Retroanaconda

My understanding is that the Gemmer and Adwest boxes have a different taper/spline for the drop arm, and so are not compatible. A 4-bolt Adwest will take the same arm as a 3-bolt Adwest. But a 6-bolt Gemmer is different. However the 4-bolt Adwest and 6-bolt Gemmer both take the same (metric) pipe fittings, whereas the 3-bolt Adwest takes different (imperial) fittings.

Seems a gimmick to me, I can’t see anyone who needs the vehicle for work wanting to spare the time to pick the vehicle up from a long way away. Just goes to show, along with other things, how they are targeting the recreational market much more than commercial.

20° according to the workshop manual

Finally got around to trying the Velcro out. It works well, I put it along the top and bottom where it meets the tub and it holds it in place nice and snugly 👍🏻

Mine was the same when I used the body off method, all I removed was the grille and bonnet. I should have said I’ve done mine twice and have used both methods. First was a quick and dirty chassis replacement in 2018 (thread here) - I lifted the body in one that time as I needed the car back on the road quickly. It bought me a few more years. Then last year I rebuilt the car properly with new or repaired panels, new paint etc. as documented in this thread.

The main issue with dismantling is not the lining things up or the time it takes really, or even the extra space needed to store everything. It is the fact that you will find so much more that needs changing/fixing that you would anticipate. This adds to both the time and the cost. It is however the way to do it ‘properly’ as it were if you do have issues with corrosion in the body etc. as most older Defenders do. If time/space is limited and you do not have serious issues with corrosion on the bodywork then lifting in one piece is a good plan. You may still have to realign doors etc. though as things can shift when it’s lifted off and back on. This also depends on the chassis you are using, some of the aftermarket ones can require some tweaks to mounts etc. to line up.

It’s common on all defender doors. While the later ones improved on many of the design flaws of the early types they sadly did not address that particular issue. It is exacerbated by worn hinges, poor alignment or dodgy door seals meaning the door has to be slammed to close it. Getting the doors closing properly will mean a significantly improved lifespan of this part.

It would be doable I am sure, it’s just nuts and bolts after all, but I would imagine very expensive. Lots of parts are different around the centre console and dash etc. and they would all add up. If you could get bits off a breaker it might be more worthwhile but unless you’ve got very deep pockets I’d say it’s unlikely to be a practical option to swap. The vehicle is still quite new and due to the current market situation prices are still very high, when more second hand ones are available these bits might be more accessible. A number of companies are already coming up with solutions recently for retrofitting some of the other bits that have been missing from vehicles due to component shortages (e.g. digital dash, larger central screen etc.). The recovery points are actually fairly simple, bumper comes off and then it’s eight bolts to fit them.

Nothing has really changed Steve - my 110 is going back in to the dealer in a few weeks to have the towbar swapped due to rust

Yes DPFs we’re introduced in 2012 with the 2.2 models. Some export markets didn’t have them fitted though, so there are 2.2s out there without one. Not likely to find one in this country though, and as above they don’t cause a lot of issues it seems. The later all-steel side doors are worlds apart from the earlier type and well worth it. The rear tail door had a similar improvement but that happened back in 2002 so most Td5s had that already.

That’s a pain Mo PAS pumps are generally notchy when turned in my experience, so I’d say that is indeed normal.

There’s a dished washer that goes behind there too. Try FRC2975. Bit of a fiddle to get in place but it will mean the clip holds the arm on.

Not sure about better or worse to be honest - I’ve never really noticed any difference with the ones I’ve been involved in. The 2.2s tend to have a DPF so if you do a lot of short journeys that might be worth considering, though to be fair I don’t think they give many problems.

To answer your specific questions: Yes they are more refined. They are higher geared, quieter and the later dash offers improved heating/cooling. Rear seats will unbolt easily enough from the load area. AC was an option, higher spec ones will have it. Most of the Tdci-specific issues are to do with the gearbox. The MT82 is not a bad box in itself but it was horribly bodged to fit onto the LT230 with an adaptor shaft that likes to strip it’s splines. The clutch is also a weak point, though better versions are available now. There were some issues with 2.4 oil pumps early on but they should have all been resolved by now, otherwise the engine itself is an okay unit. My preference would be for a late Td5 as I don’t really like the Tdci torque pattern or the drivetrain, I always find them really rough and juddery. I also am not a great fan of the later dash, as good as the blowers are I find it intrudes on the cabin space too much. My advice would be to have a drive of both and see which you prefer, including a stint on the motorway.

Vans are boring as hell to drive though. 4x4s are fun.

Always used bog standard mineral ATF with no issues in mine.

What part of the country?

Unlikely to do any damage but it won’t run at its most efficient and the heater will be less effective.

Just to close this off, I ended up with a less elegant solution than originally intended. I took a blind grommet and cut it to fit around the cables, and just slotted that in. It’s probably about as watertight as it needs to be and is certainly a lot better than the gaping hole there was before. That, plus a little butyl sealer stuff should keep the worst out

That crimp is a standard jointing mechanism used in LR looms right through to end of production I believe, or at least Td5 era certainly. Glad you’re sorted anyway. Some good fault-finding!

The screws have held up okay I think, one or two might have snapped where the birds have warped but it’s all still held down nicely.

Yes terrain response is partially proactive and partially reactive, as in certain modes it will lock or pre-load the diffs ahead of any traction loss. And to be fair the reactive bit of it is incredibly quick, you don’t really notice it working other than some clicking from the relays and/or brake pump and there’s not much if anything in the way of wheel scrabbling while it figures it out. On models without the rear diff lock there would probably be a bit more. However in an old Defender I would choose to have a manual locking diff because for me that’s what they’re all about - I like the simplicity of making the driver inputs myself. I also like the idea that it’s not there until you need it, so seems the ideal solution in a ‘best of both worlds’ kind of way similar to an overdrive.

Likely to be 5/16” UNF I’d have thought? Most of the body fixings were either that or 1/4” pre-metrication in 1980 when they went to M8 and M6.

Same setup on my 90 too. I never use the OD on normal roads, but it allows me to cruise as fast as I want on the motorway. The only limiting factor becomes fuel consumption, which gets silly over 75mph.

I’m keen to retain the covers as they protect the wiring and keep it all neat. I’ve got some Velcro on order so will see how I get on with that first.