To change the oil filter , drop the front under tray and you can’t miss it 4.2 SC - sold , now bought back
4.4 AdBlu Tractor - Stolen

The 2007 interior solved a lot of the issues that you mentioned

Bigger glove box, and cup holders with sliding covers right beside the gear lever. 2002 4.6 Vogue SE - Alveston Red with Lightstone Leather
2012 Range Rover 5.0 SC Autobiography in Indus Silver with Jet/Ivory Interior
2012 Range Rover 4.4 TDV8 Autobiography in Baltic Blue with Sand Interior

Ah ok, I didn't realise that. (07) 2007 3.6 TDV8 L322 - 135k miles.
(05) 2006 MY Supercharged L322 - Zambezi Silver on Jet Black - 162k miles.

** Smiles per gallon - never forget **

Hi all, I have please find the latest on my cheap 4.2

So.. I've been driving the SC for about 10 days now. Initially, I was a bit underwhelmed by it all, considering I had so much pent up excitement to get it on the road. The fuel consumption was also a big shock.

But... after 10 days, I can say I really enjoy driving it now. It's super thirsty and expensive to run, so I am likely to drive it every other day instead of a daily.

----

I have also identified a number of issues since putting it on the road:

* When braking to come to a complete halt - there is a grinding / whoosing sound. As if the pads are worn, and it's metal on metal. But the pads have plenty of material left. Perhaps it's the pad grinding against lip on the disc?

* A clunk. To create the issue, I would come to a complete stop. Set off to a slow pace, to where I can come off the accelerator but not use a brake to come to a stop. Just before the car comes to a stop there is a clunk. Not brutal, but present.

* On full/near full lock, when turning a tight corner, such as a roundabout, there is a clunk clunk clunk sound and a little vibration through the steering wheel. Would bushings cause this somewhere? Tie rod ends perhaps.. or i'm thinking it might be CV joints. I notice it on the same roundabout usually... I must examine a bit closer and see if happens on both left and right tight turns. Note that it must be a sustained turn, so you need to "drive" the car with the wheels at that level of lock.. that really does sound like CV joints, doesn't it!?

* Braking from high speed.. If I get up to a high speed and brake sharply, the car will pull to the right and I get a bit of wobble or a generally unstable feeling. The kind of feeling that would make me really not want to have to brake at that speed in an uncontrolled environment. I suspect that discs and a lazy caliper (on the left?) is contributing to this.

* Some general knocking if hitting acute speed bumps etc.. usual cause really (see below) i.e. worn bushes and ball joints.

* The heating is a little borked. When the temperature needle is up to temp.. there isn't really a fan outlet that shoots really hot air, as I would expect. Some outlets are warm and some cold. For example, the two front centre outlets, below touchscreen... when both turned to hot and on, the right hand outputs very little air and the left is just cold air. Also, I get a fan sound from the rear when heated seats on. Is there a fan for the seats, where the speed can't be controlled which would make this normal.. or is this also an issue.

Yesterday, I took the car to a friend who has a lift and we had a quick look..

The front end of the car, subframe etc is not in bad shape at all, and doesn't really need any action. Although, i'll have a closer look again.

The rear is still intact. Some "advanced surface rust" in places, but nothing that would make this unsafe to drive. My friend is actually an NCT (Irish MOT equivalent but stricter) .. and he said there wasn't anything that he would fail on.

We did identify a number of bushes/ball joints that need doing around the car so i'll be getting to them in due course.

I am thinking that once my Clio is built, i'll be dropping the rear subframe, fuel tank, diff, propshaft etc and giving the whole rear underside a bit of a restoration. If you take out the time spent it shouldn't cost a lot.

Oh... on the plus side, looks like the rear brake lines have been replaced with copper, all the way up towards the front. Which I really enjoyed discovering, if I am honest. All that's needed now is for me to the front N/S and we shall be golden.

Click image to enlarge

Click image to enlarge

Sounds like you need too get the brakes refurbished and rebuilt mate then while your at it get a new cv joint fitted to the shaft.

The knocking when going over bumps is going to be a Bush or ball joint of some sort but you'll need to figure out which one it is unless your prepared too just overhaul the whole lot mate.

Thirsty motors but comfortable and enjoyable

Allen

Knocking when going over bumps is likely going to be a drop link although on one of our old L322's it was a track rod end.

I agree with Allen, it does sound like a CV joint that's away

I stripped my front brakes down last week when replacing everything on the front end and found a piston seized solid in the caliper so it could be something similar on yours. I didn't have a brake imbalance though so you might have 2 sticking.

I used this kit to rebuild mine:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/263651118044

It was dispatched quickly and was nice and straight forward to do. It came with everything needed to do 2 calipers. I painted mine whilst I was at it

My front is now reassembled with new everything on it and I've started on the rear. I've removed the entire subframe and am doing the rust proofing, and replacing every single bush, ball joint and bearing and having my rear diff rebuilt too.

I've put a load of pictures and stuff on here:

https://www.fullfatrr.com/forum/topic57991-270.html

David. 2002 4.6 Vogue SE - Alveston Red with Lightstone Leather
2012 Range Rover 5.0 SC Autobiography in Indus Silver with Jet/Ivory Interior
2012 Range Rover 4.4 TDV8 Autobiography in Baltic Blue with Sand Interior

Thanks Allen, David

Yes - seems like a break overhaul is in order - i've just completed that for my Clio on Brembos too, actually.

I had a couple of notes made on the ball joints that are gone so I will look at doing them anyway - I don't fancy throwing the kitchen sink at it.. would rather a more targeted approach, but if any sides are gone, both sides will be done.

David, sounds like you are going to great lengths, which I plan too.

Actually.. I am planning on documenting it all on YouTube and starting a channel. I love the deep technical stuff, starting off not knowing what's going on and then fixing it. It seems there is a bit of a gap on YouTube for that.. seems lots of lads do the less complex stuff. That said, RestoreIt is one of the best and most technical channels that I enjoy watching.

https://www.youtube.com/c/RestoreIt (07) 2007 3.6 TDV8 L322 - 135k miles.
(05) 2006 MY Supercharged L322 - Zambezi Silver on Jet Black - 162k miles.

** Smiles per gallon - never forget **

Hi Conor. My car started pulling left when braking hard and it turned out to be one of the rear calipers seizing. Put some new ones on and it is pulling up nice and straight now. Worth checking?

I considered doing video's but I just don't have the time or patience to video it or edit it afterwards.

Most of the reason I'm doing so many pictures is just for service history.

David. 2002 4.6 Vogue SE - Alveston Red with Lightstone Leather
2012 Range Rover 5.0 SC Autobiography in Indus Silver with Jet/Ivory Interior
2012 Range Rover 4.4 TDV8 Autobiography in Baltic Blue with Sand Interior

kevinp wrote:

Hi Conor. My car started pulling left when braking hard and it turned out to be one of the rear calipers seizing. Put some new ones on and it is pulling up nice and straight now. Worth checking?

dhallworth wrote:

I considered doing video's but I just don't have the time or patience to video it or edit it afterwards.

Most of the reason I'm doing so many pictures is just for service history. Smile

David.

Hello everybody...

A quick update to say that I both my FF and I are still ticking along.

TLDR; I found a buyer and prepped the car for sale, now i've decided I am keeping it.

I put the FF away in late November as it was leaking oil and I hadn't time or energy to get to it. One of the ball joints was also so bad that it was eating away at the outside of the tyre on the N/S Front.

... anyway... fast forward to about a month ago, I went at the car and got ed off after realising every fastener on the exterior was going fight me. I threw my toys out of the pram and walked away.

Last week I listed it (warts and all) on Irelands equivalent of Gumtree for €3800 and found a willing buyer.. I couldn't sell it with a leaking oil cooler and the ball joint as it was... so I went at repairing both of them.

Ball joint was a massive pain in the a$$, even with a pneumatic air hammer on loan from a friend.

The oil cooler had some corrosion on it causing a leak.. so I removed that and took it to a local tig welder, who repaired it for €40... I was all ready to buy a new one, but couldn't find one in stock anywhere.

A few snaps of the repair and installation below.. While I do plan on replacing the cooler with OE and lines with the appropriate parts, I think the hydraulic hose should work well. I have seen others on FB group say they have done same.

While doing all this work to prep for sale I went to view a 2007 (facelift interior) in London which I was going to buy.. it turned out to have a knock in the engine and was generally rougher than was presented online.. so that was a pass. In passing on that car, I realised that basically most, if not all 4.2s around the 4-7k mark are probably the same and as bad as what I have .. (With the exception of enthusiast cars)... so I basically decided that I am going to keep my current FF.

I feel bad for the buyer, but I hadn't actually agreed to a sale.. we had just agreed he was going to come and look.. admittedly with a strong indication he would buy it, and I would sell it. Anyway.. it is what it is and I have now withdrawn the car from the market.

Sorry for the wall of badly composed text .. I'm tired but really wanted to provide an update.

Next on the list is bushes for all arms front and back along with subframe bushes and remaining ball joints.

Currently the car is on RR Sport supercharged wheels, which I hate. I have the factory wheels from DHallworth that look much better. Even though lower profile than I would prefer, I am going to swap the tyres from RRS wheels onto the factory FF SC wheels. If the tyres look a little lost, i'll have a go at trying to lower the standard height a few mm using Gap IID to make it fit..


Here you can see the corrosion..

Click image to enlarge

Click image to enlarge

Click image to enlarge

Click image to enlarge

Click image to enlarge

Click image to enlarge