reb78

I have a smaller crack in a similar place. At some point, i was planning to take out and re-cover that whole top section (when it gets bad enough).

Nice. How deep is that head unit Neil? I am tempted by something like this.

Buy it Ed. I keep looking at cars I regret not buying and keeping or, even worse, those that I have got rid of but should have kept! If you dont take it, let me know what they might be after!!

It doesnt collapse in a heap because the brake switch throws a wobbly. The brake lights just stop working when you press the pedal.

The thing that always puts me off of bothering with the master is the spanner access at the back of the master. It just takes ages to faff with those two bolts that hold it to the pedal pivot! I cant find an obvious fault - no leaks at all. Could this just be a one off as also experienced by Ralph?

The brake light switch on the D3 is a thing of stupidity - i believe (someone knowledgeable can correct the technicalities if they are incorrect) the ABS signals somehow run through it, but it isn't man enough for the job, so the contacts burn out, so when you put your foot down, you get an ABS error that causes the suspension to drop to the bump stops, acceleration is near impossible, speed drops off and is limited to 50. I never managed to maintain 50 mph when mine went - you wouldn't want to on the bump stops anyway, but its downright dangerous if it happens on a dual carriageway or motorway in amongst fast moving traffic. You can also get the same error if a brake light bulb has gone!! This is the kind of thing they should be looking to avoid (surely it is easily avoidable with some sensible thought), but undoubtedly will introduce more of these wonderful unnecessary tweaks....

I cant beleive the prices of secondhand transporters (and new ones for that matter). My mates have just had a transit converted to a camper - the transporter wasnt an option really because of price. VW just play (succesfully) on the camper van heritage. I guess thats what LR are trying to do.

Thanks Filip - its that last sentence that I worry about as it is hardest to diagnose. Leaks should be obvious if I look hard enough. It was raining earlier so I havent checked it but did 40 miles this morning and its currently behaving.

How do you tell the difference between a failed master and failed slave cylinder. I know many say to replace both at the same time, but I am curious at how you distinguish the difference? A leak is (well can be) obvious, but if one fails internally, what are the different signs between the two? I think I must have had three slaves to one master cylinder - in fact I am not even sure I have ever changed the master in the 12 years it has been my daily driver , I don't know if mum ever had it done in the 18 or so years she used it daily! I will give it a thorough check over.

15 psi is fine on that bleeder. It must just be weak plastic. I think i have used 25psi on mine when i just let a little air out if the front tyre and hooked it up to that! My brake fluid reservoir will be about the same age as yours Phil so maybe I will be more careful in future!

Thanks Ralph. Will give that a go. Hope thats all it was. Its a 300tdi/td5 pedal on a 200tdi with a stumpy r380 just in case any of thats important!

Just took the horse trailer round the fields to collect some large tree branches that had fallen the wrong way when cutting. The field is quite steep and i had to reverse the trailer a short way up it. This inevitably meant riding the clutch a little with revs - nothing major that I havent done before. I should have stuck it in low range and ridden the clutch less but was being lazy. As I came off of the clutch fully, the pedal felt funny and it didnt return up fully. I just hooked my toe under and pulled it up. Pumped it once and after that it behaved fine for the rest of the evening (several more trailer loads dragged round to the yard). Any thoughts?

There's nothing wrong with air but let's hope they keep it simple. A switch for 3\4 heights instead of five ECU's placed where they will get wet and fail... Air on the D2 and D3 is nice IME especially if you tow. Perhaps build in a failsafe (the mod for the D2 is just a Schrader valve after all!!). It does add an additional long term service item though - many recommended replacing air bags every five years or so before they fail (certainly on the D2). IME you can push this but they will go at some point. Ditch the other unnecessary carp like electric handbrakes - FFS what's wrong with a lever?! I look at the one in the d3 and just wonder why on earth they thought that load of plastic (even some of the drive mechanism is plastic) was a good idea!

Haha^^^ that sums it up Bowie!

I still wont be able to afford one so these are all moot points to me!

That's why i would contact them too ^^^

This is a great project - I am quite jealous! I've said it before but I loved the one we had when we were in the US for a couple of weeks. I would have one in a flash if I could persuade the other half! I wonder if one of the good things that might come out of Brexit could be more of these American trucks over here, at lower prices with easier parts to find?! Even a RHD setup over time perhaps.

My 200tdi is all good then. 4 hours of fairly hard motorway work twice a week.

Good luck even getting Island 4x4 to respond when the part fails.... let alone get a refund... dreadful company...

Well thats good to hear. Is the alternator branded?

But it is from Britpart so provably a load of buggering about getting it to work? Have you used one?

Thats a weird setup isnt it? On the defender the alternator piviots to tension the belt that also goes round the waterpump pulley. I didnt realise it was that different on the disco?

Oh gosh, just use ATF on that, no need for the expensive stuff. Yours will have as much of the old stuff in as my disco and its been like that for about 6 years. Just fill it up.

On the disco, I kinda flushed mine but there will still be a bit of both in there. If you fill whilst you are running and catch the return you more or less flush it through....

For the output seal on the LT77 the OP probably has you are supposed to pull the collar on the output shaft, remove and replace the seal and then refit the collar. But can be done on the vehicle. Input seal, intermediate shaft and the lower bolt on the transfer box could also all leak at that point so it could be one of them.