Nonimouse

That's brilliant, thank you both, very much

My family searched for my Great great uncle for almost 100 years. It became a family tradition. My holidays, as a kid, then growing up, all the way through to know have always involved a visit to a CWC site. Over the lst 25 years a lot of those have been the single graves, or small groups in churchyards - even here in my own village. A quick tidy, a moment of reflection, a record in my memory. We found him in the end, by the way

Bilstien 5100 shocks, to fit a D1? All the old suppliers are only selling B4's or B6's Also, I know OME shocks got a bit carp a few years back, after manufacturing moved to China, have they improved?

Then take the little coast road along through La Touquet* (cool place) down to L'Havre, cross the Seine on the A29 at Harfleur, to Honfleur, down through Liseux and then onto the A28. Badaboom badabee * some big funky chunks of concrete If you cut accross to Abbeville. you could nip over to the CWG site at Eucourt Sur Somme and pay respect to the the three young lads who lie together, since 1940. One still uknown. Sadly no one else does** **sort of hobby of mine. We all waffle on about 'not forgetting' around 11th November time. Then promptly forget a little while later

Just a word to the wise (and becuase this is one of 'my' roads). If you drive through a 'Road Closed' sign, where the road is closed due to adverse weather conditions, such as snow or floods, your insurance is invalid. The same goes where a road is closed, with no access for anyone (Hard Closure). If the road is closed but allows for access (Soft Closure) and you have reason for access, then your insurance is valid. And under the ROad Traffic Act 1980, you have comitted a crime So, basically, you are entering an emergency works zone (ETTRO - emergency temporary traffic restriction order) and there will be a high chance of workforce, plant, ploughs, gritters workinging in that area, who havent allowed for non approved vehicles as compared to vehicles marked to Chapter Eight, with airwaves, etc)... The A30 uses 18 and 22 tonne gritters, travelling at speed, with big bits of steel on the front, to mount ploughs to. They make a mess. I know most folk on here are pretty sensible, but we still have to padlock the snow gates on the A303, and folk still bolt crop them off.

Sure it wasn't the high sulphur diesel?

Also the second sump. Cheaper servicing leads to the second sump not being emptied, and that's where the turbos pick up the oil

You could stich it Getting a block 2nd hand wouldn't be too difficult, Railswood Tractors generally have Dexta 3.152 blocks

Loads of nice routes round Rouen. Are you landing in Dieppe or L' Havre? Ive noticed the Dieppe ferry is proper cheap this year, If you go from New Haven I go through Beauvais to Soissons - but I have a duty to undertake at Vauxbuin, just outside Soissons. One that involves flowers and lots of deep thought If you are going to Le Mans, take the bridge at Rives En Seine then jump on the A28 (if coming from Dieppe)

I'm seriously thinking of buying the BOB headlight conversion, so I can run 7" rounds. If I do, I will fit LED headlamps

Do what I did, buy a complete car in Spain

Hi Nick, no I don't believe I did, although my memory is getting poor

Always rated the old Mile Marker as a decent bit of kit, with the right pump

Let's agree to disagree then. Like you I have spent most of my 40 odd years off off tarmac driving, on factory size. All this on six of the seven continents. I stick by what I say. But everyone drives differently, everyone handles the vehicle diffently, inputs throttle differently. One of the worst habits with an unlocked cross axle diff is to treat it like a two wheel drive car on tarmac, and increase the power, but with most drivers it's a natural response. Off tarmac, that results in holes. Off tarmac you need to be ready to either 'give it beans' or 'back right off' and that's a good skill aquired. Round where I live now, it's vital, as there is no geological resistance until you hit 370-400'; break the crust and you lose the vehicle or machine, permanently. Makes for understanding throttle input

Yes. The various gear boxes fit (with minor mods) the Gen one and two G Wagen. In fact the low first Hi fifth is the Bundesweir spec for the early NAD military G's

Reminds me of the good old days of forums

Some interesting comments above On standard width tyres, a cross axle locker, in most silty/sandy/loose mud will get two holes instead of one. You need width for floatation and low weight. It's the kind of mud you will get stuck in. Use aggressive tyres and you just go deeper. Air down to 20psi and uses reasonable momentum. Enough to overcome the resistance of the diff pumkins against the centre of the ruts, but not driving like you stole it. Except that you are going to lose forward momentum and when you do, stop and reverse back, don't sit and dig. Look for witness marks of previosu vehicles. Walking might take time, but sometimes there's no option. Strength/reliability is in the hands of the driver. The standard set up is fine, unless you drive hard. Use vehicle sympathy, this isin't a competation of a photoshoot

I run a Borg and Beck standard 200tdi clutch. My 200Tdi is running about 70ft/lb more than standard and I regularly tow all up. It's been in since 2014. I have had the flywheel re-faced when I fitted it, becuase the previous clutch plate was fitted backwards! Borg and Beck is now Valeo, or the other way round. In 11 vehicles, with 12 200tdi engines, I've only ever fitted the 130 clutch once. All the others were standard 200 tdi/LT77 clutches

I made an electric engagement for the CDL on an RRC. Just used a small motor and a worm, and about three days of phaffing about

It was an option over here, but truly awful. I have the back plate and everything bar the cables/selector. The Autobox I have is an unknown quantiy though

And most of the upgrades aimed at improving those issues are potentially illegal

Did you service the winch every three months? If not, thats why it failed. There isn't a winch on the market that's designed to take on Africa - even those that were, like the X9 or the Husky needed help However, I agree with you about the real world usefullness of one. I always found, that when travelling in remote areas, there was always someone who would come along and help. I took a Honda XL600LMF to Cape Town, about thirty years ago. I took the westcoast route and hit the Congo in a late rainy season. I would get stuck 50 of times a day, with a bike that weighed 155kgs dry. Every time I thought I couldn't go on, some helpful soul would turn up. Restored my faith in human kind and is a memory I treasure. Fitting a locker will get you stuck more often and will make it more difficult to recover as you will be stuck 'better' Look at weight distribution in the vehicle (possibly a reason for the axle failure) and use the articulaltion to your advantage. Pick your routes carefully. As for the axle, there will be a Land Rover breaker in every country in Africa. Grab a drum braked axle and use your exisiting axle parts to convert it to disc brake - or be radical, just fit a drum braked axle and learn to maintain drum brakes. Good luck

But Traffic aren't interested in this unless an incident has occured or has been caused by a modification to a vehicle that breaks C&U Classic example is dynamic roof load weights, another is protruding tyres. Back in 2006, near Dunster, a local farmer pulled out of a field, in his LR 90, as he went down the road, parallel to a footpath, a lump of mud form his flicked off and hit a child, cycling with it's mother, long said path. The child fell off the bike and broke it's arm. The incident was reported to the police. The LR 90 had no mud flaps ( a legal requirement under C&U) but the driver was arrested and prosecuted for Driving without due care and attention, not for having an un roadworthy vehicle. I use this an example of 'vehicle prep, prior to returning to the road' to every one of the people I have on a course. You are unlikely to get pulled unless you are a nusance or you hurt somebody. Too few coppers, too many cars

Theres an option with just a super low first and an overdrive fifth - no low ratio. A lot of utility 2wd sprinters were fitted with rear difflocks .

Defiently doesn't make you a fool