Giles

Since we're talking seals... (Defender 20tdi) I got fed up with driving around with doors half closed (half open?). Took both (destroyed, 30-y/o) seals out and checked/replaced the striker plates, oiled the catches and made sure that both would click onto one then two without too much force. Then reattached strikers to the body and filed out the holes where needed until i was happy with door closing, still without the seals. Now for the innovation.... I have a 2-door defender and am using trimmed-down middle-door seals from a 2000 Ford Galaxy/VW Alhambra. Cost me 0€ and seal perfectly.... Obviously, if you're a Defender2 type then this won't help you, but if you're looking for cheap and cheerful solutions, it's a winner

It does look like a nice even gap - I'd probably go for a nice piece of drilled 6mm-ish plate to pack it out

Yes - it also features age-related extra lightness in places Although no rear wheel holder, the three holes are covered with a 2mm plate - I'm guesstimating that this amounts to roughly the same...

The pre-02 rear with no door card or spare wheel holder in my other hand weighs 17.kg hth

very enlightening post; thanks monkie

(keeping the thread going !) 200tdi defender: recently lost the indicators, with trailer telltale on the dash always on but no hazards or indicators. Cure: the earth in the flasher relay block had wiggled free, once refitted everything worked again.... hth

Ive done that too: better for fault-finding, fewer sharp edges, easier to alter/modify, etc etc. What's not to like?

Never fun is it? I'd try - maybe you have - removing, cleaning and resecuring the battery connections and the main earth to block connections (side of gearbox?? another one???). Just a thought

Hi, I THINK the Bosch no. is " 0 986 478 824" and Delphi is "BG2612" see what an adult says? cheers

Yea nice work... About sensing reservoir caps, they are (happily) the same on pretty much everything I've tried so far from peugeot, citroen ford and mercedes (passenger + heavy goods) from the 80s-90s ; all of 'em fit defender brake reservoirs

For the earthing, if you can''t find freelander bits, some (all?) peugeots (& other french cars?) of the 80s-90s use 8-way/10-way bolt-on earthing blocks at each corner. Here's a random picture pulled off the internet: https://www.tprneso.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=229842 Take care

Bonjour, "Tête à bride, m10 x 30" ; un truc banale je dirai cheers

Hi Marc, A tad OT but who do you order from? landypoint? Merci bien !

I think (I've only done it once) that basically you have to rebuild from the back to the front, so you'd adjust the bulkhead once the back body is back on; using washers with slits is a great way to finetune adustment without taking the long bolt i and out all the bleedin time. Don't over-think it and remember it's built to the nearest centimetre or two

I find that's the way to go...you'll get it done, no worries

My thermotop came out of an Audi A8 that ended up in a nearby field ;)... (if you stumble on one of these, the pesky fuel pump is inside the righthand rear wheel arch liner). As everybody says, there's all you need to know to get them running on t'internet

If you undo the master cylinder and gently move it out the way, can you see if it's possible to adjust the rod (don't know the right word) on the servo that contacts with the plunger in the master cylinder. Many of them, I think, have a little nut arrangement on the end to adjust relative distance between the two components - it can be quite stiff, which is a good thing! If possible, a few turns to lengthen the rod might be all you need Buena suerte

Just to close this - the master cylinder was sticking. I haven't opened it up to look at why cos I found a branded boxed new one for sale 30 mins from here, so all good now. I blew out the flexis just to check - all good there. Cheers

Thanks people, I havent had a chance to recover it home to sort as I've been caught up in another unrelated engine swap ... and its HOT outside. Anything (water, master cylinder, flexi) is possible: I've an open mind and will post up as soon as I know in case it ever helps anybody in the future...

Thanks guys - I'm feeling less fed up this morning. Mr Hip: it's both wheels. Mike: that's exactly what I'm thinking - my money's on the master not returning... Cheers

Hi, I've just walked 90 minutes home, leaving the 110 parked up. Although these event may not be linked, here's what's happened: a while back a steel line to a front caliper got mashed so I hammered it over to stop the leak and thought 'better deal with that soon' cos 3 amigos good, 3 brakes less so. Last week I fixed it and had to re-bleed a little but there was clearly summit else wrong. Very hard to get any brake fluid from the front nipples and the servo started making a big hiss every time the pedal was pressed. Drove around for a few days with no assistance, decided all was well with brakes at wheels but needed a servo, which I ordered but do not have yet (lrdirect?, not so much...). Anyway, tonight the front brakes are suddenly binding so severely that the heat build-up/expansion makes it undriveable - I had to use low range to get it safely off the road, it would no longer drive in high. So, I guess I need to add a master cylinder to the shopping list? Surely there's no other possibility...???? BUT I'd be interested to hear if anybody's has a similar tale, cos I've had brakes fail 'off' before, but never 'on'. Or am I missing something ? Cheers

Great end shot (and result) - worthy of your patience, endurance, idiocy? and fast-acquired skills ! Good luck with the w123 vacuum

I've also had plenty of luck fiddling/checking/removing temporarily the return when restarting 'old' diesel engines. For all that high pressure stuff, it's amazing (to me) how easily a low-pressure blockage can stop an engine dead.

I've had trouble with in the past with pipes from pump to injector on other (similar!) vehicles/engines: for me, it was always loose/missing/badly positioned clamps (or non-standard pipes made up on the bench) that led to the vibrations bodumatau refers to splitting the pipes.

I'm a poor field mechanic and have never owned a torque wrench, but that nut is certainly effin' tight - that's where the flange lock tool (nicer than the one I made btw) comes in; I think you'd struggle without one.