miketomcat

To be fair respooling the 525 is no problem in 4th or 5th you just get a little shaft whip. It's paying out that's a pain when the freespool is buggered it's fine when it's working. I tend to winch in 2nd sometimes 3rd if the load is lighter but it isn't that slow and the fact it doesn't stop or really slow at all makes up for that. Mike

The ibex rear tank is 3mm stainless and I've put a 6mm steel tank guard under it just to be sure. Mike

Personally I'd fit it as is try it and see what you don't like and what you can live with. Drive assist is nice but I doubt you'll need it as much as you think (you do need to be better at winch gear placement without drive assist). Mike

Having used both a PTO 525 and ep9/X9 for everything fridge does I'd say the advantages of one are the disadvantages of the other. If I had the choice I'd build a PTO winch like daans for the ibex with a normal PTO winch as a close second. Mike

Old fire extinguishers work well for tanks to. Mike

Sorry to hear your news. Now you have to get a wiggle on and finish Sid Mike

Whilst I agree with the sentiment and try my best to use correct spelling and grammar. I think publicly shaming people is not the way to do it, a simple PM with an offer to change or allow it to be changed would suffice. I am thick skinned enough to not care what people think and don't take offense but others might not be so inclined. End of subject! Mike

It certainly seems to be performing as it should.............. For now. Seems to be smoking less too. Mike

https://www.thebushcraftstore.co.uk/outhaus-landie-tent-41911-p.asp Or a army scorpion fox tent might be worth a look. I've used the latter several times both hung off my truck and free standing with the aid of some extra poles. Mike

Can you get enough together with others to fill a 20ft/40ft container then split the cost. Mike

Fairwell Les you will be missed. Mike

Dyslexic. yes I did need to look it up.

At least we now understand the sudden interest in finally fitting the H14. Mike

Assuming a hydraulic H14 runs at similar speeds to a PTO 525, they're not as bad as you think. I run ours loaded in 2nd gear and there's probably not much between it and a 12000lb lowline. In fact the only reason I don't run it loaded in a higher gear is the shaft starts to whip. My point is whats the problem with running it in a higher gear? Unless you do something very clever your unlikely to be able to match wheel and line speed (not that you really need to with a H14) so why not just fit as is. Mike

Well I've swapped the head tonight but haven't had chance for a good run (it'll get one on the way to work in the morning) but fingers crossed it seems ok. I have found the crack in the other head so that's good I have something to pin the problems on but a shame the heads a right off. The crack is the vertical line above the valve stem and just to the left of the valve guide in the picture. Mike

Yeah that was my thought I guess the previous owner just changed the belt and didn't check them. Not worried as that is the engine I'm going to rebuild anyway. Mike

They don't need to be perfect, but I recommend really close. Mike

Pulled the head off the low oil pressure engine last night and gave it a quick clean up ready to go on. Worryingly three of the push rods on that engine were bent but it ran fine bar low oil pressure. I'm pretty sure I've not had that head off before but did check the valve clearance a while ago. Mike

I believe you need to fit the pistons too. The bottom line is I have a 200 fitted, I like the 200, there's a 200 in the wife's 110, the 200 has better mpg than anything else, the 300 is not enough better to warrant the agro and I don't have the money to do a conversion of any type. So I'll be repairing and keeping a 200 TDI. Mike

Funny mine says something similar. Mind she keeps adding to the whacky projects list at the moment, I'm not complaining to much as two out of three are vehicle related. Mike

I did think about it but at the end of the day it's a bodge. I can still drive it with the cap loose it's just a little smoke/steamy, as soon as another HG turns up I'll put the other head on. Then I can get some thinking time....... hopefully. Mike

@elbekko I don't think it's the block as cooling system seems to be at normal pressure. I think it's most likely a crack into the exhaust tract as again it seems to be running ok just doing an impression of a steam train. At the moment I just need to get this one running because borrowing freinds or the wife's car is wearing thin. Once it's sorted then I'll workout what I'm going to do with the other one and what in need to achieve that. Mike

Much as I'd love to put something else in time, cost and economy make it prohibitive. I've got to strip the other engine to rebuild it so the head has to come off anyway so I might as well put it on this engine for now. There is a machine shop 3 miles from my house so I'd be silly not to use them. Definitely could of done without this but I'll get it sorted. Just lucky I have a good friend with a spare car to get me out of the poo today. Mike

So I left for work this morning but all was not well. Every time I stopped at a junction I left a cloud of steam when I pulled away, I managed to lessen this by running with a loose pressure cap but safe to say it's dead. I've ordered another head gasket and I'll pull the head off the other engine (got to remove it for the rebuild anyway). Hopefully that'll sort it for now. I suspect I cracked the head somewhere in the inlet or exhaust tract when adding cold water to a hot engine in the Hebrides and didn't spot it before machining unfortunately. Mike

I think that made it worse rather than caused as the engine had been layed up for several years. Thank you for the offer, I'm hoping this engine will last long enough to rebuild the other one (which was always the plan). Then I can rebuild this one for the 110 leaving a spare to rebuild later.