Now THAT'S an offroad capable Rover. The wife would never allow something like that... Silly woman still thinks the Rover is for club store shopping trips.

 

I always seem to be a day behind... yesterday I got my Ultra Gauge in the mail... and discovered that some time in the month since I smogged my Rover, the diagnostic port stopped receiving power. And then, as I was running errands with the family, I watched my SES light turn off... the SES light that motivated me to buy an Ultra Gauge... sigh...

 

Went out to play with the rover and broke both differentials. Happened as I was leaving the trails to go home. On the way up a steep loose section of small boulders and sand, I shock loaded the driveline as I rolled off a patch of softball sized rocks and heard a loud bang. I was about halfway and the truck made it the rest of the way up but once I let of the gas at the top I had 3 amigos lit and clicking noises coming from underneath. My rear shaft was just spinning. Surveyed the damage and found a hole and warping in my rear diff housing with oil coming out. Made it a little ways back towards the road in front wheel drive but but front diff eventual finished itself off as well.
https://i.imgur.com/H2ZvdEh.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/g384sUj.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/5rUAdWS.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/slQ1DC1.jpg

Rear diff is out just so I could see what went on in there, I ordered a whole rear axle assembly on eBay for $290 with 83k miles on it and a used front diff for $160. Haven't opened the front yet but the drain plug had some teeth and shards stuck to it and the oil was silver.
https://i.imgur.com/UG8ed2W.jpg
Center diff oil came oil clean and seems to be working accordingly so I don't think that took any damage.

 

Holy crap dude! You managed that much carnage on cape? Freaking knarly!!

 

Sorry I didn't call you, it was an impromptu offroad session. I was supposed to be food shopping for a Christmas party we were having that night. The tow truck dropped me off right as our first guest was arriving so we ordered pizza instead. Im just waiting for parts at this point stop by if you see me in the driveway!

 

Didn't do this today, but Saturday a friend and I pulled the heads for a fresh gasket install. Still amazed the only bold I broke was one of the first things I touched. Stupid AC compressor. All went well until the ride home when the hose clamp on top of the thermostat gave up the ghost. I bow to the Rover Gods that I had the UG plugged in.. 199 200 201 202 203 204 205 206 207, hazards on engine off, coast to a stop... steeeeeaaaaaammmmmm.... almost vomited on the steering wheel, got out, found the culprit, new clamp, 1 gallon of coolant, drove it the rest of the way home. Hooray for bleeding the coolant system on the side of the road at 6pm.

 

Went over to a friend's house and fellow Rover enthusiast to replace my valve cover gaskets. Everything went fairly smoothly other than having to shop vac the small broken pieces of wire loom that are breaking loose to keep them from falling into the valve train. I figure when I get around to replacing the head gaskets, I will replace all of the brittle wire loom in the engine compartment.

Just after the sun set, we topped off the coolant and fired it up. We got the usual clouds of steam from coolant leaked onto the exhaust. Checked everything with a flashlight...
Frack!!!! Coolant was pissing from the rear of the engine!! All we could see with an inspection camera was that the coolant was dripping from the rear of the lower intake manifold. Could we have somehow done something to the lower gaskets when we removed the plenum?! Did the passenger head gasket finally give out?! FRACK!!!

After I regained composure, it dawned on me his driveway slopes slightly where I was parked. I had replaced the o-ring on the heater hose pipe where it goes to the lower intake with a similar sized o-ring from where I work. Sure enough, there was a puddle of coolant beneath that connection, and it was running downhill along the manifold to the rear of the engine.

Nothing like having an undrivable vehicle because of a $0.36 part!!

 

Yesterday I put in more trail time. Same trails as last time but in the opposite direction. Amazing how the same section of trail can be so different depending on whether you're climbing or descending.

Nearly got stuck in the mud... one of the wet sections was REALLY wet from recent rain. Found myself facing a lake that was 30 feet long, wider than the trail, and frame deep. No way to go around, nowhere to turn around, and no way in hell was I gonna back down 5 miles of rocky shelf road. So I went for it. About 5 feet from dry ground, I lost traction... All four wheels were spinning. And I wasn't moving. So I put it in reverse, and was able to move just enough to get my front wheels out of the ruts they had dug before I lost traction. After several more rounds of gentle forward and backward movement, my front tires caught. Not well, but they caught. And I got out and finished my trail run... with mud up both side of my rig, and on the roof.

And today I bought a recovery strap and a come along/cable winch puller. No money for a winch right now, and no offroad bumper to mount a winch to. I already have a hi lift jack and a shovel in the back of the rig. I want to be able to get myself out if I get stuck, or at least be able to have another vehicle pull me out. And I don't want to have to count on a stranger on the trail to have recovery gear.

 

Bought some new toys today!

From Lucky 8:
-New TerraFirma 2'' lift
-New rear driveshaft with the rotoflex delete kit

From the local tire shop:
5 X 275/65/18t BGF AT KO2 (with snowflake)

I am very excited to start putting the beast together.

 

Marty powell sells diffs for $70 shipped FYI

And since your cross pin decided to shoot out of the axle housing, like mine did, you'll just have to weld it up.

ichopimports@yahoo.com