My 2000SC Auto daily driver

[FrazzleTC]

Not a great deal to report this week, other than the fact that I've used the car all weekend, and covered around 150 miles, without incident. The only slight irritations are a slightly more obvious oil leak from this engine than the original, and, a slight ATF leak, which is only noticeable if the car has been sitting for a couple of days or more. The engine is getting better and better, the more I use it. I've now acquired a set of door seals for it, which will be fitted in the better weather. I've also painted the floors, inside the car, to keep things tidy. A new dashboard top was also acquired this weekend, which will be fitted in due course.
The 2000 came in useful in order to held jumpstart the 3500, which meant I had a good opportunity to get lots of photographs of the two P6s together. I also took the 2000 around the locality when the sun appeared, and seized the opportunity to polish and wax it again.
Here are the usual photos.

 

[v8guy]

You should never apologise for too many pics Fraser always look forward to seeing them. Glad to hear the 2000 is performing well :wink:

 

[SydneyRoverP6B]

Great photos Fraser The landscape set against the cloudy sky certainly looks bleak. What was the temperature like and what time of day was it?

Ron.

 

[JVY]

Great pic's. i like the 5th one of SGH - contrast of steel sky and yellow car looks good, Not sure about the "reserve" petrol tank arrangement on your 3500 though .

 

[FrazzleTC]

Great photos Fraser The landscape set against the cloudy sky certainly looks bleak. What was the temperature like and what time of day was it?

Ron.

Thanks chaps!

The temperature was around 4 degrees when I left the house, but up on the moor there, it felt ridiculously cold, as a result of the wind chill! Certainly felt like it was well below zero. While up on the Moor, there were sections of ice, and it began to snow quite heavily at one point. The photos were taken at around 4:30pm, now that the days are getting noticeably longer.

 

[FrazzleTC]

I had the 2000 out today for a good run, despite the cold weather, and snow at the sides of the road. It's going very well, but the ATF leak has become more noticeable, and I had to top it up a bit, after checking the level as per Harvey's guide. It never used to leak like this, so, any suggestion as to easy things to check?

 

[harveyp6]

I had the 2000 out today for a good run, despite the cold weather, and snow at the sides of the road. It's going very well, but the ATF leak has become more noticeable, and I had to top it up a bit, after checking the level as per Harvey's guide. It never used to leak like this, so, any suggestion as to easy things to check?

Sump gasket, selector shaft seal, tailshaft seal, loose cooler pipe fittings, and look for a crack in the sump itslef where the dipstick tube screws in. Those are the easy normal suspects, all do-able with the box in-situ. Front pump seal needs the box to come out, but I'd suggest washing it all off and roadtesting, then looking for the source of the leak rather than speculating.

 

[FrazzleTC]

Thanks Harvey, I'll get the car up on a ramp in the next couple of days to do a thorough check of the underside of the auto box.
Just a small update today. Since getting the flatpleat seats, an indentation in one of the rear seat cushions had annoyed me, so today, I swapped it for a much better cushion from my spare interior, to tidy things up a bit. I also need to sort the stitching on the driver's seat, and the carpet on that side of the car needs replaced, as it's badly oil-stained. I cleaned the whole interior, and fed the leather today, to freshen it all up, once again. Other than that, I hope to do an oil change before the end of holiday, and that should be the car fit for another summer! 8)

 

[j_radcliffe]

I had the 2000 out today for a good run, despite the cold weather, and snow at the sides of the road. It's going very well, but the ATF leak has become more noticeable, and I had to top it up a bit, after checking the level as per Harvey's guide. It never used to leak like this, so, any suggestion as to easy things to check?

I had the same problem with my 2000 automatic. The leak was getting progressively worse. It turned out to be a crack in the pan around where the filler tube screws on. My trans specialist welded it up with a mig, and that was over 14 years ago.

James.

 

[FrazzleTC]

The leak certainly seems to be around the filler neck. I'll have the car up on the ramp in the next day or two.
In the meantime, I've given the car a polish and wax this week, and treated the seats to some leather cream, as I do, once a month. I rinsed the car off this morning, and decided to make the most of the lovely weather, by doing a good tour around the area. In the end I travelled around 100 miles, and thoroughly enjoyed my day out, stopping at the chip shop, and the local ice cream factory along the way. 8)

 

[SydneyRoverP6B]

Great photos Fraser

Being in sight of the coast and with snow on the ground, it must be seriously cold,..brrrrrrrrr. Whereabouts were the photos taken?

Ron.

 

[JVY]

and the local ice cream factory along the way

Fraser, I will hazard a guess that it was the Cream O'Galloway?

Being in sight of the coast and with snow on the ground, it must be seriously cold,..brrrrrrrrr. Whereabouts were the photos taken?

Ron, I just spent a few day down in Fraser's neck of the woods (Dumfries & Galloway in the southwest corner of Scotland) visiting my folks. Unfortunately, due to my brake servo problems, I didn't have my P6 with me. Yes, it was unusually cold for the time of year - much drier than normal and although the temperature is getting up to maybe around 8 degrees C, the chill factor of the cold northerly/easterly winds has left snow lying for weeks. We are told that the unusual UK weather is due to the Gulf Stream (which normally brings warm air from the southwest) sitting south of the country.

 

[FrazzleTC]

and the local ice cream factory along the way

Fraser, I will hazard a guess that it was the Cream O'Galloway?

Being in sight of the coast and with snow on the ground, it must be seriously cold,..brrrrrrrrr. Whereabouts were the photos taken?

Ron, I just spent a few day down in Fraser's neck of the woods (Dumfries & Galloway in the southwest corner of Scotland) visiting my folks. Unfortunately, due to my brake servo problems, I didn't have my P6 with me. Yes, it was unusually cold for the time of year - much drier than normal and although the temperature is getting up to maybe around 8 degrees C, the chill factor of the cold northerly/easterly winds has left snow lying for weeks. We are told that the unusual UK weather is due to the Gulf Stream (which normally brings warm air from the southwest) sitting south of the country.

Yes indeed, it was Cream O' Galloway! Excellent place, but very busy at weekends!

The photos were taken along the coast near Kirkcudbright, at Brighouse Bay, then across to Gatehouse, before heading to Laurieston, over to New Galloway then home. Lovely run, but it was immensely cold when I was out of the car.

PS. I'll get that magazine scanned for you in the next day or so! Apologies for the delay!

 

[FrazzleTC]

Just as things were starting to look up, as I'd solved the ATF leak, which was very easy, the car has developed a big oil leak. There's oil coming out at the back of the head where it joins the block in a couple of places, which has drenched the bell-housing, and the underside of the car. The car is losing a fairly significant amount of oil, and it means that longer runs, until this is repaired, are most likely not possible.
I'll do some further checks, but this is certainly where the oil seems to be leaking from. My only other thought, is that perhaps it is overfilled with oil, and the dipstick is the wrong one? A very unlikely possibility, but if someone could check the length of dipstick on a 2200, that would be most useful. The one in the car is 42.5cm from the bottom of the bell, to the end of the stick.

 

[harveyp6]

Being overfilled with oil can cause problems, but I don't think a leak from the back of the head/block join will be one of them. Chances are it's the "O" ring failed.

 

[suffolkpete]

My only other thought, is that perhaps it is overfilled with oil, and the dipstick is the wrong one? A very unlikely possibility, but if someone could check the length of dipstick on a 2200, that would be most useful. The one in the car is 42.5cm from the bottom of the bell, to the end of the stick.

That is the same as the dipstick on my 2200

 

[FrazzleTC]

I can now confirm, that it's almost certain that the O-ring has failed. The leak hasn't got any worse, but it's still losing oil, and making a mess wherever I park, so I can be easily traced. This issue will hopefully be resolved in the next few weeks.
In other news, the MOT will be taking place at the end of this week, and hopefully there won't be any big issues. :roll:
Today saw the start of a bit of an interior spruce-up. I've acquired a new steering wheel which I've now fitted, and, I finally tracked down a Lucas 608 rear-view mirror, for just £10! This will hopefully make a big difference to night driving, since I use the car very regularly, and found myself getting dazzled with the old Desmo mirror, though I did like the view that it offered. I've also obtained a new dashboard top, and will hopefully fit this in the summer.
Here are some photos.



I also took advantage of the longer evenings, and made the most of drive-it-day. The car ran nicely throughout the weekend, and covered plenty of miles. It certainly doesn't sit idle for too long!

 

[SydneyRoverP6B]

Looking really good Fraser The new dashboard top once installed will make a huge difference to the appearance, being ripple free.

The quarter windows on the front doors, they open manually? (ie once unlocked, you physically push them open). Do the rear door quarter windows also open in the same way?

Good luck with the MOT!

Ron.

 

[JVY]

Bad news on the oil leak Fraser. My first thought was the little o-ring that sit on the top back of the engine block too. I had the very same problem which I think is quite common. Nothing for it but to get a head gasket kit (making sure it contains the o-ring) and remove the head. Good opportunity to adjust valve clearances if they need doing.

BTW, I think the Rover Colour magazine was reproduced in latest P6ROC News. So, don't worry about a copy - you've got enough to do!

Interior does look very nice and your level of dedication to slowly improving your car is admirable.

 

[FrazzleTC]

Looking really good Fraser The new dashboard top once installed will make a huge difference to the appearance, being ripple free.

The quarter windows on the front doors, they open manually? (ie once unlocked, you physically push them open). Do the rear door quarter windows also open in the same way?

Good luck with the MOT!

Ron.

Thanks Ron! Yes, the front quarterlights open after you push the little button and lift the catch, before pushing the window out manually. The rears have the same arrangement as the S2s, using a mechanism similar to those used in 60s Jags.
MOT now rescheduled for the start of next week, as Michael (redrover) of this parish is going to help me replace the headgasket and O ring this weekend.

Bad news on the oil leak Fraser. My first thought was the little o-ring that sit on the top back of the engine block too. I had the very same problem which I think is quite common. Nothing for it but to get a head gasket kit (making sure it contains the o-ring) and remove the head. Good opportunity to adjust valve clearances if they need doing.

BTW, I think the Rover Colour magazine was reproduced in latest P6ROC News. So, don't worry about a copy - you've got enough to do!

Interior does look very nice and your level of dedication to slowly improving your car is admirable.

Sorry I've not got round to getting that copied, Steve. Just let me know if it's not in the mag, and I'll make sure I get it done this time!

Thanks! I hadn't realised it was that common until it was pointed out to me that the O-ring could fail, leading to such an oil leak.