Anglo-Frenchman

My top 10 has to include (in no particular order): Gaffa tape, bailer twine, gripfill, the egg & cress sandwich and precicion easing instrument (hammer).

Thanks for the input - very useful. On the subject of the aerial, do they all come with standard length leads or are some longer than others. Also are there any particualrly good aerial types - ie whippy carbon fibre jobs, tradtitional extending metal ones etc. I used to have a short rubber one of the Disco (oooer!) but which was adequate but not great although indestructible.

With my new CD player installed in a shiny new centre console I find that the standard LR speakers in my 110 are frankly, pants. I intend to replace these with something that has a reasonable chance of being heard over the burble of the Tdi at 120kmh and concomitant wind noise. I am toying with the idea of also fitting speakers in the rear over the back door and wondered if there are any decent off-the-shelf options on this front with housings etc. Similarly, with the CD/radio fitted in the centre console position, the antenna lead no longer reaches the unit so a new aerial is needed. I tried to extend the existing lead but the result was cr*p. Any thoughts here?

Had wild thunderstorms here in SW France last night and torrential rain most of the morning. Mine leaks very occasionally at the top front corner of the passenger window but one of the most leak-free LRs I've ever had thankfully!

In its military role the Land Rover is something of a compromise. It is comparatively light but very manoeuvrable and certainly in desert conditions fairs better than some of the heavier counterparts such as Hummers. The drawback is that it is quite vulnerable and when I served in the Gulf we had two members of our sqn injured when their 110 went over a mine. The best protection available was laying sand bags over the floor! The Wimic (Weapons Mount Installation Kit) is quite a good version of the Land Rover and quite popular amonst our troops for its ability to pack a decent punch with 7.62 and heavy machine gun mounts. None the less at the end of the day it IS essentially a soft-skinned vehicle and when you have incoming rounds, you want a bit more protection.

I have a copy of the Building Regs here and there is no reference to whether the door should be inward or outward opening. There are differing requirements for the performance of dwellings, shops, flats & maisonettes but the handoing of the door is not stipulated, indeed many of the plan diagrams in the illustrated guide show the final exit doors as being inward opening. I was member of the Institue of Building Control and if you have any concerns about the safety of the building you should, as Ralph suggested, demand an inspection by the local Fire Safety Officer of by a Building Control officer from you local authority. I'm afraid to say that as with the MOT, you can get different BCOs to accept of refuse different elements within a building. All that the regulations demand is that the building 'is deemed to satisfy' the minimum performance requirements of regs and as with all things there are different ways to interpret how this is achieved.

I was watching 'Ice Cold In Alex' the other night and noticed to my surprise that in the final closing shot of of 'Major Lutz' being driven away by the MPs with the rest of the cast standing outsdie the famous bar after the beer-drinking scene is parked a Series 1. The film is set in 1942, 6 years before the first model hit the road - so much for continuity!

Hi, The Building Regs (Approved Doc B1) states that a final exit is defined as "The termination of an escape route from a building sited so that people may be able to rapidy get clear of any danger from smoke of fire in the vicinity of the building. It should give direct access to a street, passageway, walkway or open space". There is no requirement (that I am aware of) for the door to be outward opening although common sense would suggest that this would be preferable. You can access all of the Approved Documents of the Building regualtions at the website of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (the fat bloke who sleeps next to Mssrs Blair & Co in Parliament).

Lawksalordy! Thanks a lot for that

Thanks so much Luke - a picture paints a tohusand words and in my case most of them are usually four-lettered for when it al goes horribply wrong. Sorry to impose further, but what rating should the wiring & fuses be to be safe? Thanks in anticipation.

Parallel?! Sorry, could you clarify please? (Doh!)

Thanks a lot I'll follow your advice - presumably I can wire the two sockets up in series and just loop the live back to the negative terminal on the battery. On a different note, I am about to fit a JVC CD player into the new cubby box and find that it comes with a large ISO connector block with about 12 seperate feeds. I assume that as my Defender does not have the corresponding connector block I can simply cut this off and wire in with spade connectors or similar. None the less the array of wires is somewhat bewildering - All I need (I thought) was power feed and two speaker wires. You've probably guessed that electrical stuff is not my strong point!

I've just fitted a nice new steel cubby box from Storage Solutions which has a couple of extra cigarette sockets on the rear for extra electrical take-offs. Does anyone have suggestions as to the best way to power these? I have a pslit charge system installed by the way.

I've just taken the t/box out to renew the mainshaft seal and not too big a job. Bought a small hydraulic platform lift for 79 euros made the whole thing much simpler.

Very sorry that he's gone. He made the world a more exciting and interesting place and we are poorer for his premature departure. If we all played it safe, well, what a dull world it would be. Shame to see comparisons made with dead servicemen, but both they and Steve knew the risks involved in their respective trades. and if anyone wants to give me a hard time about THAT comment they had better have been in Iraq more recently than me!

I have just drained out the EP90 on my 110 CSW and rpelaced with one-shot grease. As mentioned on the Defnder forum, I found this job to be major PITA as the grease would not flow in properly and kepted getting airlocked in the filler tube and spewing out. This even continued after I decanted it into a bottle with a long nozzle. A real mucky job and I hope it really is a 'one-shot' procedure!

Sorry to re-visit this thread, but I am about to drop the transfer box out to renew the various seals and 'O' rings and have a couple of queries: 1. When the transfer box comes out does the LT77 g/box entension stay bolted to the back of the g/box as I note it is held with some odd headed bolts? 2. Is there a good way of supporting the box and is there any benefit to raising the CSW up on ramps on one or t'other end? 3. What does the t/box weigh?! On an unrelated topic, I serviced the CSW today and decided to replace the swivel oil with the one-shot grease. Well, what a pain the ar*se job that was. I thought it would just squeeze into the filler holes as nice as pie. What total mess I got into as it kept backing up in the filler. I tried removing the axle breather banjo thinking that there was some back pressue - no change. I eventually decanated the grease into an old 1/2 litre oil bottle with a long nozzle but still what a pain. Talk about misjudging a task! I'm off to bath in Swarfega. Rant over.

I drive in France on a daily basis and have covered over 18,000kms here in the past 8 months in my CSW. Roads are absolutley fab and if I ever have to drive in the UK again I will probably get a push bike - quicker on cr*p and congested UK roads in the long run. N (routes Nationale) roads are generally good but can get congested in towns during peak times. Toll roads are always clear (barring accidents) and IMO good value for money. Most independent french garages can obtain parts or will repair Land Rovers easliy. Check out the the LandMania site for French enthusiasts. They're all quite barmey but they love their vehicles and are really into their off-roading which is fortunate in a country with so much green space to enjoy.

Yes they are the same. Some years ago I converted a 110 V8 to a ZF auto and used an Lt230 transfer box which bolted straight on with no hassle

Thank you kindly.

The box has done around 70,000 miles - the main gearbox was replaced a couple of years back with an Ashcroft recon unit. any clues as to the part number of the O ring in question and ease of renewal?

Thanks for all the advice - much appreciated.

Thanks for the link Mark. I presume then that with these studes in place the whole job can be done without actually dropping the box out altogether. Is the seal still (relatively) easily accessible with the box slid back as shown in the picture sequence? Are there any other seals/bearings that should be replaced while the box is removed? I saw on Eblag that a company was selling recon LT230 boxes with the option of a 1.222 ratio gear for the Defender to improve motorway driving. Can this mod be carried out to an existing box and if so any ideas on the necessary gear/part no etc and ease of job. Thanks in anticipation!

Wow. Thanks a lot guys. Simonb you've got the diagnosis spot on - right down to the ol spots of oil on the rear spare wheel cover - I wondered where those were coming from? I don't quite follow your reference to changing the bolts for studs. Could you explain that please? I will probably have to do the job on my own but presume if I get trolly jck under the box I can support it on that unitl its free. Thanks again.

The small leak I had on my transfer box has become more persistent now and with an average of 2,500kms per month I think I need to get it sorted out pronto. It appears that the oil is coming from somewhere high up on the box close to where the diff-lock linkage is mounted and is also running down the side of the LT77. It's hard to see from beneath so I'm going to have to take of the tunnel to get a better look. Do the transfer boxes leak on the mating face to the LT77 and if so is simply (ha ha ha) a case of renewing a seal? Any advice welcome.