Mossberg

Thanks Clive, that really is appreciated. May I ask which gauge you went for? Bowie, I am not sure how the water temperature will affect this as this the gauge is more likely to be required in the case of coolant loss due to the water pump position meaning it stops pumping water around, which is a flaw of the 300tdi. I am eager to hear of Clive's experience when he gets the gauge in. I presume his has an adjustable alarm so he can start low and work up. If the gauge goes up in deg C then hopefully a logic can be established for standard use, under load, etc. Cackshifter, I need to investigate my engine to see if it has the EGR sensor in it. I think it will do as i think its a Disco engine in it.

Not really looked at these before but looks interesting!

https://www.adrad.co.uk/prices/prices.php?type=radiator&id=LR817&model=DISCOVERY&make=LAND ROVER I think this is similar to the radiator that was in my 3.9 efi. If you look there are some dimensions on this page.

I want to fit a cylinder head temperature sensor to my 300tdi - something similar to the Engine Watchdog TM1 or 2. I want to monitor the Engine temperature and I find the stock temperature gauge pretty naff. As it's a 300tdi I don't like the fact that coolant loss renders the temperature gauge useless until the engine is cooked and would like to fit a head temperature sensor for peace of mind. So, where is it best to fit the sensor as you fit it to an existing bolt. What is a good location and a safe bolt to use. If anyone already has one successfully fitted then a photo would be great if possible. I already have a low coolant alarm fitted but would prefer to have both. As always, thanks for any help you can give. Best regards Mick

I just managed to pick one up from Lidl in Darwen as its just down the hill from Buckley Brothers and I was picking up bushes for my hockey sticks due to changing my front axle case. I am not sure how many they have in stock as you take an empty cover to the till for them to go and get from the stock room - which they struggled to find!

I had a 1991 3.9 efi. That had an oil cooler in the rad plus a bog-brush cooler too. I think the bog-brush was for the auto box.

Which Lidl store. I have not seen them in my local store or in their leaflets.

Would it be possible to make a tiny galvanising bath? I am not quite sure of the temperature to melt zinc/lead mix, but with a small bath it may be possible. I know people that cast bullet heads and that is lead or a mix, so melting should be possible. The issue with this is moisture on any parts that you dip as when it turns to steam it "explodes" and creates lots of flying very hot bits that you really don't want to be near. I think with precautions and lots of common sense it may be possible. Also, if you make your own galv, you can add a bit more lead so it's the better stuff that used to be produced before the environmental issues became more prevalent - even though better galv means a longer life for the part.

I do agree - buy quality where it is needed. However, what you spend on one tool you can't spend on another, so target your spending. Many times with basic tools I would prefer something that is 30+ years old but in good condition than some of the modern gear. For instance, I recently purchased a vice which I think is about 1950s - it was a bit tatty looking but I knew the quality was far more likely to be better than the ones available new. Cleaned, oiled and painted - still looks used but I am not afraid to use force when tightening. Cheap spanners are a no-no when using on rusty fixings. I have a Kennedy socket set and that 13mm bi-hex socket is a good fit on the brake caliper bolts. I would not be happy using a cheaper socket as they are just too slack and would not want to risk rounding them off.

I notice they have the Ferrex pro brushless stuff in at the moment. I had recently lost my impact driver and was considering getting the ferrex pro as a replacement - but then I found my impact driver. I like a lot of the aldi/Lidl gear as, whilst its not as refined as some of the braided gear, I find it value for money. And it has a 3 year guarantee, which is pretty good. I agree with you on the "why do I want something that will last 20 years" coment too. My sentiment is why buy professional quality when I only do DIY? I have gone the Lidl route as I wanted the impact wrench - its OK but certainly ain't a Milwaukee. Am I happy with it for the price I paid - yes. I also got the drill with 10mm chuck - OK for £20 for a bare unit - a bit underpowered in that it stops if the drill snags (10mm drill through 10mm steel plate) but it did complete the task. The recip saw is OK. I also got the angle grinder which did not have as good a review as the Aldi one. It is not as good as my Bosch corded grinder and initially I was disappointed with it, however I have used it a lot now and I can tolerate its shortfalls for the convenience it gives. As has been said above, you will need to buy batteries and a charger, so consider that when buying. If it was not for the fact i wanted the impact wrench I personally would have purchased the Aldi gear because of the grinder reviews, but only if I wanted to get more gear using the same batteries. It's great having the convenience of cordless tools, but even better when you have an array that uses the same batteries. If you do purchase this, please give us a review when you use it. Just a quick PS. I don't like buying poor quality gear and one thing I would always choose good kit for is drills and grinders as with me they can get some hammer. I always used to go for blue Bosch for grinders as they lasted, bit now the supermarket stuff is so cheap it's almost a consumable. One thing to look for with a grinder is how easy is it to use and operate. I often use a small grinder with one hand and some are not the easiest for one handed operation, so check that out before you buy it. Make sure you can hold and operate with one hand - look at where the switch is.

Thanks Maverik. And with a black top coat

What size drain holes would you recommend. I am thinking it needs to be big enough to let muddy water out without blocking, whilst not compromising the strength.

Done - a bit of a pain in the arse job, but at least fabricating them myself I have saved about £300 for the new chassis fund!!

Why not use rubber blanking grommets? Drill drain, inspection and treatment holes to a size that will suit grommet availability, treat the chassis including the hole and fit the grommets in the holes except the lower drain holes. It nay be worth treating around the holes with a thicker anti corrosion grease before fitting the grommets. I have thought of similar things in the past with particular focus on inspection and cleaning holes. I wondered if you could weld strengthening sections with a bsp taper thread in them at strategic points. My thoughts were that you could have a bigger hole due to the strengthening plate, then fit a 1" bsp plug (which is quite big). I thought of this in the rear crossmember where the chassis rails are as you could take the plug out and jetwash inside - you would want flush fitting plugs so you may want a parallel thread here!

I have tried Aquarust - goes on white then dries a black/blue colour- but to be honest I didn't have too much success. It doesn't work on clean steel, doesn't work on rust that iss too deep, and if you try to clean it up you end up with a mix of too much rust, just right, and too clean! I have some 80% phosphoric acid that I dilute to 40%. I paint this on to clean steel after it has been in the electrolysis tank. It turns the steel a grey colour but I then wire brush and wash it again. I then paint it ASAP to avoid flash rusting. I can't say how well it works as it hasn't been done long enough to prove itself.

How do you use the phosphoric acid?

Well I managed to get the other dumb iron done today, including the lower section. It's fabed up from 80x40x3mm hollow section and a piece of tube to stiffen the jacking point. This is sandwiched between the sides of the original section and welded in. Unfortunately rain stopped play so I still have the lower section to do on the other side. I managed to keep the chassis number which I was keen not to lose.

Ha ha, it certainly was lacking its original strength. Just patching the rot wouldn't have put the strength back in the lower section of the chassis rail. Using box section has put some of this strength back but obviously it is not welded internally, so that will be the weak spot here. It is a difficult place to repair and I have managed to do this whilst only removing the bumper, grill and panel. I used the grinder on the horizontal cuts but had to use the plasma on the vertical cuts etc. The lower part of the chassis rail is the hardest part to get out. It is welded to the dumb iron lower section so it's important to cut the weld off as much as possible. You then have to chisel the lower section out (hence cutting all the weld off!) and I managed to then batter the lower section out due to the amount of corrosion. I cut the lower section of the box section insert to suit what I managed to remove. You don't have to remove the top part of the box section as this sits about 10mm lower than the upper section of the chassis. This adds extra strength to the upper section too - and the box section has a 3mm wall so a good base to weld to. It's not perfect but far stronger than just welding plates in, and also should be good enough to last until I decide to change the chassis. Also, all the repairs I have seen to dumb irons seem to have the rad and wings off - which I didn't want to do!

Thanks Western. My intention is to leave the part with the chassis number in place.

This is a photo of the other side, which will be getting the same treatment tomorrow.

My dumbirons need attention, but I know at some point I will need a new chassis, so don't want to go to the length of replacing them. Some of this is down to cost (I will put the dish in my new chassis fund) but also having to strip the rad out and it's not long had new coolant. So I decided to do a patch up job but wanted it to last for a while, and it needs some attention! I had a look at the various bits of steel I had lying around and found a piece of 3" square box section. This is the same width as the chassis and I could use this to rebuild the rusted section. I measured the chassis and marked it so that the box section would give the correct depth when I include the top section. I cut along the weld on the lower section of the dumb iron then chiselled the old section out. I notched the box section to suit what I had removed from the chassis rail. I drilled the box to mimic the original bumper fixing holes, then butchered some 30x30 box gor strengthening. It's not a perfect solution by any means, but it has put strenght back. I am considering if I rebuild the lower sections or just remove thefront part- I will decide tomorrow! The weld isn't the prettiest, but it's strong enough for this patch-up.

Thanks Nonimouse

Thanks Nonimouse, I appreciate your time coming back to me. You are the first person that has given any kind of timeline of their use and that is reassuring. Do you use it inside the chassis too? Thanks again. Mick

Thanks Nonimouse. May I ask how long you have been using Lanoguard. I like the look of the Lanoguard after I have applied it as I can see the chassis so I can keep an eye on the rust. I am interested in the aircraft wipes as if I do need to clean the chassis to do some work, I don't want the coating contaminating the weld.