muddypaws

Anyone know if the bulkhead removal bar you can get for 90's etc fits a S3? I need more legroom and have set the seat rails as far back as possible. Just wondering if anyone has done it? Thanks

Anyone got any knowledge re the suspension air compressor getting noisy on a Disco 3 GS? Suspect it may be mountings but haven't taken the cover off yet. Also, anything to watch out for before I start playing with the thing? Many thanks

Many thanks. Excellent post by the author.

I have a slightly odd problem. The clock on my Disco III loses time. I set it every week against the Radio 4 pips yet it loses about 3 minutes per week. Anyone got a similar experience or any ideas? The other thing is can you get a timer unit to operate the fuel burning heater eg to warm the vehicle up at a pre-set time? I bought one for my old Td4 freelander and it was fantastic but I have no idea how the one on my current motor is controlled other than when it is in automatic mode on a cold day to assist initial warm-up. Many thanks.

Hi. I have a Pacet fan fitted to my L/weight which in turn has a V8 engine installed so clearance between the radiator and the timing cover is a bit tight. The Pacet is fitted on the front of the radiator blowing through it. Since fitting the fan, the original cooling issues have been resolved however, the fan drains the battery like nothing I have ever seen. The alternator is new, the battery is a new heavy duty (130ah I think) and the starter is new. I have had the battery tested since purchase and it is fine. All the wiring is good and connections are tight. At fast idle (1200-1500rpm), output at the battery is about 14.6v. My problem is the starter is one of the RR hi-torque type and if the battery voltage drops slightly to below 12.5v, it will not crank. It is an all or nothing so no slow cranking, just silence. If the fan has been running on the motor for even a short while and I switch off eg at a petrol station or more irritatingly during RTV trials, I have to sit and wait for ten minutes with all ancillaries off and the fan disconnected whilst the battery recovers enough to prime the starter which is madness. I would like to keep the starter because it is nice and powerful and spins the motor up beautifully. My question is does anyone know if this is normal with a Pacet type fan and are there any other electric fans in use by forum members which have a lower current drain. Many thanks.

FridgeFreezer, I did read your post and was very impressed however, it is beyond my mechanical and welding ability/confidence. No offence intended in my post just that the Ashcroft route is easier in some ways for a numpty like me.

I wish I had been the beneficiary of the good advice above before I started out with similar plans to you. Rover V8 - the standard 3.5 or 3.9 is fine. Sounds lovely, bags of grunt and no real issues (aside from liners) Edelbrock - got one, hate it changing it for EFi. Looks lovely, sounds lovely, drinks fuel and is a real bitch off road. Don't go there. Achieving MOT emissions compliance has been almost impossible. Megasquirt - not got my head around it yet but certainly everyone I know talks favourably. Brakes - discs are an absolute must. I have the Chris Perfect conversion on mine and they are great. Still careful though. Tyres - there are better experts than me; most of them are forum members and I have never gone wrong listening to them. Cooling - if you want to keep the Lightweight profile (and why shouldn't you, that's what makes the motor so nice), cooling is an issue. I have a small bonnet scoop on mine and I am in the process of working out how to fit the new style side vents of a Freelander 2 or Disco 3 etc into the sides of the bonnet as that will look cool and help to keep it cool. As with all things on a conversion, it takes lots of thinking and cups of tea. An unexpected side issue is the starter motor. Quite simply they cook in a Lightweight given the proximity of the downpipes. I have lagged the pipes with thermal shield, fitted a heat-guard from an MG RV8 and checked the timing (yes this significantly effects the heat of the engine) and the thermal cut-out/overload relay in the starter still causes embarrasment when you stop anywhere on even a mild day. Gearbox - I have a standard box and transfer set-up from the original Lightweight (S3). Despite some aggression whilst trialling and general lack of smooth changes etc, I have yet to break either the box/transfer box or any half-shafts. Maybe I have been lucky !!! My plan is a 4HP22 auto-box through a standard series transfer box adapted to use the Ashcroft conversion kit (for the auto-box) and their higher-ratio transfer gears. Before I embark on that though, I need to do some real thinking around the propshaft lenghts and clearances. If I can make it work then I will be able to retain 2/4wd, I get the better cruise speed with lower revs and I don't have to spend ages trying to fit an RR/Disco front axle as you would otherwise to solve the CV problem. That is an absolute sod of a job IMHO; I really do take my hat off to those who have done it. PAS - probably the easiest thing I have done. Lots of measuring, a new front cross-member, a FULL PAS kit from an RR, 90 steering column and a good welder. Makes all the world of difference to the motor. The MOT man was well-impressed. Be very careful about trial fit before you weld and chop. The final placement of the steering wheel within the cab depends on this and remember, it is really difficult to move the seat back any further. Fuel Economy - Edelbrock is dire. EFI lots better. Parabolics - essential. Suspension lift - nah Is it worth it; heck yes. I could have bought a 90. I should have bought a 90 but I LOVE my Lightweight. My peers and friends all run 90s or hybrids but there is nothing like a well sorted Series to make them all hanker after one and go aaah! Particularly a Lightweight Good luck. Happy to help at any time.

Got a bonnet scoop which seems quite effective when travelling but not much cop when pottering about. It's on a manual box. Thanks.

I have a problem which shows itself as a starter motor (hi-torque) getting very hot to the point that the thermal cut-out kicks in and I need to let it cool down until it will restart which is a pain; especially at traffic lights. I run a 3.5 V8 in a lightweight and have fitted the exhaust branches and the last part of the main downpipe with exhaust wrap plus a heat-shield yet it still happens. The engine temperature as recorded by the water temp gauge and the Pacet fan is fine yet on a motorway run, the oil temp gauge gets upto just below the red. There is absolutely no sign of boiling over which is odd as if the oil temp was right, I would have thought that the water would have boiled over before the oil got to this temperature. I have been advised that the timing may be the problem and that a V8 which is not timed up correctly can run hot. I have checked the timing and it is at 8 degress BTDC as per the manual. It runs electronic ignition (not sure which but I think is lumenition). I am out of ideas and hoping that someone may have some thoughts on the subject. The 8 degrees assumes of course that the timing marks are correct which I know is sometimes not reliable. Is there a way of checking the timing manually against tdc on No1 cylinder when electronic ignition is fitted? Many thanks.

Does anyone know if you can use shortened prop-shafts in the modified class under ALRC regs? I have looked in the green book but cannot seem to find any reference to prop-shafts. Many thanks.

If you wouldn't mind measuring it, I would be very grateful. Many thanks.

Many thanks. Just need lots of tea now when I start fitting it. Lubricates the brain...............

Can anyone point me in the direction of a wiring diagram/instructions to splice a hotwire EFI into a series motor (lightweight 1982). I have the one for a flapper-type but I think this is a different wiring loom - is this right? Any help would be gratefully received. Many thanks.

I asked Craddock's last time they advertised some because I was thinking about it. They advised me that it is 24 spline on a lightweight. It may be best to check with them.

Anybody know if a ZF auto box (4hp22) incl bellhousing etc is a similar length to a standard series III box. I am contemplating fitting a ZF box out of a rangey to my v8 lightweight using the ashcroft conversion kit to mate the box to the series transfer box but I don't really want to have to move the engine forward if I can avoid it. My concern is propshaft lengths. Any advice would be most appreciated.