Davo

This is the timing cover with a crank-driven oil pump but able to drive a distributor, isn't it? I just had a look at the photo in Des Hammill's book and yes, that's the same inside as the older type. There has to be room for the cam to drive the distributor, so it should be fine. Just check and grind as I described it above.

Sorry, I completely forgot about the different timing covers. Yes, duplex sets are all steel.

Yes, the H180 is worthwhile, (and I feel that it must be good if Turner sells them - they are more engineers than salespeople), and just gives the engine a little bit extra. I use a duplex chain as well, even though the original type seems to last well, but it's an easy upgrade. You do have to grind a bit off the inside of the timing cover to allow for the extra thickness of the chain, which is easy enough to do if you're careful and do it in stages. You just put some Plasticine on the cover and see where the chain will rub, and keep doing that until you've ground off just enough metal. And as above concerning the cork gaskets - I've got one on the sump and it wasn't my best idea!

However like you, I live in a ridiculously hot climate, but I've found the viscous fan just didn't do the job after a long highway run, or at idle. This is on a carburetted engine, not injected, so I keep it pretty cool in comparison. Usually I've found in these discussions people tend to get confused and think the debate is between the original viscous fan and a single electric fan with no shroud. Of course the viscous is better than one of those. It's the fully-shrouded dual fans which move so much air when you need it.

I've got the H180 cam Turner sells, and other parts from them, too. It's worth doing the chain and gears too. The oil pickup bolts to the block, so no worries there. You can get the timing cover off with the sump in place but it's a bit bodgey. It's worth taking off the sump and checking the mains bolts and to give it a good clean, because you never know what's happened over the years. There might be a gasket - you never know what someone has done! Some people use a gasket with a steel sump, some don't.

Is there a term for that sort of slightly-trashy-but-trying-to-be-suave-but-overall-too-glossy-until-it-finally-misses-the-point style of automotive design usually favoured by Asian car companies trying to move upmarket but unable to understand terms such as "style" and "restraint"? (So that a 30-year-old Jaguar still looks classy and refined in comparison.) If not, then a word should be coined to describe this move by JLR into further suburban mediocrity.

Damn, I just stayed up too late watching that! I've been experimenting with this for several years now, and I'm onto electric fans for the third time, and won't be going back to engine-driven. I've tried a couple of viscous clutch set-ups as well as some different systems for running the electrics, so hopefully this time I've got it. In very short form, I've learned: - the viscous fans really did use a lot of horsepower, something you can easily feel with a 3.5 V8. They are also hopeless at hot idle, especially in really hot weather and especially after a long run at 100kmh. The Range Rover clamshell bonnet traps a lot of heat and even the venting I've got doesn't help much. - electric fans are really sensitive to airflow in the engine bay. If there is no decent exit for the hot air, they will run for much longer than you'd want. You really need to make sure the engine bay is as much of a low pressure area as possible - tricky on any Defender or old Rangie. You also must have just the right on and off temperatures, and the simplest wiring possible since there's a lot to go wrong. It's also really hard mounting the things to survive long stretches on corrugations - something I haven't tested yet!

I see, so you must tread the smokey and spattered path so many of us have taken before you, but now that you've explained it, it makes sense. It's the car to get back onto the road, not to make perfect. It's the same with mine, it's only meant to be driven. I have vague fantasies of restoring another Rangie to a regal standard, but that takes more than I've got at the moment.

I have to admit I just thought it was another inscrutable British phrase . . .

I'd recommend a VKS-737 membership, too, as there will be a few members out that way.

Or in other words, "it's not just what happens, it's what you do about it that counts," something many companies have trouble understanding.

Been there, done all that, and an 8-blade fan is too much. I've got one and it doesn't help with the power from that poor little motor. A good quality electric fan would be far better. I've had plenty of trouble with fuel vapourising. It shouldn't happen in a mild climate. In a hot climate like where I live, I would be inclined to put in a return system like the V8 has with an electric pump, but that's extreme for anywhere else. (Of course I haven't actually managed to get around to doing it yet!)

Ha ha, yup, it's the same every year.

I might be wrong, but from the satellite shots right now I do believe it's raining out there at the moment.

Ah, that special time of year up here when all the crazy people arrive. I mean the tourists, of course. Just you watch: what your mate is planning is quite sensible compared to what too many of these people get up to!

Well then, it's time to sell your body because fluxcore is really best avoided for most car work. I know this, because due to similar circumstances to yours, (funny that), I did some Rangie bodywork with fluxcore and let's just say that seam sealer certainly helped to cover those welds. Fluxcore can be used with various tricks, but ugh, what a hard way to do things. Pardon the sermonising tone, but I'd like to help you to avoid the uphill slog in this respect. I'm onto disposable CO2/argon bottles now, hoarded for when I really need them.

Chequer plate reasoning: "Izza Land-Rover, innit."

They rust out from the inside, so get that seen to with Waxoyl or whatever is best and it will buy you quite a bit of time. Glad to hear you're happy with it!

http://forums.lr4x4.com/topic/100646-new-series-rr-heavy/ This will get you started.

I kid you not, that's what the Rangie is doing all of a sudden. There is a "hissing" sound, like a slight compressed air leak, only when the power steering is being used, and the sound is obvious when in the driver's seat, but not with my head under the bonnet with someone else moving the steering back and forth. (I would have thought the box or pump would have been noisier, if that's what I could hear from inside the car.) I have just replaced the shaft with a UJ on either end between the steering column and the steering box. Though I don't see how that would change anything.

All their products do lend themselves very nicely to this market now . . .

I think that is the main reason so many old ones have been rebuilt!

I forgot about the swear filter! Just put the usual crude word for "poo" which starts with "sh" where the asterisks are and that should do it. Since they all run a huge variety of old and unloved cars, there is an amazing amount of knowledge there. Mind you, I should actually join it! Have you contacted any car clubs to see what they've had to do?

I was reading on Auto****e.com about this Irish insurance headache, which is a big headache for those guys since old cars is what that forum is for. It may be worth looking at what some of them came up with, (sorry, I can't remember). It sounds like the industry there is just refusing to deal with older cars because only dealing with newer cars is easier, from what they were saying.

Same here - I've stripped a couple of axles where the CVs turned out to be ruined because one-shot had been used, water had gotten in, and the grease hadn't been changed. (Because it's not meant to be?) At least with oil you can drain it out.