Dave W

Maddison 4x4 might be an option, "North East" is a bit vague.

It's probably worth trying to "reboot" the immobiliser by disconnecting the battery again for 10 mins and reconnecting. When the immobiliser is powered up it should configure itself and, if yours has been set to use the most basic mode (no alarm fob etc...) then this may resolve the problem... if you're lucky ! The worst case scenario would be that the immobiliser is paired with a key fob that you don't have and it's just never been armed since you got the vehicle. Disconnecting and then reconnecting the battery will reset the immobiliser/alarm and arm it. If you have the key fob you then press lock 3 times on the fob and it syncronises so you can then use unlock to disarm the system. If this is the case, as you don't have a key fob, you will need to use a Nanocom or similar to reconfigure the immobiliser. If you get a suitable alarm fob off eBay or similar you can also teach the immobiliser to recognise it.

I'd suggest that the low pressure pump isn't working properly, when the tank is full it's aided by gravity but as the tank empties it's struggling to pump the fuel "up hill" to the fuel filter unit. You may well hear a different pump sound when it's full of fuel versus when it's low on fuel. The only solution is to change the pump unit if it is the pump.

I found my ARB locker was sensitive to the axle being bent but the standard stuff never had a problem, which is why it took nearly two years to find out why the ARB kept leaking under load !

Regarding choice of gauge, the Madman II gauge is a good option. Fits in place of the standard Defender water gauge and monitors pretty much everything you've mentioned with a few extras too. You can set alarm points for each of the inputs with an LED, external relay and/or sounder. I haven't used a gearbox temp on mine as I have a Compushift which monitors/displays that, I let the Madman monitor the transfer box temperature instead. Have had a Madman fitted to our overland Defender for 3 years now, so far the coolant level is the only thing it's alerted me to although as that was at the start of our lap of Australia it wouldn't have been good if it had gone unnoticed !

I'd look at the 10AS system, it's robust, spares are readily available and it can also act as an additional alarm/immobiliser with or without a BBUS. It can also be connected up to interior lights to provide it's courtesy light function (interior lights come on when you unlock the doors with the fob, interior lights fade in/out and have an auto timeout which turns the interior lights off if a door is left open for more than a set time with no change). It's easy to setup and match to remote fobs using a Nanocom or similar via it's OBDII interface. In it's simplest form it wouldn't take a lot of work to hook it into the existing vehicle electrics, it only really needs power (permanent and ignition switched) and an OBDII connector for programming it.

If you unplug the MAF sensor the ECU will use a default setting, however, that wouldn't normally affect the LPG system unless that also uses the MAF reading. I ran mine for about 3 months without the MAF sensor connected without any issues after a faulty MAF sensor was stopping it accelerating. It's worth checking the air pipes are all good and not split/disconnected - a split air pipe can allow air to bypass the throttle and MAF, causing the engine to run lean on both fuels.

I'm not sure if you really want to do what you think you want to do ! Comp Safari , trials, challenge and ultra 4 are all very different styles of competitions requiring a different vehicle setup and, in the case of Ultra 4, following different technical regs. It's pretty much impossible to build a vehicle that's good at all 4 of those so if you really want to do then then you need to figure out where your compromises and priorities will need to be. You ask: But you then list modifications that aren't really suited to either (apart from moving the engine back). maybe it's a terminology thing but if you go into trials and comps thinking you need (or even want) 35 inch plus tyres you're pretty much going to build something completely unsuitable. You'd be far better off competing, marshalling or spectating at some events first so you've got a better idea of what you want to do with the end product.

The fuel system can be simplified to get rid of the TD5 dual pump system and chassis mounted filter with it's multitude of pipes. If the RRC has a metal fuel tank rather than the plastic one you don't want to try retrofitting a TD5 tank sender unit into it. All you need at the tank end is a fuel pick up and return then use an external pump (Bosch 044 is a good option although noisy) with an inline EFi pre-filter. I also used a 300TDi Discovery canister fuel filter between the pump and the engine pressure regulator. This also has the advantage that if you fill up with contaminated fuel you can just change the pre-filter when it starts to get noisy. You can convert the existing in-tank pump unit into a pickup pipe if it's a metal tank, if it's a plastic one then a 300TDi Discovery tank sender unit is an easy fit. You can use standard EFi fuel hose rather than the plastic pipes Land Rover use.

Blocked oil filter in the auto box perhaps ? How old is the box/how many miles ? Have you noticed any lack of drive/excess slipping ? Does it make the noise when in lock up mode ?

You need to tell the ECU to "learn" the AS10 code. It's a command/function on the Hawkeye. THE AS10 will stop the starter motor turning if it's not immobilised but the ECU controls the fuel pump and won't activate the pump (or anything else) until it gets the correct code from the AS10.

As above, I'd try the stock brakes first as long as they are the vented ones. The stock brakes are designed to stop the vehicle with that weight and are more than up to the job. In general terms a more powerful engine doesn't require bigger brakes, the braking requirement is more about the weight of the vehicle and the size of the wheels/tyres. Bear in mind also that the majority of your braking is likely to be on loose surfaces and what you need are consistent brakes with lots of feel. Over powered brakes can end up like an on/off switch which on loose surfaces can make it far more difficult to brake without locking up the fronts and understeering/under braking as a result. If you try going for a larger disk and larger callipers you can run into problems getting the wheels over them, one of the LS1 Defenders I worked on had some Brembo callipers fitted which were beautiful (and very expensive) pieces of kit but meant that we had to use wheel spacers to fit the wheels over them and although I never tried taking it around a race track I wasn't convinced they were much better than standard and just added another component to the list of things that would be a pain to replace if they ever broke on an event. The "normal" way for rally cars that get used for other things is simply to choose an appropriate pad grade for the desired use. A lot of road rally guys use standard brakes with EBC high temperature pads. They work really well for sustained heavy use and give very little brake fade although you'll probably want a more road biassed pad for normal use - the high temperature race ones are brilliant when they are warmed up but lack bite when they are "cold" so can feel a bit lack lustre for normal road use. Alternative brake fluids are worth looking at too to avoid boiling the fluid. Do you have a target class/events for rallying ? A few years ago now I know but when I looked at road rallying my classic Range Rover I found there wasn't a class for them to run in due to engine size restrictions, 4x4 restrictions and so on. Our local rallying club don't have any competitive events that you can use a Discovery for in any form (production/standard/modified). The LS3 is a bad choice for rally raid but is well suited for short course work where you can refuel regularly (single venue stage rallies, for example), you're looking at around 2-3 MPG under competition use. I have a 120 litre (26 gallon) fuel tank and have more than once ended up running on vapours. On a stage rally with limited servicing (such as the hill rallies) this can be a logistical nightmare ! Naming no names but during the days we were competing in the UK hill rallies some of the top entrants used to have "fuel drops" hidden away at the side of the road so they could run lighter with smaller fuel tanks and top up between stages.

The 15p engine fixed a lot of the recurring problems of the earlier engines including... A slightly different cylinder head design with metal rather than plastic locating pegs Different injectors A different fuel pressure regulator and fuel rail return external to the cylinder head (early ones had the fuel return internally and it caused issues with cracking). The ECU was changed to a reprogrammable version that seems to be more robust. The emissions were lowered to meet Euro 3 standards (including new EGR design and control). The throttle potentiometer was changed from two track to three track, presumably for safety. A redesigned coolant system and fuel cooler to include EGR cooling. In short, if you have the choice, choose one with a 15p engine...

I suspect that the Series steering setup is more prone to failure than a 90/110 setup purely based on the number of joints and moving parts. The 90/110 setup is much simpler. One option you may not have considered is that not all 90/110s had power steering and the "manual" box has exactly the same fittings as a PAS box so the two can be interchanged once you have the chassis mounting sorted. Having said that the PAS box is very reliable in normal use and makes driving the vehicle a lot less effort,

There's a forum thread showing my build here if it helps. http://www.yorkshireoffroadclub.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=194

Ashcroft innards and Aschroft lockers will sort the axles. The LT230 will stand the abuse fairly well as long as you use diff lock off road.

You can get a simple character matrix LCD display with an on board driver, they're really simple to drive as you just set the "cursor" to the start and then send each character code you want to display one after another. Timing is the main challenge. You can also get 7 segment drivers that use the same communications so once you have it running you can swap displays fairly simply if you want to. The problem with the 7 segment LCD and LED displays is that you need to make your own PCB for the driver and display(s). The alphanumeric displays though generally have the driver IC on board. A good starting point for going the PIC route would be to get a PIC 16F886 evaluation board... http://uk.farnell.com/microchip/dm164130-3/pickit-lin-28-pin-demo-board/dp/1798097?ost=DM164130&categoryId=700000005161 It's a bit overkill for what you need but you can use it for dev or use one of the blank PCBs for the final project if you don't want to make your own PCB. The header pins on the PCB have all the connections you need fro the display so you can just use some ribbon cable between the two. With the flexibility of this package you can potentially have it monitor other things too and rotate the display between them. I have one of these running a fuel and battery monitor, showing battery voltage on two batteries, showing fuel level on two different tanks and controlling a solenoid to link the two batteries together when the main battery voltage comes up over 13 .5 volts. It also drives the analog fuel gauge and low fuel warning light based on the currently selected fuel tank. You just hook that up to a simple LCD display like this one... http://uk.farnell.com/midas/mc10811a6w-fptlw/lcd-8x1-fstn-black-on-white/dp/2218949 The Microchip PICKit 3 programmer will allow you to debug and programme the PIC in situ, that and the free Microchip development environment (MPLab) work well on Mac and PC and give you a free C compiler with in circuit step by step debugging. I have some working code that you can have a copy of to drive the LCD if you want to go down this route. The biggest issue I normally have is making a surround for the display, a 3D printer would be great for that if you have access to one. You can buy bezels though which finish off a panel mounted unit.

Just looking again at the transducer, the lower pressure version... http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/5V-DC-G1-4-Pressure-Transducer-Sensor-0-0-8MPa-for-Oil-Fuel-Diesel-Gas-Air/191684546917?rt=nc&_soffid=5007939209&_soffType=OrderSubTotalOffer&_trksid=p5731.m3795 Will give you better resolution. HOWEVER, bear in mind that both those have a working temp range of 0-85 degrees C, the -20-85 version might be better for automotive use although those seem to operate at ridiculous pressures so maybe better to bet that the 0-85 won't stop working permanently outside that temp range.

It's a fair simple job using a PIC Microcontroller. The biggest problem you'll find is choosing which micro controller ! You need one with an analog to digital convertor built in and this will convert the input, typically into 0-255. The display can then be driven from the same micro controller either directly or through a driver. I normally use backlit LCD character displays for this as you can get them as a complete unit that has a built in driver and you can also vary the backlight so when you switch the lights on the display dims. With a typical PIC and self contained display you could just about manage the basics without any additional components apart from a voltage regulator (which you'll need for that transducer anyway). Most of them will run at 5V so won't need any special circuitry to take the output from the pressure transducer. You could also use the circuit to switch the compressor in and out via a relay with the addition of a few extra components. If you're wanting something where most of the hard work is done for you, you could also look at using Arduino components to do the job (and a whole lot more !). I prefer to make my own PIC controllers but the Arduino is a good alternative. If you wanted to go down the PIC route then Microchip sell evaluation kits that give you a good basis with a circuit board that's ready to go, you just need to adapt it to suit your own needs.

I'd agree with the thoughts regarding front/rear angle, that looks "by eye" to be about normal in my experience. I think that's why one propshaft is normally phased (front one IIRC) and the other isn't. You are correct re the side to side orientation, the hi-lo selector should be level although I doubt it's all that critical.

When my last ARB HD compressor gave up the ghost in my competition motor I decided enough was enough and replaced the ARB with a T-Max on the grounds that, at that price, it doesn't matter too much if it dies within a couple of years. I'm still on my first one though after 2 1/2 years so quids in ! The on/off switch seemed a bit cheap and nasty so I bypassed that (no need for it in an automatic system) and it's wired through a Maxi fuse and a suitable HD relay. As per the manual that came with it, I've put a none return valve between the pump and the reservoir. I have a fairly large air tank in my setup that I'd previously disconnected because the ARB couldn't really cope with it, the T-Max copes with it though so it's back in too. It's mainly used for Diff locks and winch freespool activation and tyre inflation at the end of an event.

If you're running in the right ballpark as far as the lambda sensor is concerned then maybe your fuel regulator is a bit low in pressure or your fuel pump is down. While the VE and required fuel are a guide all they really do is determine the time the injectors are open for and less fuel pressure or lower than normal injector throughput for whatever reason means less fuel going into the cylinder. Does the GEMS still have the vacuum link on the regulator ? I can't remember but if it does and it's not connected maybe the pressure is too low as a result.

There are a few reasons they are popular... 1) They offer a high current output for a sustained period, many batteries have a good theoretical output on paper but in practice high demand activities such as winching see them drop off in current very quickly. 2) They seem to be able to maintain a good current output almost to the point of being discharged, a bit like NiCd batteries that fall off a cliff rather than traditional battery designs that start to lose output capabilities once they're more than a few % discharged. I run autos so the last thing I need is a battery that won't spin the engine over fast enough when it's at 50% capacity. 3) They are very reliable, taking a lot of "abuse" and still coming back from it afterwards. I've tried pretty much every brand of gel battery and several of the traditional and hybrid setups and none of them have lasted as long as the Odyssey batteries currently fitted in my competition motor. Previous Optimas, Numax and Exxide in my challenge vehicle have not lasted more than 2 years before collapsing under the strain (and the abuse !). The current Odyssey batteries were installed in 2007 and are still going strong. If I had any criticism of them (other than the price !) it would be that they seem to need a full 24 hour trickle charge if they get fully discharged because the charging rate from the alternator seems quite slow although that may just be down to the capacity.

I think it will, yes, I know they've been used before with Land Rover axles, you do need to get the phasing right on the rear prop though. If you look at a standard setup the rear diff is offset from the transfer box towards the centre and the angle from the centre (where the atlas output is) is about the same albeit a mirror image. I've seen much worse angles on 80" specials and as long as the flange faces are parallel and the prop phased appropriately it shouldn't be a problem... Given that the LT230 has both the outputs in line I've often wondered why the front and rear diffs on Land Rover axles are in different positions and not in line with each other.

The electronic boxes driven with a compushift will give you the option of paddle shift, you need to sort the actual paddles out but it comes with a loom. Never used it myself but supposed to be quite good, the Britpart sponsored comp. safari racer had them fitted. As others have said, the B&M ratchet shifters also work as a sequential shift although you do have to be careful not to shift from drive into neutral when shifting upwards. I've used mine like that on occasion although once you have the settings sorted the electronic boxes are pretty much good to let the controller do it's own thing. I've had a 4L80E fitted behind an LS1/6 since 2007 with Ashcroft axle innards and an LT230 using a Marks 4WD adaptor. I've just put my third LT230 in, it will take the power but the diff lock (when not locked) is weak. One of the LT230s I destroyed the diff lock off road after forgetting to lock it after lunch, the other I blew on the road in the wet with some "spirited" driving, again not locked. I also twisted off a rear propshaft after a heavy landing, since replaced with BM front and rear. The one thing that is worth doing, looking at the cost of the adaptors especially, is to look at an Atlas transfer box. With 2 and 4 speed boxes available that allow you to choose your own ratios the cost isn't a long way off some of the adaptors and you get a lot more options and a MUCH shorter transmission length. The LT230 kit, especially the Marks 4L80E one, add around 6 inches to the transmission length which can make it a tight fit on a 90. That's because the front output on the LT230 would clash with the side of the gearbox otherwise. The Atlas box is stronger, quieter and gives you more options than the LT230. It's one of the few things I regret not doing as part of my conversion and, let's face it, being able to drop into 2WD opens up a whole new world of burnouts