Retroanaconda

Ashamedly it's taken me more than a month to get around to making a start on this, however the rough area has been dug out to accommodate the concrete slab. Next weekend I will hopefully get into town with the trailer and pick up a bulk bag of ballast and some cement so that I can get it framed up and the slab poured. I also need to re-profile the top-side drain round the building and pipe it underneath this slab before I pour it.

No, but I suspect if I did 100,000 miles without changing it there might be.

It does last well though... For a variety of shameful reasons mine hasn't been changed in... shall we say 'a time period longer than that', and there has been no noticeable change from the gearbox. I guess it doesn't degrade in the same way that engine oil does with all the combustion effects etc. Cue gearbox explosion tomorrow morning now I've said that!

Nope, no bushes. The hole in the arm is massive and the threaded bit of the tie bar very small. No idea why, but every one I've seen has been like it so I believe it is standard.

Err, yes. A big bang/clatter, two seconds of "what the f... has happened to my engine!?", then realisation dawns. Took a chunk out of the fan cowl though! Another method is to jack up a front wheel and turn it with the car in the appropriate gear, which will turn the engine over.

For changing a clutch you don't necessarily need a clutch alignment tool, a 14mm (I think) deep socket with a few wraps of tape does the job just as well. I would also suggest a Valeo clutch kit rather than a Britpart one. Spigot bush is worth changing yes. I used a genuine Land Rover one not Britpart (notice a theme here...).

Just remember to take the socket/wrench off the crank before starting the engine afterwards

Apologies Richard, I missed this thread popping back up. My memory of the repair is pretty sketchy, however I definitely had to remove the rock slider things I had fitted at the time. It may be possible to slide the battery box flange out from between the seat box and sill member, but I'm not sure. Your stuck seat rail bolts - if you remove the centre cover panel you'll be able to get to the nut on the inner one with a spanner. The outer one would be more tricky, if you can't get to it underneath you'll probably have to cut/drill the bolt head off. I never got round to painting/sealing mine, which I now regret as there's a 1/4" layer of dried mud/silt from various off road excursions. It would be wise to seal up the joints at least - if mine ever comes apart again sufficiently I will take the opportunity to do it then.

No woodfuel processors or CHP burner plants in that neck of the woods yet? Demand up here has increased massively in the last 5 years or so, to the extent that it's often easier to get rid of than sawlogs. Quite a change from the past where it was often left on the hill to rot as there was no market.

This ^^ Fatboy - That council 'supervisor' sounds like an idiot I'm afraid. The trees belong to the owner of the land on which they stand, some owners might not care if people steal the timber as it saves them the bother of clearing it but others will. I certainly would! Clearing trees off a public road in anything other than a life-threatening situation without the correct training, authorisation and equipment is not a smart idea. Apologies, will get down off my soap box now. It annoys me a bit when people see timber as free for the taking with 'no value' - why do you think half the forests even exist!?

When I looked for information on how to do this a few years back the conclusion I came to was that it wasn't possible without the specialist calibration equipment etc. and the relevant specifications to work to. Generally the steer I got was that there was no 'standard' as such when it came to positions of star wheel, eccentric cone etc. as the whole lot is set up dynamically on a testing rig. And it's all very precise. In the end I just got Diesel Bob to rebuild it, that way I knew it was sound for at least 200k. I would be interested to find out if you crack it though!

If there's a problem that can't be solved with a 30-second tightening of a screw, then at a year old I'd be letting Land Rover sort it as presumably it would still be under warranty?

I met some tool in a "fast show spec" 110 (even had bush wires ) last night when I was going up the side of Loch Lomond - the wiggly bit between Tarbet and Ardlui. I could see a vehicle coming through the trees but when he came round the corner it was like a small sun had appeared, the white light from his LED headlamps and roof-mounted light bar was enough to completely blind me even in the second or so before he turned them off. Then even on dipped beam his headlights were still putting as much light out at my eye level as most normal ones do on main beam. I had to stop as I couldn't see a thing. The point being, it's all well and good fitting some nuclear-powered light bar to your vehicle - but make damn sure you turn it off well before you get anywhere near an oncoming vehicle. And check headlight adjustment regularly!

Very cool Ruu! Following with interest

Interesting topic, suppose it's the time of year for making plans - whether they will be fully carried out or not remains to be seen. The 90 Keep it running, serviced and MOTd. The 110 Get to the stage where I have a running, driveable, partly assembled car... perhaps?

Not done a lot of off roading myself, bit of green laning here and there but almost all of the 34,000 miles done in 2016 were on the road. MOT saw a bit of welding required - this year will be the same I think. Meanwhile the 110 project moves forward at a snails pace, but limited progress is still progress.

Sorry, I would say that's past it. It will work but any wear will result in play and, in time, more wear.

I didn't get and Land Rover gifts, but instead I got a present from the car itself - a hour on the side of the M6 in the dark trying to get the rear lights working again after they failed. Managed to bridge a supply from the rear wiper circuit to get me going again but I reckon there's a break in the loom somewhere. So my present to the car in return looks like it's going to be a new chassis harness! Also bought myself some Captain Tolley's Creeping Crack Cure, so we'll see if that can keep the annoying leaks at bay.

Thanks folks. I was going to run the compressor power supply through an isolator switch, and I may still do so, but the manual makes it pretty clear that one mustn't use this to control the machine, and must only switch it on/off via the built in switch. I presume this is to do with the bleed-off and to protect the motor. While it's still in warranty at least I will probably go with this suggestion. Extending the drain to an accessible point makes a lot of sense, thanks. Autodrain sounds good too, I know you can get drain valves that open when the system is depressurised like on the filter bowls, these could potentially work in this situation. There will be at least one drop leg in the 22mm copper to give me somewhere else to drain from. Size-wise, I am limited by the space but it will be big enough to comfortably house the compressor and allow me to stand alongside if necessary. The mower/strimmer etc. live in another shed, where the compressor is temporarily housed. Only because I could more easily reverse the van to it than my main workshop to unload the thing.

I was going to start a new thread for this but then thought it was better off as a continuation of this one. This weekend saw me obtain a new toy, in the shape of a decent air compressor. As floor space inside the building is tight, my plan is to construct a 'compressor shed' at the rear of the workshop to house it. Currently there is a handy gap between the building and the hedge which should accommodate such a structure. There are a few threads on other forums (mainly in the USA) regarding this and from those I've picked up a few issues that I may come across. Airflow and cooling - I will need to ensure adequate airflow through the housing in order to keep the compressor at a sensible temperature when it's working hard or the ambient is high in the summer. The positioning of any vents and/or fans will need to take into account the built-in cooling fans on both the motor and compressor so that I am working with their airflow pattern and not against it. Air intake - The consensus seems to be to take the air supply from outside the structure, I guess this will help keep the temperature down but I will need to think about filtration and noise attenuation. The compressor is a V-type with two cylinders, each has a separate filter however I should be able to hook up a duct to bring in cool fresh air from outside simply enough. Temperature - The nature of the British climate means I will have to think about condensation, I hope to fully insulate the structure in an attempt to limit this. It will also mean that if I have problems with starting the compressor in colder weather then I can put a small tube-type heater in to take the edge off. The insulation will also help with noise Construction wise I am thinking pour a concrete slab (with DPC), then frame up some walls with 2" x 4" timber and tongue-and-groove cladding to match workshop, roof can be a simple sheet of 18mm marine ply with a sheet of EPDM rubber as a waterproofing layer. Insulation wise, I can put 50mm of polystyrene in the walls easily enough, likewise the roof with a bit of internal 2" x 2" framing. I've got plenty of that breathable membrane stuff left over from doing the main workshop. I was thinking of having the roof sheet hinged where it joins the wall of the workshop (suitable flashed to seal it), then I can lift it up onto a stay for access to the compressor for switching it on/off/draining condensate/servicing etc. - the only problem being that it would have to be built around the compressor and dismantled should it ever require moving. All very theoretical at the moment and I need to get out there and start taking some measurements before I go any further, suspect I will need to cut the hedge back a few feet at the nearer end and there's a fair bit of earth to remove to get me to the required depth. Any thoughts? Has anyone constructed a similar housing for an air compressor?

Alas, despite having dozens of vans at work using any of them for anything other than work would be rather illegal what with the whole no insurance/tax thing. Not to worry, £60 and a load of paperwork saw a SWB Transit mine for the day and I went up and collected it this morning. Got it tucked away in the shed for now, will see about creating some kind of compressor house behind the workshop in the new year. Will probably start a separate thread for it as I would like to pick the collective brains of the forum on a number of issues. Thanks again to all who helped me with the the selection and purchasing

Slight boob today, I had assumed that the compressor would come in a box but it's loose on a pallet. As such getting it in the back of my 90 was going to be all but impossible. It's also feckin' heavy! Going back tomorrow with a van. Also, right on the side of the Great Western Road in central Glasgow is a carp location for a Machine Mart store - dread to think what they do when delivery vehicles turn up. Guess I'll find out tomorrow in the Transit I hate cities!

There are also potential planning and building regulations pitfalls to be aware of. For example, the presence of a 'combustion device' fitted into a workshop/garage takes it out of the scope of permitted development and hence would mean the building requires planning permission. Edit: Hmm, having checked to make sure I was correct I can't now find the bit that says about combustion devices - I swear I read it somewhere! May be OK then, but proceed with caution!

One other thing to bear in mind with a gas heater is that most will generate a fair amount of water vapour, which can cause condensation problems. Good ventilation would alleviate this to some extent but would also let a lot of your heat escape. I used to use one down south but usually had the door open - this stopped the condensation but meant I used a s**t-load of gas. I now use a 2kw electric heater which works fine.

Yes, no problem. Might be a wee while until I get a chance to use it (will need to sort the wiring etc. first) but happy to share how I get on.