Land Rover Series 3 - Full Engine Flush and New Coolant

Dear All,
Welcome back to the channel and the latest update on the Series 3.
A few weeks ago I discovered that I had forgot to add antifreeze back in the summer, and at -10 the poor Landy overheated, which was entirely my fault.
So in this episode, I flush the system and put in the right stuff to see it through the winter. But not before having to solve a stuck drum brake on the back axel.
I hope you enjoy the video and thanks for all your support.

[@jonarnejorgensen1179]

The coolant system needs the anti freeze to prevent corrosion too. Don't use just water, even if it is warm outside. :)

[@My911]

Hi Jon, thanks for your message. The silly thing is I know that too. It was just meant to be a short term fix to get it running but I forgot. Dangerous error. Have a good one.

[@jamietinker]

You don’t have to just use antifreeze, you can use water but needs to be demineralized or for cold temperatures you can mix glycol with DI water

[@My911]

@@jamietinker thanks Jamie. I used a 30/70 mix of coolant and deionised water. 👍

[@manfredschmalbach9023]

You should ALWAYS use demineralized water if You can get some (apparently the "fresh-from-the-pond"-fix Landy-owners are proner to than other, more road-oriented car users does not fall into that category) because scale and other things cooking out of tap water can ruin the cooling experience and the overall engine flushing experience severely. Obviously glycole-coolant for upping the boiling point and protection of the inner rad and engine does have the side-effect of enabling use in sub-zero temperatures we still face besides all that climate-improvement we drove and heated in place the last half-a-century. These coolants still are mixed with "water", which is supposed to be mineral-free whatsoever. The stuff the missus stores somewhere near her pressing iron works just fine 😅

[@kevinbodnar448]

Thanks for sharing 👍

[@My911]

Your very welcome

[@getmysmile6643]

PROXXON Tool box ! Classic!

[@My911]

Best tools ever! 😀

[@davidhoole332]

Great Video - as always!

[@My911]

Thanks David. 👍

[@aldrinchannel9794]

Thanks for your video. Patrol engine

[@My911]

You are very welcome.

[@chrisgreenwood271]

I removed the engine driven from mine when I had it, fitted a electric fan from a Peugeot if my memory serves, ran it through a relay/ manual switch in the cab, just think of the extra 3 Bhp you could gain 😀 Reminds me I need to change the coolent in my P38 come summer time.

[@My911]

Hi Chris, 3 bhp extra would be very welcome 😀 I now it sounds silly, but I’m torn between keeping it original and optimising the machine. But I think in terms of performance and longevity, the electric fan is a must. So perhaps that is a future job. And maybe a rad muffler but I think they look a bit daft… oops, sorry. Good luck with the P38, love that model. It’s a brick of pure luxury. Speak soon. Joël

[@cletusberkeley9441]

Stop neglecting the poor machine! Lol! ....keep well my friend, nice n warm here BTW!

[@My911]

Ach, I know. The poor thing even has white fury lug nuts where the salt has taken hold. I really need to get in there and give her a good clean up. Re warm, remind me where you are based. I know you have told me but I have forgotten..

[@danbrazil2405]

Little tip, if your Webber carb is anything like mine it's worth giving the manual leaver on the lift pump a few goes to get the fuel up to the carb if its been sitting for a long time. I find it helps get mine started sooner with less attempts on the starter.

[@My911]

Hi Dan, thank you. You are the second person to suggest that, so I will definitely give it a go. 👍

[@alanpaisley8696]

@@My911 I always have to do this with my Diesel to bleed the injection pump and loosen the 1st injector pipe

[@KevinCawley-xx8kj]

About time you got back involved with the series 3 mate ha ha

[@My911]

Hi Kevin, definitely. It cooled way before Christmas and it’s been sitting there since. So pleased I got all that done today.

[@giz.ian.]

I've really missed your Series lll videos

[@My911]

Hi, yeah, I know what you mean. But more to come. 👍 New front drums next.

[@benfrancis4628]

Couple of thoughts Joel - I prime the matrix before the main fill, and the other is if you still have the mechanical fuel pump, prime it by hand if it’s not started for a few weeks; may well start a bit sooner 👍🏻

[@My911]

Thank you Ben. Understood regards the fuel pump. But how do you prime the matrix. Du you simply remove one hose from the engine and fill it that way?

[@benfrancis4628]

@@My911 most welcome, and yes, exactly like that. There’s usually a little air slug in there but gone in a couple of burps 👍🏻

[@My911]

@@benfrancis4628 morning Ben, ok that’s great thanks. When I had the top hose to the matrix removed yesterday (at the matrix end) I had steaming water coming through the feed pipe but could see how air could still be trapped inside the matrix. I will do what you suggest next time in at the garage. 👍

[@hcoolen9704]

Hello, I saw your video about the coolant. It is better to use waterless refrigerant. This is more expensive but never needs to be replaced. Look at : Evans coolant , is super good . Greetings Henk.( look on the site from Evans Coolant)

[@My911]

Hi Henk, thank you for the tip. I will take a look.

[@steamwally]

Life is never easy with a Land Rover.... Do I remember you had a head gasket failure? All that gunk must have been that. I can definitely recommend the use of a radiator "muff", my engine runs so much better at full normal temperature (sits around 80'c), without the rad blind it's not so pleasant - from the gauge I imagine yours is sitting somewhere between 55 and 60'c which is a bit cool really, it'll be better for the MOT to have it running at full temp for the emissions test (if they do that?). The binding brakes is an irritating issue, occasionally it would happen after a salty winter when mine was a daily driver- I learnt to pack the cylinder dust caps with red rubber grease which is a huge help. The other common cause is having the brake shoe springs fitted incorrectly. Liked the last shot, driving into the garage- they are very photogenic vehicles aren't they!

[@My911]

Hi, thank you. And yes, your memory serves with the head gasket issue. That black gunk just kept on coming. But all gone now. I agree with the rad cover, will definitely help for the MOT. I also need to get under the Landy and give it a good clean, the salt has caused white fluff on the alloy bits (FWH/Lug Nuts etc) it’s really aggressive stuff.

[@steamwally]

@@My911 Great, should be all set for what ever temperatures this summer can throw at it then! The salt is awful isn't it... WRD practically gets a WD40 bath after washing off the salt- that works very well at limiting the damage.

[@My911]

Ok, so do you spray the entire underside with WD40? Or just on the shiny bits? 🙂

[@steamwally]

@@My911 I certainly give all the known corrosion areas a good blast, like the bulkhead feet and the various bodywork stays, fuel tank brackets etc... Of course, it does eventually evaporate off but not before it's driven the moisture out of all those water traps. Seems to make a difference anyway, particularly on things like my alluminium hubs which can otherwise turn "fluffy" with corrosion after being exposed to the salt. Mine having "oily rag" paintwork, it gets just that... I could never have a shiny one.

[@My911]

@@steamwally cool, thanks.

[@flick5848]

Don't forget to reset the valve clearances after re torquing the cylinder head bolts.

[@My911]

Yes, you are right… does it ever end! 😓

[@upscaleshack]

It wasn't clear from the vid, or maybe I missed it, but are you sure the engine didn't freeze when you only had straight water in it? If it froze it could have cracked the block. I had a Jeep engine that froze and put a long crack straight across the block and ruined it. It doesn't take extremely cold weather to freeze an engine, mine cracked on a night that was only around -2 C.

[@My911]

Hi, thanks for your message. You didn’t miss anything, I have simply presumed the block is OK, but of course you are right, there may indeed be some damage present. You will have seen in the video how rough it started and I put that down to the CCV valve I installed (OEM Spec) but that might not be it. I guess I will have to monitor coolant levels or even carry out the old ‚exhaust gases in the coolant test’. I have such a kit unopened somewhere. Do you have any other test suggestions before removing the head (lots of work) perhaps another compression test is in order. Thanks, Joël

[@upscaleshack]

@@My911 Hoping for the best. Since you test drove it and it didn't overheat you might have gotten lucky. Look the block over externally for signs of cracking or water leakage, and keep monitoring it for water in the oil, vice versa. I didn't really have trouble diagnosing mine, it froze so hard it crushed one of the cylinders and the piston was seized, and there was about a 6 inch crack in the outside of the block. Pretty catastrophic and very surprising at the time given that it was only a couple of degrees below freezing. But frozen is frozen.

[@BarryRowlingsonBaz]

Is there a reason you fill through the radiator cap and not the black tank on the side of it? Its a bigger target!

[@My911]

Hi Barry, as far as I know the black canister is an overflow with an inlet at the top. I would have to fill it to the brim before it then drained into the radiator. Unless I’m missing something.

[@gshort4707]

@@My911 No, you are right, it is an overflow. The pressure cap actually has two valves in it - an over pressure and underpressure. When the water is hot the pressure builds and the cap allows water into the overflow bottle. When the engine cools down it creates a vacuum and sucks it back again. The top of the bottle is below the top of the radiator so you would never be able to fill the cooling system from the overflow bottle, even with the radiator cap removed. "Modern" cars (I think from the 80's or 90's onwards) have an expansion tank instead of an overflow bottle. The expansion bottle has to be higher than the radiator to work and that is how you would fill a modern engine. My Series 3, when it had the overflow set up used to take about 20 miles on a hot day before the bottom hose started to feel warm.

[@ruaraidhmcdonald-walker9524]

Time to blank the rad a bit!

[@My911]

Hi Ruaraidh, great to hear from you. And yes, your not the first to tell me that. I guess I’ll end up listening to you guys and actually do that. I was thinking of a custom solution behind the grill. Now that would be cool. I just don’t like the look of a rad muffler. 😬

[@ruaraidhmcdonald-walker9524]

@@My911 In front always best as then it doesn't blow away!