Leaderboard

Replaced rear oil seal and timing cover / water pump gaskets, refilled with fresh oil and filter as well so should have it back in and running tomorrow

I'm making a video about the Range Rover Classic and I want to make it a journey around the construction and systems of the car, figuratively dissecting it to showcase [or criticise if deserved] the engineering and design. So I've been researching and looking for knowledge, comparisons and real world testimonials on the following; Axles - how thick are they, are they strong [cases / shafts] by comparison to the competition, thoughts on swivel housings/bearings Braking - Info on the Wabco ABS system in later cars [I read that it's the forerunner of modern traction control, and

Turns out it was the pto engage lever as the seat box isn’t bolted to the gear box tunnel at the moment. Bit of grease and bliss.

glad you found the item that was keeping the body & chassis together, good progress.

I think it was fairly pioneering in having disc brakes on all four wheels already, but adding the ABS was a first for an off-roader. They also made the rear axle ABS function as Electronic Traction Control on late models. Suspensionwise, that was a radical design at the time, everyone else using leafs. But it was also the first 4x4 to use EAS. I don’t know a great deal about the ZF, but automatics cushion the axles and shafts from shock loads, which would have been beneficial as standard diffs and shafts weren’t especially strong (particularly true of the late vehicles with 24splin

Was the seat belt mounts! Half marathon run this morning then chassis off the afternoon. Now having a well deserved pint.

earlier post edited to include the correction

Just to get back to how disappointing the new Range Rover Defender is .... It would have been fab if they’d come up with something more like this :

Will post some tomorrow whilst refitting the engine.

Depends how old. My 1990 Defender has a half-turn position on the ignition - past ignition lights on but before reaching start, where you hold it for as long as you think it needs to be heated for. cold morning 10-15s, summer, I don't bother. Peter

look for a timer relay either in the fusebox or battery areas or under the bonnet, trace the wires from the glowplugs to find out where the connect to a timer relay, or they maybe just done by the ignition holding the key at pre start for 5 to 10 seconds then start the engine, but would expect to see a warning light on dash, my tdi glow plug timer relay failed to switch the warning light on a new timer unit cured it.

Thanks Ralph. I think the cylinder is original. I've done nothing to it in the 10 years I've had it. The fluid was black and the seals from the old reservoir were in a right state. On reflection I probably should have replaced the lot, but I don't just want to start randomly throwing new parts at it without understanding the problem.

Fingers crossed for you after all that expense and effort. I think it could be worth persisting, though. I was watching Britannica Restorations videos on YouTube, including videos of installing and road testing a Roverdrive on a Defender, and it seems a few of his subscribers have been having problems with Roverdrives. I wasn’t surprised to hear comments about poor bearings, but I was surprised to hear about complete failures. Then I read Mark Saville’s peculiar piece in this month’s LRO where he says his unit had to be rebuilt three times in 15,000 miles. because of bearing and gear

I’m with you on that - my Volvo has Bluetooth, and it’s a settings and menus nightmare. I just don’t use it. I far prefer listening to radio in the car than tape/cd/mp3 anyway, but if I was to want my phone connected, I’d rather have a lead that will also charge the phone while it’s doing whatever I need it to.

Geeky trivia about the Range Rover and Rover V8... how long have you got???

No it doesn't. Bluetooth is carp. I've never had anything that 'just works'. And I don't keep music on my phone, I want to listen to local radio a lot of the time not my own collection. Other people can bugger around with wireless technology if they want, I just want a wireless in the vehicle!

I too use grease to stick the gaskets unless it's the water pump where it gets a smear of RTV. Mo

Steel is, however, simple to repair in the field, adapt and cheap to build, I think it can cope with flexing fairly well. And in fairness, trains usually run on smoother roads than off road utility vehicles used by the target market.

Theres not much more to say than that really! My version was a little more blue! I take it there is no way to replace that little gallery gasket without removing the whole timing case?!

Some more progress for anyone that's interested regards Stephen