Maverik

Deep sigh... so the problem of the screeching timing belt is back. Started after a decent run, you hear what sounds like a fan belt slipping type noise, the only difference is like when this happend the other month, if you depres the clutch pedal the pitch of the belt noise changes slightly. - hence how I know it's the same issue. Someone in the related thread said something about a warped timing chest... I can't get my head around how that can just happen - the chest was replaced by me with a new genuine one a few years ago, and it was find on the other block. I guess my next step is to take the timing chest off try check it for flatness and re-mount as well as re-mount the fuel pump... kind of at a loss as to what else I can do, I'm assuming somthing is out of true, but I've been trying to get my head around why pushing the clutch changes the belt noise - I guess I'm effectively pushing the crank to one end of its float which shifts its position ever so slightly on the timing belt... Has anyone got a spare def timing chest sat about they'd be willing to sell?

Funny, as I've watched LR vehicle prices, it's crazy for a mid priced defender you can get a plethora of other much higher newer spec land rovers. I guess you just need to take into account they will have some expensive problems/ service costs and the running costs are going to be pricey as they're not know for there fuel economy. - a bit of a sweeping statement I know, but I'd agree the price of 2nd hand other LR's you get a lot of car for the cash now. I know some disco 3's did have some corrosion issues and I should imagine cheap cheap trucks are probably right on the nose for a big body off service that owners don't want to foot the bill for, so they just sell them.

Its not entirly clear picture, but the pump vains - looks different to any type I've seen before, I'm more familier with the stamped steel type - if you google you can see many like it, the pump vains look a good bit longer - but I guess pumping is kind irrelevant if ther's no water in the pump to start off with?

hmmm... head gasket?

Anything out of Europe just now seems to be 18 months plus... Well by the time I get the camel "restored" and sold to a wealthy American I might be able to afford a Grenadier!!!😂 just not the fuel to put in it! Whens the hydrogen fuel cell model come out?...

Due to the angle of the front part of the roof you can often just get away with dropping the rear and Ross says, I did it once with my truck see if I can find the pics.

Could I ask why you upgraded to the 100amp alternator?

Here is the solenoid for the starter STC3715 - https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Starter-Motor-Solenoid-for-Land-Rover-Defender-300Tdi-OEM-STC3715-/293032473371?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&_trksid=p2349624.m46890.l49286&mkrid=710-127635-2958-0

Log your running hours/miles on the components, remove the starter/alternator, you can inspect the brushes, bentix clutch bearings, alternator bearings. If in doubt change it out. Have a look at service manuals and give yourself an idea how long you think they should last and change it out before it fails rather than run it to failure. Alternators can be sensitive things, I've given up repairing so I just do service exchange on them now. (My 200 has a slightly more common alternator I reckon, which is easier than you). My starters I have 2 units one in service and one on the shelf, if I suspect any problems then it gets removed and exchanged, I'll then inspect the removed one, replace any parts test then put it back on the shelf. To summarise, change the component out prior to failure and accept its not the cheapest way to maintain your vehicle, but you have piece of mind your getting the highest reliability you're going to get out of it. For example I've pretty much moved now to changing my water pump belt at every service. It's cheaper and more reliable for me to do so in the long run.

So my thoughts... You don't need spares for these items. You just do preventative maintenance. If you've got doubts on either/any component you change it out prior to any sustained trip. The chance of an alternator or started failing under normal conditions will be minimal. Slightly higher if your dunking in water or hi dust environment. My experience with starters is that they do give warning of a failure in one way or another never have I had one just stop one day without warning.

Just rounding up a few of my threads, the temp gauge seems to have settled after the recent work on the head, I checked the connections and all looked fine, I did have a new sender in reserve if I needed it but seems not. Fyi, I've done quite a bit of work on the earth circuit on this truck now, due to the madman instrument upgrade it has a direct earth to the head as part of that loom, I think there's just the front wings now that don't have a direct earth cable back to the battery, for the rest of the tub I've mostly done away with body earthing and just wired it back to my secondary fuse box, after I replaced the tub floor.

To close this out. I put the thing back together with new tensioner and crank shaft pulley, I did this a few times changing the tensioner to see how the belt ran, I also played around with the bracket on the fuel injection pump to see if the timing belt ran any truer, nothing I did effected how the belt ran on the pulleys, so I just buttoned it back up, put a new damper pulley on also, this was a britpart supply - i was a bit nervous about using britpart so i checked all the key dimensions against the original damper and it looked spot on, so i just used it. The noise i had has gone away it feels like she's pulling well. Fingers crossed it stays like it.

Is there anyway you can measure the thread dimensions at all of the sender you have?

hmm which just makes you bankcrupt...

Your truck sounds quite cool, post up a picture. Have a look at PRC2506 this could be helpful? It doesn't seem too expensive and looks to be in stock at verious place, it could be worth a go.

I've galvanised 3 front ones I think now, do it, either cover the threaded bits or put old bolts/nuts in on holes to protect the threads.

This is what I have been using from left to right 1.4, 1.3, 1.2 ratios. (from ashcrofts website) I've since calibrated my rev meter and its near as damit the going as table first left which is good.

Thanks for the update, I bet that wasn't so cheap?

True as standard they're usually a smaller diameter. I'm running standard 235,85r16 which comes out as 31.7" diameter.

No I hadn't seen it, thanks for the post. Actually the op's argument is similar to mine according to the ashcroft calculator I'm a little high on revs when in 5th etc. Annoyingly it doesn't actually close out what the guy went with. I've got a rev counter, I'll calibrate it up and see if I can get some real time numbers to compare with the ashcroft tables. Whats always puzzled me is that you never hear of Discovery drivers complaining of there gearing using the 1.2 transfer box - I did a check on the calculator and the D1 gearboxes certainly for the 200tdi where the same as Defender.

Defender 200tdi, R380 (300tdi- 22D)

So next on my "fix" list is the Transfer box on my 90. - its suffered over the years with condensation damage to the gears, and now the case is leaking quite badly from the usual places. So was going to get a nice sorted one from Ashcroft. - now I've got the engine sorted, I've always felt my truck was over geared e.g. in a 30mph zone 3rd gear feels to high and 4th isn’t quite enough unless its dead flat. I had a play with an overdrive a few years ago and it didn’t get on well in the end, decent when it worked, but after the experience I really can't be bothered with the additional complexity of any overdrive. So after Ashcroft released the new 1.301 gearset I thought that could be a really tidy compromise - I don’t do a lot of towing (on the odd occasion). I've been playing with the Ratio calculator and on paper it looks half way house between a 1.2 and a 1.4 (quite obviously) - but I'm intrested to know how it feels in real life. Did a few searches and didn’t find any real experience feedback from owners, is anyone running a 1.301 box they can comment on? Cheers Mav

No, 300tdi is different.

The door close had become somewhat "tinny" but with the bracket it sounds much more solid when shutting the door now.

Came across this nifty thing on ebay the other day, the door frame on the tub had cracked at the nose of the latch spacer, this thing distributes the load a bit better apparently, easy to fit and works a treat. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/LAND-ROVER-DEFENDER-DOOR-STRIKER-CATCH-SPACER-B-C-POST-REPAIR-KIT-not-security-/294847987923?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&_trksid=p2349624.m46890.l49286&mkrid=710-127635-2958-0