Fulvias In France
The previous articles endeavoured to offer some practical suggestions for Fulvia engine development. They were meant to provoke thought rather than to provide all the answers. I would first set out to mount the engine vertically. This is possible, I know because I once 鈥渕ocked it up鈥?- the bonnet would just shut. I would scrap the original crankcase; it is structurally far too weak and there is a distinct lack of support for that all-important centre main bearing. I would probably opt for a different bore and stroke from original; of course this would have to be drawn up, but probably around 85mm x 70mm to give 1589 cc. This would provide an additional 7% of piston area for about the same capacity as an original 1600. I would have the block cast in aluminium with Nikasil coated bores. It would be too complex to make a new head, so I would bore out the ports and have aluminium tubes pressed in to seal them. I would move the two LH rear mounting bolts to allow for better port diameter (and probably the two RH front ones).
The waste wood was bagged up for kindling in old feed sacks and stacked to dry, adding significantly to our winter firewood resources. The siding was moved to the dooryard, preparatory to a trip to the dump. Having the ground clear around the extension put me in mind of grass seed. You can only sprout grass seed in spring or fall in Maine. The rest of the year it's too hot or cold. So I raked and sowed. Which put me in mind of waste hay, to cover the seed, which led to me beginning the job of clearing out the barn. Clearing out the barn reminded me that we'd need to be ready for breeding season. Our ram would need to go in with a selection of ewes. That meant the fence would need to be rebuilt behind the extension, where it was taken down earlier to facilitate access, and made ram-proof.
Land Rover is well known in America as being a status symbol, so that part was easy. Unlike the Jag though (and unlike most Land Rover owners) we wanted a capable vehicle. Something able to get the groceries and scale a 45 degree slippery rock face. The dealership takes you on the test course (every dealerships is different) and show you the offroad prowess of the vehicle. It shows the chassis strength, the approch and depart angles, and its abillity not to roll. To see if it really performs you need an offroad park. Your trip there will becomfortable. The seats are supportive and adjustable. The cabin is quite. Gagets galore you will be kept very busy just trying to figure it all out at first, but everything really does make since. I've never been offroading in my life, but it is almost as if the little LR2 is smiling. Glad to be one of the lucky few that ever gets to see dirt.
MY 2010 RANGE ROVER SUDDENLY AND WITHOUT ANY WARNING STOPPED FUNCTIONING ON THE HIGHWAY. MY DASH BOARD WENT DARK AND THE ENGINE TURNED OFF. WE COMPLETELY LOSS CONTROL OF THE CAR WITH A TOTAL SYSTEMS FAILURE. TWO ACCIDENTS WERE NEARLY AVOIDED. MY CAR WAS TAKEN TO REEVES IMPORT MOTORCARS FOR INSPECTION, INVESTIGATION AND TESTING TO FIND OUT WHAT WAS THE CAUSE. REEVES HAD MY CAR FOR ABOUT 6 DAYS AND STATED THE CAR WAS SAFE TO DRIVE AND THEY COULD NOT FIND ANY REASON FOR THE SUDDEN DASH BOARD AND ENGINE FAILURE. ADDITIONALLY, ON MANY OCCASIONS REEVES CONFIRMED THAT THEY CHECKED KEY ENGINE FLUID LEVELS INCLUDING OIL AND FOUND THAT THE OIL LEVEL WAS SATISFACTORY. REEVES PROVIDED A LAND ROVER MULTI-POINT INSPECTION REPORT WHICH DIRECTLY LISTS THE OIL FLUID LEVEL AS "OK." FIVE DAYS AFTER REEVES GAVE US BACK OUR CAR IN JUNE, THE RANGE ROVER SHUT DOWN AGAIN ON A MAJOR HIGHWAY. WE TOWED IT TO ANOTHER LAND ROVER DEALERSHIP AND REPAIR SHOP TWO HOURS AWAY FROM AND THIS DEALERSHIP CONFIRMED THAT MY RANGE ROVER ONLY HAD 3.5 QTS INSTEAD OF THE REQUIRED 8.1 QTS. THIS NEW LAND ROVER REPAIR SHOP ALSO CONFIRMED THAT THERE WERE NO SIGNS OF ANY OIL LEAKS. WE WERE TOLD THE LOW OIL LEVEL LOCKED THE ENGINE UP AND NOW MY CAR NEEDS A NEW ENGINE. MY SAFETY CONCERN IS WHETHER AN ELECTRICAL MALFUNCTION, INCLUDING FAULTY OIL WARNING LIGHTS OR SENSORS, CAUSED MULTIPLE FACTORY TRAINED TECHNICIANS TO MISS THE FACT THAT THERE WAS A DANGEROUSLY LOW OIL LEVEL. HAS THIS TYPE OF ENGINE FAILURE PRESENTED IN ANY OTHER LAND ROVERS OR RANGE ROVERS ACROSS THE COUNTRY. I AM VERY CONCERNED THE ELECTRICAL AND/OR ENGINE PROBLEM WILL CONTINUE TO BE HAZARD ON THE HIGHWAY.
