During the last few weekends, I'd been getting the car ready for its MOT and one persistent problem I've had was a terrible shunt when the autobox was going through the gears. It was especially bad when stationary and when the engine was warm.
Checking the ATF, it wasn't its usual TQF crimson and other than some gearbox conditioner I'd put in (a clear fluid) I thought something was not well there. Adding to an increase in strange clonking noises and their ferocity, I got the car up on my ramps and had a good look round. Nothing.
I did lower the idle speed a little, no dyno to check the idle rpm's (which should be 650-750 at idle), nothing made any difference so I returned it back to where it was.
So dreading the worst, I even tried to get prices on a re-con BW35.
As part of a pre-MOT service and final piece of mind at my local garage, I mentioned the shunting I asked them to check the idle speed on their dyno, check the autobox, suspension ball joints, UJs on the prop, re-grease them and change the diff oil.
The diff oil was in a state (yet the previous owner had rebuilt the entire rear suspension) so they changed the whole diff oil with a flush. When they showed me the drain bucket, it had the consistency of margarine and that was after a pint and a bit of flushing oil. So they'd replaced that with the new EP90.
They'd put the car on the ramps, the ball joints are all great, the prop UJs are in very rude health the autobox is fine. A drain of some ATF from the sump showed it was very clean and the additive (Forte) would slightly discolour it, so all was well there. Apparently, ATF has a certain bouquet which is the better indicator of burnt fluid.... great because my sense of smell is awful.
Then the bombshell.
What I had missed and also they almost missed themselves, until they lifted up one of the rear wheels on the ramp to get to the diff, the diff mount bolts were all loose. So loose, the mechanic should actually move the whole assembly with his hands once some of the load was taken off the diff.
Hence the shunting. Losing the diff at speed doesn't bear thinking about.
All the bolts were re-torqued and a big thumbs up on the MOT (not one comment on the advisory sheet other than good and v.good). The transformation has been amazing, the shunting (N to R was especially bad) has gone. And driving in traffic just gives out the up and down change clonk which is totally normal, if a little audible. No more rabbit punches on take off.
The garage even diagnosed my suspected noisy tappet as actually a slightly sticky valve spring having took the rocker covers off. Sure enough, the engine oil flush and oil change reduced that to just the faintest of ticks and it's perfectly normal. The garage owner, (a P5B fanatic) said it was all very clean and also one of the quieter V8s he'd heard. To aid it along, I did my usual though and wanged in a bottle of Molyslip which I found worked nicely at keeping things nice and smooth.
They say assumption is the mother of all cock-ups next time (if I ever buy another P6) for piece of mind, a very thorough MOT after purchase would be something I would seriously consider.
Needless to say, with total piece of mind, it got a very healthy run out yesterday blasting a few maxx-ed up Saxos was particularly pleasing.
Checking the ATF, it wasn't its usual TQF crimson and other than some gearbox conditioner I'd put in (a clear fluid) I thought something was not well there. Adding to an increase in strange clonking noises and their ferocity, I got the car up on my ramps and had a good look round. Nothing.
I did lower the idle speed a little, no dyno to check the idle rpm's (which should be 650-750 at idle), nothing made any difference so I returned it back to where it was.
So dreading the worst, I even tried to get prices on a re-con BW35.
As part of a pre-MOT service and final piece of mind at my local garage, I mentioned the shunting I asked them to check the idle speed on their dyno, check the autobox, suspension ball joints, UJs on the prop, re-grease them and change the diff oil.
The diff oil was in a state (yet the previous owner had rebuilt the entire rear suspension) so they changed the whole diff oil with a flush. When they showed me the drain bucket, it had the consistency of margarine and that was after a pint and a bit of flushing oil. So they'd replaced that with the new EP90.
They'd put the car on the ramps, the ball joints are all great, the prop UJs are in very rude health the autobox is fine. A drain of some ATF from the sump showed it was very clean and the additive (Forte) would slightly discolour it, so all was well there. Apparently, ATF has a certain bouquet which is the better indicator of burnt fluid.... great because my sense of smell is awful.
Then the bombshell.
What I had missed and also they almost missed themselves, until they lifted up one of the rear wheels on the ramp to get to the diff, the diff mount bolts were all loose. So loose, the mechanic should actually move the whole assembly with his hands once some of the load was taken off the diff.
Hence the shunting. Losing the diff at speed doesn't bear thinking about.
All the bolts were re-torqued and a big thumbs up on the MOT (not one comment on the advisory sheet other than good and v.good). The transformation has been amazing, the shunting (N to R was especially bad) has gone. And driving in traffic just gives out the up and down change clonk which is totally normal, if a little audible. No more rabbit punches on take off.
The garage even diagnosed my suspected noisy tappet as actually a slightly sticky valve spring having took the rocker covers off. Sure enough, the engine oil flush and oil change reduced that to just the faintest of ticks and it's perfectly normal. The garage owner, (a P5B fanatic) said it was all very clean and also one of the quieter V8s he'd heard. To aid it along, I did my usual though and wanged in a bottle of Molyslip which I found worked nicely at keeping things nice and smooth.
They say assumption is the mother of all cock-ups next time (if I ever buy another P6) for piece of mind, a very thorough MOT after purchase would be something I would seriously consider.
Needless to say, with total piece of mind, it got a very healthy run out yesterday blasting a few maxx-ed up Saxos was particularly pleasing.
