CitroJim wrote:Simon, don't give up
This latest line of enquiry is incredibly interesting so carry on and don't listen to Alex...
I'm sure the car will MOT no problem at all and do a few more years..
I've lost confidence in bangeromics myself.
Get yourself a little C1 for daily duties, keep the V6 as a toy and continue to search for the problem... That's my advice...
Seriously considering getting a little runabout like a C1 after we move Jim, to use to get to work (probably just a few miles to the nearest train station, not all the way into the City) and do milk runs etc. I'm also trying to sell it to my gf as something that she can learn to drive in that can be ostensibly "her" car even though we would both drive it.
Trying to solve the mystery is incredibly interesting but also frustrated by my lack of facilities. (and lack of abilities!) If I had a spare car and a well equipped garage and the alternative was to get rid of the car I'd be tempted to pull off the heads and see what the hell is going on just for my own satisfaction - especially if I was stripping it down for parts anyway.
At the moment though its just a case of too bad if it isn't running properly, squeeze through the MOT
and worry about it later if at all. After all I do want a car that works that I can enjoy driving. I'm tempted to get another V6 if I can find one that has had the gearbox overhauled and not done massive mileage since then. (Obviously the engine would have to be running properly, and no MOT failing rust as I refuse to deal with significant rust issues)
Apart from possible emissions failure and the rust hole in the sill, there is a decent LHM leak under the engine bay somewhere that is going to draw attention. I think it may just be the top of the pressure regulator that has dribbled down the regulator and then run along a conduit that passes by it, ending in a loop of hose where it seems to be pooling. There is enough oil in the area that I can't be sure where it came from. Does anyone know a good degreaser I could spray in the area to clean it up so I can identify the source ? It's too cramped in there to manually clean it all up with a rag.
RichardW wrote:How hard is it to get the cam covers off to check the clearances? There might be time at the weekend, after we've changed a 1.6 HDi cambelt, and welded the sill
I like your fortitude (and sense of humour
) Richard, but there's no way I'd be attempting that on Saturday on top of what else we have planned.
The front bank I think you can get the top cam covers off easily but I believe the cam cover bolts are also the camshaft bearing cap bolts ?? If they are they would need to be torqued properly and I don't have a small enough torque wrench. (They're only 8mm hex!) All you would be able to do though is try pressing the cam buckets down to see if the tappets have high leakage. The rear bank requires all the upper inlet manifold out.
Don't worry, we won't be doing that - chances are the cam covers would start leaking a lot more if we tampered with them anyway and need proper resealing. I have no intention of taking the cam covers off before the MOT, and probably not even then. Lets get your car sorted out this weekend.
Bear in mind that it has just had a fresh oil change a couple of weeks ago, so if the oil is fuel contaminated it has either happened very quickly or it was so bad before the oil change that some contamination is still left.
