miggit

I was actually referring to a BMW V8 diesel and V12 petrol engines that the L322 was intended to have in the design stages, but by the time of production BMW were looking to off load LR so they supplied the base model engines... at the lowest spec.... Ever wondered why the X5 diesel has the same engine and gearbox as the Range Rover but produces 50bhp more power?? The Iceberg diesel was rumored to be very noisy...

.....Pity we never got the proposed 8 pot diesel!

I've got to say that the more cylinders you have the less agricultural the driving experience gets, the TD5 is a good engine, all be it BMW origine. For ease of installation and power potential, I'd look at a Mercedes OM605 or OM606, 5 and 6 pots respectively, there are adaptor kits to install them into various Land Rover models, RRC being the one that I looked into. They can be fitted with a manual injection pump, which when fitted with new elements can produce over 500 bhp.... not that I'd recommend that for a Land Rover!! but around 250 bhp is very doable, and from what little knowledge I have, doesn't involve much more than a pump change... it uses the original turbo, and they don't do anything to the bottom end either. First thing you've got to answer is what are you trying to get ? Smooth diesel power below 150bhp then I'd look at a TD5... A little more power, not worried about the rattles then possibly tuned Tdi300 or the 2.8 International version... But if you want 200 + then Mercedes OM power is possibly worth looking at... I found a chap in Sweden, I think, who did an adaptor kit to either auto or manual RRC boxes for around £800 for the basic kit...

A mechanical pump is the best way of getting past the LR electronics, but possibly not the best option for power and economy. I've been thinking of sticking a Mercedes OM 606 / 605 engine into my RRC, and having done a fair amount of surfing, discovered that HoSS has used this engine in his Volvo build and has found a way around the security on the ECU to retain the electronic pump, rather than go manual.... But I haven't been able to find out how, D'OH! It might be worth asking him, as I imagine BMW Bosch is fairly common to Mercedes Bosch.... The other thought is if you're running a manual transmission, maybe BMW ECU / loom might be easier to deal with.

Obviously cut the threads before it's treated! Does that mean that I could have done away with the totally useless 5L40E plastic box (made from camembert and plastic) in my L322?

I think I've sourced some from a D1 that got recycled in to a Defender!! Just playing the waiting game..... But if it all goes Pete Tong I'll send you a message!

unc is a coarser thread than standard metric, and will have more meat in the thread, that isn't to say that you can't get metric coarse threads! For the smaller sizes it was suggested that Heli coils should be considered, if you really want strong then use threaded inserts, like time-sert.

If you're going down the aluminium route, you might want to think about getting it anodized as it will harden up the material.... Or is it possible to use a nut and bolt? that would remove any worries about stripping threads.

Thanks, that is very kind of you, and I may well take you up on your kind offer... I'm just in the process of scrounging a set of roll bars.. I'll be in touch!

The front ARB bracket is so close to the radius arm it has to use the bolt as it would make it impossible to remove the arm to service the bushes... But the ARB could be fixed to either the radius arms or axle and work perfectly well, as long as it's firmly attached near to the spring. Granted the direct to the axle would work better as the radius arm bushes don't detract from the compressive force of the ARB... However I don't think that they would upset the setup too much, and I wouldn't have to strip the axle for welding, as I'd only be drilling a hole. And let's face it if it doesn't do the business I can always add the YRM brackets, it's a bit harder to do it the other way around!

You have misunderstood me.. if the battery is of the same type as the cars, or, you have the right type of second alternator for the slave, when it's nearly charged then the power will only dribble in... however when you've had your fridge, curling tongs, 5 iPads etc. on for a day or more, the poor old slave battery will be lucky to be still reading double figures on both volts and amps, so it will take all the power you can give it. If you've a 45 amp alternator it will get 45 amps, and would take a few hours of running to restore anything like normal levels. But if you've got a 120 amp alternator it will get to the normal-ish level in roughly a third of the time. Now I'm not saying that the second alternator should be a monster, as you'll be in to multiple drive belts.. but 70-80 amp units will run on a single belt without sounding like a stuffed pig.. In fact I had a 105 amp on one of my 'ang' 'overs and it was quite happy with a single belt, but the 130 amp unit on my Tbird was less than happy!!

From the number of cars that I've had dealings with the 12s side of things they have been permanent live.... you've got me wondering what is standard now.... I feel a multimeter on the factory fitted 13pin socket on my ML is in order just to see.... I will report on findings...

A 12s socket has a direct feed from the battery of the host... if it was switched then there wouldn't be a problem, but most don't come with warnings or a relay

I didn't realise that you can run the Ctec as a standalone unit, all the ones for sale had the Smartpass 120 thingy bolted on which doubles the price! ... not so bad then !

OK so lets keep the maths simple.... we'll assume that the fridge has a 6 amp draw and you've an average sized battery, 60 Ah, that's 10 hours of running and it's dead in the water.... and that's at lower than average drain.. I'm not trying to scare peeps but if you leave the tint tent plugged into a car that's not running for a few hours it can have a very big effect. The stick on kit that I saw had a regulator / controller with it, as you say it will end in tears if you plug a large panel into the battery directly, especially on days like the ones we had a few weeks ago! Surely if your battery has nearly the same volts as the alternator this would mean that it's nearly fully charged... why would you want to charge a charged battery? The man wants to power a fridge, I don't think that they are a voltage critical piece of equipment... do they make smart fridges, for tents?

From what I can make out the rear axle is a doddle as they go on the back, which is virtually clear of any obstructions... however it doesn't appear quite that straight forward on the front... I was toying with the idea of drilling the front arms and using D3 rear drop links in place of the over-engineered Classic ones, as they have a longer thread on them and are slightly longer which would help keep the anti roll bar level if I stay in present height config!

If you're just going to be using a second wet battery then either split charging or the excellent suggestion of a second alternator (can't remember how thought of that ) are both good solutions.... As far as charging the second battery to a reasonable level both methods need input from the engine, and as such a dedicated alternator will do the business quicker than a split charger.... and if you go for a big alternator then much much quicker. I'd have thought that a truck size battery would be more than ample for your requirements... but it comes down to available space. As far as solar goes, you're going to need a big one to counteract a fridge, but good old fleabay has some 100w caravan ones... if you've got a compressor type fridge it should be able to top the battery up nicely, if it's a cheaper 3-way type with on moving parts (bar the door) I think it will struggle as they have quite a high drain... as many a tin tent owner has found out leaving the caravan plugged into the car without the engine running and the fridge on 12v From memory they pull upwards of 30 amps... you'll need a lot of headlights to get that sort of drain! If you're going for a leisure battery or agm / optima type the you'll need the smart charger, as a normal charging system doesn't output either the voltage or variable rates needed, and will end in premature failure and tears! The biggest question you have to ask yourself is how long do you plan to stay square wheeled for at any one time... if your touring then keeping everything working won't be a problem, if you're staying put for a few days/weeks/months then you'll need either a large solar panel (assuming you're going south of the UK!!) or you'll have to run the engine for a period of time. Oh and on the subject of solar panels I've just bought one for my 'ang' 'over as I don't use it enough in the summer to keep it charged... part of the blurb said that it had to be disconnected from the car during starting as it can cause a surge and fry the panel... not a problem for me as it'll be on the dash in the way.. not so simple if it's glued to the roof.... However the addition of a 2 way relay wired to the ignition would disconnect the panel when the engine is running !

Having waded through hundreds of web pages I came across a sensible site that said you need an intelligent dc to dc battery charger, and having done some more surfing found this! https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Ring-RSCDC30-DC-To-DC-Smart-Battery-Charger-30amp/153013066455?epid=28017010179&hash=item23a04a1ad7:g:Rp8AAOSwqaJaYNLx A wee bit cheaper than the Ctec unit, you can charge all battery types from the cars alternator / battery and it has a solar panel inlet too!! And if you're thinking it might not be as good as the Ctec.. buy 2 and have a spare, it's still cheaper that the Ctec!!

I can see what you are all saying...... But I don't just tow on the road, there is a certain amount of off road towing too, and while a standard ride height is good for most situations, I have had to use off road high in the L322 and Land Cruisers that I've had in the past. And have ended up beached in my present tow car, a Merc ML. The height of the RRC is not the issue.. I'd just like to improve the stability a wee bit to inspire a bit more confidence... just shimming the rear arms to allow the prop to slide has transformed the ride and stopped it's rear end steering... which was brown trousers stuff!! But the more planted that I can get it the better it will tow. And the towing height is fine with the addition of a ladder hitch, oh and it's only a 2" lift on the chassis... the tow bar isn't attached to the body!!

Yes, and the OP was enquiring about the pressure in a 3.5 V8..... As far as I know they never made a serpentine 3.5, only H/C, L/C and EFI......

Oops! I didn't mean for it to kick off.... I will admit that I was under the impression that the Ctec was the prefered solution, and at £500 ish, didn't appear to be more cost effective than a twin setup... however if you are saying just use a split charge relay / std h/d relay, even better!! It just appeared to be a very expensive solution to a cheap problem. And surely if the batteries need a special form of charge an inverter / mains charger might be more flexible.... Oh and as far as different charge rate alternators go, try looking at the marine ones, I saw a sand alone regulator that was programmable for different battery types !

Mr Freezer, isn't running two alternators the best way to totally separate the 2 batteries, as there would only be a common earth.... And Bowie69, I realise that there are different requirements from the battery types, but if you're using AGM for the leisure battery, surely it's easier to get 14.5 + volts from a suitable alternator, than trying to produce it from a system that's running at 14.1 volts maximum? I appreciate that not all vehicles have enough room under the bonnet to add an extra alternator, so the Ctec system would be a must, but aren't we talking about a Defender.. assuming that it hasn't got a Rolls Royce Merlin nestling under the bonnet, there is plenty of room for twin alternators and there are various kits available on the market for such an application. And having a twin setup there is, with the addition of a switched (isolator) link, to have backup for the car's electrical system from the leisure system... Handy in the middle of nowhere. At the end of the day, if your alternator fails on a Ctec setup, you are in hot water.. Not so with a twin setup..

I hate to say this, but, wouldn't it be better to run a second alternator? That way no matter what drain you have on the leisure side of the electrics it will be totally isolated from the the rest of the car.... after all from what I can make out the idea is to not be forced to reach for the starting handle, if you're lucky enough to have one... or stuck in the middle of nowhere trying to bump start your rig Also correct me if I'm wrong, but wouldn't a twin alternator setup cost a lot less?

I hate to say this but the flux in the solder is acidic, so the tip will wear down.. if you use it enough! I used to go through a tip every month or so when I was soldering allday every day! You can use abrasives to clean the tip, just remember to heat it up and cover it with some solder after (re-tin), removing excess solder with the expensive (wet) sponge provided... or a wodge of kitchen towel / hand towel is a good alternative!

If you want a good reliable soldering iron for general work then you wont go wrong with an Antex 25w iron. I have been using the same iron for over 30 years! I was first introduced to Antex when I got a job as a computer printer engineer, and have used them ever since. Before that I had a 25w Weller iron, OK, but can be a pain to change the tips (held in with a grub screw, the Antex is just push fit. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Antex-XS-25-25W-230v-Soldering-Iron-complete-with-PVC-Cable-UK-Plug-Free-P-P/263891257086?epid=28015207005&hash=item3d712506fe:g:-fAAAOSwqQBbYBcl You can get temperature controlled irons, but unless you plan on building computers from scratch I really wouldn't bother. Gas irons are great in a power cut, but the platinum catalyst suffers from moisture and will fail. If you need to use the iron away from mains power get an inverter (12vdc - 230vac) a small one will do as you only need 25 watts..... I picked up a 300 w inverter for a friend to run a TV in his horsebox for £35. I run my iron allday on a slave battery from the inverter without draining the battery, although if you lift the bonnet you'll find one there Best place for heat shrink that I know of is here https://cpc.farnell.com/ , they sell the Antex irons too but they are a little bit dearer than fleabay. For heating the heat shrink I use one of these https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MINI-CORDLESS-REFILLABLE-GAS-BLOW-TORCH-HOT-AIR-HEAT-GUN-HEAT-SHRINK-SOLDERING/360667108172?hash=item53f96f534c:g:A78AAOSwsTVas7Yf , it does use a fair ammount of gas, but it's better than having to run power to the job to use a mains heat gun... and yes you could use an inverter but it would need to be a very big one.... big is expensive and power hungry! Best advice for joining wires is to strip about 15mm off each, overlap at a slight angle and twist them together. If you lucky they will hold together so you have both hands for soldering... heat the wires with iron and add solder..... took a while to master, but it's the only way to get a good joint. A small amount of solder on the tip will help, and to get things started if you can get the solder to the wires / tip at the same time it will speed up the process. Once it starts to melt just apply solder to the wires, and moving the iron will drag the solder to it!