skirky dave

Hi Mo, Yes, sorry my mistake, i always get the two mixed up. To me they all look the same. But thanks for pointing that out.. As it just so happens, my mate's daughter ( WPC ) also pointed that out to me last night SO my apologies to all pcso's. I think it's also safe to say, that, every barrel has a bad apple and that maybe on reflection....i found it!. I shall just chalk it up to one of those things and another experience gained in my later years. Almost 60 and still finding dodgy fruit!!. I once made a brew with my Kelly Kettle, as the fuel is free, and was told to put it out even though the fire is contained in the bowl...it was still classed as an open fire. Didn't get round to cooking my bacon and eggs. Different rules in Scotland it seems. Hope DC finds a good night heater, the scenery up there is simply stunning at all times of the year. Free camping, Land Rover, Scenery, Photography, what more could one want, apart from a good night heater. I think i shall have to start saving up, it's been many years since i was last there. At least in Scotland, ..as far as camping and open fire's is concerned...they can never take away our freedom. Only in the Peak District. Cheers Mo Dave.

Hi again Mike' Chemistry was never my strong suit i admit and like you it's been many many years since i left school. You may have a point in what you say, however, there must be many owners who live in hard water areas who have never mentioned this problem before. . Very interesting point though Mike, and and it does make you stop and think. As soon as he comes home i'll change his thermostat and take things from there. Cheers Mike Dave.

Hi mate, I'm glad you see my point of view. I suffer from a few medical conditions that usually mean i sleep a lot during the day, so when night time comes i'm fully awake and enjoy the peace and quiet of the night, i sometimes see a few Barn Owls and Badgers when i'm out at that time. My mate's daughter, the FULL TIME WPC, said " This is a problem we are having with a lot of PCSO'S, there are many who are full time wanna be's, the problem is.....there free to take on and it isn't costing anything to pay them. Which is why Theresa May said i'm going to be giving the police more powers, to which WE the FULL Time Officers laughed...SHE WAS GIVING THE pcso's MORE POWERS, Not the full time officers, we already have them,.....playing with words for the publics benefit!!!!!. Which is why the Full time officers are being cut but there's an increase in more pcso's. The pcso that we had dealings with, made us feel as though we shouldn't be out after 12 midnight, some sort of secret curfew. What she thought was odd behaviour, is nothing more than an opinion, ..but define ODD. We should all, be able to go out, when we want and not be subject to this sort of behaviour from certain individuals who are on nothing more than a power rush. As my mate's daughter said...You access, evaluate and use common sense to deal with a given ...not go bounding into what is already a peaceful situation, this is what causes friction when it needn't be. There was a big difference between dealing with someone with a knife, and two guy's sitting on the back of an old landy having a cuppa in the middle of no where enjoying the peace and quiet. Common sense in this occasion.......did not exist! Cheers again mate. Dave.

I suppose it was one of those times where you had to be their, to fully understand the situation, primarily the attitude from the pcso. Yes the police have a job to do and yes i am aware of the amount of defenders that have been stolen by low life scum and given the implications from having your pride and joy being nicked then i would have no quarms of throwing away the key once thev'e been sentenced. I should mention that my mate's daughter is a full time WPC, and was a little taken back by the pco's attitude as my mate recorded the whole thing on his phone. Even his daughter said "Wrong Attitude" It was her attitude towards us,..pursed lips, and being confrontational, followed by...." And what do you think you two are doing then,eh" Not, hi guy's everything alright, my my these are old classics, you don't see many of these around etc etc and creating a conversation. Which is how my mate's daughter, said she would have addressed the matter. We were, afterall, sitting on the 2A's tailgate with the kettle on the stove, which was on the floor. Hardly the actions of someone up to no good. We even offered her a cuppa to which the reply was...." I certainly do not", NOT, no thank you guys. Her attitude was REALLY off. We have been approached by, FULLL time serving members of the police before and they have always been curtious, even in the early hours of the morning, but that was South Yorkshire Police, in fact we've always had a good banter with them, no problem. To the point where some of them have showed an avid interest with Land Rovers, but not this girl,..she was awful. Really really miffed. So, to avoid this sort of attiude in future i shall make sure that i'm home by 11pm, with slippers and hot coco !!!!!. Shame really because it would be really great to do the same thing as DC did in Scotland. But not in the Peak District of Derbyshire ,.That's a big no no. So well done DC, and nice images by the way. Stunning. Dave.

DC.....Yep, totally agree with you, Last year at the end of October, a friend and me went out for a night drive in the landies and pulled up in a designated lay- by nr Matlock Derbyshire. 1.30 in the morning. A pcso turned up and asked us what we were doing just driving around and pulling up for a cuppa as she thought it was abnormal behaviour to be out at that night doing what we were doing. I replied, so this is down to nothing more than your opinion....are we in breach of any act or statute or for that matter in breach of any common law. We are parked in a lay by for it's designated use, as laid down by Derbyshire County Council. She insisted that she thought it odd. I replied "Hang on,..there's a large hill over there called MAM TOR which, people throw themselves off, suspended by nothing more than an aluminium frame, a nylon cover and hope they land on both feet safely, which by the way is how they started off,..yet,...you think what we are doing is strange...go figure. I refused to talk to her after that and returned to my landy,...she drove off a little rattled. Up till then , we were having a great time!!! I have nothing against the police at all, but some pcso's need to lighten up, they don't even get paid. It really upsets me that we have all this countryside in the uk, yet we are constantly told to move on, but up in Scotland you can just pull in, set up a tent and stay the night only to enjoy the fantastic views in the morning with a brew. Try doing that in the Peak District!!!. No chance.

Stunning mate,..Lucky you. Try doing this in the uk and the land officials want to move you on, or fine you !!.

TROLL HUNTER. Hi Mike, Interesting point you make there, although i have to say the water in our neck of the woods seems to be pretty clear of limescale and the kettle still performs as new. No limescale there also. However, having said that, my partner who lives in Doncaster, has terrible problems with limescale, even AFTER the kettle has been boiled. I only emptied it for her last week, so i don't quite understand how boiling the water removes the limescale. How does boiling the water remove calcium / magnesium salts, which is what i was told by a washing machine engineer, causes them to break down. In fact, if i recall correctly, his advice was to use more detergent in the wash, as the water softeners was added to the detergent to help prevent this very problem. Apart from that,..i think my sons thermostat is in need of replacing. He was supposed to be coming home the other week but work got in the way,..again!!!. Cheers Dave.

Ok, so along with my son's Thermostat to sort out, ( when i see him )...He's informed me of another problem which he is finding is a little annoying . As most of you experienced Land Rover owners are aware, the military 110 now comes with the pvc rag top as opposed to the Duck canvas of old. The problem is that the pvc does not breath so it collects condensation on the inside everywhere and drips. Further investigation on the web, brought me to the Rad Haz Insulation Kit, does any of you guys have any experience with these. They look to me as though there made of nylon so may produce condensation, which isn't going to solve the problem. Or have i got that wrong ??. His only other option is to find a new 110 Canvas top £££, The pvc top he has at the moment is the FFR Wolf type with the ability to fasten the spare wheel on either side of the vehicle. It would be perfect to find a Canvas of the same design. Any other ideas how to stop the dripping. Cheers guys Dave.

DC_ Cheers for that mate, and sorry, i've only just picked up your post. At the moment , my son is STILL working away so i haven't had chance to touch his motor. It's ok working away for a living but it creates it's own problems with family....and sorting out your Landy's. Cheers Dave.

Very interesting read was that Richard, Thanks for the link. Ianmayco68.. cheers for that link also, much appreciated.

Many thanks for all the reply's guys, it's very much appreciated. So... the old Ethylene Glycol it is, the same as my old 1960 Diesel and an 88c thermostat to boot. I shall also be ordering the new water temp sender as advised by Snagger/Nick. The only reason i asked about the Antifreeze was because i overheard a couple of guys talking about it in Halfords, which, started to make me think. They were discusssing the problems with their land rover aluminium heads so i checked the book of lies regarding the type required but as usual, to not much help. Once again, thanks Dave.

Hi Nick, Nice to hear from you again mate,hope you had a great Xmas, my god were almost into February !!!. Erm, right, ..From what i know!, it was a DIesel in it's past life in the military as there's an engine stop or choke pull cable still in situ but not connected to anything. I see what you mean regarding the gauge and sender being electrically matched, ( i had forgot about that one ). The viscous fan had been removed by the previous owner and a Kenlowe Fan in it's place which can be run on fully auto and / or / manual at the flick of a switch. Which by the way, is well out of harms way so can not come into contact accidentally by hitting it with your knee for example. As for the bottom hose being too hot....I shall have to feel this when he come to visit me on his way back for the weekend. He's working away at Blackpool at the moment. Or...if he goes out somewhere i could ask him to check that for himself. With this being his first Landy, he has a lot to learn......just like his Dad. The engine is FAR FAR quieter than mine and pulls like a train, amazing engine. I would fit one myself if i had a stronger gearbox, I went through 2 gearboxes when i had the 3.5 v8 fitted years ago, and that was driving really steady.so i don't want to go through that again, but it is a fantastic engine. The difference in power is something else. So.. back to the Pink stuff Nick, am i to take it , that, this is for Aluminium head on these engines. I shall also order a different sender unit if i can find out which one it is , plus a new thermostat, 82c i believe. Cheers mate.

Hi guys, First post on Defender site, usually on Series but here goes. My son, Nick, has bought his first Land Rover, an ex military 110 tithonus with 2ooTDI. Followed in his Dad's footsteps but with a newer model Landy. Questions are as follows,.... Which antifreeze ? The reason i ask is because in the Haynes 90 110 Defender Manual, it merely states...Ethylene Glycol, BUT..which one. The colour in his expansion tank at the moment is almost Orange, ... In my Series 2A i use Ethylene Glycol,.. BLUE. I know that Antifreeze should not be mixed, that's a no no, but just which Antifreeze to use on his Defender is a little ambiguous. ..................................................................................................... The previous owner had fitted a brand new intercooler, which is huge, to aid the Turbo, which probably has nothing to do with it, (I'm not into Turbo's, mapping etc etc, mines a straight 2.5 N/A Diesel). Nick's motor, when driving to work, ( motorway ), sits quite low on the temp gauge but around town sits on the normal level. I'm of the opinion that, maybe his thermostat needs replacing, because it's quite cool in winter on the motorway for him. I would have thought and expected, that the motor would have been warmer inside with the heaters on full. ( I have driven it at weekends and it is cool inside). The Land Rover was really well looked after by the previous owner with everything replaced with new parts, fantastic condition and certainly the best i've seen at the price. But,.. which Antifreeze to use, and a decent one at that, does the colour indicate the type. There's Red, Blue Green, but which Ethylene Glycol, it doesn't state in the manual. Any help would be much appreciated guys. Cheers Dave.

Hi Nick, Errr, the pump i was shown was the 19J but he said the internals, which must be addressed, was exactly the same. With the pump on the work bench, it was certainly a lot easier to see the part he mentioned as he was shining a small but very powerful beam into the opening. As the pump end was turned ( very slowly) the V notch, came into view.It was a BLACK colour in the V part of the shaft. Very easy to see ON THE BENCH!!. However as you know, it CAN'T be seen with the pump in situ, ..unfortunately. Now,..my drill bit timing pin, when inserted, pointed at a downward angle of about 25 degrees, which, was where i believed must be at the correct resting place because the pump seemed to lock up. It was explained to me by Mick, the Diesel guy who said, " Mmm, i can see where youv'e gone wrong Dave, because as a matter of fact ,..the V is catching the drill bit TOO LOW, AND TRAPPING IT which is why the drill bit is pointing down at an angle. Giving the illusion, that the correct timing point has been achieved, when in fact Dave, your probably a tooth out ". HOWEVER...even with the correct timing pin, you have to be VERY careful with the pump when turning it because the timing pin can and will,.. suddenly jump out of it's resting place because of the very nature of the shape of the pin and the V into which it rests. Even with his professional pin, it jumped. But it only rests into the V and drops in by 1mm tops, I'm learning soooo much from all my mistakes, but that's the main thing, I'm learning. There's lots of ways to get it wrong, and one way of getting it right.........i'm just taking the long route Nick, but i appreciate your help. MAVERICK, Cheers for that mate. Yep, i am getting there and when it's done, she should sound spot on.The subtle changes required can be a real pain to achieve but it is learning curve when your not familiar or had experience in dealing with these problems before. I will get there Mav. Cheers guys.

Ok, this is for anyone else, who, ...may have done, what i have obviously done. By which i mean,..made a bit of a mess of things ( Timing Wise ) with the Diesel fuel pump. Although,.to be fair, i don't feel totally to blame. Let me explain further !!!. So,..having sorted out everything else with the motor and only just got the cylinder head re/fitted, my next job was to put everything back together, AS YOU DO. After turning the engine over untill the battery was almost flat,..she started. However..she sounded a bit rough so double and triple checked everything again but ..nope, still sounds rough. Engine giving the occasional cough but running lumpy. Mmm i thought..timing ???. So, removed the flywheel spyhole nut and turned the crankshaft clockwise until the timing groove on the flywheel was visible..Then placed the locking tool in situ. The engine is now at TDC. Slackened all Diesel pump nuts, 3 off and also the injector pipes. Now to turn the fuel pump to what i thought was the original mark, ( Got that wrong, but,.. more to that in a moment ). Inserted long ish, drill bit as a timing pin and thought i had found the the exact point at which the timing pin engages, by this i mean,..the drill bit slid in by a good inch. Perfect i thought. To cut a long story short....i was so so wrong!!!!!.The engine still spluttered and coughed and although she runs very very well once warmed up, she's a bit of a devil to start in the mornings. So,...my son brought me round his timing kit to borrow. I then tried his proper timing pin, it wouldn't fit properly even though it would screw in, it wouldn't locate. That's odd , i thought???. Something is very wrong here, i thought. After reading other threads regarding this issue, i was sure i was doing it correctly. So,, i decided to give Sheaf Diesel a call in Sheffield and spoke to a guy who was VERY helpful. He told me to pop down and he would show me what to look for. I was gobsmacked when he showed me. He used his timing pin, and turned the pump SLOWLY, on the bench until the spring loaded pin dropped into place.......by 1mm for gods sake, THAT'S ALL!! 1MM. It only just pops in,...... blink and you've missed it. When i explained my method, he said Ooo i know what you've done Dave. You've actually just missed it with the drill bit and bounced off which could mean, your'e probably a tooth off. Which also means....you will more than likely have to remove the timing belt and start again, but she will will run lovely Dave. Mmmm, i thought,..Off comes the front end ..AGAIN!!!. .....And snow is forecast. Can not believe this. If anyone else has done this.....I would love to hear about it. To be honest,.. and in my defence,.... i was under the impression, that, the timing pin actually slipped into an actual hole that was drilled either half way or all the way through the injector stem, thus locking it into place. However, it would appear , that, the actual shaft is almost a pyramid shaped hole or a( V ) SHAPE,.. That's what they showed me at Sheaf Diesel,.. yet the timing pin is round, so the pin does not go all the way into the hole, because of the sidewalls of the V. So if anyone else has tried this and the engine still runs rough, after timing it up with a drill bit, then this is probably why. We live and learn. All the best guys Dave.

Hi guys, been at my other halfs this weekend so only just seen the new reply's. I did come across a glass filter / inspection housing, Ebay number / item number , 322122850251 £7.oo ish but as you guys have pointed out, if i drain the tap every now and again, then, i shouldn't have any problems. The hardest part is keeping the tank filled up, especially as Xmas is knocking at the door. More expense!!!!!.

I believe it was called..Project Golden Rod. 1966.

secondjeremy Eh up mate. Yea i've removed that on many occasions when changing the filter, i was just thinking that, with the glass bottom, you can see any water present or maybe particles which can't be seen with the aluminium bottom housing. To be fair Jeremy, i do change the filters about 4 times a year, and the oil to keep the engine running sweet. I have also been reading on other forums , where some members, have the glass fitted to the Diesel lift pump but they have had problems with a rubber diaphragm thats fitted as part of that unit. and decided to fit the same lift pump that i myself use, (Delphi) which has no glass bowl. I was just thinking of it being a visual aid to any water or collected bits of crud.

Gazzar Which is why my diesel gets an occasional shot of jayes fluid. Stops the diesel bug. .......................................................................................................................................................... Really.....The last time i saw this used was decades ago,,,,by my Mum. She used to pour it into the outside drains. Must be 40+ years ago. I have also been looking into the Wynns stuff. There are water traps available on the bay of evil, that fits on the bottom of my diesel filter, which maybe worth looking at. About £8. The fungal debate is very interesting. Does anyone else use one of these water traps on their series landy's, is one really needed for uk Diesel or could this just be me being paranoid.

Very very interesting that. I only wish i could afford to keep the tank full !!. Also this mention of, ( Fungal Growth ) as described by Nick. I have have treated fungal like slime in the bottom of windscreen washer bottles causing the washers to fail because of the blockage. I've always treated that with boiling hot water from the kettle and adding bleach, then rinse, job done. but never fungal problems in Diesel tanks. Fungal problems in water is usually associated with poorly maintained air conditioning units, with the added medical complications of legionnaire's disease. So all in all, this is very interesting to learn that diesel tanks can produce a fungal growth.

Wow..i'm afraid chemistry was never my strong point. This could be an interesting read. Does this mean ...as in fumes. It 's a little confusing. Same as the so called ( Boiling point of brake fluid ), I once tried DOT 5 in my motor and it cost me dearly as it rotted the seals, an expensive and time consuming mistake.

Mmm, i can see what you mean and i suppose that if i were living in a country with poor fuel , then it may well make sense. Never seen these on uk Mercs, BMW, or any other uk car to be honest. I guess our regulations must be more stringent....which is why we pay more.

Nice to hear from you again Nick, hope your ok. Hmm, well you learn something every day!. Mine is just a Delphi lift pump, no glass bowl,.

This is nothing more than idle curiosity. When my 2.5 N/A Diesel started running rough, before it was finally cured, i read an article, following someones idea, that, there might be water in the diesel filter, which i then checked. Thankfully, there was nothing present. My questions are these,.... why/ how does this happen and does it happen with petrol........ and also,...If this can happen in the fuel tank /filter, then what about the petrol stations all over the country. Surely this could be a bit dodgy with the amount of fuel we all buy annually, How much water is in the petrol station tanks that we are buying as diesel. Also.. is their a way of removing it from your fuel tanks. As i said,..this is just an idle thought.....pondering, as one does.

Monkie, Yeh, thank god. I've already spent a few bob on the motor not to mention the hours of work. Having to work on the driveway all the time can be a little annoying as i don't have a garage. Gazar's garage above, looks huge. You can always guarantee that every time i have a problem....it rains !!!. This time , however, only cost me time.