roamingyak

The bearings are shot on my Upper Steering column, so I have a new one to replace it. I have the Haynes manual, had a read through, seems easy enough, I've replaced the dash units before so know how to remove them. Before I rip it apart, is there anything I should know? Any parts I'll need to replace? Any tips that make it easier or better etc?

I'd add I love this kit, I'm mostly in hot areas, so it stops a lot of heat coming into the cab. For the biggest sound differences: - first seal EVERY tiny or large hole coming into the cab, so for example use dum dum or silicon around the floor panels, the gearbox tunnel joins etc etc. Literally anywhere you could poke a toothpick through. On a dark night shine a torch through each potential gap and see what comes out the other side This will make a good difference, if it doesn't make sense, find a room next to a busy road, then open the window just a fraction and notice how much noise comes in. - recognise that if there is maybe 3-4 times too much noise in your cab, this matting is helping to block 1-2 of these noise sources, you still need to work on the others like the load area in the back, roof, door seals etc

When your not using the landy, just lift the floor matting and place a large rock under it on each footwell, then air can get in and dry it out. Been doing it for years, works well enough.

My 75 year old Portuguese neighbour has been a panel beater all of his life, he threw my fancy purpose bought tool aside and used a flat headed screw driver, both done in 15 minutes! Best if you have two people, one on the inside to stop the glass falling in and offering guidance etc

Nothing much to do work wise this year, so started filming for a youtube series, which has now morphed into 4 series. Been fun filming it, been up very crazy tracks in Namibia, but not sure if I'll ever end up editing it all, lets see... Spent 3.5 months in Etosha National Park all alone which was quite unique... but the roads are brutally corrugated....

With respect I seem to be proving your wrong on a daily basis 😜

I buy all of my Landy oils from the UK and have it delivered in Portugal, no problem, comes by truck so takes 4-5 days. Bought from these guys. few times: https://www.eurocarparts.com/search/MTF "We are now able to offer flat rate delivery charges to most European Countries. Unless specified below, our flat rate delivery charges exclude any import taxes, charges, duties or clearance costs and we shall not be liable for such sums." France: £4.95 in 3 days Though with Brexit I think its all going to be stopped or silly import fee's so can't do it any more...

I have a 1991 Defender that was built in 1990 as a n/a and has a 36 spline upper steering column. The correct replacement part for the Upper Steering Column is listed as NRC7635, but this seems mostly unavailable, certainly in Southern Africa and on lrdirect and lrworkshop. It seems that QMB101620 is a newer part number for the same shaft that is used in newer Defenders, but LR don't list it as a superseded part number when you search for NRC7635 it seems? If I buy QMB101620 will it fit perfectly please?

Update: I've done 32,000km mostly on extremely rocky and difficult terrain since putting in the 'Allmakes rebuilt in the UK' front diff and Hardy Spicer shafts, plus complete rebuilt of each axle end, and all is well diff wise 😉 Which is good as in those km's I have been through two fuel tanks (baffle spot welds pop), transfer box rebuild (intermediate shaft bearing seized to the shaft), disintegration of front radius arm bushes (genuine LR), broken rear Koni shock (first time in 300,000 African km), cracked aluminium radiator (knackered, under warranty), replaced upper steering joints and upper shaft, replaced a front hub seal, replaced a gear box mounting, retightened the exhaust to the Turbo 3 times, destroyed two tyres with sidewall punctures, tightened about 30 bolts/jubilee clips and replaced a lower Y coolant hose on the side of a very steep track. It's a fudging hard place on vehicles even though I drive very carefully.

I’m sick of replacing these, always use genuine, but they go quickly, every 3 years or so. Does anybody do silicone replacements?

My 2006 TD5 front axle needs new discs, part number FTC902 or now LR017952. However I’m in Namibia and I can’t get these. They do have Delphi and Bosch stockists, but they can’t use Landy part numbers to order and are a bit clueless about landies. Can anybody supply the Delphi or Bosch equivalent parts numbers please?

Given the fundamental nature of the parts I take the view to replace the whole lot and build the axle 'as new' given that my life can depend on it and the costs are in the hundreds rather than the thousands to do so. I'm in a different continent to the vehicle so I need to make a plan remotely and organise to execute it when visiting. 😉 Inspection will show how badly it is damaged, many or all of the components will need replacing etc - easier for risk and piece of mind to replace with a complete new unit rather than pay for costs or repairs to existing and hope its done as well as the new unit will be. (It was pretty serious metal crunching at the time, and driven for 200km with a metal grinding sound before half shafts were removed, then driven for 1,000km etc). Air courier fee for shipping the parts will be in the high hundreds of £££'s, so need to ship the parts via boat which takes 6 weeks so can't be done when down there (as I'd have to stay 7 weeks at least). ie: things get complicated. Standard half shafts have already been paid for and delivered as they needed replacing to stop a leak on the axle end (apparently). Because of this I'm less interested in diff upgrades that require other components being upgraded. It's also good to stay fairly stock/standard as getting nonstandard parts to remoter parts of the world still remains hugely problematic or you end up in a chain effect of reliance for repairs down the road etc. As a general rule I either compliment (ie: add a Kenlowe fan to compliment the existing engine fan) or replace a standard part with something proven to be better thats fairly standard (ie: LT77 replaced with stumpy R380). Aware of the axle upgrades mentioned above, thanks for those, good to make me think of other options, other examples shown below, but these are best done when back in Europe not parked up in Africa with huge shipping and customs charges etc, and as mentioned it just push's the stress to other components. Having your diff explode is better than your gearbox when in the middle of the Sahara 800km from the nearest village 😜 https://www.roamingtheoutback.com/2018/07/defender-10-to-24-spline-axle-conversion-detroit-truetrac/

Thanks, understood, and mostly agreed, but it did manage 250,000km on that axle, mostly in Africa so its not like its an instant failure with stock parts. Will be a while before the repair is started, got to decide on a plan, buy/ship parts etc... I will replace the whole centre piece, new half shafts, assess other damage when apart, replace as new. then hopefully get another 250,000km from it

To finish the thread nicely, I completed a 27,000km trip from Cape Town to Lake Tanganyika in Tanzania and back without any LR wiring issues at all. I tried to drive exclusively on tracks and was about 70% successful. It was the dry season so the tracks were very hard and usually a lot of corrugations. At the end of the trip there appeared to be no wiring damage (chaffing etc) and all points seemed well connected still so really happy with the time and expense taken to change all 4 looms. On the non LR wiring side of things everything went really well too, the C-Tek system just did its thing, solar panel allowed unlimited fridge/assecories running if parked in the sun, batteries ran out after 5.5 days if I parked under a huge tree in the shade all day. The only failure/issues were: - the low coolent alarm, it kept going off, drove me mad, changed the detection bolt sticking into the radiator to a longer one, bleed the system repeatedly etc etc. In the end I just unplugged it. Either it was faulty or the wiring caused an issue as there was no air in the system or it was imposable to remove it. - subwoofer and amp developed some feedback/static in a few circumstances, didn't have time to look into it yet etc So again, many thanks to all of those who you who helped an electrical idiot completely rewire his Landy from scratch without it exploding!!

Thanks, I'll bounce this off my mechanic - gearbox and transfer box are Ashcroft so I kind of trust them 😜

Thanks, a bit too expensive to ship all of that down to Africa and pay import duties etc etc (Plus I already have purchased the half shafts)

Thanks all, Thanks. My (uneducated) theory is to use 'gentle all terrain' tyres so that the tyre will slip and release tension, as opposed to breaking parts internally. ie making the tyre the weakest part of the chain. You then drive within the limit so of what you know your vehicle can handle etc (as a solo overlander I'm rarely in a rush, if something looks too crazy, I just turn around when possible or spend time engineering a better situation (ramp/bridge etc)

My 2006 TD5 front Differential (on a 1991 200TDI etc) packed up in the Namibian desert which was annoying to say the least 😉 (I came down an extremely rough track in low range 1st gear, very very slowly, but crazy bunny hopping bouncing around that was hard to control. At the bottom I turned a corner, went to change into 3rd gear to go up a slight slope - huge metal slamming sound as I accelerated - similar to when it falls out of gear. Huge metal crunching sounds if I tried to drive, no power. Removed the propshaft, drove for 2 days at 10km p/h to a lodge and removed the half shafts, then drove back to civilisation. Oh well, she lasted 300,000km from new in Africa in heat and loaded, so thats not bad I guess....) So whats the best option to fix her? I have ordered some new half shafts, but Diff wise is a standard LR replacement best, or do Ashcroft etc do something better? I have a very competent Landy specialist mechanic to help me, he can rebuild or replace, whichever has that magic combination of being being the most reliable, easiest and cheapest Thanks in advance!

Try this? https://www.lrworkshop.com/axles-differentials/axlecodes

Hi, Can somebody kindly tell me what the name of this hose pipe on a 200TDI Defender is please and its part number? Thanks in advance

And the channel that runs across the roof. I dont care much, but thought others might. Believe you can paint over it to stop this from happening?

As mentioned above, this is my side channels after lots of rains in South Africa this month... as I found them, then after 5 seconds with a rag.... seems to be moss type junk...

Worth noting, the Sikaflex that Brett/roamingtheoutback uses collects dust, my gutters look terrible (white roof, white sikaflex) all dust stained brown, cross roof seals not too bad... you can’t wash it off etc Ill take a picture tomorrow so nobody gets an nasty surprises. On the plus side, after 2 weeks of rain in South Africa I still lovely and dry on the inside of the Landy 😁

I’d like to increase my idle speed and then return it to its original setting. How do I do this please?

I have had one fitted for about 12 years, no thermostat fitted, 150,000km in Africa etc. Never caused a problem, gearbox seems fine, no idea if oil ever goes into it or not 🤣