Update from DK-Various problems

[roedmose]

Hi all !

I have been inactive on the list for a while, as I (like so many others) are getting more and more busy, both privately and at work).

So a small update from here, where we took the Rover for a 1000-mile fast trip to Peenemünde in Germany (close to the polnish border), where they developed the V1 and V2 during WW2.
On this trip we ended up in a terrible traffic jam in 34 dergrees Centigrade with start/stop in 75 minutes. As the traffic released and I speeded up, the Rover died. A short diagnose was vapour in the newly mounted Facet fuel-pump. So after 30 minutes cooling down we continued.
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I had installed the pump in the engine bay and assumes that speeding up forced extremely hot air from the cooler into the bay. I am sure that if if will address this extreme situation, I should had installed the pump in the trunk, but I wanted to avoid having to skip the fuel-reserve. So my question is : have anyone considered installing 2 facet-pumps in the trunk : one on the main feed and one on the reserve. With a switch one could operate the desired pump and cut off the resting one. This could avoid skipping the reserve and give an backup pump for emergency. Anyone tried this solution
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Second problem came as I felt, that when driving on German Autobahn at high speed in areas where the lorrys have driven the road into deep tracks, that I lost part of the feeling with the handling. I will guess that it is the nature of the PAS, so the question is just if you have the same feeling or if it can help getting a re-conditioned steering box? Or do my Rover have wear in the rods or ball-joints that I have overlooked ?
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Well we got home safely and after a short rest we went to a local rally but upon arriving the Auto-box gave up. We completed the rally anyway and drove home as well, but is was 130 miles with slipping and screaming from the box. But it was ruined anyway !
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So now my Rover is out of service-probably for the rest of the season, as I expect to take the engine and box out in a whole and install a P6B box, bought in for the purpose. And when out, paint the engine bay and fix the leaking rear engine seal etc.. Ppphhhheeeww !

Last question is : why are we having so much trouble with these BW-boxes. When I meet owners of american cars and talk to them, I have the feeling that many uses similar boxes and they never seem to have serious problems. A bit of leaking from the selector rod (as we have to ) is what I hear from them. And their cars are normally heavier and more powerfull that the Rover is ! Is the Rover version build more fragile or am I on the wrong track (yes I am fed with autobox problems !!!!!!)

Frank, Denmark

PS : At the local rally that cost me an autobox we were dressed as 1970-people. The Rover and we got 2. prize.
See us : roedmose.tripod.com/roverp5b/bilde.jpg
NO NO Make that : i6.photobucket.com/albums/y216/roedmose/bilde.jpg

Picture downloaded from the local newspapers web-site.

[glennr]

Sorry to hear of your woes Frank. I can't see the photo you have posted It comes up blank) Can you e mail it to me?

[roedmose]

Your rigth Glenn. The picture is blank. Have to move it to another server. Will update in a short while !

Frank

[roedmose]

First post updated with a new URL for the picture !!

Frank

[Deleted]

Mounting the pump in the boot will probably help in the extreme conditions but how often does that occur? It will certainly be a lot noisier and if two are installed then very expensive. The P5 sixes had twin or double ended pumps in the boot and even these can be heard clicking.

The BW 35 box was a lightweight box developed for small European cars of less than 2 litres. Using it in an albeit low power 3.5 V8 was absolutley up to its maximum.

Rover only specfied the shift movements/tailshaft/bellhousing.

The V8 was always considered light on steering as the Hydrasteer box was designed for the very much heavier 3 litres.

Wandering can be due to tyres or worn joints/bushes or both not the actual box. You are probably driving modern cars too much - give them up

[roedmose]

Okay T-bar !

So in short, the BW35 is unser-sized for the P5B. So I better get the damaged one re-conditioned next time in the UK, so a spare is handy !! ;D
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Facet pump; well I don't consider is expensive. I think at JRW it was like 2 tanks of fuel. When standing at the roadside at a german autobahn with wife and 3 kids and the BMW's hammering away at 200 KM/H, I would have paid anything to be driving again. The noise of the pump is worse that the price. I will still consider it.
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Steering- give up the modern car ? Well, I doubt there are BW35's enough around to keep my family on the wheels.
I will check and double check the steering for wear etc. The car felt much better last year in Wales but that was slow driving. The car is running on Pirrelli P5 tyres, but despite the name, I might try some other alternatives.

frank

[dorsetflyer]

The tramlines in the road caused by constant heavy lorries can effect both the classic and modern day cars, so don't worry too much. If you had crossply tyres fitted it would have been a nightmare trying to keep it in a straight line.
P5B's being lighter at the front with a very light steering are more affected than the P5's which are that much heavier.

It's just as bad when driving a Recovery lorry with something like a camper van or high sided Transit on board. The lorry will weave about all over the place making the vehicle sway alarmingly. Not much fun when you are carrying passengers too.

[Roy of the Rovers]

The main cause of my P5b wandering was due to the front suspension being wound up too high, if you wind it down the situation improves substantially.

[Deleted]

Roy can you help me can i buy carpet grippers as two of mine are broke

[Smallfry]

One thing you should be aware of is that Facet pumps are better at pushing fuel than they are at sucking it. This is why they SHOULD be mounted as near as possible to the tank, and preferably in a position where the fuel does not drain away from the inlet side.

Any carburettor fuel system with a return line should not suffer from vapourisation, as the fuel is moving all the time. I feel the problem that occurs with P5Bs is more to do with pipe routing.

I am also of the opinion that interruptor type fuel pumps are not ideal for for this type of system either, as they are running all the time. They are really meant to maintain a pressure, as in a single line system, rather than volume, which is required by a return line system. What you want (IMO) and I am going to try it, is a gerotor type pump (like an EFI one, but lower pressure) which is designed to run all the time at a constant flow, and are (apparently) quieter than interruptor pumps.

The BW35 is really overstretched here. American autoboxes are mostly VERY robust, but tend to be a bit "woolly" in operation, but this is easliy fixed ! I can never understand why Rover did not get the matching autobox to go with the engine
instead of messing around with the BW35. Its not as if it wouldn't fit in the tunnel !

[johnwp5bcoupe]

As a trial and I have yet to give it a run on the road! I stuck my Facet Pump on the cross member after the reserve tap (no need for 2 pumps) it does have to pull air for a very short time until it is primed but as it is lower than the tank gravity takes effect. without any insulation or carpets the noise from the pump when pulling/pushing petrol is not too bad I used the 40106 4.5 to 7 psi to allow for fuel line loss and the fact that the old pump is still in line modded straight through to look original. As the pump is in the place of the short plastic pipe it is easily converted back and I used existing holes to mount the made up bracket it should keep reasonably cool as it will be in air flow I was told these pumps don't like heat! have a look.

i88.photobucket.com/albums/k163/johnwp5bcoupe/P1010150-2.jpg

I have put a clamp on the other end of the fueline and new bolts!!

[Phil Nottingham]

That's quite neat I did think about putting it under the floor but did not want it in the line of road debris and mud. Can it be got at for servicing though with removing the tunnel cover etc?

[johnwp5bcoupe]

Hi Phil I have had a dummy run and it can be taken out from underneath as well as through the tunnel and it is a clean location! the thing is when making the bracket it sits on make sure it is thick material ( 1/4"+ ) to stop resonance! "make allowances" for the tunnel curvature with the bracket height! adding the pre pump filter makes it slightly noisier but tolerable, I am thinking about fitting a in line filter in the boot as an extra precaution as my old girl has been a long time without a fill up!
Forgot to add I used the two Facet rubber mounts

[Deleted]

Thanks, this is very helpful. Where did you wire it up to? I will try to fit mine this week
many thanks again. The photo was brilliani

Martyn ( devon)

[johnwp5bcoupe]

Hi Martyn to keep it simple the same feed line as the ignition coil, to fabricate the bracket and get the fit correct it would be easier through the tunnel but once fitted easily removed under the car, just make sure you put the clamps so you can get at the screws from underneath and don't make the fuel line too short allow a bit.