That "O" ring looks like it sealed on luck rather than judgement Alan! :eek:

Suspect you're right about the PO butchering the 'stat etc, would be a logical cause and effect.

I agree Dave. I'm really pleased I noticed it this morn - whilst it was just a small drip (and it would seem intermittent at that). It does look to me that the O ring was never seated properly and could have failed catastrophically (as Clifford's did) at any time. I'm pleased to discover faults on my drive at home rather than at 70 MPH on the highway!

The story of the thermostat makes sense as well. Maybe the system was intermittently losing a little coolant every now and then (it took about a pint this morn). The PO already thought it was overheating (as we now know, due to the voltage regulator for the instruments) and losing a little coolant probably confirmed his thesis. So, then he removed the thermostat in order to correct (bodge) what he thought was the problem - but in doing so caused a host of other issues that must have made the Royal Barge difficult to live with.

That all seems plausible, and hopefully I will finally get to the bottom of the thermal management issues this week, fortunately before a calamity!

Alan

Well, that will be the problem then...
 

I wasn't doing much this morn, and it is a nice day, so I put the Royal Barge up on some ramps and started dismantling. When I got to the water pump the problem became obvious:

https://i.imgur.com/oRNMPKPh.jpg

The O ring that sits at the top of the pump had obviously been out previously, fixed with instant gasket (as you may see from the stuff surrounding it) and re-fitted with all those splits and tears.

The rest of the pump looks fine, even the gasket came off in one piece. I do so wonder why someone bothered bodging it for the sake of a £5 seal (or even a £30 pump).

The good news is everything else looks fine:

https://i.imgur.com/cRW19gNh.jpg

It wont take a moment to clean up the sealing surfaces. The cam belt looks pretty new as well, I'm happy to believe it is only 7,000 miles old.

The new pump probably won't be here until tomorrow, but it shouldn't take long to get everything back together and running like a top when it arrives.

Very lucky you found that in the driveway Alan and not the motorway! :eek:

Easy to see why it was leaking now!

Exactly Dave, I think I noticed it just in time. I started the Royal Barge to put it on the ramps, and by the time I'd done that it was clearly leaking more than it has been yesterday. It had not lost any coolant overnight so the leak was probably prompted by heat/pressure/vibration (or all three). I doubt it would have lasted one more journey, and could have failed at 70 MPH (yes, the RB does go that fast!).

The old pump looks fine otherwise, so I toyed with the idea of getting a gasket set for it and keeping it as a spare, but I can't find the right set listed in the UK (lots for the past '84 cars with 5 bolts/studs, but none for the earlier cars with 6). I found a parts supplier in the Netherlands with the kit for about €6, but it is not wort paying another €15 shipping when the new pump complete is only £30. I'll throw the old pump in some acid to soak and give it a good clean up, then put it in the parts box just in case.

The new pump should be here tomorrow (although I've noticed the Post Office is a bit slow just lately - Coronavirus I suppose) - it really shouldn't take long to get it fitted.

Alan

I've had a lot of stuff delivered quicker than normal Alan, people don't seem to be sending as much mail as before the CV-19 outbreak. Regional variations perhaps.

Maybe if there were other bits you needed from the Netherlands it would make sense, i've been looking at front wheel bearings for mine from the USA and also a pair of front shocks for my other beast from the same source.
S&H for the whole lot is about £36 but if the UK suppliers get some shocks in, i can buy a pair just for the S&H cost. The front hubs/bearings for the Volvo still work out at a good price including S&H so it's a toss up between the USA and Germany at the moment........

However good the cambelt looks. They are cheap from a Volvo dealer. And then you have a base line as to cambelt age and mileage.

That car continuously produces issues. It seriously needs all the base lines it can get.

Good luck.

.

He's got a good point Alan - you also don't know if it was corectly retensioned at 600 miles after fitment.

Given the cost as Stephen says, i think it would be a wise move. I had thought of suggesting it myself but was still thinking over the pros and cons.

Purely for your own peace of mind and the sake of a few quid for either a Gates, Dayco or Volvo belt, i'd suggest changing it and then after 600 miles retensioning as per the HBoF. :thumbs_up:

I’m waiting for some bike bits as well, maybe it is just our postie?

The old pump came up pretty well after a 20 minute soak - all the limescale is gone.

The old pump won’t eat anything, so I’ll hang on to it and keep and eye open for the right gasket set from a UK supplier at a sensible price. I’m comfortable with buying stuff from overseas and have dollar and euro accounts to make it easier. There is not much point paying three times the value of the goods in shipping though.

With a bit of good fortune the bike and car bits will both be here tomorrow.

Alan

I thought about swapping the cam belt when I took the cover off this morn, I came to the opposite conclusion though: that the belt looked new and so I could trust the history the PO gave me that says it was changed only 7,000 miles ago. The one fitted is a Volvo one with the timing marks, I’m confident enough it is fine.

I did seriously think about going to get a belt this morn, but then realised I’d need a special tool to get the crank bolt undone, which I don’t have and would have to procure, so I wouldn’t have got it finished before the pump was ready to go on anyway.

If I change my mind I know it only takes half an hour or so to get as far as taking the crank bolt off (I have not researched that bit yet, but it is usually a bit problematic on an auto). I’ll read up on that bit in the next few days.

Many thanks,

Alan