sparky Paul

Could just be a bit on condensation building up in the oil. Does the car do a lot of short journeys?

Yes, everything from to the output shaft in the gearbox to the diff.

Definitely 288mm discs. Despite what it says in the brake catalogues about 15"/16" wheels, all pre-2001 2.3 models have 288mm discs.

Ouch. It sounds like you might have a venturi mixer system. Whilst it's old technology, it's also more simple. Most of what's been said regarding the vaporiser, gas filter, solenoid, etc. still applies, and a decent garage with knowledge of lpg systems should be able to diagnose any faults. If you do have a simple venturi system, it means you cannot interrupt the gas to each cylinder to help diagnosis. You should still be able to isolate the bad cylinders by disconnecting each plug lead on later models, or disconnect the connector to each coil on earlier models - although on these each coil sparks two plugs, so it might not tell you what you need to know. I would try another garage.

A couple of good points there. I didn't think to mention it explicitly, but you really should replace both sides, as said above. I used two standard spring compressors on the springs without any problems, but they are pretty beefy ones. I wouldn't recommend using the cheap ones with the pressed steel jaws, they really give me the heebie-jeebies. :P

If you think is sounds rough, it's probably missing. Low idle is also a symptom. You may be able to find out which cylinder (or cylinders) are missing if you can identify the separate solenoid valves for each of the gas injectors, and you can access the connectors on them. These could be on the inlet manifold injectors themselves, or on a separate injector bank, with pipes running to each injector nozzle. IIRC, the Lovato system can be either. There will be a connector on each solenoid valve. If you unplug each one in turn with the engine running, the sound of the engine should change when each one is unplugged. If you find one (or more) that make no difference, they are your bad cylinders. If you find that two cylinders are missing, then I would first suspect a weak ignition coil on those two cylinders. Standard spark plugs are okay, but they need to be in excellent order to run properly on LPG. The ignition system is the first thing to check, but if all looks okay then it could well be an issue with the LPG system. Hope this helps!

I've always fitted springs from motor factors, and have never had any problems. I would however always recommend using a recognised brand, such as KYB - KYB source springs from companies like Lesj

Welcome to the forum! :) How does the engine sound when you lose power? Is it running rough or missing? If so, I would start looking at the the ignition system first - plugs, plug leads, coils... they have to be in absolutely tip top condition to run on gas. If that's all okay, you may have one or more blocked injectors or faulty injector solenoid valves. If the gas system is generally underfuelling, you may have one of a whole raft of problems, including a faulty vaporiser, faulty sensor, faulty LPG ECU, faulty sensor, etc., the list is endless. The best option would be to get the LPG system checked by a specialist with the correct diagnostic tools.

I might be wrong, but AFAIK the wing is bolt on. I don't think the bit adjacent to the screen is actually fixed to anything - if you press on it, you'll see that it moves. It's the same around the quarter light. You can find lots of secondhand wings on fleabay, I reckon they come off quite easily.

Load Index number must be 95 or higher. As said above, this means RF/XL tyres in most sizes. Standard 225/50R17 tyre is 94 rated, 98 for XL, so non reinforced tyres in this size are not really up to scratch...

No, just unbolt and it should come off with a bit of persuasion. The windscreen is bonded to the body, the rubber between the wing and the windscreen is just a cosmetic filler strip. Use PU body seam sealer in a tube, available from bodyshop suppliers, good motor factors, or even fleabay - just ask for seam sealer.

Welcome to the forum! ;) I have a feeling that the quarterlight is bonded to the chassis, and the wing is removed leaving the glass in place, so it shouldn't be a problem. Check the old wing for areas which need seam sealer and seal the new wing in the same areas, the wing is then is a straightforward bolt on.

As George says, definitely chain. Welcome to the forum! :rolleyes:

Rumbling differential bearings sound similar to the problem I had, in fact I was suspecting my own before changing the tyres. Incidentally, my tyre noise did increase as the tyres wore down, but there was a noticeable noise as soon as the tyres were fitted. I just couldn't believe it could be the tyres, and wrote it off as coincidence. I can't say that I have heard anyone on here with differential problems, either bearings or gears, the manual gearboxes seem to be pretty robust. If it's not tyres or wheel bearings, a differential or OS intermediate bearing would be my guess. In my experience, bad drive shafts tend to knock or cause vibration, rather than rumble, and worn/damaged gears tend to whine. Did you have the OS intermediate bearing changed? When diagnosing these faults, it's worth bearing (no pun intended) the following. The noise from a wheel bearing will tend to change as it is under load, i.e. when you weight up the outside bearing around a corner. A differential noise will tend to change as you alter the tension on the drivetrain, i.e. when you accelerate, then lift off. When we got our Clio, that sounded like it had a dry front wheel bearing. I noticed a minor gearbox oil leak from the NS inner driveshaft gaiter, as well as a split outer, so I replaced the whole driveshaft. The inner NS CV joint is integral to the diff on Renaults, so that meant dropping the gearbox oil... it also meant the car had been losing gearbox oil, and I found only half what should have been in there. Replacing the oil with the correct quantity fixed the dry bearing noise. So, I know you've had the gearbox overhauled and it's a bit of a long shot, but could it be worth checking the gearbox oil level? It must be driving you nuts after spending all that cash! :)

As unlikely as it sounds, I would also look at tyres. Bearing noises tend to increase with speed, the drone from tyres seems to diminish once you get over the 30-50mph band. It could be a bearing, but have you had any tyres fitted recently? The Galaxy seems to be prone to tyre noise from certain tread patterns, I was convinced I had a bad bearing until I changed the front tyres...

There's no actual law that specifies the relationship between vehicle weights and maximum trailer weight, but the Police and insurance companies will take a very dim view should anything happen whilst you are exceeding either the GTW or maximum towing capacity of the vehicle. These are the important factors, as stated above. It's summed up quite well here http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/roads/vehicles/v...entsfortrailers

I put a pair of Marshal Matrac XM (another Kumho brand) on the front last year, no complaints, they seem to be very good tyres. Very highly reviewed against all major manufacturers in Auto Express report - cost me about

Aaaaaaargh! :) At least you got the exhaust done!

I often see these used tyres selling with 3-4-5mm of tread left going for daft money. Personally, I can't see the point in going to all the trouble of fitting used tyres unless they have at least 75% tread remaining... unless it was to sell the car. Even then, I would prefer to know their history, or at the very least have a really good look at them first. I have put used tyres on other cars, but I've never put them on the Galaxy.

Well I uttered a few... not quite as many as when I replaced the front springs though... ;)

You may still need more clearance to get the new exhaust in. It slides over the axle easier, but you still need to get the front of the new pipe down to clear the body over the axle. I used decent sized ramps at the back, but it was still tight - you could jack from there onto axle stands to make it easier, but make sure they aren't in your way. Clamps are standard 58/60mm clamps from cat back, u-bolt clamps are fine. I seem to remember I reused the original clamp at the cat - IIRC it was a sturdy stainless affair, though I think I renewed the bolt. Don't forget a bit of exhaust paste for the joints.

I believe the V6 is basically the same as my 2.3i from the cat back, it's all fairly straightforward. The only issue you might have is raising the car up enough at the back to get the middle pipe out... if you are dealing with an original exhaust, they are very tight where it passes over the back axle, and plenty of room to maneuver the exhaust is a big advantage. An assistant is also helpful at this point. The replacement middle pipes are bent slightly differently and go in a whole lot easier.

Cheers George! Thirty quid! :)

The old bus needs a thermostat... QH list part no. QTH105 to fit the petrol Galaxys 95-00, but this is the cartridge type which fits into the thermostat housing on the end of the head. However, Ford TIS says 98-on models have the thermostat in a separate housing in the pipework, and the whole thing has to be replaced, so the QH info is wrong. I have confirmed this by a visual inspection of my '99 Galaxy. So, before I toddle down to the local motor factors, I was wondering if anyone has had these from a motor factor, or is it a dealer only part? If dealer only, dare I ask... does anyone know how much? :rolleyes:

Your list of replacements seems sensible to me, I can't think of anything else. As for the timing chain and tensioner, you can have a look at the condition of these when the head is off and make a decision. If you have had HGF, there is also the possibility of lambda sensor and/or cat damage, I had to replace both on the last head gasket I did, but you can cross that bridge if/when you come to it. I'm a bit surprised you can't get the engine to fire, especially if the plugs are dry after attempting to start from cold. Even if the gasket has gone between cylinders, you usually see some sort of attempt to fire up... You are obviously getting fuel through, but is there any spark? I'm not sure about the beeping from the dash, but it must be trying to tell you something... someone else might be able to help you with this, but I suspect you might have to get to the bottom of it. Have you done a cylinder compression test to confirm HGF? You don't mention of any sign of oil/water mixing, or fumes/bubbles in the header tank, that would be my starting point before whipping the head off. Also consider a cooling system pressure test with the plugs out. Some other possible causes of over-pressure could be defective thermostat or pump, a blockage somewhere, or even frozen coolant, given the recent weather. Good luck with it!