green110

I did exactly this job for someone a while ago (well he did the taking apart and reassembling - I just did the welding). I drilled the spot welds out of one piece and used the marks in the other to line it up, then just welded through the drill holes. It hasn't broken yet, so hopefully yours will be fine. The original spot welds looked pretty feeble; I'm confident that the repair is stronger than the original. Gus

I did the following, and I fully accept all the criticism I deserve. My only excuse is that I have learnt since! A few years ago, when I was young and stupider than now and greenlaning on Salisbury Plain, we got a 90 stuck in a water filled dip. My very heavy (Perkins powered) 110 couldn't pull it out. So we put the 110 a bit further away, on fresh ground, joined it to the 90 with 2 ropes shackled together in the middle, and put a 109 on the front of the 110 with another rope. The 109 and the 110 set off in tandem (we thought this was a really clever idea), and, surprise surprise the rope between the 90 and the 110 broke. The shackle flew backwards, dug a groove in the bonnet of the 90, and punched a hole in the bulkhead vent dead in line with the driver. It was a VERY near miss, and I won't forget it. The driver of the 90 is on here too (the bulkhead has stil got gaffer tape over the hole!). Gus

76mm is a big hole for a mag drill, also I find they don't stick very well to thin metal. Hole saw will be fine! G110

www.thorhammer.com/copham.htm 6.35 kg copper sledgehammer at the bottom. I find a good thump from a big hammer often does the job and causes less damage than a small hammer, which tends just to burr things over. G110 (sorry I don't know how to make it clicky) Edit by geoffbeaumont: Made clicky

There was a small Land Rover breaker in Kempston Hardwick (near Bedford) a few years ago - don't know if he is still there. G110

Recently bought some gauges (temperature and oil pressure) from FW Murphy who specialise in engine protection systems for fixed plant and similar. I was interested (and surprised) that they recommend and supply mechanical gauges, saying that for the same money mechanical is more accurate and more reliable. These gauges have switches built into them to trigger engine shutdown when temp etc goes too high/low, which I would have thought would have been easier to do electrically. I guess on a machine with very high pressure hydraulic lines everywhere an oil pressure sensing line at 60 psi or so isn't really a concern. Hoping to have the system up and running by mid-week so I will find out if they work.

broke a Snap on 1 1/2" impact socket yesterday!

This was compulsory viewing when I was at college (along with Red Dwarf obviously). I seem to remember an episode where they used various explosives in a home made bazooka firing beer cans to demonstrate that petrol burns very rapidly and with lots of energy. G110

Thanks for all this. Having discovered that aftermarket shafts are around £20, I think a pair of shafts and a pair of flanges is the answer. At this price It doesn't matter if they only last say 30 000 miles - the trick will be to replace them before they strip! G110

So there I was cuising along, topping up the right elbow tan, towing a 3t diesel bowser, when we got to a hill. Dropped a gear, and a nasty grinding noise started at about the same time as forward motion stopped. For some time now I have known that the rear axle is past its best; a horrible clonking together with 3 feet of slack gave a clue. So I thought I had blown the diff. I should say that this is a 300 Tdi 110 that has just turned over 100 000 miles, many of them towing. Engage diff lock, CAREFULLY onto the verge. Out with the tools, expecting to pull the half shafts and drop the prop. Pull the first halfshaft, splines well worn (now I know why the long half shaft is on the left; when working on the verge, you don't have to go into the middle of the road to pull it out. Excellent design feature. Clearly not so good on the Continent). Out with the second, and sure enough it has stripped the splines. About 50:50 between the shaft and the flange. So VERY carefully continued with the bowser, driving like Granny and freewheeling round corners, and managed to get back to the yard without busting a CV joint. Interestingly the poor state of the back axle is demonstrated by the fact that in two wheel drive there is actually less clonking! The question is, what to do next. First task is to try and assess the diff for freeplay and wear. The least I could do would be to put two new shafts and two new flanges in. Or I could get a secondhand complete axle and fit that. Any opinions? What shafts and flanges would be best? I want long term reliability (I'd like to clock another hundred thousand) but I don't do any recreational off roading - just real off roading towing bowser or trailer usually on tip sites - I've got Mud Terrains on. Any views on how best to check the diff? Anything I could do if it is worn? Are the front shafts likely to be better or worse? Thanks in advance. G110

Anyone know what "apposite" means? Is it a bit like "Opposite"?

Recomend CP. I've got two 3/4" drive impact wrenches that get used for hours on end at maximum torque without giving any trouble (running off a road compresor sometimes so no air filtration or oiling). I think they do two grades; the red stuff is a bit cheaper and less "industrial" than the silver. And obviously Snap On is great - I've got a Snap On 1/2" drive that will just about get to 600 ft lbs.

Finished work at five o clock Thurs, thought "I know, I'll just pop a timing belt on the 110" 300 Tdi. I'm a bit nervy about timing belts and like to change them frequently - never had one break. So, drove it in, open the bonnet etc etc. I don't have a fan or shroud so plenty of space without taking the rad out. Old one off, new one on, new tensioner felt a bit odd but never mind. Used new Snap On digital torque wrench to set the tension. Turned it over by hand for 2 revolutions to check all OK, turn key, absolutely no sign of life. Sounds normal so assuming valve timing ok but not firing. After some very tired and useless fretting decided to go home and look at the next morning (supposed to be leaving yard 6am to fix other machines). Too excited/worried to sleep well so in w/shop 0530. Having thought about it decided pump timing must be out. So, front off again, line up marks and yes the pump timing is out. Turned out the 9.5mm drill bit had a burr on the end and hadn't gone into the hole properly. Correct it, retension, (tensioner still felt odd - had to slacken idler bolt to move it but too tired and stupid to realise significance of this), reassemble, turn key and it started. Chuck tools in, set off to fix machine listening to what I thought was the serpentine belt and tensioner squealing. anyway got 2.9 miles and bang rattle stop. By chance I was changing gear at the time, I knew straight away what it was so kept my foot on the clutch and coasted onto the verge. Ring up mate for tow back to yard (he's got a Hilux Invincible - how embarrassing was that?!), front off - yes the belt has snapped - rocker cover off - yes there are 4 broken rockers and bent pushrods. B*gg*r!!!!! Ordered rockers, pushrods, new cam belt. Had to use a 420 hp V8 Scania tractor unit as the service truck for the rest of the day! Next morning, rocker shaft out, change the rockers, fish all broken bits and valve caps out and reassemble. Rad out this time, time everything up and fit belt. Hold breath and cross fingers, turn the engine over by hand and watch to see if the valves open and close. Hooray! Looks ok. Set tappets, cross fingers and start it. Runs fine and drives as before, so I hope I have done no further damage. When I had a look at the bits I realised that I had fited the idler/tensioner assembly incorrectly. As you will be aware there is a spigot on the bottom of the idler that fits through the tensioner plate allowing the tensioner to pivot. I had fitted this wrongly so that the spigot was jammed across the hole, the tensioner couldn't pivot without slackening the idler bolt and the idler was touching the timing cover. The idler had seized, the back of the belt ran against it, got hot, shredded and snapped. How can I have been so stupid? I got the pump timing wrong first time. I put the idler assembly together wrong. I had to slacken the idler bolt to adjust the tensioner - I know it should't be like this. I heard it squealing and ignored it. The lessons I have learned are 1) don't do things at the end of the day when you are tired and want to go home. 2) TAKE THE RADIATOR OUT! Then you can look at everything square on. 3) Concentrate; if you think something is wrong it probably is. I realise many people here will have changed dozens/hundreds of cam belts and will leave the rad in, but I only do it every 40 000 miles or so and I need all the help I can get. I hope you can either laugh at my incompetence or learn from it. G110

Thanks, that's great. I haven't got a manual before someone says RTFM. G110

First post! I've got a 98 300 Tdi defender with the factory alarm (remote keyfob thingy). I've never had a vehicle with an alarm before. The problem I have is that if I disconnect the battery the alarm goes off, and no amount of button pressing will stop it. Obviously my first thought was to lift the bonnet and hit the alarm with the back of an axe (seen "The Gods must be Crazy?) but I couldn't find the bit making the noise. Now if I have to disconnect the battery for welding or electrical work I just wear ear defenders and hope the neighbours won't complain. Can anybody tell me how to work it please? It is a bit embarrassing because I tinker about with heavy plant for the day job. Thanks G110