smokey_joe

I have fitted a P38 system to my 2a. Mine is a RHD set up which appears very similar to the LHD picture above, I used a slightly more convoluted 10mm plate welded to the outside of the chassis to increase the welded surface area. The bolt pattern of the P38 box positions them above and below the chassis allowing tubes to be welded to the top and bottom and boxed in. There are some pictures of the initial build in my profile. I wanted to avoid cutting into the chassis as I wanted to keep the original front cross-member and dumb ions without modification. The parts used were disco 1 steering column (with the bell end cut off) , unmodified P38 intermediate shaft (Splines fit the disco 1 column), RHD P38 steering box, steering drag link made from series HD solid bar turned down to interference fit inside P38 drag link plug welded along its length, a pair of hydraulic pipes made up by my local agricultural engineers. Ignore the steering bar in the pictures that was just 2 welded together to check the operation in the garage. The series has now been on the road for a couple of months and the P38 box gives excellent steering without any of the series wander and I have had no issues with the tyres contacting the box on the outside of the chassis. I run standard width axles with 235/85`s on modular wheels.

I have a bridging pipe I made up from 2 old cooler pipes using the 2 filter housing connections where I split the crimp connections on the metal pipe which uncovers a pipe with a swage on the end, then cut out a section of the rubber hose and joined the 2 together with jubilee clips. This seems to work fine for running up engines without connecting up to the radiator, I have even used this for short road tests and never had any leakage.

Hi, I second a good engine flush and fresh oil and filter. I have done many thousands of miles in several L-series equipped Rovers with neglected service intervals and have experienced the rattly tappets on start up a couple of times. Always went away with a good service.

When I bought a Husky brand new about 10 years ago the fitting guide showed the winch in 2 configerations. One with winch rope coming off the bottom of the drum through the fairlead mounted on the front face of the winch low down, and a second configeration with the rope coming off the top of the drum through a fairlead mounted high up on the rear (transfer gear side) of the winch. If you look at the end casings there are 4 threaded holes on either side of the winch to cover these 2 options. The standard superwinch plate had 4 large feet mountings bolted through the base as well as the motor earth mounting, with a 90 degree front face drilled to bolt to the 4 lower front fairlead mounting bolts, which I assume gives the extra stability when using the higher fairlead position on the rear. I have run one for many years off the top of the drum without issue, my mounting bolts to the 4 front fairlead mountings on the casing as well as the mounts in the base. They can only be used upright as the oil does leak out if placed on their side.

I have fitted 200tdi discovery engine and gearbox into a td 90. Personaly I like the fit. Use the defender gearbox mounts and handbrake mechanism. Cut off engine mounts and weld discovery mounts to chassis further forward. Engine sits nicely in the middle of the engine bay, Use standard disco cast downpipe. Just need to cut the standard disco first exhaust section and join to a defender one to give the step over the defender gearbox mounts, then use standard rear tdi system. Use disco oil cooler pipes, coolant hoses, header tank, power steering pipes and intercooler pipes without modification. Mechanical fan will not fit so you need an electric replacement. To fit the disco radiator and intercooler frame you either need to lower the mounting plinths on the chassis or cut the plinths off the bottom of the frame and put the pins directly through as per a defender one. The downside of the conversion is the gearstick ends up coming through the front of the seat box the other side of the high low lever, so you would loose a cubby box or middle seat. It gives very good access for working on the motor. The belhousing bolts are easily accessible from under the bonnet so the gearbox can be dropped without disturbing the floor. Definitely a good conversion that has been running for 5 years with no issues.

Some years ago I fitted a 2.5 normally aspirated to my series this was an improvement in power and economy on the 2 1/4 diesel fitted before. I later swapped this out for a 2.8 normally aspirated, which gave another improvement in torque with the same economy. Blocks are the same so the conversion kit swaps over. Both normally aspirated engines do loose momentum on inclines on the road, but are physically smaller, lighter and more powerful than the standard diesel and other than servicing proved maintenance free. I also fitted a 2.8 turbo non intercooled engine to a later series I owned, in the days when 200tdis were fetching silly money. This was ideal in the series enough torque to make good progress without turning the gearbox inside out, with the turbo spinning it would maintain speed up inclines. The block is the same so the conversion kit is identical. The earlier engines were gear driven cams, later engines have a belt so for the mud pluggers the earlier engines are better. The later engines have the option of fitting an intercooler. Overall a good conversion for a series.

Hi Sam, Easiest motor to replace your td with would be a defender 200 tdi, bolt in job with standard 200 tdi exhaust & plumbing, even wiring loom plugs into the bulkhead. Only modification is temperatures guage/ sender unit to get them reading right. Discovery 200 tdi you need to use the flywheel housing off your td on the 200 tdi then it bolts to the gearbox and use td engine mounts, bolts in, the plumbing you have to make up yourself and you need a custom exhaust downpipe as it runs tight down the bulkhead. 300tdi defender or 300 tdi discovery again use the td flywheel housing on the 300 tdi and it bolts to your gearbox you would have to change the chassis engine mounts to a set of 300tdi ones, plumbing would have to be made up and the exhaust downpipe is easier but would need to be modified to mate to the system. Gearbox if there is a problem with yours... With a defender 200tdi a good known defender LT77 as suggested is a bolt in replacement (If you can find one), With a discovery 200tdi discovery LT77 mounted in the same place as existing will push the engine forward 4 inches and the gearstick comes out of the front of the seat boxes (You loose the centre seat.). With a 300 tdi a defender R380 or a discovery R380 will push the engine forward in the engine bay, using the LT77 gearbox mounts will bolt into the existing chassis mounts, but the gearstick arrangements are different, a defender R380 puts the gearsticks in the same place as yours but I believe you would need a different shaped tunnel section, a discovery R380 will put the gearstick out through the front of the seat box. The 200tdi mods I have done myself, the 300 tdi are what I have learnt from others. Hope that makes some sort of sense. Anyway get my chav motor sorted and I will see you Saturday. Cheers Guss.

A real shame, me and Kev have had a right laugh over the last 2 1/2 years, good challenging events with a good social side. What next unfortunately the LRS is too far to travel for us , we will just have to retreat back into those Welsh mountains, truck needed some love anyway, maybe I`ll buy a new pair of Wellies instead. Many thanks for the Buxton & District organising team for your efforts, it is much appreciated. When I was sat in the bath 10 minutes after leaving Wern Duu I was thinking of you out all night collecting in the punches and bunting :-). Cheers, Guss.

Excellent event, those banks are steep I could of sworn at one point I was hanging upside down, and I appear to have lost all my gearbox oil, don`t know where that went. Many thanks to the organisers for your efforts. "Roll" on Mow Cop.

Fitted a set of 35/1150 r16 silverstone MT117 last weekend as above 33.5" which is exactly the same height as my 35/1050 r16 Boggers which are the same size as 285/75 r16 Insa Special tracks. Having said that we have had Insa Special tracks with the same size on the sidewall but different heights when put next to each other, but I guess that is a remould thing.

Yep that was the one on the root, never said it was difficult just entertaining winching the truck onto their sides, now anyone that did it without the winches, that would be impressive.

Thanks to the BADLR team for setting up 2 excellent events and a great weekend, you efforts are much appreciated. Thanks to Kev for running up and down the hills and keeping me the right side up. Early finish on Sunday with a busted damper (Knew I should have carried a spare). Am waiting for the pictures of crews collecting punch 40, they should be entertaining. See you at Wern Ddu (10 minutes from home) and I love the site even though I have rolled there twice. cheers, Guss.

From the view of the bumper mounts, it appears to have discovery front bumper mounts, 2 horizontal holes, in the chassis with 2 pieces of tube welded vertically to the front face of the chassis to take a defender bumper. It would appear to be a discovery chassis from the pictures you have given us.

I have always changed the handbrake bracket over, this requires the rear output housing swapping over as the defender bracket bolts through the rear face which is drilled and tapped, I don`t think you can drill and tap the discovery one to suite because the holes would coincide with the threaded holes already there coming from the side that the discovery bracket uses. When I have looked at the possibility of using the discovery bracket in a defender it looks like the front of the seat box will block the cable but I have never offered one up to confirm this. I believe this does not relate to 300 tdis and later where the cable comes out of the back of the drum with no bracketry on the transfer box.

It should be spring loaded, there is a base plate screwed to the roof with the mirror clipped into it covering the screw heads. To remove a sharp yank on the mirror will usually pull it off, though this is dependant on the securing srews holding in the roof. Alternatively insert a screw driver in the joint between the base plate and the bottom of the mirror arm and lever apart.

Many thanks to the team for setting out and running a superb event, your efforts are much appreciated. Thanks to Kev for running around and his guidance, as these events get more technical and the drivers get more strapped in the winchman`s guidance is vital. Thanks to Team 8 Richard and Steve, with whom we got the fastest time on the Team recovery despite me fluffing the top corner and getting stuck in the mud. We were also aided by Barry`s impressive backflip ending back on his wheels that cost them a few seconds, but was definitely a sight not to miss (Should have got extra points for style). Sadly I don`t think anyone got it on video. Superb event, great weekend, roll on round 2.

This sounds like the TD5 chassis that have the gearbox mounting brackets welded on, not removable. Push the gearbox/transfer box up as high as you can get it then put the mounts in, 1 side is a bitch to get in but does go with a bit of manipulation.

I have run those for the last 2 years with no problem or issues. They isolate the 3 winches when the master switch is turned off and reduce the metreage of heavy cable routed round the truck.

Hi Charles, He is coming music and burgers in hand, I look forward to everything you throw at us. Entry posted yesterday so see you in April. Cheers, Guss.

Our entry will be posted off this week. Looking forward to a few "new to us" sites. Cheers, Guss.

The early dip lead to the premature demise of the alternator belt, the following 3 didn`t last much longer, engine stop was cutting in whenever full power was applied so we retired for an early bath. Yet again good sections laid out with some very smelly water thrown in. Thanks to the organising team for another cracking event, roll on next year. Guss

We`ll be there, hopefully we will get to do both stages this time. Anyone got a map reference or post code? Cheers, Guss.

Cracking day, Started early with a broken front steering rod, it was a long walk back to the car park to get the replacement, many thanks to Jonathan and Alan (Car 9) for the loan of the club hammer to get the old joints out (Gutted you didn`t get your starter sorted). Kev had his rugby boots on for this one and sailed up and down the banks efortlessly and couldn`t stand up when we came to few bits of rock. Loved the sections nicely laid out and challenging with a nice mix of surfaces. We plugged away all day without further incident and got a tidy result at the end. Many thanks to the Marshalls and organisers for giving us an excellent days entertainment. Roll on round 4.

Kevin I used the 200tdi power steering pipes, but as suggested you can use the TD power steering pump because the mountings are the same. Bottom hose is a standard defender 200 tdi item. I was lucky in that I had a very rusty complete 200tdi 90 as a donor, so I had a complete kit of parts. Thierry I used the downpipe and main box from the standard 200tdi exhaust system and made my own tailpipe that exited in the standard position behind the back wheel, removing the box under the rear tub. The standard back section would have fitted and appeared to line up with the hangers. I did have to move the exhaust hanger on the A frame crossmember to the rear of the first box a few cms to one side.

Have just fitted a defender 200tdi to a late TD. If you get the engine, radiator, intercooler, air filter, fuel filter, exhaust and all pipework it is a simple bolt in job. Even the engine wiring loom plugs into the existing multiplug on the bulkhead and all guages and warning lights function as expected. The only modification required is the fitting of the tdi heat circuit timer. I did not bother with the timer and just wired them into the heat position on the key which seems to function adequately. It`s the only engine conversion I have done that has required no welding, chopping and changing pipework, or major rewiring. As a result it looks like it was fitted that way from the factory.