is a new one and I suggest not a design defect,sure yours...

Oh, it`ll run on anything faintly smelly,I got back from a rally in Bavaria on a 205ldrum of cooking oil, and it was`nt new oil, no turbo to worry about,its successor, the duramax 6.5 can put out 550ft/lbs and has achieved 750hp reliably,US navy use them for landing craft with no governor!

I had a chev for ages with that engine,would pull anything anywhere BUT a bit noisy and a lot heavier than any euro diesel, I seem to remember the engine alone wieghed half a ton. Given clean oil, diesel and air they go on forever however most of the hassles one hears about them stem from...

profile being updated as I write. No, I live in the New Forrest but as I work at sea I tend to spend as much time as possible up a mountain, in the Pyrenees. Off road there means it, tore my transfer box off in`07 in deep snow and loads of grip,my fault thinking momentum would win, a P38 diesel...

Its your ABS pump, I have warning lights fitted as standard for all high load electrics and that one comes on even in dry weather, guess the system charges or something.

I might add that mine gets used properly, its 14k`s in low ratio(chains in winter) to my house,I get through a diesel banger every year in a false tree-hugging effort to be environmental. Its galling that the postman in a 207 diesel van with LSD gets through every day of the year, complete with...

Greetings from a newby. On my ninth Rover and did I ever find an odd one! A 2.5 D with cloth seats,coils springs,manual BMW X5 box, all standard. The mileage is galactic(220k) but the previous owner(Presidential Escort) looked after it,since then it has had all the usual maladies, and was about...