P38A More water troubles.

Bagshot said:

Least it can get up a hill without changing down to third... second...first

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Manually dropping to third on the auto is beneficial on hills as the torque converter locks up rather than slipping in fourth. It also stops the box hunting up and down under certain conditions.

Bagshot said:

Mine will do ok, (with a two mile run up.. !!) anyone who knows Halden hill in Exeter, never made it to the top in 5th yet..

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On the manual fifth is an overdrive ratio basically like torque lock on an auto.

@brianp38dse

RangeRoller dt said:

They either work, seize (always work) or like mine have little resistance as clutch inside is naffed. I pulled exact same one off my low mileage E36 - I can feel difference in mechanism, the E36 would roar if you stopped on a motorway but P38 is quieter in cab so harder to tell from noise.

I will swap them over once I can work out how to undo it without the 10mm pulley bolts unscrewing and let u know difference.

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the e36 V.fan. Datatek was right it's not the same - slightly smaller and considerably lighter. I fitted it all the same out of curiosity but something's not right seems to be locked up all the time. I think clutch may be opposite direction of rotation? Piece of wood won't stop it even from cold startup and it roars constantly increasing roar with acceleration.

Going to leave it on for a bit to see what it is like on a long run

RangeRoller dt said:

@brianp38dse


the e36 V.fan. Datatek was right it's not the same - slightly smaller and considerably lighter. I fitted it all the same out of curiosity but something's not right seems to be locked up all the time. I think clutch may be opposite direction of rotation? Piece of wood won't stop it even from cold startup and it roars constantly increasing roar with acceleration.

Going to leave it on for a bit to see what it is like on a long run

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Should quieten after a few minutes. Thread must be right or it wouldn't go on.

Grrrrrr said:

Should quieten after a few minutes. Thread must be right or it wouldn't go on.

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Gonna take my stick with me and test under different conditions. Seems to be running 100% of the time which isn't right but works so still better than the wa**ed out one for now. Thread is identical. Possible it works at different temp range so more testing required

Fun just to try anyhow

RangeRoller dt said:

@brianp38dse


the e36 V.fan. Datatek was right it's not the same - slightly smaller and considerably lighter. I fitted it all the same out of curiosity but something's not right seems to be locked up all the time. I think clutch may be opposite direction of rotation? Piece of wood won't stop it even from cold startup and it roars constantly increasing roar with acceleration.

Going to leave it on for a bit to see what it is like on a long run

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If it's locked, you risk it disintegrating, blades throwing off possibly causing serious damage

Datatek said:

If it's locked, you risk it disintegrating, blades throwing off possibly causing serious damage

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Good point as I have already destroyed a new rad by sticking a viscous through it before Xmas cost me £200 put right and no transport over holidays.

Yet what is life without a little risk?

RangeRoller dt said:

Good point as I have already destroyed a new rad by sticking a viscous through it before Xmas cost me £200 put right and no transport over holidays.

Yet what is life without a little risk?

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Be careful the water pump spins considerable faster than the engine. If the viscous has failed locked, at max throttle it will be doing around 7000 RPM. Fan should only roar for a few seconds first thing if engine is revved after a cold start. This is because medium will have gone to lowest point when engine stopped. Even though medium valve will be shut at cold start, medium has the be returned to storage by centrifugal force, that is where the initial roar until this happens comes from.

40mile trip with boot full of heavy weight. Plenty of redex in tank and foot down
55mph - that's fast enough on lifted coils with that sort of weight onboard with these tyres.

Temp acts more stable with constant VF and no little 'chug rev' when stop on motorway. Hevac temp settings seem more resolute - or I'm just crazy.
I'm not keeping it on, it doesn't seem wise listening to the constant noise and can't be healthy for my pump. Makes a difference enough that im thinking about new viscous fan, I will refit the old P38 one for now

One day

After a short break for Easter ,I took the head off today and I believe I have found the culprit. Head gasket has delaminated on the steel sealing ring around the cylinder on no 3 and no 5.this has allowed high pressure gas into the cooling jacket thus expelling the water. Have contacted supplier and am awaiting "fairy stories" before any further comments. Just thought I would let any interested parties know.