Tanuki

Many thanks!

Being a spectacular fool, I didn't take a photo of how the old one was fitted before I took it out... Does it go back together with the flat-side-with-oil-jets uppermost, or with the domed part uppermost? --Tanuki.

Disconnect the wires from the alternator. A faulty diode in the alternator's rectifier-pack can easily cause that sort of current drain. --Tanuki.

You either have an electrical short, or - more likely - there is a problem with the earth connection between the engine and the battery-negative terminal and the current is 'finding' its way from the starter-motor back to earth through the PAS pipe! Try connecting a jump-lead directly between the engine-block and the battery-negative then see if it will start. If it does, check out the negative-battery-terminal-to-chassis connection and the engine-block-to-chassis connection. (the "earthing through odd paths" thing is a surprisingly common fault on a range of vehicles, and can lead to smoke rising from places like choke-cables, speedo-cables, handbrake-cables ....) --Tanuki.

I've not come across an alternator with a clutch - though I have heard the bowel-rending shriek of an airconditioning compressor when its clutch/nose-bearing is grinding itself into a cupful of rusty iron-filings. --Tanuki.

Will do - though looking at how much a new pulley/damper assy costs I hope this isn't the problem!! --Tanuki

It may sound strange but - check the routing of the HT leads. I've experienced a RV8 or two where the HTleads were a bit floppy and moved about under cornering - causing 'crossfiring' between pairs of leads. A weak spark was getting to some cylinders at the bottom of their intake stroke, causing all sorts of badness. I've even seen this be bad enough to cause a blowback and blow all the oil out of the SU dashpot on one bank of cylinders. --Tanuki.

The inertia switch signal feeds the ECU. Both the fuel-pump (via the fuel-pump relay) and the operation of the injectors are controlled by the ECU. When the inertia-switch fires, it shuts down the ECU - so the injectors and the fuel-pump both stop. --Tanuki.

My 2001 90TD5 is squeaking. A high-pitched 'twittering' noise is noticeable from the front of the engine for a couple of seconds after starting, and for about a second between turning the ignition off and the engine coming to a stop. There's no difference whether the engine is hot or cold. I've replaced the serpentine belt with a new Land-Rover OEM part (ugh, what a task!) and while in there checked that there's no slop in the water-pump, viscous fan, the alternator bearings, PAS pump or the tensioner-pulleys. Still the twittering... Starting/stopping the engine with the belt removed - it didn't twitter. Any suggestions where to look next? --Tanuki. "I don't have a Licence to Kill, but my provisional licence allows me to wound under supervision"

You *must* make sure the bolts are proper high-tensile ones: clean up the heads and you should be able to still read the tensile-strength marking (will probably be something like "10.8" stamped on the top. A decent industrial-fastener supplier will then be able to match the thread, length and tensile-rating. --Tanuki.

The fast clicking of a flasher-relay is the way it indicates that it's not got the correct number of correct-wattage bulbs as a "load". I suspect if you attach a couple of 21-watt bulbs to it rather than just your test-bulb, it will flash at the correct speed. --Tanuki.

Is there any way that water can get in? Through a crack or stone-hole in the front glass perhaps? Water dropped onto the envelope of a lit Halogen bulb is almost guaranteed to shatter it. --Tanuki

Always keep the main-battery for the vehicle, and a secondary battery for 'accessories' like fridges, winches, lights, inverters. Main-battery is always the first in line for receiving alternator-output. Only when it's fully charged should you consider allowing the control to divert charge to the accessory-battery. Don't allow 'accessories' to suck juice from the main battery once the accessory battery is getting drained. Follow this approach and you'll always be able to start your engine. That's the #1 consideration. Remember - the spiffiest winch or coldest refrigerator is entirely useless if you've got a flat main battery and no way to start the engine! --Tanuki.

Perfectly normal: you have a case of "Trapped Wind". As others have said, repeat the priming cycle until the swishing/gurgling noises from the fuel pump stop and you get a nice steady whine. Then leave it for a few minutes and give it another prime before trying to start it. --Tanuki I don't understand bus lanes. Why do poor people have to get to places quicker than I do?

As others have said, no need for washers on the diff plugs - they are taper-seated. I always just clean the threads up with a wire-brush and apply a thin smear of grease before replacing them. HINT: checking you can remove the filler-plugs on the diffs/gearbox/transfer-box *before* you drain the oil can avoid a hell of a lot of embarrassment. --Tanuki. "Those are not shooting-stars; that's a flock of angels burning up on re-entry"

The rusty deposits under/inside the rubber gaiter on yours mean it's knackered. There should be grease in there, not rust. --Tanuki. "Mud is not one of the 4 essential food-groups"

A friend describes a carburetttor as 'a cunning device which is designed to deliver the wrong air/fuel ratio under every possible circumstance'. I prefer to think of the carb/EFI argument as being like wristwatches: carbs are clockwork - they require regular winding, servicing and resetting if you want to be on-time every-time. EFI is like a quartz-watch: once you set the time it's resolutely accurate to within a few seconds for the next five years. --Tanuki. "These nipples fill me with dread and horror"

Does going through the standard TD5 "fuel system prime" cycle before trying a start make any difference? Is the fuel-pump in the tank noticeably noisy, with 'gurgling' noises or intermittent loud whining/screaming? I'm thinking you still have some sort of leak around the injector-seals and are getting air/combustion-gases in the fuel rail. --Tanuki.

I've always sorted 'slippy' ball-joint tapers by tightening up with a non-nyloc nut then when it's nicely seated remove the nut and put the nyloc on and do the final torquing. Only takes a few seconds, and works every time! [Thought-for-the-day: I much preferred the days of ball-joints with a hole through the thread, castellated nuts, and split-pins/R-clips for locking] --Tanuki

Commercial cylinder-shut-down systems do it by closing both intake and exhaust-valves. They generally arrange for the cylinder to get a full 'suck' of intake-air and then shutting both valves - the piston then compresses the air and allows the air to push the piston back down (working like an air-spring). This 'cushions' the process and damps-down the harshness that would otherwise come from 'misfiring' a cylinder. They also generally switch the 'shut-down' cylinders around after a few cycles - so if it's shut-down 1 and 3 for a couple of engine-revolutions it will then bring those cylinders back in and instead shut down 2 and 4 for a few cycles. This stops some cylinders getting hotter/cooler than others - something which would be a potential problem when you stomp the throttle and need all cylinders to suddenly pull their full weight. --Tanuki.

Ewww!

So long as they are all radials, or all crossplies, and of suitable speed-rating, you'll be OK. (You shouldn't mix radials & crossplies). But it would be advisable to have the tyres on the same axle paired as the same type. --Tanuki. "WARNING: Letters may be used to construct words or phrases which some people may find objectionable" -- Alphabet spaghetti disclaimer.

I had a similar noise on my 90TD5 - I always described it as "mooing". It always happened at low speed, typically in the first half-mile of starting off in the morning. Cold/damp weather made it worse! The noise was related to the rotation of the wheels. I discovered that it could be prevented by rocking the steering wheel from side to side quite vigorously while travelling at low speed. Turned out to be a 'tight' brake caliper on the rear - identified by very light surface-rust on the inner face of the disc (hidden by the splash-shield). Two new rear brake calipers, new discs and pads solved the problem. --Tanuki. All of God's creatures have a place.......... .........some of them right next to the potatoes and gravy.

If you have the factory-fit alarm/immobilizer be aware that there's a specific sequence you need to go through before disconnecting the battery (see handbook, but it involves deactivating immobiliser, opening door, putting key in ignition and doing things with the key in the ignition, *then* disconnecting battery) If you fail to do this then the alarm/immobiliser will see disconnection of the battery as an attempt-to-tamper, and the alarm will go off! Since its sounder is powered by a separate battery, it will continue to honk and squeal for some time! --Tanuki.

I suggest you check out whether there is a "Longlife" stainless-exhaust-place in your neighbourhood. http://www.longlife.co.uk/ Go talk to them - they will custom-build you a system which can take into consideration your future engine-conversion options and make things easier than trying to fudge something together out of the LR parts-bin. --Tanuki. "I do Security. I do *serious* Security. I do front-desk Security Officers armed with Morningstars, 33-Kilovolt Nipple-clamps, Poleaxes, Thumbscrews and bubbling vats full of freshly-charged Electric Eels" --From _A_W_O_L_