WesBrooks
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Posts posted by WesBrooks
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Thanks again. What are the fittings you have in place of the square drain plug and in the centre of the core plug?
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Home now so can show you what I mean. I know the block is still dirty but it is far better than it was!
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I'll look into pressure testing. Will need to fit new core plugs but that's not a major expense over building an engine up to fine out it's expired!
I'm aware of the interim engines having the boss in the casting but not drilled, what I found odd is that they'd started to drill for cross bolting but didn't finish. Most of the bosses have a nice machined flat surface and one of them has the beginnings of a cross bolt drilling. From what I've seen I'd be surprised if the engine had been out at any point in it's life.
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Hi all,
Just thinking about using under seat fuel tanks as either range extenders or instead of the standard discovery petrol tank.
What are the pro's and cons of doing this? I guess there is a shift of weight towards the front of the car, but I'm guessing the current behind the axle location means that as the fuel tank runs low the handling of the truck changes?
This would would require fitting brackets on the chassis and remaking the floor. Similar work to what was under taken in a 4x4 is born, but not intending to use standard land rover bits other than bits of the centre tunnel. The floor and bulkhead are already needing significant work. IT would be completed so that the floor is completely sealed and the tanks outside of the vehicle.
Edit: What's the capacity of these tanks and can you get plastic ones are or are all the land rover ones metal?
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Hi All,
Finally got around to starting to cleaning of the crud from my stripped engine that I removed a year ago. Still planning to fit a 4.6 at some point but measuring the cleaned bits to get a final idea on what would be required to get it running.
Any how, noticed an odd thing on the block. Aside from some excessive casting flash and other bits of heavy handed flash removal it looks as if they started drilling the block for cross bolting but then changed their mind! Some of the cast in bosses are machined flat and they started drilling one of them. Any one else seen this or is it on all pre-cross bolted serpentine blocks? The engine code is correct for a 3.9, but I would have thought the code marking would have been much later on in the manufacturing process as it's hardly durable!
Having heard stories of the block being graded with the best being directed to the Range Rovers I guess it is likely that they either mucked up and started to machine the block for a 4.6 but then realised it was a 3.9 or it was originally destined to be a 4.6 and they spotted a defect. if the latter I haven't spotted it yet.
What are the good indicators whether it is good or bad block? Slipped liners is an obvious one, but are we talking about mm here when they start to go or you can just about feel a step when you run your nail over it? The core plugs were corroded from the inside out and two of them (one of which is proving a pig to remove, centre broke out, ring still stuck) were slightly leaking. There is evidence of a lot of rust in the coolant channels which I presume has come from the back of the core plugs, pipe fittings and the radiator. Is this typical or just an indicator that the coolant had been replaced at some point with an insufficient mix of anti-freeze/corrosion inhibitor - or just left without a coolant change for too long leading to the corrosion inhibitor to loose efficiency?
Thanks for any tips!
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Always worth having a look at the BS website to see what you are being quoted.
This site:
http://www.automec.co.uk/collections/brake-pipe-coils/products/brake-pipe-coil-copper
...quotes 2 standards. Both about production and testing of copper tubing, But niether current and the second actually supeceded the first standard! We're a good time from the 1930s when it was used in production cars. Are there any examples of using copper brake pipes (rather than copper-nickle-iron alloys) in current production cars?
Edit: Apologies, three posts on the trot look like I'm having a rant! :-D I should explain I'm away on work, bored, and reading up on brake lines as it's another job I need to do. It has been over 10 years since I did it on my beetle and remember throwing a flairing tool out in frustration and buying a pre cut set! I wasn't aware of the concerns about copper until coming across it in relation to some getting rejected at IVA testing and the bans in other countries.
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I think this is the standard listed on the label of the piping:
http://shop.bsigroup.com/ProductDetail/?pid=000000000000027886
It had been superceded by a few years at the time of the photo and the standard (by that pages description, not buying it!) doesn't directly refer to braking systems or mention fatigue testing.
Edit: Also could have been bs 2871-3, which is also superceded and refers to piping for heat exchangers. Shouldn't give any confidence in its suitability for use in braking systems.
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Be aware that copper rather the cunifer is susceptible to fatigue failure through either being loaded (particually when poorly supported) or through hydraulic pressure cycling and the hoop strains this induces. It is banned for use in many (most?) places other than here.
Stainless Steel and Steel are other options and while corroded pipes look bad there is a margin of safety in the wall size of the steel pipes that mean regular inspection should spot a corrosion issue before the pipe fails. A pending fatigue failure crack can be hidden internally right up to the point of instant and complete fail of that circuit.
Edit: Here = UK
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Thanks. Currently looking at a few ideas and couldn't remember if there was something different about the V8i spec models brakes.
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I'll have a look what the clearance is like on the stock 16" alloys but does anyone know if 15" wheels would fit around the calipers on the V8i? I'd be considering steel wheels, ET0 and at least 8" wide. Body rubbing isn't a concern on this project!
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I've searched and found a few threads. Reading through them now. I appreciate the cheap ones will be naff but would like to be sure it's not a brand loyalty thing with and rover bushings.
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...Also use genuine rubber bushes from the landrover dealer. They are spendy but worth it. Daan
Better than polyurethane? Not talking the cheapest here.
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This is the closest I've come:
http://www.frost.co.uk/shell-cradle.htmlFor that money (not as bad as the body roller though...) I'd be inclined to wait until I have my welder sorted and build my own!
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Making progress! Thanks for the advice so far. As with many things on this project plans are swaying back and forth but so far the approach of not buying things until they are needed/will be fitted imminently seems to have saved the financial chaos this could create. Having looked carefully at the bits I'd like to get the cost suggests this may be a good project for a few years after getting it on the road. So original questions change slightly to what is suggested to improve standard height suspension. Are there ways to improve articulation which should be considered?
Edit: Forgot the more on topic question! Currently the truck is on axle stands while in the garage, but these won't lift high enough to hold the chassis up while we strip things off. Is it a case of bodge your own or are there economic options for stands suitable to hold the chassis up?
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Fair enough. Thanks for the feedback, glad I asked!
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With regards the nuts and bolts where do people advise for good quality stainless steel nuts and bolts? Buy them as nut and bolt kits or from a fastener supplier? Guess the latter wouldn't be interested in small quantity sales.
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Hi All,
I'm planning to swap the project vehicle (not on road, won't be for a few years) over to a galvanised chassis early next year. The kit body is currently resting on the original chassis.
Plan is to swap it all over and destroy the old chassis keeping lots of photos and the stamped VIN section. Currently unsure about plans for the suspension. It's currently on +2" springs, so it will either be back to stock with new shocks, springs, and bushings or complete the lift properly with adjustable panhard rod, caster correction, and maybe if bonus is good that year extended articulation a frame etc. Either way I'm leaving that until later when cash is in place to get the bits all in one lump.
Question is with so much being left to a later date and when it's possible to lift the body without much fuss is it only the nuts and bolts that are work changing at this point? I thought about bushings but guess aftermarket a frame, radius arms, or trailing arms may change the required bushings - or come with new bushings?
Cheers,
Wes.
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Looking at kit car sites like Car Builder Solutions may help you.
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I think the rules are if the lights are there they must work. Two sets of head lights are only legit up to a certain date. All I know is that it's earlier than '95! Any sharp edges would leave you with a fail too.
...so if you could remove the existing headlights completely and cover the holes you may be ok.
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Just dug up the old spread sheet.
Some internet sources site the CO2 emissions during manufacture of a mid-spec mondeo as 17,000kg. I'd suggest it fair to assume that this is a fair guess at the Prius, perhaps on the conservative side when you consider all of the batteries etc.
Data:
V8i Disco: 391g/km, 16.4l/100km
Prius: 70g/km, 3l/100km, £23295 purchase.
Average mileage: 7900 (UK average for 2014)
Totals:
V8i: 2384 £/yr, 4942kg CO2/yr
Prius: 884.8 £/yr, 884.8kg CO2/yr
Result:
Cost offset in 12 years (94,000 miles on the clock)
CO2 offset in 4.2 years
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Its interesting looking at running costs like this properly. I've done it a few times for my daily. At 25,000 miles a year swapping from my skoda 2.0 TDCR to a 1.6 greenline version would save in the region of £2500, but buying a high mileage 3 year old version of the latter would loose me that much in a year in value on the car, so not worth doing.
Getting back towards the green oval and I got bored and compared the average CO2 emissions in manufacture for a mid size car and compared that to the CO2 savings of driving a Prius (no chance, just playing devils advocate) over the emissions from the 3.9 V8i discovery on a more average mileage of 10,000/yr. Turns out you'd need to keep if for three years before it makes sense from an emissions stand point, and quite a bit longer to offset the cost of buying the car...
So basically justifying buying a new car on economy or emissions is more often than not a false economy unless you plan to keep the car for much longer than the average 3 year lease hire purchase plans.
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The discovery 1 ignition barrel has a switched pair of contacts for 'key in'. If present on your ignition barrel I'd be tempted to use that to feed your switches or relay coils depending on whether or not you are switching the relay coil feed or to ground. This way your main and dipped will turn off when you pull the key out, but won't if you turn the key all the back before trying to restart.
Edit... Helped a work mate fault find on his TD5 90 a few months back after headlights went out completely - fried switch as it happened. These were switched off by removing the key. Can't tell you whether it was dropping out of the accessories or ignition position to do so though.
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Thought this had gone quiet. Looks like it's been finished:
http://funrover.com/featured/land-rover-defender-tribute-build/
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This is a good reference for the basics:
4.6 GEMS fuelling issues
in International Forum
Posted
I've been looking into miss fire issues for gems 4.6 because a potential donor has a miss fire. Any history for the coil pack? They appear to be a weak point for older engines. Don't think they're cheap though!
This obviously has nothing to do with the oil issue!