Rover P5B Tips for new or prospective owners
Discussion
Hi all
I have just discovered this forum and am keen to share my knowlege of owning a P5B for 20 years. Unfortunately I had to sell it before moving to retire in Turkey - shame I loved that car!
From the top of my head here are some tips that owners or prospective owners should know.
1. If the engine is not started for around 6 months (or maybe sooner) then the oil drains from the oil pump and as the pump is above the level of the oil in the sump the pump will not self-prime. Make sure that when the engine starts that the oil pressure light goes out within a couple of seconds. If the light does not go out then you need to remove the pump and pack it with "Vaseline" or some other petrolium jelly and refit it with a new gasket. The pump is not too bad to get to if you can raise the car as it is located on the outside of the right side of the engine. The mounting screws and oil pipe connection are a little tricky to move due to restricted space.
2. Don't try to change the fuel pump (mechanical) with fuel in the tank as the pump is located on the side of the engine and is below the level of the tank. I had the very frightening experience of changing the pump on a garage forecourt on a blisteringly hot day with gallons of fuel spilling everywhere under the very hot engine. To be honest I thought I was in danger of dying but could not stop trying to reconnect the pipe nuts to the pump as all the fuel kept coming out. I am still here to tell the tale but I hope that this may prevent someone making the same mistake.
3. If you are losing coolant and having to top up then get the radiator serviced as the gearbox cooler is located within the bottom part of the main radiator and it is not unknown for coolant to get into the gearbox and wreck the gearbox.
4. The P5B can suffer from fuel starvation due to vapourization in the fuel line. It is worth insulating the fuel line using something like some slit hose pipe and installing it along the line.
5. It is most worthwhile installing electronic ignition. I used a unit that goes inside the distributor instead of the points and capacitor. It keeps the period look and makes starting and running so much better. http://www.pertronix.com/prod/ig/ignitor/default.a...
6. The wing mirrors are useless and are just oranaments! Install a pair of the small mirrors that clip to the edge of the door swivelling vent window. At the time I could only get ones that were suitable for the drivers door, so for the passenger side I had to bend the mirror mounting arm in a vice to suit the correct viewing angle. These mirrors were stainless so the finish was not marred by this treatment. I regarded this modification as absolutely essential ad driving this car without mirrors was very hazardous.
7. If the front brake calipers need rebuilding then my advice is to definately buy exchange calipers. This is due to the extreme difficulty of getting the rubber weather boot to fit into the caliper's internal groove and install the retaining ring with the piston in place at the same time! This is not to be undertaken lightly and most likely you will damage the rubber boot and it could take all day! The exchange calipers come with new pistons and the excess cost is not too bad and will most certainly prevent you throwing the calipers through the window. It is a good idea to replace flexible brake pipes as these tend to get somewhat contaminated by the oil leaking from the steering box and pump.
8. As others have said, the power steering pumps and steering boxes ALWAYS leak, so keep an eye on the fluid level as to lose power steering is a very scary experience. I was once in heavy traffic on a steep hill and had been stationary for a while so stopped the engine and each time the traffic moved I just coasted but after a few pushes on the brake pedal and just approaching a sharp corner I found I had no brakes and almost no steering - I just could not press the pedal hard enough to stop the car! I only just made it around the corner by starting the engine in time!!!
9. Periodically remove the rear brake drums
to remove the dust and inspect for oil contamination of the linings. The axle shaft wheel bearing can wear and lead to the oil seal leaking axle oil into the drum. Bearings and seals are not expensive but you will require specialist help to press the bearing off and on the shaft. If there is a wear ridge on the outer part of lining to drum interface then use a grinder to remove the ridge on the drum. If you do not do this then it is possible for the drum to get stuck on the linings and you will have difficulty removing the drum. If the drum wear is too much then the brake efficiency falls greatly. The solution is to buy new drums and linings and be amazed how much better the brakes become!! Note that the brake drums, linings and associated axle hardware are similar to the P5 3-Litre but the axle shafts are shorter on the P5B (due to the larger differential).
10. You should run the car on Super Unleaded - of the best quality you can get. I mistakenly put in some normal unleaded one day and it ran like a pig until I topped up with better fuel. Bear in mind that originally these engines were designed to use 101 octane fuel but later in production the compression ratio was dropped so that they could use lower octane fuel.
11. As the Borg-Warner 35 gearbox has no front oil pump, these cars cannot be tow started (or towed any distance with the rear wheels turning) it is perhaps good practice to carry a spare starter motor with you. Of course I never needed mine but you never know?
11. Modify the screen washer pump by installing a modern pump inside the old Lucas pump housing. The old Lucas pumps never worked properly and you can install a modern one and keep the period look.
12. If you install a stainless steel exhaust then make sure that the twin tail pipes extend just past the rear bumber overrider. My pipes were too short and I had to install chrome trims to extend the pipes. If you do not do this then the exhaust gasses will corrode the chrome on the overrider. I have seen many cars like this. It seems like the original pipes were too short and the remanufacturers just copy the original with its faults!
13. Should your boot handle lock fall apart like mine did (whilst locked) then all is not lost! Remove the spare wheel and mounting tray from under the car. Locate the round bung in the boot floor and push it the into the boot. With a lot of fiddling and blood loss it is possible to get a hand in to loosen the handle mounting screws and so open the boot. To fix the lock I rerivetted the laminations of the claw back together. PLan B was to cut a hole in the lid behind the number plate.
14. As others have said on this forum the Rover P5B suffers from rust everywhere, so in particular be beware of the inner sills and the internal strengthening, rear spring hangers and everywhere you cannot see.
That is all for now.
Steve
I have just discovered this forum and am keen to share my knowlege of owning a P5B for 20 years. Unfortunately I had to sell it before moving to retire in Turkey - shame I loved that car!
From the top of my head here are some tips that owners or prospective owners should know.
1. If the engine is not started for around 6 months (or maybe sooner) then the oil drains from the oil pump and as the pump is above the level of the oil in the sump the pump will not self-prime. Make sure that when the engine starts that the oil pressure light goes out within a couple of seconds. If the light does not go out then you need to remove the pump and pack it with "Vaseline" or some other petrolium jelly and refit it with a new gasket. The pump is not too bad to get to if you can raise the car as it is located on the outside of the right side of the engine. The mounting screws and oil pipe connection are a little tricky to move due to restricted space.
2. Don't try to change the fuel pump (mechanical) with fuel in the tank as the pump is located on the side of the engine and is below the level of the tank. I had the very frightening experience of changing the pump on a garage forecourt on a blisteringly hot day with gallons of fuel spilling everywhere under the very hot engine. To be honest I thought I was in danger of dying but could not stop trying to reconnect the pipe nuts to the pump as all the fuel kept coming out. I am still here to tell the tale but I hope that this may prevent someone making the same mistake.
3. If you are losing coolant and having to top up then get the radiator serviced as the gearbox cooler is located within the bottom part of the main radiator and it is not unknown for coolant to get into the gearbox and wreck the gearbox.
4. The P5B can suffer from fuel starvation due to vapourization in the fuel line. It is worth insulating the fuel line using something like some slit hose pipe and installing it along the line.
5. It is most worthwhile installing electronic ignition. I used a unit that goes inside the distributor instead of the points and capacitor. It keeps the period look and makes starting and running so much better. http://www.pertronix.com/prod/ig/ignitor/default.a...
6. The wing mirrors are useless and are just oranaments! Install a pair of the small mirrors that clip to the edge of the door swivelling vent window. At the time I could only get ones that were suitable for the drivers door, so for the passenger side I had to bend the mirror mounting arm in a vice to suit the correct viewing angle. These mirrors were stainless so the finish was not marred by this treatment. I regarded this modification as absolutely essential ad driving this car without mirrors was very hazardous.
7. If the front brake calipers need rebuilding then my advice is to definately buy exchange calipers. This is due to the extreme difficulty of getting the rubber weather boot to fit into the caliper's internal groove and install the retaining ring with the piston in place at the same time! This is not to be undertaken lightly and most likely you will damage the rubber boot and it could take all day! The exchange calipers come with new pistons and the excess cost is not too bad and will most certainly prevent you throwing the calipers through the window. It is a good idea to replace flexible brake pipes as these tend to get somewhat contaminated by the oil leaking from the steering box and pump.
8. As others have said, the power steering pumps and steering boxes ALWAYS leak, so keep an eye on the fluid level as to lose power steering is a very scary experience. I was once in heavy traffic on a steep hill and had been stationary for a while so stopped the engine and each time the traffic moved I just coasted but after a few pushes on the brake pedal and just approaching a sharp corner I found I had no brakes and almost no steering - I just could not press the pedal hard enough to stop the car! I only just made it around the corner by starting the engine in time!!!
9. Periodically remove the rear brake drums
to remove the dust and inspect for oil contamination of the linings. The axle shaft wheel bearing can wear and lead to the oil seal leaking axle oil into the drum. Bearings and seals are not expensive but you will require specialist help to press the bearing off and on the shaft. If there is a wear ridge on the outer part of lining to drum interface then use a grinder to remove the ridge on the drum. If you do not do this then it is possible for the drum to get stuck on the linings and you will have difficulty removing the drum. If the drum wear is too much then the brake efficiency falls greatly. The solution is to buy new drums and linings and be amazed how much better the brakes become!! Note that the brake drums, linings and associated axle hardware are similar to the P5 3-Litre but the axle shafts are shorter on the P5B (due to the larger differential).
10. You should run the car on Super Unleaded - of the best quality you can get. I mistakenly put in some normal unleaded one day and it ran like a pig until I topped up with better fuel. Bear in mind that originally these engines were designed to use 101 octane fuel but later in production the compression ratio was dropped so that they could use lower octane fuel.
11. As the Borg-Warner 35 gearbox has no front oil pump, these cars cannot be tow started (or towed any distance with the rear wheels turning) it is perhaps good practice to carry a spare starter motor with you. Of course I never needed mine but you never know?
11. Modify the screen washer pump by installing a modern pump inside the old Lucas pump housing. The old Lucas pumps never worked properly and you can install a modern one and keep the period look.
12. If you install a stainless steel exhaust then make sure that the twin tail pipes extend just past the rear bumber overrider. My pipes were too short and I had to install chrome trims to extend the pipes. If you do not do this then the exhaust gasses will corrode the chrome on the overrider. I have seen many cars like this. It seems like the original pipes were too short and the remanufacturers just copy the original with its faults!
13. Should your boot handle lock fall apart like mine did (whilst locked) then all is not lost! Remove the spare wheel and mounting tray from under the car. Locate the round bung in the boot floor and push it the into the boot. With a lot of fiddling and blood loss it is possible to get a hand in to loosen the handle mounting screws and so open the boot. To fix the lock I rerivetted the laminations of the claw back together. PLan B was to cut a hole in the lid behind the number plate.
14. As others have said on this forum the Rover P5B suffers from rust everywhere, so in particular be beware of the inner sills and the internal strengthening, rear spring hangers and everywhere you cannot see.
That is all for now.
Steve
Interesting write-up thanks (recent P5B purchaser). I find the wing mirrors ok on mine, but perhaps it comes down to the choice of arm and mirror head.
Would it be possible to merge your post to the existing and recent P5B thread, to keep all the info together?
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
RJ
Would it be possible to merge your post to the existing and recent P5B thread, to keep all the info together?
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
RJ
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