Should I do more since I'm there?

[rbbailey]

I'm assuming I should go ahead and do the thermostat and water pump since I have the wings, breakfast, and radiator already all out of the way... right? Am I correct in my quick estimate of a little over $100.00 for the parts?

[jac04]

Yes, always do more. Now's the time to service the steering relay & steering box as well. Steering rod from the box to the relay is more accessible, might as well replace ball joints on it. With everything out of the way, might as well do the brake & clutch master cylinders along with the lines. Maybe take out the pedal boxes to repaint & lube the pivots. Heck, pop the doors & windscreen off, remove the bulkhead, repair any rust, maybe have it galvanized. Then pull the rear tub, the supports are probably a little rusty - replace them too. How's the chassis? With all that taken apart, now's the time to order that galvanized chassis you've always wanted. And you should just go ahead and get those parabolic springs and OME shocks you've had you eye on. Who'd put it back together with an old exhaust? Get a new stainless exhaust. Then.........., well, you get the idea.

Anyhow, it's tough to answer your question not knowing the history of the vehicle. Were these parts ever replaced & by who? Any idea what thermostat is actually in it? If you don't know, then I say do the thermostat & water pump ( don't forget the gaskets). If the water pump is an old original, you may want to look into rebuilding it instead of replacing it. I've heard that the old castings were better than what's available today. Get new hoses & clamps as well. I suggest getting the full stainless rolled edge non-perforated NormaClamp Torro clamps from McMaster Carr. Our hosts sell the rolled edge clamps, but they are not full stainless, have a lower clamp rating, and are too long.

[westcoastkevin]

Pop the timing cover and the sump. New rings and bearings too.Maybe put some of that fancy nitrogen in the tires.

[bmohan55]

Seriously, front crank seal IMHO

[Revtor]

It's something that can quickly get out of hand. (Even this thread got out of hand!)
If I had any doubts about them, I would do the thermostat and rebuild the waterpump if I didn't need the vehicle for a week, yep. I can't speak for which parts are of better quality though.. Anyone?

With access to the front end like that it's time to clean and check on everything up there, not necessarily replace or rebuild everything though. Just a clean/checkup. Access to the framerails, you could clean and recoat, steering system checkup, wiring, lights..

OR go balls out and keep taking it all apart!!

have fun!

~Steve

[rbbailey]

It is a '65 IIa, fairly original, but with a replaced engine sometime in the 1970's or 80's.

I just updated the brake system to be a dual SIII type. Refurbishing the heater box and such. Patched the footwell. I've sourced a used radiator that I'm picking up today, and due to the shape of the old radiator, I figured I would rebuild the other coolant bits.

The engine has always run well, so I'm reluctant to touch things in there.

What is involved in doing the crank seal?
Why rebuild the pump vs. buy new? How much more trouble am I getting into if I rebuild?

[jac04]

Why rebuild the pump vs. buy new? How much more trouble am I getting into if I rebuild?

I've rebuilt several pumps, but always with a Genuine rebuild kit. I just looked and the Genuine water pump rebuild kit is now NLA from our hosts. You can still get one (RTC3072) from PA Blanchard for about $45 plus shipping. If I had to choose between an aftermarket rebuild kit and a new pump, I'd just go for the new pump.

[bmohan55]

when I had my radiator & breakfast off I went ahead and resealed the leaky timing cover and did the modification detailed below for the crank seal.

http://www.fourfold.org/LR_FAQ/Series/FAQ.S.eng_frontseal.html

[disco2hse]

I've sourced a used radiator that I'm picking up today

Get it rodded or recored before installation.

[rbbailey]

when I had my radiator & breakfast off I went ahead and resealed the leaky timing cover and did the modification detailed below for the crank seal.

Yeah, I was just informed about that yesterday. The guy I talked to just pulls those mud shields off and leaves them off. I guess later engines don't have them.

[rbbailey]

Get it rodded or recored before installation.

Yep, actually, I'm going to keep my old one and get it repaired instead. I could go with a new Rover's North brand, I don't see why not. But then I'd still have the old on sitting in my garage and I'd have to figure out what to do with it!

[disco2hse]

Yep, actually, I'm going to keep my old one and get it repaired instead. I could go with a new Rover's North brand, I don't see why not. But then I'd still have the old on sitting in my garage and I'd have to figure out what to do with it!

Getting a radiator rodded means taking the top and bottom tanks off the core and poking a rod down the tubes to remove crud and corrosion. If the core is too corroded, a new one is required. Thus it is recored.

These are repairs to radiators :)

Cores are not an issue in radiators. It is the tanks that are getting hard to replace.