Ed Poore

Right after a very quick test drive it looks like the vacuum pump has sorted quite a lot of the issues. Dogs jumped in for the ride so didn't slam on the anchors but the brakes definitely felt better. Think I need to replace my pipe though, it looks like it's had better days.

In one word, it's painful. There's an oh **** mode as well if you pull the handbrake while moving (car does as much as it to stop). Never plucked up the courage before I sold it as someone who had been through both a brick wall and tried it out said the brick wall was infinitely more preferable.

Annoyingly a day or so after ordering mine I had the offer of not only a second hand vac pump FOC but an entire 300Tdi engine . Don't have the space but I know where it is now!

It certainly sounds like it. I've just had the new vacuum pump delivered for mine and picking up a gasket at lunch today. I'm unlikely to have time until the weekend to replace it but I can run the same tests you your father has so see if it's exhibiting the same symptoms. Can then let you know if it fixes it

At the risk of going off topic - what do you consider best in class? You mention Land Rover but from having owned a 3.6TDV8 L322 I'd have thought that's pretty much as best in class as you can get for an off-road vehicle. You did mention Land Rover not Defender ...

Hmm, now I've just recently (well still have to pick it up) had mine refurbished (seals began to give up) it'd be nice if it was motorised. Turns out I picked up an absolute steal, cylinder is rated to 700 bar (>10,000 psi) and if I remember the dimensions correctly its actually closer to 100 tonnes not 30. Not sure what the frame is capable of surviving. Enerpac still make the cylinders (for circa £3k ). [edit]Paid £150 for it[/edit]

Tell me about it - I seem to have a never ending battle with my drop arm, it's basically being replaced every year just before the MOT now. Gone from being a **** to get off to working loose over time despite having the correct nuts and locking washers (although the current ones are carp). Got a new steering box I'm refurbishing and probably going to change to a Disco drop arm instead.

Bit extreme

Do you have any "knocking" when running? Notably under load? I've been trying to track down a bit of a knock on mine and noticed yesterday in the rain that brakes were pants. Given I'm running mud terrains I can normally lock up the wheels on dry tarmac, yesterday I couldn't get it to happen at all. Thought, ah vacuum pump (shows how much I use the brakes). Anyway when I got to work I pumped up the brakes with the engine off and the pedal really didn't move at all. So if it sounds a bit more tractorish than normal it may be the same issue. Although pump is on order so we'll see whether it fixes my issue.

I was going to write "Someone would have thought a member of a Land Rover forum wouldn't have problems with fitting things inside their Land Rover". Then realised you probably don't have an issue with fitting whatever Mo wanted into / onto your Land Rover. Actually moving it once it's there might prove to be the difficult bit

Another possibility is I'm due to be driving past Fridge and TSDs office on the 17th again so if they can make their way towards Guildford / Farnham I can drop them off then. Ironically have driven past or could have driven past Oxford each weekend for the last month, just nothing planned now until spending Christmas in Scotland.

If there's nothing sooner I can collect on the return from the Highlands around the New Year. Also thought about it on the drive down last weekend and completely forgot on the return to pop into Chris' to pick up the transfer box. That I might be able to get Dad to collect when he comes stalking, if he's organised it...

Yep, 15Nm

I wish I hadn't seen this. Just done the timing belt on mine but followed the workshop manual...

Ah fairly obvious now - probably powered from the Megasquirt board itself rather than from the USB.