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Old 28th February 2021, 10:09   #31
SD1too
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Gigagator View Post
I am not feeling too confident that an oil change and flush tomorrow is going to cure this one.
Surely this isn't sounding like symptoms of dry tappets anymore??
Yes I agree Rhys and I think you should try to organise an alternative vehicle for your work. In your shoes I'd be removing the camshaft cover to have a look.

It's hard to explain the burning smell unless it's your clutch complaining at climbing the hill in first. Regarding the engine cutting out, has it done this before, I can't remember? As Colvert says, it's worth checking that the fuel filter is tight. Please read the advice though not to separate the two parts.

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Old 28th February 2021, 12:29   #32
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Gigagator View Post
Well this morning was interesting to say the least. Was up and trying to head off to work at 8am for some rare overtime.

Started her up, sounded awful as per the videos and was clearly misfiring, could feel it through the seat and steering wheel.

She wouldn't go up the hill out of my estate in 2nd, I had to drop down to 1st.
Usually you can easily get up the hill in 2nd - she'll do it in 3rd but will struggle.

After dropping to 1st, I had just made it to the top of the hill and she cut out.

Tried to start her up again and she sounded absolutely dreadful and there was a strong smell, sort of a burning smell.
For a brief moment I though the cambelt had gone or I'd thrown an aux belt and it was burning up due to friction.

Had to roll her back down the hill in reverse, no power steering or servo assist on the brakes so that was fun.

Managed to keep enough momentum to get on to the driveway at which point she started again and I headed off to work.



I am not feeling too confident that an oil change and flush tomorrow is going to cure this one.
Surely this isn't sounding like symptoms of dry tappets anymore??

At a guess it sounds like the loss of power was due to another cylinder going out especially when you noticed it through the steering wheel and seat, the burning smell more that likely, as others have said due to slipping the clutch due to lack of pulling power up the hill.


I doubt very much that a flush will cure it, but worth a try and as others have said, time for the cover to come off and see what's happening with the camshaft and followers, or at least use a stethoscope or screwdriver to pinpoint the noise more accurately.



If it was mine I wouldn't drive it any more, it won't get any better and at best you have a smallish problem to solve, at worst, if you keep driving it a far more expensive one, especially it it does something silly in a live motorway lane.
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Old 28th February 2021, 17:12   #33
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How many miles has your engine done ?
The tappets do contain an internal spring loaded piston to take up play against the valve stem ,creating a space for the oil to fill once the engine runs and it is quite common for these to stick and not allow the oil in .
The only way to determine if this has happened is to remove the tappets , turn them upside down and press on the piston with a screwdriver to see if they have a bit of bounce because some oil has drained out . If they are stuck solid , they can be dismantled and cleaned then soaked in an oil bath to refill them .
So if they refuse to respond to an engine flush , it is not the end of the road !
This video shows it all ......
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9geLvfDx4eA
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Old 28th February 2021, 17:34   #34
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On my old 1.6 K series I did an engine oil flush but not with one of the add ins that you run for a few mins and then drain the oil but by using cheap diesel oil as that has far better cleaning additives in it and will get around the engine far better. I run the car for 1000 miles like that and then changed out the oil. I theory, the oil should have still been almost amber but it was thick and black. The amount of crud that came out was amazing. Changed the filter for a new one and then used top end oil. The engine run very quiet and had more pulling power. The engine had 98,000 on it and is still running great now with the new owners some 18 months later.
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Old 2nd March 2021, 13:13   #35
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As it stands the 75 is currently laid up on my driveway and I am driving my partners Rover 25 for work in the mean time.
She isn't going anywhere at the moment due to lockdown and being on maternity leave so it's not putting her out.

As for how I proceed... Stressed isn't the word!

I haven't had a chance to do the engine flush yet, I was hoping to do it on the weekend just gone but some things came up.

I think if it comes to it, I'm probably not going to attempt dismantling the engine and fix it myself.
As much as I love tinkering and getting my hands dirty, beyond oil, filters and spark plugs I really don't know what I'm doing so I would probably wreck it.

My partner and I have had a few discussions about possible solutions and we have toyed with the idea of replacing the old girl but I am struggling to let go.

This is where the stress is coming from.

We were just about ready to use some savings coupled with a loan and buy something nearly new that will last us a good while.
However, I'm not sure I can justify spending big money on a nearly new car when I could fix mine for (maybe) cheap and get a few more years out of it.

The problem I have is I am a new father with a 4 month old daughter, and I am at a strange time in my life where I don't want to spend my weekends out working on a car anymore, I want to be spending time with my family when I am not in work.

I guess the easy solution is to just take it to a garage and pay them to fix but the allure of a newer car with little to worry about is hard to just write off.

I am also questioning whether it is sensible to keep ploughing money into my car which is now 16 years old (I know she's young by 75 standards).

I can't help feeling like there's plenty of life left in her but the jobs list seems to be growing by the day and I don't wish to use my time fixing her anymore, for the reasons stated above.

Jobs currently needing doing on her:
- Inlet Manifold Gasket needs replacing (I think this is my source of a significant coolant leak)
- Engine flush and oil change (possibly twice!)
- If the above doesn't sort my engine woes, more intrusive surgery may be required!
- Rear suspension arms upper and lower to replace (due to corrosion)
- Rear subframe to replace (due to corrosion)
- Rear shock absorbers to replace (advisory on MOT)
- Bodywork needs a good going over as she is showing her age a lot now
- All four wheels need refurbishing
- My DAB roof aerial has died again so need to drop the headlining and replace that for a second time

I am really struggling to decide what the best solution is here.

I do love my 75 and have a lot of memories attached to her, but I also need something reliable for work. Turning up at a customers site in a car making this racket really isn't good for business!

I had even briefly considered leasing a car - something I have always detested the idea of - but once I saw the sort of drab and mundane cars that were common on lease websites I quickly wrote that idea off.

Some of you may have seen my thread a few weeks ago where I bought a Jaguar XF and I was ready to part with the 75. That fell through as the Jaguar was very crispy underneath...
But it also taught me that if I were to replace the 75, I would not be doing so with a car older than a few years as I don't wish to be fixing cars anymore. I can just about tolerate keeping my partners 25 as a tinkering toy but not the main car of the family.

These Rover 75's really get under your skin don't they
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Old 2nd March 2021, 13:26   #36
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Also, to respond to some of the posts in this thread:

Quote:
Originally Posted by Dorset Bob
Sorry to hear this Rhys.
Do you know if the cam belt, and associated components, have been changed within the last 6 years?
Yes, I had the cambelt, tensioner and water pump changed when I bought the car back at the end of 2017. I think she has done about 30,000 miles since then.
The trusted garage that I have used for years fitted a Dayco kit.


Quote:
Originally Posted by SD1too
It's hard to explain the burning smell unless it's your clutch complaining at climbing the hill in first. Regarding the engine cutting out, has it done this before, I can't remember? As Colvert says, it's worth checking that the fuel filter is tight. Please read the advice though not to separate the two parts.
On yours and Colvert's advice I will be checking the fuel filter for this fault as soon as I can, hopefully on the weekend.
Strange that I've never had this issue before with it losing power and cutting out going up a hill.


Quote:
Originally Posted by chris75
How many miles has your engine done ?
I think she's coming up to about 84000 miles.

I have always done oil changes every 6 months. Maybe that was my mistake!

I didn't always stick to one brand of oil so maybe that has exacerbated problems - perhaps the different brands of oil haven't played nicely with each other with the remnants that get left in the engine when you do a change.

I also wonder if any sticking of the tappets could be something to do with my suspected IMG leak? If it is bad enough could there be some emulsification of oil in the engine in the tappets or something like that?
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Old 4th March 2021, 16:53   #37
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Hi Rhys,

Your maintenance schedule looks good.
Historically, changing from one motor oil brand to another should not cause any
problems, either.

I know what you mean about becoming a father. I seemed to have all the time in the world before I became one and then........
Kids grow up quickly, so if I were you I would cherish the time with her as well.

You say that you have a trusted garage that you have used for years.
If that is the case, I would get them to have a look at the car and see what they diagnose.
It might be an inexpensive fix, or, on the other hand, expensive.

As least it would give you a better idea of where you stand.
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Old 4th March 2021, 20:24   #38
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Dorset Bob View Post

I know what you mean about becoming a father. I seemed to have all the time in the world before I became one and then........
Kids grow up quickly, so if I were you I would cherish the time with her as well.
Very true The pre-school years are magic , and I have recently rediscovered this as a grandfather
You can however combine both childcare and car-care . The little mind is like a sponge and desperate to learn anything . My 6 yr old granddaughter is now quite competent at fetching the spanner I need and is pretty good at cleaning parts I remove . One of her favourite jobs is washing the car wheels , and then soaking Grandad with the hose !
Enjoy.
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Old 6th March 2021, 08:50   #39
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After mulling a lot of things over my partner and I decided to replace the car... again...

This time, a 2018 Mazda 6 with 14000 miles on the clock was procured.
Unfortunately, the dealer is messing me about so what should've been a lovely chilled weekend is another of unnecessary stress.

The result is that I am in the mood for fixing the 75, anticipating that the deal on the Mazda may fall through as it did the Jaguar and I can't be bothered hunting for a car again.

So I am going to spend a few hours this morning (hopefully not going to be an all day job) draining the coolant down, replacing the inlet manifold gasket, filling coolant and bleeding, then undertaking the engine flush and oil change.

Updates shall be posted here later today.
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Old 6th March 2021, 09:05   #40
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I look forward to your report Rhys. If it's straightforward, you might like to have a peep under the cam cover whilst you're at it.

Simon
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