hobson

I need help, i have a serious leak on our 110 300tdi, Last week on our way to a holiday the water seemed to just kind of fall out of the engine, it's been getting a bit hot for the last few weeks but i put it down to towing a lot (horse boxes, trailers etc) it looked like it was coming from behind the water pump area, so i initially thought it was the P gasket as i know that's a common problem, however, after a fun morning replacing both the P gasket and water pump gasket, i turned the engine on to find the water leaking out, not just a touch, i mean really p***ing out. The core plug behind the water pump casting looked fine, so what else could it be? I really need to get it fixed ASAP... I've just thought, when i filled the coolant it was fine, it only started leaking out when i ran the engine...

We got our renewal for the Defender last week, it was £376.00 up from £270 last year, so about a hundred quid increase. Initially i was a bit annoyed and was ready to call and give them a bit of grief, but after a chat with a very helpful, pleasant lady at the local office and increasing the excess to £250, we got it down to £330.00. I was fully intent on having a ring around to see if we could get a better deal after our planned weeks holiday, but then we had a bit of an incident; On the way to the nice weeks holiday, the P gasket decided to fail, leaving us with a big puddle, a very unhappy wife, three very unhappy german shepherds and a non functioning Landrover, luckily we had breakdown cover with our insurance, so after speaking to NFU we had a mechanic out to check it, and then a recovery truck to take us back to the farm. During all this I'd had a frantic call around and arranged to borrow a friends 56 plate Laguna estate for the week to save wasting our holiday fixing the landy. so after another call to NFU we got the Laguna covered as a temporary second vehicle, with the exact same cover as we had for the landy, for the princely sum of £12! At all times the service we got was spot on, they did everything they could (or everything that was in the policy anyway!) and i couldn't have asked for a better experience. So after all that will i be phoning around to go anywhere else for insurance? no way. for us, they're worth every penny. I've just got to spend the day fixing it now... Oh joy!

Does anyone know if you can get a manual pump or tap to fit the black NATO water jerry cans? I'm sure I've seen a pump which screwed into the neck and was a push down type pump, but I've searched Google and can't find anything... Any ideas?

Lets face it, as technology and processing speed improve, we'll all be monitered and analyzed more and more, wether for crime prevention/prosecution, advertising or government statistics. It's one of those things we all moan about and then accept, take the reports last year (i think) of Menwith Hill getting new teraflop supercomputers to allow them to listen to, and analyze every single phone call made in the uk, people moaned about civil liberties but it's now forgotten and we all put up with it. I can see both sides of the argument for 'big brother' there are pro's and con's, and really, unless we all stop wanting new smartphones, satnavs, tablet pc's, netbooks etc then the technology available will be used to monitor us, for good or bad reasons. At the end of the day they've been doing it since the fifties with Echelon. I think regading the OP, i'd be surprised if a lot of the satnav companies aren't doing that, and anyway, give it another ten years and i reckon all cars will be monitered automatically for speed, in fact, there was a product in development which does exactly that, you have it fitted, allow it to monintor your speed and driving and get a huge insurance reduction for driving sensibly... Good idea or not? depends how heavy your right foot is!

And now i have that info i've found this: A high quality 10W-30 universal oil for agricultural use Harvella products from Shell are STUOs (Super Tractor Universal Oils) and are designed to be used in a very wide variety of applications in farm machinery. Where specified by the manufacturer, the oil is equally suitable for use as an engine lubricant, transmission oil and in hydraulic and power steering systems. Harvella oils protect components from wear and corrosion and give excellent performance throughout the life of the lubricant. Harvella T 10W-30 meets the following specifications: API Service Classifications: CF-4/SF, GL-4 (Low speed, high torque requirements); US Military: MIL-L-2104D; CCMC: D-4; Ford: M2C-159B; Massey-Ferguson: MF M1139/M1144; Mercedes Benz: 227.1 (Meets requirements): New Holland: 82009201 (Meets requirements); John Deere: JDM J27; Caterpillar: CAT TO2; ZF: TE-ML 06.

I've towed plenty of caravans and big trailers about and never had an issue, i think a lot of the problem is that even on a new driving license you can tow a fair size caravan with absolutely zero training, and a lot of people are told in dealers "yeah they're easy to tow, just hook it up and it's like there's nothing there!" they're hardly going to jeapordise a sale asking if the person is safe to tow one. driving an empty box on wheels at high speed with any side winds is asking for trouble, but i see plenty of people this time of year doing it. Car drivers not towing are naughty too, i've had some real fools take huge risks overtaking me on double white lines and on bends just so they can do an extra 10mph, - which is more annoying when you catch them up at the traffic lights a mile down the road. So are they difficult or dangerous? nah, as long as you use that rarest of traits these days - common sense!

Sounds about right, the landowner said it was a universal oil that can be used as hydraulic stuff too, as far as overheating goes, it shouldn't be a problem, i rarely do any motorway mileage and towing of heavy stuff, most of my driving is pretty short distance and i drive like an old lady anyway! My wife and i like to do the odd expedition around europe, but we've nothing planned this year and if we're doing that i'd do a full shakedown anyway... was just hoping it might save me a bit of cash on overpriced oil! I'll have a look on the barrel and see what info's on there and post that up too. all i can see is this: Shell, Harvella - T universal tractor oil batch number: 10091919g46101may09 10w 30 I can't see the sides as it's wedged in between the fert spreader and stump grinder...

Done a bit of reading and from what my feeble brain can work out, the numbers are the temperatures the oil can work in so; 10/30w = -10c - +30c (please correct me if i'm wrong!) i was also thinking that at that price i could change it more often anyway if needed...

We've recently had a delivery of 'general purpose' engine oil for the tractors which is 10/30w, seeing as it works out about £1.75 a litre and is therefore a lot cheaper than the stuff i'd get in Halfords, can i use it in a 1995 300tdi defender? I asked the local agricultural engineer and he said; "well, they're both diesel, both have turbos, and it's hardly a Ferrari is it? should be fine!" Haynes recommend 15/40w, so is there a big difference?

Don't any of the galvanised chassis sellers like Richards do a trade in? might save some time and effort... And i'd be more concerned with whats on the inside than the outside, it'd be a shame to have it galved and then it rot through after a year or two from the inside out if it's not been prepped properly, if you did a trade in, at least you get some form of gaurantee...

You don't need a reversing light for the MOT, but if there is one fitted it has to work. Depending on the type of driving you do, you could just not have one at all, but if you're in towns a lot it's probably worth fitting one. HTH

Incidentally, can anyone think of a better avatar for this forums own FridgeFreezer?!

Seeing that reminded me of a documentary i watched with Chris Eubank (a chap not known for his subtle tastes) he was driving a huge Peterbilt truck he'd bought through a small town centre, and as he got out (complete with tweed jacket and jodphurs) everyone was shouting at him and beeping their horns as he blocked off the road, one guy drove past very closely and shouted "Eubank, you w**ker" to which his reply was "you thee, that man rethpects me!" Er no mate, he doesn't! what he shouted was bang on, acquiring wealth does not mean you also acquire taste or common sense, and it certainly doesn't mean people like you! I wouldn't use the word hatred either, i just think most Landy enthusiasts have a very down-to-earth, simple way of looking at things, and expensive added bling (like the above Disco) is a bit pointless! though you could also argue thats exactly what a lot of the big tyres and winches are! But as they say; to each his own, we're only sharing opinions!

Hmm, i think landrover enthusiasts aren't really the people they're targeting with such 'unique' vehicles, i think the type of owner they're looking for will make quotes like: "I fink dat is bad, wud look better on 24's, but they iz plenty of room for ma ho's, an i cud use it when am dealin mi drugs innit?" Not wanting to stereotype of course...

I need a mechanics opinion on something as it's winding me up now; I've been doing a bit of gardening today for an old lady, she drives a W reg VW golf 16v, it quite suddenly started making a horrendous noise and lost the brakes (flat to the floor) I had a listen and said it sounded like something was seriousley wrong, so i checked the oil cap and sure enough it was full of mayonnaise and a lot of water, suggesting to me that the head gasket has gone. The thing thats bothering me is that she had a mechanic out to have a look and i told him of the water and mayonnaise, but he dismissed that and said quite casually "it's nothing, just a spark plug blown out!" now i'm not a great mechanic but i know spark plugs don't just 'blow out' on a regular basis, and i'm sure i read in these very pages that having a knackered head gasket firstly allows water into the engine and that if that water gets onto the pistons they can't compress the water fully and blow out the plugs. Am i going mad / wrong or is there another reason spark plugs just 'blow out'?

Roof flashing? good idea, unfortunately i had to put the job off today as SWMBO wanted to do other things than make me sandwiches and bring me cups of tea all day, and wash grimy clothes, strange creatures ladies... I'll do it on thursday or friday 'cos she'll be out all day then! I bought some self adhesive soundproofing years ago which was kind of thick tarry like stuff, so the flashing under the neoprene would work well i imagine. i'll let you know how i get on.

Or fit some of these bad boys: -not that you'd ever get them to line up right on a Defender...

Before the bad weather i took the time to pull the footwells to bits to give them a dry, clean and paint, and put it all back together also adding some neoprene camping mat to all surfaces under the rubber covering, and it made a fair bit of difference to noise and warmth. so seeing as i have some nice new lock barrels to fit which will mean taking the doors to bits, i'm wondering if it's worth putting some on the inside of the door skins. Anyone think of any reason to do or not do this? or any pointers?

Any chance of part numbers for both belts?

There's an old saying: 'Buy cheap, buy twice!' I've always gone on the theory of 'if it's safety critical, or will cause a huge bill if it fails, go geniune' Most of the big suppliers - Craddocks, Paddocks, Land Rover Parts, Rimmer Bros etc will supply a cheapy part, a middle of the road part like Lockheed and Genuine Land Rover. Most of the prices are quite similar when you take postage into account too, but it's always worth a quick check. HTH Incidentally, is there any noticable reason why it snapped? any tearing or feathering around the edges?

A good friend of mine who i used to help had a similar problem, but he was working on the road where he lived which was council owned, really all they were bothered about was wether he was being paid for his services, he ended up getting a few letters from neighbours who's cars he'd fixed stating that there was no money exchanging hands and he fixed them because he was a jovial sort of chap and if he got bought a few pints then that was fine. becuase he'd talked to the decent neighbours and got them on his side, i think the complaining ones felt a bit silly so it got left. It's a bit different with rented property as it's not yours, but if you can get a letter from the landlord stating that he is fully aware it's your hobby and doesn't mind, and that the number of vehicles is not in his opinion excessive as the number varies as they're repaired/sold, you've at least got permission and agreement with the landowner. If it's your property it's very difficult for the neighbours to do anything as it becomes a civil matter which is handled through the courts, unless the vehicles are nicked or you're ringing them, even if you were racing around a field in old scrappers it's hard to get something done, take the example of 'lotto lout' mike carroll! If i were you i'd try some diplomacy first, go around and explain that you've been reported and ask if they have an issue with your 'collection' if they've got any decency they'll at least tell you they have in which case you can talk about it and hopefully resolve it, it could be something as simple as keeping the noise down or sheeting them up so they're less visible for example. Don't for heavens sake be hostile, raise your voice or swear, remember it's a lot harder for them to be arsey with you if you're being nice to them. Explain your hobby and play the 'i'm a restorer of vintage classic british cars' card, ask if they'd come around and explain their problem, try and get them interested in what you're doing, make sure they understand all the vehicles are legal and you're not doing anything illegal with them. At least that way you're making the effort and being polite, obviousley if it does go further then do some reading on the net, most of the questions you'll have from a legal point of view will be on there. If they're gutless idiots and can't even admit it to your face, look upset and explain the above, say that it's your hobby and you'd be really gutted if you had to get rid of them because someone doesn't have the decency to come and tell you, say you'd be happy to work with them and do your best to resolve any complaints and issues, they might give you some pointers "that a friend of theirs said" above all be calm and even if they're complete t**ts don't be drawn, it'll give you the high ground and make you look like an intelligent, decent adult rather than shouting and screaming and looking like a teenager! Good luck!

I think Defenders have always been cool because they're a classless vehicle, they've been used by everyone from new drivers looking for a cheap, easily fixed runabout, farmers and tree surgeons right up to the early rich expeditioners and royalty. Really if you see someone in a Defender it could be anyone, they might have ten quid in their pocket or a good few million in the bank, but they all appreciate the vehicle for what it is. There does seem to have been a bit of a change in the last ten years with the huge array of toys, add-ons and bling available, so there is now more of a gap, and it is possible to differentiate between the type of people driving, there are more (and i hate to use this phrase) 'new money' types who buy defenders because they're looking for the landed gentry look, and think a nice new defender will fit in with their new tweed jacket and Holland & Holland shotgun! and they're the ones who seem to spend more money on toys and bling which never get used. But even when we arrive at the very sad demise of the Defender in a few years due to the fools at the EU, i think it will always be seen and remembered as classless, anti-style, a huge symbol of british motoring and above all, very, very cool! IMHO

Here's what i installed, the rear has two 50cm lengths, and the front is about 30cm, the front is on a seperate switch from the rear and both are on a seperate circuit than the door opening latches so that we can have them on when we like. they're plenty bright enough and use very little power. we don't have a headlining so they're stuck to the central roof spine and the wire run through that. apologies for the messiness, we had our three german shepherds in earlier...

Generally i'm of the same opinion, if it was put there by Landrover, surely it was for a reason? but i've scoured the internet and can't find one! the only thing i can think of that they'd do, is either give a bit of protection from general dirt or stop swivel oil getting onto the brake disc if the swivel seals leaked? but even then, it would tend to drip straight down or fly off backwards if you were driving. I've taken them off anyway, lets hope that i don't end up posting from a hospital bed in a few weeks saying; "i found out what they were for!"

I used some self adhesive white LED strip from maplins, did two 50cm sections in the back and one about 30cm in the front, they use sod all power too so can be left on for long periods without killing your battery, i think with all mine on it uses about 3w! they're lovely and bright and were fantastic last time we went travelling. I'll take some pics later and post them if you like?