Tony C

Thanks guys. I though it would be OK, but wanted to be sure there were no hidden snags. BRG SV 😬

I need to move the windscreen out of the way to replace those stupid centre tonneau fasteners with turnbuckle type. Can I just remove the three screws either side that appear to attach the glass to the stanchions? BRG SV 😬

I used masking tape on which to mark-out the hole centre location and a piece on top on which was marked the size. Drilled a small then a larger pilot hole then used a rat-tailed file to open the hole to the required size. I've tried one of those tapered hole makers and though it does work I found it leaves a large burr on the inside. The metal is so thin and soft that it only takes a few minutes with a file and you get a neater finish IMHO. BE VERY CAREFUL TO MAKE YOUR HOLE LOCATION WHERE IT WILL NOT INTERFERE WITH THE BIG TUBES BEHIND THE DASH BRG SV 😬

They're a taper fit - you need a "Ball joint splitter". They're quite cheap, Halfords should stock them. DON'T wack it wiv an 'ammer BRG SV 😬

Thanks for all the input guys. I agree and can see the logic that an aftermarket ECU, such as an Emerald, can be mapped and adjusted to optimise the engine output - whatever mods are done. I have a standard 1.8 140 bhp K-Series. Reading the tech. info' on the Emerald website today leads me to belive that the standard ECU can cope with small changes in engine tune, such as an aftermarket exhaust, in steady state conditions and can "learn" a drivers habits and individual engine peculiarities and over time will adjust its map to apply the best it can. I think the value of an aftermarket ECU is that every perameter of its maps can be adjusted to optimise engine output to take full advantage of serious engine modifications. As nobody has so far mentioned anything about a need to "reset" the standard ECU after fitting an aftermarket exhaust system- I guess I'll be able to just fire it up and go without having to worry about the ECU not being able to give me enough fuel. BRG SV 😬

See what you're saying Julian, but my understanding of an ECU is that it is constantly monitoring various parameters in the engine. In the case of the exhaust it's getting the feed from the lambda probe and will then alter the fueling and ignition - maybe - to TRY to give the required exhaust gas values. I was thinking more along the lines of resetting the ECU to zero, as it were, so that it could start to "learn" about the new breathing and exhaust gas values. BTW Julian, thanks for all the info. on your website, it was of great value during my build - top man Cheers, Tony BRG SV 😬

I'm about to have an EBD manifold made and fitted with a nice straight through stainless silencer. Will it be necessary for me to do anything "magic" with the standard Rover ECU or will it automatically compensate for the increased breathability? I understand that standing on one leg and rotating three times while clucking like a chicken sometimes helps 😬 BRG SV 😬

Just doing the first service on my SV following a rapid 600 miles since last Thursday. Check tightened the front suspension and engine bay, but during a further visual inspection noticed both top wishbone locknuts were loose. The left one by about two threads and the right not visually loose, but yielded to half a turn with the spanner. Anyone else had an experience with these comimg undone? I've never touched them as they come adjusted for length from the factory and I checked both were tight during assembly. Cheers, Tony BRG SV 😬

As far as I know, Maxwell's left hand didn't know what his right hand was doing 😬 Or was that Fleming? BRG SV 😬 Edited by - Tony C on 3 May 2003 19:58:08

BRG SV 😬

BRG SV 😬

Try to get a cobalt drill bit of the required size. They are very expensive to buy, so try to borrow what you need - they will drill into just about anything like a hot knife through butter.

I have one of those new handbrake rubber handles and it went through the hole in the tunnel cover without problem - I guess you've read the bit about not adjusting the handbrake until you've fitted the tunnel cover, due to the need for the handbrake lever to be in the vertical position. Cheers, Tony It is an SV, but I doubt whether it's bigger in that area too 😬 BRG SV 😬 Boxes empty, car full

I found it very difficult to use the standard "hammer and anvil" tool, especially when the item is on the car and a solid surface is not available. I bought a 4 inch 'G' clamp, one with a square cut thread. I fastened the anvil part of the tool to the fixed part of the 'G' clamp and the cut-off end of the hammer part to the threaded part. To properly close the rivet part of the popper is a simple winding down of the 'G' clamp. Believe me, I tried every method and this was by far the easiest and gave a real good fastening. Hope you have equal success. Cheers, Tony (SVA tomorrow) BRG SV 😬 Boxes empty, car full

Maybe a 'Granny' question, but have you tried fitting the outboard pad first.

The SV I've just finished building has widetrack front suspension. The Assembly Guide gives the Castor as 4 degrees, plus or minus 1 degree (20 minutes variation left to right, front). It goes on to say:- "The adjustment of castor is achieved by moving the lower wishbone backwards or forwards in the chassis using spacing washers, therefore altering the effective kingpin angle in side elevation. Increasing the angle away from vertical will produce more pronounced self centring of the steering and hence a greater feeling of stability, but at the expense of heavier steering". I haven't had a chance to assess the standard set-up of 2 aft of the bush and two forward, but if washers are removed from aft and placed forward of the bush the kingpin will be more upright - giving less self centring and lighter steering. I guess it's one of those "suck-it-and-see" situations. HOWEVER, I'm pretty sure that adjusting any one item of the front suspension/steering will alter the setings of the other elements. I set my front suspension as suggested in the Assembly Guide and had to give the track rod ball joints 13 turns in each side on the steering rack arms to give me slight toe-in, but this was checked with a piece of string stretched tightly around all four tyres - not very high tech. Hope this helps. Cheers, Tony BRG SV 😬 Boxes empty, car full

FWIW, just put mine together, though it's an SV and may be different. The lower damper attachment is a threaded boss under the DD tube into which goes a bolt, lockwasher and two big radiused washers either side of the damper bush. BRG SV 😬 Boxes empty, car full

Thanks guys. I've got a 'proper' crimping tool, so should be OK and a heatshrinker - well endowed, aren't I? BRG SV 😬 Boxes empty, car full

Anyone know if increasing the length of the Lambda probe wiring will effect its function/accuracy? Cheers, Tony BRG SV 😬 Boxes empty, car full

Dangled a strong magnet and nothing significant attached, just the merest black trace which could have been immagination, so I guess the effluent was not ferous. Rather out than in though - in this case. 😬 BRG SV 😬 Boxes empty, car full

Mine was £49.36 inclusive. Money well spent IMHO.

I know this is a VERY controversial subject and I wouldn't like anyone to think I am recomending any particular method. My 7 is off for its PBC today and I took it for a run early this morning - "Honest officer, I was just bedding-in the brakes". Following certain running-in suggestions, I gave it "some welly", both accelerating and letting it overrun, in all gears. Didn't go over 5,000, well maybe once 😬. Ran it for about 20 miles, bedding in the brakes at the same time, then did an oil (GTX £9.99 for 5 ltr) and filter change. The oil seemed to contain VERY fine metalic dust. I couldn't feel it by rubbing it between my fingers and haven't yet checked whether it's ferous or not. The contents of the oil filter was more concentrated. On the whole, I'm glad I carried out this procedure. What the long term result will be - who knows? The theory is that, not killing the engine, but not babying it either, for the first 20 miles really lets the combustion pressure seat the rings against the bore walls and beds them in properly. The non sythetic oil is less slippery and aids this process. The quick oil and filter change is to get rid of the "carp". It looks to have worked - assuming the dust was bore and ring steel and not somthing more sinister - powdered engine anyone? BRG SV 😬 Boxes empty, car full

I used a "Mityvac", it draws a lower pressure at the bleed nipple with a 'vacuum' pump. The hose is long enough that I could bleed my new build brakes on my own. The pump has a small container attached and when that is full of fluid it's time to top up the reservoir. It's possible to pump and observe the master cylinder - just in case. I went round four times and got a good pedal. I could even reach in and exercise the hanbrake while pumping the back brakes. Cheers, Tony BRG SV 😬 Boxes empty, car full

195/45 R15 I've wound the shocks up so that all the threads are covered - just. With the wishbone bolts still loose I was able to put the sump on the ground by bouncing up and down on the front of the car - GULP! With the weight on the wheels and having bounced it a few times and rolled it back and fore to try to achieve a 'neutral' level, I then torque'd up the upper and lower wishbone bolts. I measured the sump clearance to be 110mm. I guess it will be slightly lower once the suspension has 'settled' and the driver is onboard - and I actually get to drive it Cheers, Tony BRG SV kit. 😬 Bruumm, bruumm at last

ACE'D IT 😬 Got the little "Schmeggers" out Looking inside the orifice with a bright flashlight relealed the holding mechanism to be a 'cheep-o' spring clip at the right hand side, the drivers side edition had separated from its rivet and was lying recumbant at the bottom of its hole. Chucked it away, relieved edges of holes and stems with a file, applied some of Castrol's finest and I now have moveable headrests - however reluctant. Cheers, Tony BRG SV kit. 😬 Bruumm, bruumm at last