Troll Hunter

I'm currently doing a complete rewire on my 110 CSW and to identify all cables I've bought, on eBay, a set of numbers, 0 to 9, and 100 of each. These are available in 1.5mm and 2.5mm cable diameters. I thread the cable through the relevant numbers and then cover them with transparent heat shrink. I do this at each end of virtually every cable so that I don't have to bother trying to follow/identify cables through a long bunch. I keep an up to date record of all numbered cables with the intention of a hard copy being included in my vehicle maintenance record. So far, this system seems to be working. Mike

Owning a Land Rover, multi-meter competency is mandatory! Mike

Many thanks, all, for your thoughts and suggestions, but being a lazy git, I like miketomcat's the best: I can put my bench mounted pillar drill on the concrete floor of the shop and position the clamped steel components - about 80 lbs - beneath the drill with a rotary burr fitted. This should prevent the burr from wandering and keep the holes aligned. Tomorrow's project, and I'll report back. I'll also invest in a new round file, or two, just in case the rotary burr doesn't cut the mustard! Mike

Is this a Land Rover manufacturing defect? Who actually makes the 300Tdi, is it LR or some sub-contractor? Mike

They could give you bragging rights that you've had a regrind and a hot time!

As in the title. My holes don't quite line up between the two sheets, and the shapes of the components don't allow me to force them into alignment. It looks as if I have to extend one layer of holes at least a 1/4" into oblong slots. So, what is the easiest way to do this, please? I have available a number of power tools - drills, oscillating saws, reciprocating saws, angle grinders and a pneumatic impact chisel/hammer. I have a MIG welder, but no gas burning facility. I also have a number or round section manual files and a hacksaw. That's about the limit of my workshop! Can any of these be used to reduce the hard grind, literally, of filing by hand to extend nominally round drilled holes into oblong holes? Are there any specialised bits that can be used in any of my tools? Any advice will be gratefully accepted. Mike

Factory fitted only on the rear of my 1991 110. It's the driver that needs one now! Mike

In practical terms, what is wrong with fitting the thickest gasket regardless of what gasket came off? This way you know that the head is clear of piston contact, and yes, you will lose a little compression ratio, but is this a practical concern? Of course, if the block is skimmed then piston protrusion must be measured on each piston to ensure that that the gasket protects against contact. Mike

Get well soon. This forum cannot afford to be without your input for very long. Mike

Yes!!! I'm into my fifth year of a total overhaul, from galv chassis up, and am still enjoying the rebuild. Making the rebuild a hobby rather than a chore keeps the fun in it, and this evening I found two pieces that I'd been looking for for weeks. They were both under a pile of interior soft items that I had'nt touched for quite a while, so I was well pleased. More progress tomorrow. Mike

I can't remember where I copied the below table from, but it's what I'm using as a guide for selecting cable sizes. As for the massive earth cable there will be additional loads earthed through that busbar and cable, so it may well be carrying ~50 amps when headlamps, driving/off-road lights and wipers are all in commission, and, of course, I want something in reserve, perhaps in case I decide to charge my iphone at the same time! Mike Amps @ 13.8 Volts LENGTH OF WIRE American Wire Gauge (AWG) 0-4 ft. 4-7 ft. 7-10 ft. 10-13 ft. 13-16 ft. 16-19 ft. 19-22 ft. 0 – 10 16-ga. 16-ga. 14-ga. 14-ga. 12-ga. 10-ga. 10-ga. 10–15 14-ga. 14-ga. 14-ga. 12-ga. 10-ga. 8-ga. 8-ga. 15-20 12-ga. 12-ga. 12-ga. 12-ga. 10-ga. 8-ga. 8-ga. 20-35 12-ga. 10-ga. 10-ga. 10-ga. 10-ga. 8-ga. 8-ga. 35-50 10-ga. 10-ga. 10-ga. 8-ga. 8-ga. 8-ga. 6 or 4-ga. 50-65 10-ga. 10-ga. 8-ga. 8-ga. 6 or 4-ga. 6 or 4-ga. 4-ga. 65-85 10-ga. 8-ga. 8-ga. 6 or 4-ga. 6 or 4-ga. 4-ga. 4-ga. 85-105 8-ga. 8-ga. 6 or 4-ga. 4-ga. 4-ga. 4-ga. 4-ga. 105-125 8-ga. 8-ga. 6 or 4-ga. 4-ga. 4-ga. 4-ga. 2-ga. 125-150 8-ga. 6 or 4-ga. 4-ga. 4-ga. 2-ga. 2-ga. 2-ga. 150-200 6 or 4-ga. 4-ga. 4-ga. 2-ga. 2-ga. 1/0-ga. 1/0-ga. 200-250 4-ga. 4-ga. 2-ga. 2-ga. 1/0-ga. 1/0-ga. 1/0-ga. 250-300 4-ga. 2-ga. 2-ga. 1/0-ga. 1/0-ga. 1/0-ga. 2/0-ga.

Good points, nickwilliams, thank you. I'm running 10AWG (5.26mm2) wiring through four relays, one for each headlight filament, and have dedicated earths from each headlight back to an earth busbar with 4AWG (21.14mm2) cable from there back to the battery negative post. I hope this will minimise voltage drop to my headlights. Mike

Return it as unfit for purpose, and get something decent. I agree with Nonimouse that Douglas Fir would be a good choice, and if properly treated it will well outlast your Land Rover driving days! Mike

This thread really demonstrates the strength of the forum, and the benefit of including in your profile your location, not just UK. Mike

The front of the queue starts behind me. I'll lead the way to the EXIT! Mike

So what? Tidy looking Disco ...... Mike

That's brilliant, thank you, western. Exactly the info I was looking for. It seems that I can safely run a negative busbar with all four headlamp filaments connected to red ring connections with a yellow ring terminal lead back to the battery, all with appropriate sized wiring. And thanks for the link. Mike

A simple question that I'm sure will be quickly answered by someone who understands electrickery: what continuous current can these connectors carry, assuming they are well crimped, clean and weatherproofed/shrink wrapped and have appropriately sized conductors? Many thanks for all responses. Mike

Nor me. But the possibility of a thicker casting and the need, or not, for a 5mm spacer, could well explain the several early failures I experienced with lift pumps, including at least one Delphi. For several years, until my strip-down in 2016, my electric pump performed faultlessly and I will certainly be reinstalling it. I have even blanked off the location hole in the block for the mechanical pump. Mike

I recently had a blowout on a single axle trailer wheel. I had the correct spare, wheel brace, socket and a jack, but .... with the trailer down on the wheel rim I couldn't get the jack under the axle. I was helped by a local farmer who appreciated the problem and went and fetched his trolley jack and a hi-lift jack, just in case the trolley jack wouldn't go under. So, check that your jack will go under your vehicle if the rim is on the road. Mike

A big, fat earth to each corner is the way to go, and, of course a big, fat earth to the engine block and several to the g'box and t'box. Since the original wiring spec includes more than one earth to the t'box I assume that various gaskets, etc., potentially prevent a single earth being effective, no matter how massive, serving all the systems. Of course, a dedicated earth wire from each of the switches on the transmission to the main earth wire to the battery should suffice. Mike

Oops! Didn't look at the date, but I agree very much with your "think about things" comment. Mike

Before you start on any project the thread below has some very sound advise regarding the use of non-standard components. Mike

^^^^^^ Agreed. Not acceptable for what should be a finished product. It looks as if it missed the last couple of stages of preparation. Mike

If it's a hydrocarbon oil residue have you tried any readily available solvents, eg methanol, IPA, acetone, xylene, or even diesel? You might find that any of these is your friend. Mike