UdderlyOffroad

Yep, finally joined the plasma club with a £200 Chinese jobbie, with pilot start. Wow. Sounds like a nest of angry wasps who've been subjected to repeated "your mum" taunts. But boy can it cut through steel. Am sure a brand-name unit like R-tech would probably give better results, but for the moment this will do nicely. A tip though, as well as upgrading the filter/water separator unit that comes with the machine, invest in a decent air hose. Screwfix were doing the 10mm stuff cheap recently, and you can probably find good prices on Ebay. Matt

I've also got the Uni-T model recommended by PatPending. It's worked great and is certainly more robust than most meters....however at work I've used Flukes and I coveteth them. Sadly being a desk-jockey means they won't buy me one....

I've removed the complete headlamp washer system from a scrapper Disco 1 300 tdi, for future installation into my 110. The plan was to integrate them somehow into the bumper. Not got anywhere near that project yet though!!

This. My Bergen sockets have lasted 10+ years of weekend-warrior abuse, and cost less than £20 per set. On that basis I've carried on purchasing Bergen stuff and have yet be disappointed. Other opinions are of course available. I'm still not sure how one would sharpen step drills without a specially designed jig

The allbrit.de link above is far more useful/stable. Also you can link to the pictures when posting on this site, invaluable when asking a question!

Well the article isn't entirely devoid of a few hard truths: More damningly, but of course based on 'an unnamed source': None of the above is enough to mitigate the somewhat lazy journalese in the article, but then again, I've given up looking in the mainstream media for insightful reporting or comment on motoring matters. I remember reading similar articles when the old-shape mini was finally pulled from production, and doubtless Mexican motoring journalists were spouting the same when the VW combi bus was retired. Am off for a grump in the garage now, as I clearly don't have anything nice to say :-) Matt

I will too but I must confess to having zero enthusiasm. His continued employment by the BBC is baffling to me - he seems to be a Children's TV presenter who somehow appeals to adults, mostly commissioning editors. Ah well, Clarkson et al were getting tired and they were certainly in the cross hairs of the BBC for not toeing the corporate line. As somebody mentioned above, we might end up with 2 decent shows, vaguely related to cars. However there's also a danger we end up with some politically-correct automotive 'One Show' and some straight-to-DVD cunning-stunt explosions on Amazon

Probably a bit late now but check for holes in the 'bulkhead', especially the passenger footwell. The main loom passes from here through to the engine bay. It's not particularly difficult to repair but does entail removing the wiring loom from the engine bay and coiling it up inside the truck. Otherwise you risk setting fire to the loom at which point it'll be a whole world of pain. As well chassis rot of course. Matt

I bought an ESAB helmet from Wellington Welding for £60. It's fantastic for the money. Am sure it ain't no Speedglass but as the halfway house between Chinese c**p and a £250+ helmet, it's spot on..

Or left the sump plug in a 'safe place' whilst the oil was draining, forgot where it was, looks everywhere for it, gives up. Gets on phone to mate to persuade him to come over in his car to take me to halfords to acquire a new one. Eventually he turns up, takes me there and we get back, whereupon I promptly locate the sump plug sat in the moulded recess of the washer bottle! Or reinstalls half shafts on rear axle but the first one sticks half way out, so I start 'tickling' it with a mallet to persuade it in (Mutters something about Land Rover tolerances)....only after 2 minutes of persuasion do I realise I'm trying to install the 'long' shaft into the short side...

I look upon that thread as the equivalent of Les Brock’s 90 build. Done to a very high standard in a small space – and ideas will be stol…borrowed.  Am currently in the process of purchasing a house in North Bristol where I will have space (but not necessarily funds) to build a double garage of similar size. Admittedly it will eventually get filled with a 110 in bits but I certainly intend to paint everything white and have a decent floor including a pit... The road to hell being paved with good intentions and all that

But he ain't building a commercial pit - are you aware of any rules pertaining to domestic pits? Have a look at this thread on Garagejournal for how to do a pit. Sadly, I don't think he lists a depth. Matt

So he's replaced a diesel with a diesel. I wonder if the CT man would even know it wasn't original?

I'm confused, what's the ultimate goal here, registering it in France? If you want to register it in the UK, you should be able to. You won't need an IVA and you don't have to bother with any European Type approval CofC nonsense like our Gallic cousins have to. But I doubt you will be able to import an IVA'd vehicle into France? At least not without considerable paperwork headaches. But would you have to? Can you not drive the vehicle back to blighty once or twice a year? Or is running around France on English plates asking to be pulled over by the 'Jam domes'? Could be worse, you could still live in Switzerland!!

Treat the 12 points bolts with care, windy guns are usually a bad idea. Wire brush the crud off, use a good quality socket (not one of those universal things). Drop the axle as per Les' advice, then get a breaker bar on the socket and use a jack to apply force to the breaker bar. The force of the jack will be counteracted by the spring force bearing down on the axle and hopefully the bolt will shift. Obviously you need to triple check that the jack is applying the force in the 'leftie loose-y' direction! Matt

Can't resist sticking my £0.02 in. For the homegamer, a £20 un-insulated crimp tool will produce far more reliable results than a £20 soldering iron. You can do a pull test and see the crimp, for one, unlike an insulated crimp. A bad solder joint takes experience to spot, whereas a bad (un-insulated) crimp is easy to see. But do whatever you're comfortable with. Just don't, for the love of all that's holy, break the fourth rule of LR4x4.com club: Don't use Scotchloks!! Matt

But, Mav, as it's a -52 plate disco 2 with no HID...not applicable. On my W-plate Disco 2, I've removed the headlamp washers and front fogs - because I fitted a winch bumper, thus removing the original bumper. Both the headlamp washers and the front fogs are bolted to the OEM bumper. Passed MOT without a mention of either. I did, however, replace the front fog switch in the cab with a 'blank', just to be doubly sure. If you don't have a 'blank', the switch comes out easily enough, and you could leave the hole. Make sure you take out the right fuse for the headlamp washer pump too, otherwise you'll quickly lose screenwash on every 3rd or 4th spraying! Matt

Dunno how close you are but I've got one you can have for a £15 donation to the forum coffers. Galv'd but with a bit of rust staining. Oh and you have to collect from Bristol BS4. Came as part of a job lot of series bits I bought for the 88" sides... Matt

Where are you chaps buying flap-wheels from? I have a box of EBay specials, they're great for weld-prep...for about 5 minutes. And yes I'm trying to use a deft touch. Must be some better ones out there? Matt

Just a tale of caution re ADAC: If you break down in the UK, cover is handled by the AA, as alluded to above. However, the AA insist that you call ADAC who then contact the AA on your behalf. I've found that between the ADAC and the AA messages can get "lost". This isn’t really an issue, but if SWMBO is stuck on the side of the road (maybe with the young-uns in the car), the acceptable level of faff might be too high. Let me give you a more detailed example. Recently, my disco 2 (TD5) decided to eat its serpentine belt on the M4 (dragon side of the bridge). I’d saved the AA's number on my phone, like a good boy scout. After listening to an interminable pre-recorded message about only phoning from a place of safety. "Hello I'm with one of your ARC Europe partners…" "You’ll have to phone them sir." “You’re kidding me right? I’m on the hard shoulder of a busy motorway” <click> So dial the number on the back of my ADAC card. No stupid pre-recorded message, straight through to an efficient German chap. Forgot the German for ‘Serpentine Belt’ (No, not Schlangengurt). Asked relevant questions, understood immediately that it was permanent four wheel drive and flat-bed would be required (ok I know this isn’t strictly the case…). Gets call back from the AA nearly 40minutes later. “Oh hello sir my name is Traceeeeee, a patrol will be along to recover you to a place of safety in about an hour” “I told ADAC that my serpentine belt had snapped, and they would send a flat bed to recover me home. You’re not telling me your patrol vans carry spare serpentine belts for a TD5?” “I have to send a patrol first sir” “I see, so instead of loading me straight onto a flatbed, you’re going to make a patrol tow me on a pole off the motorway, and then make me wait for a flat bed, you’re just wasting everybody’s time” “I have to send a patrol first sir. And you’re not covered for home recovery” “I am, check with ADAC, they should have informed you of this” “You’ll have to phone them sir”. …. And so it went on. All of this stood on the hard should for 2+ hours as it got dark. Eventually, after another 2 calls to ADAC, and countless ‘call backs’ from the AA, they acknowledged that I was indeed covered to be taken home, and that sending a patrol wasn’t going to be a fruitful endeavour. As it happens the (contractor) flat-bed driver was a fellow enthusiast, and we spent most of the ride home discussing which mods do and don’t work on a 110 or Disco… As you can probably tell, I lay the blame squarely with the AA for this. The ADAC call centre person read back to me all the details he was going to pass on to the AA on the first call, and the AA totally ignored all of them. Your mileage may vary of course, but I'm definitely reconsidering renewing my membership unless I know I'm going to be doing trips to Europe... Matt

Im guessing that the OP doesnt have a welder with decent wheels on it... ;-) If the collective here convinces you to make your own, try google image search for the Americanese 'Welding Cart', especially with 'site:garagejournal.com/forum' in the search string. Should provide you some ideas of what works, and what doesnt. I made one for £0 out of an abandoned shopping trolleybig mistake as it scoots all over my uneven drive like a distant cousin of Rincewinds Luggage. Were I to do it again Id try to keep the COG as low as possible by giving lowering the gas bottle shelf to cruising altitude of as low as possible whilst still having decent ground clearance. Oh, and only making the front wheels steerable. Matt

Just to add to the above, if you want to be sooper safe, you could use a brass drift. Assuming you don't get too 'Birmingham' on it, the brass will deform rather than damage the hub. Lacking a suitable lump of the aforementioned, I just tap it out with light taps at the 12, 6, 3 and 9 o'clock positions... Matt

Very useful info there - tech archive methinks!

Ditto - but I can confirm a you can transport a 110's roof on the roof bars of a Renault Scenic. Just watch for high winds if you happen to have an over-hang!! Was an interesting drive back from Landy-Novice's place to Bristol! Matt

Proper cable cutters will go through your new expensive battery cable like butter... I bought a pair of Irwins from Screwfix which have been fine: But searching Eblag, seems you can get an elcheapo for £4.00 delivered. For the amount of use they'll get, gotta be worth it and better than hacking around... Matt