Big Pile of Maintenance (Post #528) 3/6/2015

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Its time for the first round of maintenance for our trip to S.C.A.R.R. I got a box of goodies from Rovah Farm. They are a “new to me” supplier out of Arkansas. I have trouble getting parts out of New England this time if year. Something about weather… blah, blah, blah, winter… blah, blah, blah, cancelled flights, yada, yada, yada. Following Okierover standard procedure I managed to order something that was out-of-stock. Rovah Farm let me know and we agreed to wait for everything before shipping. Once everything was in it was a two day delivery, his door to mine. Excellent. We lucked out and just missed our last winter blast which would have probably delayed the order.

Anyway, I ordered new plug wires, plugs, cap and rotor, a oil pan gasket, and much needed tie-rod ends. I’ll be putting most of it in this weekend. I have a long drive next weekend to the Southwestern Regional Rendezvous in Arkansas. I’d like to have the added reliability of proper tracking of the Big White Bus when I steer her. And I’d like to eliminate the rough running I’ve been experiencing lately.

The oil pan gasket is part of a plan to clean up the lower end. It will also require a yet to be determined repair of a power steering fluid leak. The transmission fluid cooling hoses also need replacement.

I will be picking up a transmission from Rover Cannibal tomorrow. The plan, as I have mentioned before, is to take the ZF 4HP22 transmission down to King’s Transmission and have it rebuilt along with a torque converter. This I hope will sort out several odd propulsion problems I’ve been experiencing over the past 2 years. While reading the Rangerovers.net website I found a link to Transmission Diagnosis. The description on Symptoms and Repair of Transmission Seal Problems is exactly one of the problems I’m experiencing.

When pulling a trailer, I’ve got a distinctive slipping when I’m in 4th gear. I’ve had one torque converter repaired. I think it was in 2001 or thereabouts. It had developed a wobble and was foaming the transmission fluid. Cottman’s did that work.

With 222,000 plus miles on this transmission it’s probably due a rebuild. I know I’d feel much better if the transmission was 100% again. Mrs. Okierover and I have discussed joining the RVing crowd. We aren’t sure we are totally committed. We aren’t sure if an off-road popup is right for us or if one of the ultra-light campers like a Casita (if a bloody Jeep Liberty can pull it…well you know). Personally I’d love to restore a classic “canned ham“. But that is another project for another day.

Thanks for reading and Happy Rovering.

4 Replies to “Big Pile of Maintenance (Post #528) 3/6/2015”

  1. A thought on towing or just driving in the mountains. Put the transmission in 3 for this kind of driving. It makes the truck scream up mountain passes and keeps the torque converter from locking up while towing.

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