miketomcat

Normally you would put a second gel on at this point, especially if your not planning on painting and are just having a gel finish. Now I've been doing this a long time and I'm going to be painting it at some point, so one gel it is. Next up you need to cut your mat roughly to shape, think dress making. You need to allow for some overlap but not to much. There is all sorts of mat/cloth I normally use 450g chop strand mat (CSM) not to thick that it's difficult to work but gives enough thickness to make a 2-3mm panel at 3 layers. I could use woven mat generally lighter and stronger but more difficult to use on complex shapes (this isn't particularly complex). On this occasion I'm using 600g CSM it's quick to lay up, gives good thickness (it'll be 3 layers so 4-5mm thick). Next you need to get so tools ready, I use a 4" fluffy roller, a paddle roller and a bolt roller. Have a box of latex gloves to hand along with a pot of acetone. CSM takes 2.5 times it's weight in resin so 1m² of 600g CSM will need 1.5kg of resin (woven cloth is 1:1 hence you need more layers to achieve the same thickness thus stronger). Mix up @ 2% again, wet out the area, if doing a large area split it into chunks (I've done this in two hits roughly 1m²). Now lay your first layer over the wetted area and wet that out. Once wetted out thoroughly you consolidate the area to get all the air bubbles out and draw the resin up through the mat. Once your happy you've push the mat tight into the corners and got the air out I give a quick roll over the lot with the fluffy to tidy the surface. This then gets left to cure. Mike

Squeak test. VID_20230407_135608.mp4 Ready for next coat. Mike

Actually I'm a rubbish teacher, Apparently I'm to condescending then I get impatient and just do it myself. I don't get given apprentice's at work. Mike

Plasticine around the internal corners. This gives nice rounded corners and makes it a lot easier to get the mat to sit in the corners later. More wax six coats in all. I'm using white get because it's the cheapest and the whole thing will be painted later. You can get almost any colour you want including metallics. 1kg of gel covers roughly 1m² so I mixed up 2kg of gel with catalyst @ 2%. If it was colder I'd up it to 3% if hotter drop to 1%. Just a note here catalyst is nasty stuff, gloves and glasses are highly recommended (catalyst in your eye burns and will likely blind you). The mixed gel is then brushed on (larger areas can be rolled on with a mohair roller but you still need to brush it out), the trick is to get it on quickly then go over the whole lot brushing it out evenly. You only have about 20min working time (less if warmer, it can be as low as 8 minutes) once on it'll take roughly 1 hour to cure but it can take longer. The test to see if it's cured is known as the squeak test, once touch dry you gently run your finger over the surface if it squeaks it's ready to go. First coat of gel on. This must be covered within 24hrs, either with another gel (you normally do 2 gels) or with your first lays. Mike

All the plants are in the mould now plus the first two coats of wax. The silver is foil tape I've used it to cover the exposed MDF, you can also use sanding sealer/knotting (two coats min) or durabuild/2k high build. As the whole thing is going to be painted I'm not to worried about finish, there'll be plenty of filler later anyway. Next is plasticine radius on all the internal corners followed by four more coats of wax. Mike

This is very interesting but much as I prefer the 200tdi (I have two of them) I can't help thinking for all the work involved in this conversion it makes more sense to just fit a 300tdi and r380. Especially if you go for factory position and parts. Mike

These seam to be the cheapest genuine Albright. https://www.red-winches.com/product/albright-competition-motor-control-solenoid-dc88p/ Mike

Dry day so did some work on the trailer. Wheel nuts off copper slipped and back on (without breaking the new power bar ) Free'd off the brake adjuster's unfortunately one snapped off, I'll have to drill that out later. Welded up the two chassis cracks then while I had the angle grinder out I may of slipped and cut the front extension off. Also replaced the dodgy jockey wheel. Mike

It's Melamine faced MDF we use it for plug and temporary mould making. It's very flat and waxes up nicely so releases well. Laminating is relatively easy, doing it without wearing it is the hard part. Mike

Managed to get in the workshop this afternoon so I've actually made some progress. I've started making the mould for the rear lower extension panel. This needs recesses for number plate and lights. Number plate recess. Strip glued up to make the light recesses. Ironically I need the wheel arches first but I will need to re-use the MDF for each mould so I need to make the biggest moulds first. Mike

Due to replacing the lights at work with led, the original lights became available for the correct price.... This gave me a reason to sort the wiring to the lights out and add a few more. Now I just need to clear some junk out, but at least I can see it now. Mike

After visiting two Halfords and finally persuading someone to serve me (their customer service needs some improvement) I bought the larger ½" power bar linked above. In fact the only reason I'd didn't walk out and go to machine mart is I have a trade card so at £17.59 it takes some beating. Mike

Having seem the other thread on this topic what about using one of these. https://www.fuelpumpsonline.co.uk/facet-cube-pumps-12v-1820-c.asp They are pressure based rather than flow (you could make a restrictor to increase pressure and reduce flow). Mike

Don't undo the head bolts to fit it.... Unless you want to do a head gasket again soon. Mike

Thank you for the offer, but another of you countrymen is going to have a go in Belgium for me. Mean time I'll buy a Halfords job (and keep the receipt). Let's face it you can't have to many breaker bars. Mike

Could you slim down the heater box from memory that end is just the cold air bypass around the matrix. It might get what you need, I never bother to use that function on ours I just turn the fan off and open the flaps in summer. Mike

Early 110's just have the shuttle valve that puts the light on and stops you loosing all your fluid. I had a brake bias issue years ago when I SVA'd a buggy (mini based) that was mini brakes but rear engined so drum rear with all the weight and disc front. It would lock the front easily until I lowered the front tyre pressure but to get it through the SVA I pumped the front tyres up so the front locked earlier this brings the brake force at the front down allowing the rear to be closer. Mike

The TV series a 4x4 is born may help. That was a defender body on disco chassis (100") if I remember correctly. Mike

I'd notch the tank guard first, you might find it bolts up fine once you have clearance. You'll probably find you can get the twist you need with a large adjustable spanner on this end and the other end just bolted in position. Mike

From memory IVA call for the rear brakes to be 60% of the front where as MOT it's only 50%. It might be worth deleting the bias valve completely. You can always refit it if you find the rear locking to much after the IVA. Mike

Thanks for confirming Ralph. In that case the op has a 300tdi axle as I can see the caliper bracket is bolted on. Mike

As far as I know there are 3 types of lt77 for land rovers. Long bell housing ribbed, large spigot bush and short gear stick is diesel range rover or discovery. Long bell housing but smoother, small spigot bush, short gear stick is V8 range rover or discovery. Both have the transfer stick Infront of the gear stick, the ratios are similar enough to not notice. It is possible to fit a V8 box on a diesel but you need to change the bell housing to a diesel version and fit a special spigot bush into the crank. Short bell housing, large spigot bush, long gear stick is 90/110 and defender petrol (2.25 and2.5) and diesel. The transfer stick is behind the gear stick and the ratios are a little lower than disco I believe. It is possible to fit a diesel disco box to a 90/110 but it moves the gear stickers into the seatbox and you need the move the engine forwards. Finally I don't know what gearbox the disco MPI or the factory 90/110/defender V8 used. They switched to R380 at 300tdi around 1994. Mike

I thought td5 had welded on caliper brackets but I'm not sure, 300tdi were definitely bolted on. Mike

It's a Tesla. Of course I didn't laugh.... Much. Mike

Correct, but they are if you don't have any spare cash. Mike