Tetsu0san

That looks pretty good, but I was more thinking of something you could fit a CB or a radio into. Like this sort of thing (excluding the hat) I can remember reading a thread somewhere where someone made one but I will be damned if I can find it again. I have a rough idea as to what I want to made and how I want it to look, but fixing it to the roof is what I need some help with. I am hoping that I could somehow fix it to the rear view mirror bolts and then to the interior light. I don't have a smooth roof so all the ribs to fit this sort of thing to are on the outside!

Hi all I decided to start tidying up the inside of the 110 and I built some storage in the rear at the weekend. I want to build some overhead storage in the cab and I just want some ideas as to a design. Does anyone have any pictures of some homemade overhead storage that I could have a look at? And how did you fix it to the roof? Any other pictures of storage would also be most welcome

Most modern cars have the water pump on the cam belt so it makes sense to do it at the same time. These are not so it's not essential to do it at the same time. However, for piece of mind it might be worth it. Bolts should be OK, but they may be corroded. You will only know if they need replacing when you remove the pump.

A timing belt should be done on mileage and/or age. I don't think 5 years or that mileage is enough to do it, however it won't hurt if you do get it done.

I am going to regret saying this but I agree with the above. I fitted one of their kits on my 200Tdi and it's going well.

I am 99% sure I bought a Delphi lift pump for my 200Tdi 90 a few years back when I was trying to fault find a fuel issue. I certainly wouldn't have bought anything like a BP or genuine. Turned out that wasn't the issue anyway...

But there are good manufacturers of parts that you don't have to go genuine for. Delphi lift pumps for example are only about £30 and they are perfectly OK. Why would you bother buying a BP one for £10 or a genuine one for £100 (I am just making up prices here) when a good brand is both relatively cheap and reliable.

This thread has ended up being aimed at a specific part, but that is not a criticism! I am pleased that it has sparked such a debate. I did however only want to raise the issue that when people fix (or as it seems, upgrade) their cars that when something fails I am just thinking that it is the fault of the pattern part, not the 'fixer'. But even with this thread being more about swivels than general parts I think that it is still justifying my opening comments. By all means change the title of this thread if you feel that it is more relevant.

One post wonder!

My old 200Tdi Discovery was modified when I got it and it was fine. And all the toys paid for themselves when I took it off the road to act as a donor for my 110. I would do it again but I wouldn't pay over the top for one. I knew the parts were worth more than the car if I sold them so I was happy to pay what I paid. But there are mods and there are botches. I have been lucky at the only botch I have come across was a deliberately hidden f**k up when a headgasket was previously replaced. Inlet and exhaust valves were swapped over, head was cracked, a dent in the 1st piston etc. I would worry about poor maintenance over having a modded vehicle.

Sorry, what do you mean by crashing? Hitting the bump stops? Hitting the chassis? Rattling?

Did you run it after you did the head gasket and before you changed the turbo? If you did, was it OK then? Does it sound rough at the moment too? Sounds like it could be combustion gasses are leaking into the sump which is pressurising it and forcing oil out of any hole it can find. But that wouldn't explain the white smoke. Has the timing belt slipped? Are you losing any water?

But you also have to remember that there is a massive second hand parts market through scrap dealers or even home breakers. I would generally prefer to buy a non-moving second hand part over new, but buy a new moving part over a second hand item (unless I was desperate). I have however fitted a second hand brake vacuum pump on my old 300Tdi in the past and this was fine, but I think I would have to buy a brand new water pump if I needed one. And I certainly wouldn't fit a second hand head gasket! The other thing that I am not totally happy with are the aftermarket 'upgraded' parts, like those Teflon coated swivels. Although you are the first one I have heard of that have broken, I have purposely steered away from them (did you see what I did there) due to the Teflon wearing off and them being more rusted than an old knackered chrome one. I fitted a replacement 300Tdi head too and it was an upgraded Brazilian one. I wasn't totally convinced it was as good as the genuine one, especially as I still had some water issues, but that was a few years ago now and that Discovery has long since been sold. Still on the road too! But I just don't know what the answer is. It's harder to get new parts for older vehicles without going to pattern parts, but pattern parts can be a risk, as can second hand parts. Maybe just buying Japanese 4x4's instead might be the way forward!

If that was acceptable to you then no, there is nothing to complain about. But if I were replacing an alternator with a brand new one that only lasted 2 months, I would be really p**sed off. 'G' part or no 'G' part, it should still work, and work well. But what I am eluding to is the fact that with the increase of home repairs on Land Rover's people will get a part that appears to be a good price, and it should be fit for the job. Even garages are getting cheap pattern parts and fitting them because they are the right part for the job. And then when the issue repeats itself immediately or it goes wrong again soon after, there is an intake of breath through clenched teeth and people say 'yeah, you should have got a better make part'. Me included.

This is just the point. Something failing immediately, 4 weeks or even 4 months down the line is simply not acceptable. At this point the item is just not fit for purpose, but it shouldn't be that way. Regardless as to make the part should work and work to acceptable tolerances. I think most people will appreciate that if someone has repaired or replaced a part due to failure, if it immediately goes wrong again then there must be something else wrong. You shouldn't have to question the reliability of the replacement part. And you certainly shouldn't have to take pot luck on the part you buy. But as we all seem to be used to this kind of s**t being sold, when someone posts up a question as to why a problem still occurs even after fitting a brand new part we seem to take the approach that perhaps the brand new part is faulty. It should not be that way.

Yeah, wasn't it you that bought some brake hoses that didn't have a hole down the middle?

What really annoys me is that it seems that pattern Land Rover parts are not reliable. When you have a problem and you try to fix it you take your chance with the parts doing the job or not. I am not a mechanic by trade so I only work on cars as a little hobby but I don't think I have ever come across this on any other make of car I have worked on. Maybe I have been lucky but it seems that when you buy a part from a motor factors for say a Citroen, you fit it and forget it. Buy a part for a Land Rover from a mail order company (as motor factors don't generally stock parts) and you just have no idea if the part is actually any good. The only time I have been comfortable with buying bits is if I actually go in and speak to someone over a counter. I have bought Land Rover parts from 2 local companies and both are helpful and both give me parts that work, and more importantly the parts are what they would fit themselves. But unless you specifically order a branded part from a mail order you just have no idea what the part is going to be like. And it seems that sometimes the part just isn't worth the effort of fitting.

Hi all There was a thread on one of the forums where someone had had their rear crossmember replaced by a garage and within 2 years it had a big rust hole (guess what colour box it came in), and there was a sense of 'what do you expect?' in the replies. I can see a worrying trend of these threads that have 'I had a problem with XXX, replaced the thing-a-mi-jig with YYY and the problem is still there'. The problem I have is that as soon as I read them I automatically think that they have replaced the thing-a-mi-jig with a blue box item and I just think to myself 'well, there's your problem'. Is anyone else feeling as synclinal as me?

What did I say? Eh? EH? Cracked head? Damn, I am good... Seriously though, glad you got it sorted. But if it were me (and was annoyed enough) I would have a quiet word with the garage that did the original gasket as they obviously didn't actually look at the problem and did what was asked, not what was needed. Seems that a lot of garages nowadays only do what they are told rather than actually looking at the symptoms of the problem. Jobs worth and all that. I could go on (and probably will). As for introducing yourself? Just say hello on the international forum page. That should do it. Hello!!

That sounds normal as oil is thicker when cold so the pressure will be higher.

It's an angular tightening gauge. Like this...

It's an easy enough thing to do, it just take a little time. You will need a dial gauge thingy (can't think of the name right now) as the head bolts are done up on torque first then degrees. Get a good quality head gasket, Payen or Elring I would say. Don't buy a cheap one. I would advise getting the head inspected too as it's gone again. Might be cracked or at the very least warped. There are plenty of guides on how to do a head gasket out there. It's not too difficult. Also, update your profile with your area as there may be someone near you who wouldn't mind giving you a hand in exchange for tea (or beer).

Do you think that maybe exhaust gasses could be leaking into the sump? Is your engine breathing at all? If you remove the oil filler cap when the engine is running is there any pressure under there? It's just a thought.

Excellent build thread there. A lot of attention to detail. Good stuff.

OK, fair enough. Didn't think about the alternator, didn't realise it was in a different place to a Disco.