I wonder what damage the metal from the worn lobes has done to the rest of the engine. Did you replace any of the bearing shell?

Only because Merc rhymes with Berk. :D

Surely the fact that she runs fine with your thermostat modification proves that the block and heads are fine. If you had a crack or a slipped liner this would not just go away. Testing the stat in a saucepan is all fine and good but it is by no means a solid scientific test. The exact temp that...

Wouldn't the fact that Doug was able to sync the replacement ECU and the 'new' BeCM be sufficient to establish that they are operational? Surely Doug's faultmate would be able to test the ECU?

Im not sure what it takes for it to lose sync. My '99 did it for no apparent reason one day after a long drive. Went out 10 mins later to get milk and she woulnd start. It never hapened at all on the '97. If someone in the area has one they can lend you it might be worth a try.

What is the liklihood that it could have lost sync again. I know Doug resynced it previously but with all the action that has happened since and the few times the battery has been disconnected maybe it has lost sync again. Do you have a syncmate?

If the little lug has been snapped off you need to order a new one with you VIN number to ensure your key fits it. Surprisingly they are fairly cheap (£35). I ordered one from Rimmers. You should be able to manipulate the microswitch with the door card off although it may be very fiddley.

I think Saint has this one licked. The original short basicly sent 12v up everything with a connected earth. The better the earth the more likely it would be to get damaged. The coil packs have no earth but the crank sensor is bolted directly to the block and you cant ask for a better earth than...

If the smoke is whitish then you are burning water. Data's suggestion should help identify that. Oil smoke will have more of a blue tinge to it. If you are having to top up with alot of oil then you are either buring it or losing it to a leak. If not the latter then check the breather hoses on...

I'm not sure how much of a difference the stem seals actually make. You dont need to go too far back in history to find that the same basic engine was never fitted with them at all. I think it was just one of the little things that LR did to improve emmissions.

Right again John. it was Jimsnapon who bought IrishRovers kit. He is in Kilmarnock.

Don't forget rick the pick. I think he was the chap who bought Irishrovers kit. Dougdotcom is based near Nottingham and I think rick is in Scotland. Both have great reputations. Not sure if there is anyone in the south.

+1 for the butcher method. Works every time.

Why would someone want to do that???

Your right. There is no baffle in the V8 radiator. Does sound like you still have an air lock as a new rad should have an even temperature from top to bottom.

Sounds about right. :p

I had a similar experience last year. Make sure you check the crank breathers on the rocker covers as this will give you both high emissions and blue smoke. Its also worth a spin on the diagnostics as this will pin point I'd you really have a problem with the cats.

We are all guilty of that once in our lives. I did it when I was changing the lock on mine. Had to have the window up to access the lock and then left the keys on the seat so I could reach them for testing the new lock. I turned round to get the door card and as I came back the door just clicked...

Says the dude with the gold rangie...:D

I have to agree with rasheed. My '97 had clear lenses and colour coded front grill. It looked the dogs. On our '99 I used a product called Forever Black on the standard grill and the results were amazing. If you search "Forever Black" you will find a lot of info including before and after photos...