iron_city

Hello all, we have a 1988 LHD Defender 90. We would like to convert the hard top into a soft top. We would also like to switch to half doors for the sides and rear of the truck. Could you please recommend all that we would need with respect to a full soft top with windows (or a bikini top if needed), half doors, roll cage and other parts we may need to make the switch from hard top to soft top? I did do a search on the forum for soft-top conversions and did find some posts but not any that address switching to half-doors along with a soft top. Thank you in advance for any guidance or help! Thank you! Craig

Thank you @Hawklord

Hello all, I was checking to see if there are LED lights that are a direct replacement for the bulbs in the warning lamp cluster? And if not, can someone please tell me what I should search on to find general replacement bulbs for the warning lamp cluster. Thank you!

Got it, thanks again @Mossberg as I sent my first reply before I saw your last one. Good idea to give the engine and tranny a good cleaning to help identify where the leak is coming from.

thank you @Mossberg 🙏! I've never even heard of wading plugs before. I'm guessing those unplugged holes are not the source of the oil leak too?

Hello, I was under our Defender today (I seem to be there a lot lately). I noticed some threaded holes that were devoid of what looks like should be bolts in there. One is at the bottom front of the engine just behind the pulley, and the second is near the front of the transmission and the third and forth and near the back of the transmission. I also have a pretty decent oil leak that seems to be coming from the oil pan and somewhere around the transmission. If someone has any thoughts if these holes should actually contain bolts, and by chance any thought on how best to mitigate the oil leaking would be really appreciated. Kind of hoping it might be as simple as a new oil pan gasket.

thank you for all of the thoughts on this. I will look to see if I can find a cowl and then reinstall the fan

@steve b yes, reverse is left and then up

thank you @fmmv! @Peaklander I agree, the engine does seem to sit way back in the bay. The gearshifter does appear to be in the original position and I took a photo of the underside of the truck in case that helps as well

The fan is now removed. Luckily I had a slim 32mm wrench still lying around that I had used to tighten a bicycle head set about 35 years ago... (posting a pic of the wrench in case in helps out someone else). Thank you all again for your help!

any advice on how to actually get the fan off would be very much appreciated, as all I'm seeing is what looks like a coiled spring and a retainer on the front

thank you @fmmv, I did not know it was reverse thread 🙏

Thank you all again for the help id'ing this engine as a 300TDI. It was suggested to me that it might make sense to remove the fan on the engine (circled in red), as the truck has an electric fan installed. It doesn't seem like the fan on the engine really does anything - except perhaps be poised to cut through a coolant line that the prior owner secured away from the fan with a zip-tie... I wanted to get the groups' opinion if removing the fan on the engine would make sense. Thank you!

oh yes, now I see the "2" on the left, thank you for pointing that out!

thank you @Eightpot. Is this the picture of the engine code?