DaveSIIA

Sorry, too impatient

Undo and remove nylok nut & washer. Split joint with ball joint splitter. Job done. Alternatively, use the Bishbosh method. That's the easy bit. The fun starts when trying to get the old TRE's out of the tubes

I think you need the mount in photo 12 of your 11:27AM post.

Four days have passed since the first post. While the discussion on various lock stops has been interesting, I would have followed the suggestion by Western and despatched that job. Plates, etc on radius arms can be done at your leisure. For my ten penneth, the standard lock stops can be adjusted so that the tyre just clears the radius arm and will give as tight a lock as letting the tyre rub on a plate.

The photo by FridgeFreezer shows the crossmember under the flywheel housing has been removed (I'd imagine to clear the front prop.). The way that the Series gearbox crossmember attaches to the chassis does little to enhance the stuctural strength of that area. The more beefy RRC/Defender gearbox crossmember would help put some strength back while maintaining clearance for the front prop, potentially avoiding exhaust routing issues and being easily removed for gearbox/clutch repairs.

Ah, sorry about that - I should have checked beyond the download page. Try Landroverweb.com for the manual. I have checked the full link this time and the sections of the manual open ok.

At the risk of putting the cat amongst the pigeons, the heater in my 300Tdi 110 has managed to de-ice the windscreen on the coldest of mornings this winter if the vehicle is left ticking over from cold for 5 minutes. If driven from cold, warm air comes from the vents within a couple of minutes. So far, I have not felt uncomfortable chucking on a fleece jacket if popping out on a short journey. The heater was replaced a few weeks back, as the blower failed, by a complete assembly out of a 2002 Td5. All linkages/cables were correctly adjusted. The thermostat was replaced ~18 months ago with a genuine parts item, and the viscous fan is present - all in all, a stock installation. For reference, my old Td5 110 also heated up pretty quickly once I had set the linkages. It would be worth checking out the link referenced by Vambo ^^^^^. One has to accept there is a limit as to how much can be achieved from a cold diesel engine unless it is worked. It will take longer to warm up if driven gently

Try Land Rover Manuals Download, there will be a full workshop manual for your vehicle and it will have the relevant information.

It might be the shoes not pulling back from the drum when pressure is released from the wheel cylinders. Check for correct fitment of the pull off springs to the brake shoes. Also, are the pull off springs effective? They may be stretched or worn from use. This can also have an impact on how the brakes come on.

Could I suggest that you limit testing to just one battery installed (known good). There are four main voltage readings to be taken with the engine running and the battery in circuit - Alternator +ve output to alternator case Battery +ve to battery -ve Alternator +ve output to battery +ve Alternator case to battery -ve Start the engine and let it run at a fast idle for ~1 minute to put some charge back in to the battery before taking the readings. Make sure the leads to the meter contact directly on the battery / alternator posts rather than wiring terminals. Repeat the test with every electrical appliance switched on (lights, heated rear window, fan, etc). Also measure battery -ve to a good earth on the body or chassis. The results will show any poor connections in the circuit and that the alternator can deliver the goods under heavy load. If all is well then start chasing residual current drains with an ammeter. BTW: Voltage dropping as revs increase could be a sign of a faulty regulator or poor brush contact with the slip rings (inside the alternator).

Sorry, should have written a bit clearer - auto & manual boxes are the same length on 300Tdi.

Small block (350 cu.in.) Chevy V8 petrol is a very different beast to the Oldsmobile 350 diesel. Also applies

The auto box drops in place of the manual on a 300Tdi as the engine is already mounted further forwards. IIRC, auto and manual gearboxes are the same length. There's no difference whether you went 300 or 200Tdi as you would still have to sort the engine mounts. A scrap 300Tdi Disco would source nearly all the parts needed for the conversion - engine (with appropriate back plate); box & shifter; transmission cooler; pipework; exhaust down pipe; etc. You would still have to source a centre console if you want the factory installed look. The remaining odds & ends - cooling hoses; oil pipes; throttle cable; etc - would all be standard factory items and easy to source spares/replacements. Compushift is only applicable if you used the electronic controlled box from a Disco II, so can be discounted with a 300Tdi conversion. Then there would be the spares from the donor vehicle - rear axle with disc brakes; front axle (possibly with vented discs); higher geared transfer box; radiator & intercooler assembly; alloy wheels(?). Also, I reckon the 300Tdi is slightly easier to work on than a 200, particularly for a single serpentine services belt, and timing belt changes (no removing the water pump first).

Yes, you are correct. I have been and checked an early Series III - the steering arms are such that the track rod ends are further out than the swivel axis to give proper Ackerman effect. More out of the box thinking. Would it be feasible to machine the lower pin area of the swivel housing to take a Series steering arm? Remachine the profile of the pin on the steering arm to suit the swivel bearing. Move from two bolts to four studs to retain the steering arm. Cut off the Defender steering arms Not a job for your average man in the street that tinkers with cars

I suspect the same problem exists with the Series front axle. I'd have to get underneath my IIA and have a look - won't happen till some time next week. Out of interest, I worked out the angle that the wheels had to be turned to track a 50m radius (centre of rear axle) circle assuming no tyre scrub - 2.59(I) & 2.53(O) degrees. Given the small difference, I suspect that other effects from the vehicle dynamics - roll, tyre slip angle, flattening of leaf springs, etc - come in to play and make reverse ackerman issues quite minor in the whole handling equation. After all, Series vehicles have been driven around the world for some 60 years and wouldn't have done so if there was a serious flaw in the steering geometry.

I understood that a welded repair to the steering gear would be a (UK) MoT failure, so welding an additional arm could be out. That track rod end looks to be the business and a decent way forward. The length between the pin and the start of the thread looks to be in the right ball park to use a Series track rod with a RRC/Disco/Defender axle set up. There may be a size that matches the LR TRE characteristics - pin length, taper, thread, etc. Have you got any further info about it - supplier, etc?

Ackerman explained, shows that the inner wheel has to turn at a greater angle to the outer wheel for both to follow their correct turning radii. If tyre slip can be neglected, the projections of the front stub axles should intersect on the projection of the rear axle. However, the real world isn't that simple. Putting the track rod in front of the axle generally gives a reverse ackerman effect unless the pivot points at the ends of the track rod can be made further apart than the steering swivels. Proximity to the tyre / wheel often prevents that. Again, that is a bit of a simplistic approach.

It was sort of thinking aloud, I haven't built up a RRC/Disco/Def front axle to check. The track rod at the front would sit a bit higher than for a coil axle normally configured as the castor angle would be reversed relative to the swivwl housing. Not sure how it would fare for steering lock. I might have to borrow an axle from a scrap RRC/Disco and try. I think my old (1999) Td5 110 had arms forwards of both hubs, ready for either LH or RH drive assembly. Out of interest, the Disco2 front axle appears similar. If these could give sufficient steering lock with a forward mounted track rod then the big issue remaining is how to connect the drag link.

Could the same effect not be achieved by swapping the swivel housings side to side on the axle? The track rod would end up in front of the axle, the same as on a Series vehicle. The problem with reverse ackerman remains (probably true for a Series vehicle also). IIRC, there was a Japanese 4x4 where the drag link ball joint engaged with a socket near the end of the track rod. I'd have to do some more research to be absolutely certain though. If so, that would make a relatively simple solution to the track rod / leaf spring contact issue.

A search on this forum, or indeed the wider internet, for Land Rover RAVE CD's will produce links to sites where you can download the necessary manuals. The download is generally an ISO image file for burning to CD.

Ah, I hadn't picked up on the failed head gasket on the current motor. Thanks. Failed gasket on a 2.5NAD doesn't mean the existing head is u/s. The cast iron heads are a lot more robust than the ally ones on the Tdi's, and don't seem to warp as readily. If it is just the gasket that has failed then you may be better sticking with the old head as you know more of its history. Clean up both heads and do a visual check for cracks, damaged valves & seats, loose fitting 'hot plugs', knackered core plugs, damaged threads, wear on valve stems & guides, etc. Check that the face of the head is true (using a good straight edge - see workshop manual for details). Decide which one to use. Refurbish chosen head. As a minimum, I'd certainly lap all the valves to make sure they seat properly, fit new valve stem oil seals and fit new core plugs. My local engine place charges £25 to pressure test a head, but I've tended not to bother on 2.25 and 2.5NAD's. Fingers crossed, i've not had a problem so far.

Sorry if I have missed something. Is there any reason to want to dismantle an engine which sounds to have been running prior to SORN? I'd get everything fired up and have a drive before looking for possible problems.

That would be when the core plug is refitted, engine thawed and refilled

A quick thought - could you use an American transfer box as the P38 has a LH drop, similar to many in the US? This might overcome the need for an adapter and result in a shorter transmission.

265/70 tyres will fit a 110. They need to be mounted on a 7" or wider rim. Also, watch out for the offset of the rim as some LR alloys don't give enough clearance and the inside wall of the tyre rubs on the rear upper spring mount (110 only) when the suspension flexes. Not normally a problem with 7x16 Modulars, etc.