Ed Poore

For those that aren't aware of them (I am not responsible for any subsequent purchases) but if I'm drilling a fresh hole then I almost exclusively use these bad boys. Dewalt Extreme 2 - self piloting up to 13mm. I.e. You don't need to start small and work up, just pick your hole size and have at it. I wouldn't necessarily use them on very thin stuff because they are monsters and tear through things very very quickly. For reference I timed a hole a while back for a friend to demonstrate it - <20s to put a 13mm hole into 20mm steel plate. I haven't worn one out yet, snap them before then but two sets in 0.5mm increments has lasted me nearly 10 years and drilled a lot of holes in that time. They like running fast either with or without coolant (just don't add coolant part way through) but tend to grab as they come out the far side so there is a bit of a knack to slowing down the speed of cut as you punch through (that's usually where they snap). Available from all the usual culprits, I think I paid about £75 for each set.

Those controlled electronically, unless there is a mechanical problem should not produce smoke. For example my over the pair of TDV8s over had and the 300k+ I have only ever seen smoke once out of one of them and that was under hard acceleration when a boost pipe had split. Just clarifying the point for correctness

@geoffbeaumont probably less relevant if you're putting in a duct but you can get EV cable which is armoured cable + CAT5e cable in the same armouring. My sister used that to supply her shed as it was clipped to a fence rather than ducted so sorted out the Ethernet and mains in one hit. Bit more expensive than two separate cables but useful to know about.

I was wondering whether I should take some measurements off it and I'm sure our resident oversized machinist @Stellaghost would knock up a few out of his scrap pile before I'd finished taking measurements. @Escape does MS work with 60-2 or is it MS+EDIS that doesn't work? For simplicity I've gone with some logic level coil packs but given my background in electronics I will probably see if I can find time to make up the circuitry to drive the GEMs coil packs directly. Thereby being able to offer an ECU that just plug and plays into the factory sensors.

This is the flywheel I have used - needs 1" 3/8UNF bolts. And the original spacer / CPS housing for reference.

With MS I'm not 100% sure it's that straightforward if you're keeping factory sensors. I've just dropped a 4.6 GEMs into the 6x6 and so far what's happened is this. I eventually managed to source a Disco 2 V8 flywheel which has the timing marks machined into the flywheel. It's a 60-2 missing tooth setup so not 100% sure if MS will run with that. It is also not just a straight swap because the centre of the timing marks is a different diameter to that of the auto flex plate. The housing for the sensor is "removable" from the block but is tack welded in place. The correct part is EIQ100020. I cut the tack welds off, tidied things up with a die grinder and managed to tack weld the different housing into place with my TIG. Technically the CPS is different between manuals and autos. The only actual difference is the spacer to get the spacing offset front the flywheel. I made my own out of some 1/4" aluminium, basically just something with three holes, one for CPS and two for the bolts either side. The photo below is the original auto CPS with the spacer removed. Mine is the same shape just 1/4" thick not 3/4"(ish). Housing with my spacer and original auto CPS There is a cap that can go over the top as well to protect it - hence why everything is so long sticking off the back. I've attached the CPS to an oscilloscope and verified its output but haven't finished wiring up my custom ECU to fire it up yet. I'm building my own ECU based off a Speeduino to begin with. This does support a 60-2 CPS for definite and I've been making things work with the factory sensors.

I think NASCAR use a similar diff scoop, also have cooling ducts blowing air over the brakes.

Bad earth's to the dash will cause the temperature gauge to read high, I've had this before. The earth runs from battery to the chassis (there's a P clip holding the cable onto the chassis but it is on a bare piece of the cable so provides an earth), from there the end of the main earth is bolted to the transfer box. The dash is then earthed on a stud on the bulkhead in the engine bag (left hand side as you look from the front of the vehicle). I had unreliable an temperature gauge and it was caused by a bad dash to chassis earth provided by that P clip.

Autobox is a hydraulic 4hp and I think 1.4 transfer box with 33" tyres so shouldn't be an issue with gearing. I think and Dicky might correct me here but it does lock up the box correctly at the expected speeds.

I don't know whether it matters nor can I remember the outcome of the investigation but some diff pans are shaped the way they are to distribute the oil well. I recall a YouTube video where someone had made glass or perspex versions off different diff covers (not LR axles, some American thing) to view the way the oil was being thrown.

@TSD I don't think it's a conversion but I might be wrong. I've followed Dicky over a fair few miles both on and off road and pretty much ever since I've known him he's always found the performance to be a bit lack lustre. By comparison my 300Tdi 110 running 33" tyres coupled with a 1.2 transfer box (tall gearing) will out accelerate his with ease in pretty much all scenarios. I'll echo what others say and it's always been a very clean and smoke-free vehicle. I think he's had the timing and pump checked over in the past by someone and they were given the all clear. However I don't know as to the "quality" of those people and whether they know all the TGV specific stuff (if indeed it is relevant). I was just thinking through all the basics (good compression etc)., and the only thing I've come up with is could slightly loose valve clearances exhibit these symptoms? To my knowledge Dicky hasn't checked them but then I might not be aware if he has.

What about checking rocker arm clearances first? That's a few minutes to check.

I think you'll struggle to get everything out of the bottom. Even the best ones with engines designed for top down servicing don't get everything out of the sump. What about sucking as much as you can and then removing the sump?

Png does support compression but it's lossless and better suited to non photographic images such as graphics and drawings. JPEG was designed for photographic images and it's lossy compression techniques were designed to capitalise on weaknesses in the human eye (basically remove bits of the image that weren't important for us to see the detail). Similar technique to how MP3s work, basically remove the bits of the audio spectrum that generally don't matter for most humans.

Admittedly on a 300 but I had the leak off rail with a tiny hole. It wasn't enough to leak any diesel during running conditions but if sat for more than about day then air would be pulled in very slowly and drain back down to the tank. It would take a few cranks to get started and then splutter a little bit until diesel got pulled through.

The main advantage of a hydraulic setup is it will pull all day without a breaking sweat whereas electric (standard setup) won't. Electric doesn't need a running engine as Mike said, and is just far more flexible. I'm quite keen on the hydraulic for the 6x6 because most of the time I've used the winch has been for pulling trees etc., at my parents farm and around our place. It will have a slightly unusual hydraulic setup on it as it will have its own tank based system for running the tipper body etc., but it will also have changeover valves so that it can power the cherry picker when that is mounted. That has it's own hydraulic tank because of the volume required.

Wouldn't a suitable pFET do what you want? Insert it in the high side of your circuit. Pull up resistor on gate to 12V. Apply 12V to gate and FET is open circuit so no power downstream. Pull it low to ground and FET starts conducting allowing power through. I'd add some snubber caps on the gate to protect it from transient but the principle is there.

To most folk minor alterations are swapping tyres for some chunky ones. Not building new wheels from scratch.

You offering to make that too? I'm just a humble idiot as my Mum calls us - a man with ideas. She's Portuguese so you'll have to forgive her.

Why don't you just cast your own?

Inboard brakes you know it makes sense...

I got a cheap set off Amazon that went up to about 6" and has actually surprised me how resilient they've been to abuse despite only costing about £40 for the set. I've got a bigger (I think) 8" one if that's any help?

Not initially.

Who needs them when you have nice connectors Connectors, crimps, housing, PCB sockets were £3 on Aliexpress with £12 shipping that mysteriously went up each time you increased the quantity. Still £15 for a waterproof housing with proper connectors isn't bad. Two can play at the guess what this is for game.

Recently recovering @Bowie69 when his brakes failed mine got hot. Put almost 10l of water in but nothing leaking. Thinking back it had been closing water very very slowly. When I called in with @TSD checked the levels and they were low and for the time noticed it was damp around a load of the coolant pipes, but only just. After 30 years the rubber hoses are finally beginning to give up and weep slightly through cracks. It was almost sheer fluke we'd spotted it as normally the engine bay hasn't been that dry because of road splatter.