Rover P6 V8 expansion tank fitted, for the first time 

Matt your commitment to getting the Rover done is amazing I think we can call it Matt's Never Ending Rover Story keep the faith you will get their best regards Andy Allen.

An expansion tank should be connected to the overflow stub on the radiator and a cap with a secondary seal used. That secondary seal allows the low pressure created as the radiator cools to pull the coolant back in. The most basic setup was just a plastic bottle (Lucas!) with a pipe that went through the lid and down to the bottom. Header tanks are pressurised and may have the pressure relief cap mounted on them. Often both tanks are used and sometimes combined, like on my Lotus Excel.

Hmm, you absolutely need the flow through the tower, this returns to the rad to prevent localized boiling, ensures the highest point of the engine bleeds and to some degree mitigates fuel vaporization. You need to to check the pressure cap is 15psi not the usual 7. You've plumbed the expansion tank in differently to most. You usually put a blank cap on the rad and the pressure cap on the expansion tank. You have it as effectively a catch tank rather than a true expansion tank. i.e. the volume of liquid expelled in the tank is not fully part of the cooling system.

I would strongly suggest getting the carburettor tower coolant line unblocked and functioning, It helps get rid of air locks, reduces chances of vapour lock, improves coolant flow and helps even the temperature of the inlet manifold giving better performance - yes the downdraught inlet manifolds don't have it, but those carburettors just dump fuel and hope for the best to give better performance 😅

You absolutely 1000% need to reinstate that pipe from the rad to the inlet manifold. It helps to cool the tower and carb area, it will never be right without it.

I'm convinced this Rover is cursed and only exists to give you grief. Your patience with it is amazing.

The people who say the original rads are fine are not really right yes they do cool the car ok but just ok especially if you are in traffic hence why on my NADA it has a custom made big core rad on it and it's runs lovely and cool or it used to when it worked LOL. Plus you have a 4.6 in there so you are going to need that extra bit of coolant 100%!

I would've thought the Expansion bottle should feed back into the radiator, use that leak off tube to plug onto the bottom of the bottle. At the minute the water is going into the Expansion tank and not returning to the system. Your '17 Mercedes (for example) will have a feed and return so use that idea for the Rover.

That is an oil catch can. The hole in the bottom is for draining it but it should have a plug

Coolest car ever. I'm a non-mechanic in every way but this engine bay makes me smile.

‘I can only assume that was once the water inlet up there”……but I don’t really understand how that works and can’t be bothered to fix it. Therein lies the root of your problem.

I think where your classic struggling in cold stop starting conditions my 88 mini Mayfair had the exact same annoying problem I updated electronic ignition and sorted the problem much better and healthier than it can be driven hope this helps Lee

The Rover sounds amazing, it is a beautiful car. Great video Matt❤.

It’s beyond all logic to be sorting out teething problems on a vehicle that isn’t in its final iteration. Build it how you want it and then sort out the teething issues. You’ll be chasing your tale otherwise.

Coolant temperature senders in those tmes should be PTC type. So more resistance when temperature increases. Touching the sensor wire to the earth will send the needle to the cold mark. But leaving it disconnected should move then needle to the hot mark.

Have you looked into Evans Classic Cool 180 waterless cooleant? It has a boiling point above 180°C and will not vaporise, thus eliminating overheating, boil-over, and after-boil also reduces pressure. It does require their prep fulid first to flush out your water.

Great little tinkering video Matt, still think this P6 is a great mean looking car.

They don’t make them like that anymore. Thank god! And I fully agree with the Mrs F

Ah mate it's a gorgeous car! I love it

The intercut footage is a nice touch.

Never did any work on my P6 3500's, always done by the local Rover dealer as they did all the work on the Sussex Police ones, mine being ex Met Police and manual transmission, civilian ones auto only when mine built. The VIN on one 3 years earlier than the reg. A lot under the bonnet was different to P5b's, particularly the cooling and fuel system, P5b's I knew. Time was also a commodity in short supply.

Much as I love the videos, they are feeling increasingly breathless and manic. Perhaps dial it down a little?

Matt. Are you going to have a V8 gas guzzler head to head with the crown victoria one day?! Awesome 👍

P.s upgrade a alloy rad stops problem with overheating and leaks👍

More tinkering on the Rover V8 solving some teething problems l got a triple core aluminium radiator on my Toyota Hilux l had to replace about because the original radiator failed and the Hilux always ran cool the temperature gauge needle was just of the line l recently changed all the three radiator hoses and one was original to the Hilux and l also put a 95 thermostat instead it of the 85 that it had and now it runs a little warmer you really need to fix your temperature gauge that will give you a guide of the temperature on what the Rover is running at

If Carlsberg made a TV series car soap opera, the P6 would be the star of it. A sort of Mrs Mangle from Neighbours of the Rover world for those of a certain age who might remember it. Anyway the love hate relationship continues to frustrate and deliver great vibes. At least the Crown Vic so close to being back on the road. Thanks for sharing.

A bit of silicone grease would have helped getting that hose on. Keep at it, nearly there!

Hi Matt. Strange baby your P6. Regarding insufficient cooling, this was never the case in South Africa. I used my 3500 P6 on road trips along our subtropical coast in the middle of summer, 36aC plus and mountain passes. The temp gauge was on normal all the way. But, vapour lock was an issue. Only the diaphragm fuel pump gave problems in summer, so I overhauled it. It did not help much. I don't know if exported cars to ex colonies possibly had a larger radiator. The internet would "know". The P6 was assembled here in the 70's at our Bkackheath BL plant in Cape Town. So waas the Jag XJ6 and many other BL cars. I owned a Truimp 2000 mk 2 and a Jaguar mk1 2.4 ad well. Then I moved to Citroën. I have a great affinity for Austin, Rover Triumph and Jaguar. Sad days that most aren't anymore. Ironically Jaguar today is as unreliable as in the bad British Leyland days. Land Rover as well. Rich man's toys and when the maintenance plan is over you got rid of it. Today I drive a reliable very well built Chinese Crossover SUV with an engine designed in Austria. We need the ground clearance and pothole resistance here😢. I know you dislike SUVs. Best wishes.

2:22 Why is the bottom of the belt groove in the pulley so shiny? Has the belt been riding on the bottom? Belt might be too narrow or the pulley too wide. Or it could just be that way incidentally.

Oh come on Matt what do women know about cars 😂, I know you want to say “ I agree “ but dare not 😂, Wives hear and know everything we husbands say or think 😁. The leak on the expansion tank is first time I’ve see you that ANGRY 😡 , well controlled Matt 😂, fingers 🤞 all good now 👌🏻.

The one Rover I never really liked - the P6. P5b coupe is my favourite. To test temp sensor, use an ohmmeter the resistance should drop the hotter it gets. if you get O.L. then out of limit.

Why can't you get some basic safety sorted? That alternator fan needs a guard. Everything is so manic with you and, of course you need that water connection to the inlet manifold. It's important. Bodgery unlimited😢

Thats more a catch tank how it's set up not an expansion tank Edit to add, I see folks have mentioned this already, need to listen to them.

Did you ever sell the rover 75? what did you get for it? x

The rad cap spring could also be faulty, quite a common problem of the spring weakening over time and letting water by at a lower pressure.

I don't see this working Matt. Surely for an expansion tank to work the pressure relief needs to be on the tank and not the radiator. I would guess that this will still dump the coolant down the overflow.

This is such a cool p6, when is the next video on the 220 tomcat by the way?

It's too early to sell it, first manual swap it and enjoy it a bit ❤

Keep going Matt 👍

An expansion tank should have a radiator type cap and an overflow, the overflow on the radiator should be blanked off

Sell it. Is that the right engine for it/original anyway? Or have buggered about with it?

Did u use the tea shelf?

Does that tank have a cap to stop kaboomy if it gets hot

You remind me of Frank Spencer. Oh Betty!!! 😂

Is it that, or another pulley? Also, what's the metal vibrating sound when you start it?

Has it got a clutch on the alternator like a Merc?

What is involved in converting it to manual? Parts will be plenty full around?

The reason people turned to Japanese and German cars becomes all to apparent. Nostalgia only goes so far 🙄🥺🥺🤯🤯😩🙈🔧🍺🇯🇵🇩🇪🤔

Why is the header tank not clear ao that the level is not visible without removing the cap. And when hot?

Unquenchable optimism.

Can you add an electric cooling fan? I am sort of with Mrs F on this one but I have no taste as for me the best car in the world is a Honda Civic...Mk 7 mind...

Yipee I'm here and loving it

progress!

Another good video Matt 👍👍👍👍👍👏👏👏👏👏

Its a rover 🧐 classic Britain mentioned you in one of his videos 🤓

Another comment Matt. I truly apologise, your airclzeaners on the P6 are bad news. Not good for the newly overhauled 4.6 V8. Strange how these below standard rubbish aircleaners are ao popular. Particularly among the performance crowd. Use them and kill your engine. Worse in Africa because of more atmospheric pollutants.

who would swap a v8 P6 for an Austin 7 though? 🤔

put in waterless coolant and fit an electric fan mate problem solved👌

We used to live within a Police Station, and were lucky to have a few Police cars in the Station Garage, one being a Rover P6 V8 (3.5), similar to yours. It was sold off once it reached its useful lifespan, and was replaced by one of the first BMW's! (The traffic boys were a bit sad to see the P6 go as they said the BMW was too cramped!)