Set sail on the good ship CL500!!

[Boydonegood]

Ok, not so much a question, but maybe a hail to the strength of a well built engine! May help make some peoples probs not feel so bad!

Ok, so gearbox gone on my trusty L322 Range Rover, so thats in having a £3k box fitted!!
So lend a friend the CL500 to shoot to shops while I soak in the bath. Get a call "Car wont start!" "Its broke down!", "Don't know whats up with it!"
Head out with jump leads and tow rope to find the car parked in middle of a 40ft flooded road and submerged by about a foot of water... Could be why the car has cut out???!!!" . Luckly he hasn't opened doors so inside is dry! ...

Roll up trousers and i push the car out the puddle and into the kerb. He insists he was creeping through it and when car cut out he didn't hit the key after it cut out.... Hmmmm
I hit the key and the engine is hydro locked solid. Didn't turn over at all.
Take all the plugs out and hit the key and it gobbed about 2 pints of water out the plug holes. After which it spun over freely and quietly!
Towed car home and left over night... Next day, air filters are soaking wet, so bin them..spun it over.. Turns over freely and no water! Great!
Stick plugs back and it locks straight up.. again strip all plugs out and call Dad for advice with my head in hands.

On his advice I spin it over again and it gobbs out about 4 pints of water through plug holes and then again spins over freely and quietly.. Dad says to put the plugs back 2 at a time and try spinning it over in between.. This I do!

Get all 16 plugs in and she fires (and throws about 2 gallon of water out the exhausts).. Makes a great water pistol as it shot about 10ft out rear!!

Leave it running with clouds of white smoke from rear for about an hour. All sounds good! Have I got away with it?! Clear all faults and looks good (except sound from radio not working) Ive posted in electrical if anyone can help??
Leave it over night. Next morning she starts all ok.. "This is sounding promising!!" So order new filters and oil.. Oil has no water in it, but just incase!

Drop car into gear and it immediately locks up again and cuts out, with an almighty bang.
Back to removing all the plugs and try again..Throwing out more water from the plug holes, I slowly start putting plugs back.. 16 in and she fires.. 1 loud knock!!!

Creep it back on the drive and leave running. Slowly the knock turns into a tappet sound! Then 20 mins later a very quiet tap! Or am I kidding myself!!!

Havent driven it yet, but left it running for about an hour.. Will try driving it again tonight.... It deffo is light on 1 plug or lead, but maybe I just haven't fitted them all back tight.. But its running !!!!

Providing I get away with it I kinda gotta tip my hat to the V8 as I believe many other engines would be well and truly scrap by now!!!

Tel

 

[JBell]

I take it your "friend" is currently face down in the "puddle"

 

[Flyinspanner]

Wonder if water got into the boot - radio sound. Could be linked.

 

[LostKiwi]

I hope said friend is suitably apologetic and willing to pay for any damage!

 

[Naraic]

Your friend is a prize buffoon.

 

[Craiglxviii]

I take it your "friend" is currently face down in the "puddle"

Impaled through the ears with a sparking plug spanner.

 

[John Laidlaw]

Your friend would not be my friend anymore

 

[sl500amgsport]

Ok, not so much a question, but maybe a hail to the strength of a well built engine! May help make some peoples probs not feel so bad!

Ok, so gearbox gone on my trusty L322 Range Rover, so thats in having a £3k box fitted!!
So lend a friend the CL500 to shoot to shops while I soak in the bath. Get a call "Car wont start!" "Its broke down!", "Don't know whats up with it!"
Head out with jump leads and tow rope to find the car parked in middle of a 40ft flooded road and submerged by about a foot of water... Could be why the car has cut out???!!!" . Luckly he hasn't opened doors so inside is dry! ...

Roll up trousers and i push the car out the puddle and into the kerb. He insists he was creeping through it and when car cut out he didn't hit the key after it cut out.... Hmmmm
I hit the key and the engine is hydro locked solid. Didn't turn over at all.
Take all the plugs out and hit the key and it gobbed about 2 pints of water out the plug holes. After which it spun over freely and quietly!
Towed car home and left over night... Next day, air filters are soaking wet, so bin them..spun it over.. Turns over freely and no water! Great!
Stick plugs back and it locks straight up.. again strip all plugs out and call Dad for advice with my head in hands.

On his advice I spin it over again and it gobbs out about 4 pints of water through plug holes and then again spins over freely and quietly.. Dad says to put the plugs back 2 at a time and try spinning it over in between.. This I do!

Get all 16 plugs in and she fires (and throws about 2 gallon of water out the exhausts).. Makes a great water pistol as it shot about 10ft out rear!!

Leave it running with clouds of white smoke from rear for about an hour. All sounds good! Have I got away with it?! Clear all faults and looks good (except sound from radio not working) Ive posted in electrical if anyone can help??
Leave it over night. Next morning she starts all ok.. "This is sounding promising!!" So order new filters and oil.. Oil has no water in it, but just incase!

Drop car into gear and it immediately locks up again and cuts out, with an almighty bang.
Back to removing all the plugs and try again..Throwing out more water from the plug holes, I slowly start putting plugs back.. 16 in and she fires.. 1 loud knock!!!

Creep it back on the drive and leave running. Slowly the knock turns into a tappet sound! Then 20 mins later a very quiet tap! Or am I kidding myself!!!

Havent driven it yet, but left it running for about an hour.. Will try driving it again tonight.... It deffo is light on 1 plug or lead, but maybe I just haven't fitted them all back tight.. But its running !!!!

Providing I get away with it I kinda gotta tip my hat to the V8 as I believe many other engines would be well and truly scrap by now!!!

Tel

The gearbox went on my old L322, was also quoted £3k for a replacement but managed to but a reconditioned one for £800 + fitting, might be worth shopping around as the difference would be used to fix your Merc.

Sent from my SM-G955F using Tapatalk

 

[Boydonegood]

Ah cheers fella. Have had it done now (collect it tomorow). Was originally quoted £2350 but price crept up.
They had the car a week longer and today confirmed they would stand by the £2350. So fair play to them

Still lot of money for an old motor

 

[sl500amgsport]

Ah cheers fella. Have had it done now (collect it tomorow). Was originally quoted £2350 but price crept up.
They had the car a week longer and today confirmed they would stand by the £2350. So fair play to them

Still lot of money for an old motor

Crazy money, at least you should get another 50k miles out of it, when I had the Recon unit installed on mine I was warned it may not last the life of the car so I sold within 12 months, it is a really common fault on the L322

Sent from my SM-G955F using Tapatalk

 

[bembo449]

had your pants pulled down there pal , no need to pay more the 1200 quid for a good quality recon box on an L322 these days

 

[sl500amgsport]

had your pants pulled down there pal , no need to pay more the 1200 quid for a good quality recon box on an L322 these days

Think he had a new box fitted in which case £2350 is a fair price, I was quoted £3k so chose reconditioned..

Sent from my SM-G955F using Tapatalk

 

[alexanderfoti]

I suspect you had water sat in the inlet manifold which moved when the car was revved/moved/flaps moved!

You could get away with it but knocking/tapping noises might indicate a bent conrod or damaged main bearing.

A while ago, I was playing with water injection on a scrapper 300 TD that I was running on WVO. I got a bit overzealous with the amount of water and hydrolocked the engine at idle. It started back up with a noticeable diesel rattle on one pot and ran like that for 5000 miles. Bent a conrod which reduced the compression by a tiny bit that gave diesel knock but was otherwise unaffected!

 

[Boydonegood]

Alexander. I think your right about water in inlet. Makes a lot of sence
Ok. So latest update..
Started car tonight. Used to start at around 1000rpm then drop to 500 ish. .. it now starts at 1800rpm and drops to 1000.
Ticks over with sound of loud tappet. But shuts up after about 5 mins of running. Does drive! And smoothly!
I believe it’s no where near as quick or responsive as it used to be. All gears are there and changes when it should. Engine pulls ok and smooth.

Hopeing it will get better as more and more dries out and longer journeys.

Just need to man up and drive it further and further

Will see

 

[alexanderfoti]

Alexander. I think your right about water in inlet. Makes a lot of sence
Ok. So latest update..
Started car tonight. Used to start at around 1000rpm then drop to 500 ish. .. it now starts at 1800rpm and drops to 1000.
Ticks over with sound of loud tappet. But shuts up after about 5 mins of running. Does drive! And smoothly!
I believe it’s no where near as quick or responsive as it used to be. All gears are there and changes when it should. Engine pulls ok and smooth.

Hopeing it will get better as more and more dries out and longer journeys.

Just need to man up and drive it further and further

Will see

From the sounds of it, the water probably damaged your maf sensor. Does it idle at 1000 rpm even when warm and in gear?

 

[Wighty]

You still have the option of saying your "friend" stole it and claim on insurance

 

[Boydonegood]

From the sounds of it, the water probably damaged your maf sensor. Does it idle at 1000 rpm even when warm and in gear?

To be honest I’m not sure... I don’t think so. .. I think when it got warm it settled back to norm. Will check in morning