Mercedade's '97 Vitesse Lux

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mercedade
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Re: Mercedade's '97 Vitesse Lux

Post by mercedade » Wed Oct 03, 2018 10:23 am

Here's an odd one - I've just received a cheque from the DVLA, refunding me for tax I didn't buy.

James, I'll be in touch!
Adrian
1998 Rover Mk2 820 Vitesse Hatchback (white gold)
Gone...1998 Rover Mk2 820 Vitesse Hatchback (green)
Gone...1992 Rover Mk1 827 SLi Manual (green)
Gone...1998 Rover Mk2 825 Diesel (green)

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Re: Mercedade's '97 Vitesse Lux

Post by scoobyh123 » Wed Oct 03, 2018 11:20 am

To err is human - to really louse things up requires the DVLA! :lol:

Sounds like someone has issued the tax refund to the wrong keeper Adrian. :roll:
Cheers,
Dave

'02 Honda CR-V SE Executive
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Re: Mercedade's '97 Vitesse Lux

Post by mercedade » Thu Nov 22, 2018 11:33 pm

Time to change the clutch slave cylinder. Thankfully, I had a spare one in my stash so I could crack straight on.

Unbolting the old one was stressless - two bolts, a clevis pin and a hydraulic pipe.

Image

Old vs new

Image

So yeah, definitely in need of a refresh.

Got the new one fitted, and pulled through some pretty miserable looking hydraulic fluid in the process of getting it plumbed in and bled.

Ah yes. And 'bled'.

I'll be honest, it was probably my most successful clutch bleed ever, but still something I'd feel the need to apologise for to any other driver. My technique was as much frantic pumping of the pedal as possible for a couple of minutes (obviously the pedal just goes to the floor, so this had to be done by hand), before moving under the car. I use a vacuum bleeder combined with compressing the piston as far as I possibly can.

Pump the vacuum
Compress the piston
Unlock the bleed nipple (thus drawing fluid through on the vacuum from the bleeder)
Close the nipple
Slowly release the cylinder.

This mainly requires three arms or some careful planning, but it has mostly worked.

Clutch is significantly improved over its previous, where it was millimetres of travel off the floor before engaging.
Adrian
1998 Rover Mk2 820 Vitesse Hatchback (white gold)
Gone...1998 Rover Mk2 820 Vitesse Hatchback (green)
Gone...1992 Rover Mk1 827 SLi Manual (green)
Gone...1998 Rover Mk2 825 Diesel (green)

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Re: Mercedade's '97 Vitesse Lux

Post by scoobyh123 » Fri Nov 23, 2018 7:56 am

All good stuff Adrian! When you say 3 arms, is that arms with the reach and strength of a gorillas but the hands of a small child on the end to get into the tight spaces?
Cheers,
Dave

'02 Honda CR-V SE Executive
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Re: Mercedade's '97 Vitesse Lux

Post by mercedade » Mon Nov 26, 2018 10:20 pm

I'm missing a few updates here (just not had time, if I'm entirely honest), but I'll skip to the end - MOT pass!

A couple of jobs I need to get sorted ASAP and a couple of queries...

a) rear discs (yep, on this one too!). Are they the same across the range for all models?
b) Anyone know where I can get a sump gasket?

A bigger one - with the car up in the air (where it's clear just how sensationally clear of rust it really is), it's obvious that there is a mismatch between front a rear springs. This isn't the usual 'the nose looks high because of the tall arches at the front' - this is a demonstrable slope at the towards the rear, incredibly obvious when seen on a 4 poster ramp.

It appears it has lowering springs at the rear? It certainly has red springs - which causes me two issues.

The car feels very light at the front, not well planted at all - this is obviously a potential source for this vagueness. First up, anyone know of a decent set of springs? And what differences are there? I really need to identify what I've got, before I can decide where I want to go - I'm not wild about lowering the front, mainly concerned about ride quality, but I wonder if I've got Sterling springs up front making it a bit wobblier than the rear?
Adrian
1998 Rover Mk2 820 Vitesse Hatchback (white gold)
Gone...1998 Rover Mk2 820 Vitesse Hatchback (green)
Gone...1992 Rover Mk1 827 SLi Manual (green)
Gone...1998 Rover Mk2 825 Diesel (green)

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Re: Mercedade's '97 Vitesse Lux

Post by dollysprint » Mon Nov 26, 2018 10:47 pm

Yes all rear discs are the same, sump gasket is LVF10005EVA if you want to search on line and front shocks should have some paint marks on if they haven't worn off, you're looking for white/green as its a turbo, if its any other colour let me know. Part number for fronts is GRS107. Rears part number is REB000108EVA and should have orange paint on if you can find a set.

Dave
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Re: Mercedade's '97 Vitesse Lux

Post by scoobyh123 » Mon Nov 26, 2018 11:30 pm

The discs should be the same across the range Adrian, 262mm solids on the rear. No idea on the sump gasket but i've had a quick look through James' thread and the front looked high then.

A tape measure will be your friend here, measure the trim height from the centre of the wheel to the edge of the arch immediately above the centre of the wheel.

Image

Looking at it, i'd say you had Sterling front springs and lowered Vitesse springs on the back but measuring the gaps will give you more of a clue. :wink: :D
Cheers,
Dave

'02 Honda CR-V SE Executive
'99 Jag S Type 3.0 V6 SE


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'94 827 Sterling saloon
'88 Volvo 760 V6 Estate
'95 827 Coupé LPG gone but not forgotten!

mercedade
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Re: Mercedade's '97 Vitesse Lux

Post by mercedade » Tue Nov 27, 2018 8:42 am

Cheers multiDaves.

Part numbers much appreciated - sump gasket ordered.

Thankfully there's nothing wrong with either set of springs/dampers etc, so it's just down to choice and availability (and price) for where I go next. I think I'm basically on the lookout for Vitesse front springs. Are the shocks the same across the range and only the springs differ?
Adrian
1998 Rover Mk2 820 Vitesse Hatchback (white gold)
Gone...1998 Rover Mk2 820 Vitesse Hatchback (green)
Gone...1992 Rover Mk1 827 SLi Manual (green)
Gone...1998 Rover Mk2 825 Diesel (green)

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Re: Mercedade's '97 Vitesse Lux

Post by scoobyh123 » Tue Nov 27, 2018 9:16 am

Once upon a time the shocks on Vitesse models were shorter to cope with the reduced spring travel of the 20mm shorter springs on the Vitesse, i think where it's "one size fits all" these days this has gone by the wayside unless you go for a specialist part.

Might still pay to measure the trim height on the rear, if those are lowered Vitesse springs (for example trim height is 349mm instead of 369) then you'll need 20mm lowered Vitesse front springs.

Alternatively, if the fronts are standard ride height (407mm) then it might be easier to find standard height rear springs to give 389mm on the rear.

However, if you want to keep the Vitesse -20mm (against standard) then you'll have to find the right springs, not a mix'n'match to achieve a sensible proportion. :wink: :D
Cheers,
Dave

'02 Honda CR-V SE Executive
'99 Jag S Type 3.0 V6 SE


Image
'94 827 Sterling saloon
'88 Volvo 760 V6 Estate
'95 827 Coupé LPG gone but not forgotten!

mercedade
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Re: Mercedade's '97 Vitesse Lux

Post by mercedade » Sat Jan 05, 2019 9:22 pm

All of my recent issues can be summarised with three pictures I think:

Image

Image

Image
Adrian
1998 Rover Mk2 820 Vitesse Hatchback (white gold)
Gone...1998 Rover Mk2 820 Vitesse Hatchback (green)
Gone...1992 Rover Mk1 827 SLi Manual (green)
Gone...1998 Rover Mk2 825 Diesel (green)

mercedade
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Re: Mercedade's '97 Vitesse Lux

Post by mercedade » Sat Jan 05, 2019 9:42 pm

So the moral of this story is DO NOT IGNORE A WATER PUMP LEAKING.

Even if it looks like it has stopped misbehaving, and has given you over 500 miles of trouble-free motoring without dropping any further fluid, you can be guaranteed that at the least convenient moment, you will be made to pay.

Longer story:

I was driving along the M6, heading to visit parents for Christmas when I noticed that temperature in the cabin had dropped and the screen was misting up slightly. I pulled off, and could feel a very hot top hose, but a cold rad and cold bottom hose. Hmm.

With the engine running, I thought I could hear a grumble/whine, but not enough to be sure. When I revved the engine with the bonnet open, I could suddenly get warm water flowing. I think I probably convinced myself that it had burped an airlock free.

I had not.

After setting off, and waving my hand over the airvents every 0.1 seconds, I got another mile or so before noticing the engine temperature creeping slowly but inexorably upwards. This section of the M6 is halfway through its transformation into a smart motorway, so there is currently no hard shoulder and only three lanes. As I panicked about exactly how this was going to turn out, I thought about speeding up/increasing engine speed to see if the pump could be persuaded into life. Foot down, and felt a distinct...shudder, but no increase in speed. Then the temp gauge moved a bit more rapidly, so I shut it off, thinking I could coast a small distance, restart and complete the mile left until the next junction.

It would not restart.

So, I gently coasted to a terrifying stop on the live, inside lane of the M6 with nowhere to go and nothing to do.

There then followed many hours of (very efficient) help from the Highways Agency and (dreadful - like APPALLING) 'customer service' from the RAC.

It's now 'resting' 200 miles away where the verdict has been delivered - head gasket.

So, that's my new year budget stuffed and it's not even a week old.

Balls.
Adrian
1998 Rover Mk2 820 Vitesse Hatchback (white gold)
Gone...1998 Rover Mk2 820 Vitesse Hatchback (green)
Gone...1992 Rover Mk1 827 SLi Manual (green)
Gone...1998 Rover Mk2 825 Diesel (green)

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Re: Mercedade's '97 Vitesse Lux

Post by Richard Moss » Sat Jan 05, 2019 9:54 pm

At least its a reasonably robust T series, not a fragile KV6 - which means a chance that a gasket (plus perhaps head skim) may see you back in action
Out in the desert with a 1998 Grand Cherokee V8, 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4L and a 1997 Chevy Tahoe V8. Back home: 1969 MGC GT

mercedade
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Re: Mercedade's '97 Vitesse Lux

Post by mercedade » Sat Jan 05, 2019 10:04 pm

Agreed - I was hoping replacing the waterpump would be enough, but my suspicions about the resultant misfire were confirmed this morning.

The only thing I've got to do now is wade through a selection of 'opinions' on MLS/standard gaskets, specifically for the turbo (and hope that the garage are able to do a T series head and not introduce an oil leak!)
Adrian
1998 Rover Mk2 820 Vitesse Hatchback (white gold)
Gone...1998 Rover Mk2 820 Vitesse Hatchback (green)
Gone...1992 Rover Mk1 827 SLi Manual (green)
Gone...1998 Rover Mk2 825 Diesel (green)

mercedade
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Re: Mercedade's '97 Vitesse Lux

Post by mercedade » Sat Jan 05, 2019 10:52 pm

Worthwhile saying at this point that I'm pretty confident this was caused by me ignoring plentiful warning signs of a failing water pump. I know from Jame's thread that this car has had a multitude of cooling problems, but it was behaving beautifully right up until I chose to press on in the face of ample warnings.

I think, following all James' work when he was recommissioning, that an ECP pump failed prematurely and I didn't get round to fitting the replacement I had ready and waiting.
Adrian
1998 Rover Mk2 820 Vitesse Hatchback (white gold)
Gone...1998 Rover Mk2 820 Vitesse Hatchback (green)
Gone...1992 Rover Mk1 827 SLi Manual (green)
Gone...1998 Rover Mk2 825 Diesel (green)

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Re: Mercedade's '97 Vitesse Lux

Post by CHR15E » Sun Jan 06, 2019 8:23 am

That's a bugger.

Definitely fixing it and not considering moving on?
Chris
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