zul69

Hi All, Managed to get the engine run last Sunday after a series of attempts. The engine not wanting to fire despite sparks on all four plugs, so I checked the vacuum and centrifugal advance thing. They both seemed not to work properly. When I 'roughly' checked the timing of the compression and the location of the 'rotor' arm, it seems to be way out of timing. Seems to be a bit retarded. So I turn the distributor body clockwise (a bit only, maybe about 1/16th - 1/8th of a turn) to advance the timing a bit (the rotor moves counterclockwise). Then I crank the engine, and it starts firstime. I am so over the moon about it. The only thing that I wonder, how the hell that this happen after about 3-4 months of not running. Nobody was messing with the LR. How can this happen? Could it be the vacuum/centrifugal advance mechanism stuck due to rust? It baffles me, to be honest. But on the happy side, the engine runs now. Thanks for the helps. zul malaysia

Hi Diff, Have checked the petrol pump. Petrol shoot out from the pipe end. It could may well be blocked jets, as suggested by your goodself. Will check that this weekend. Thanks. zul malaysia

Hi guys, I have done the compreesion test on the Green LR S3 (the one with faulty engine). Results: Piston 1 = 120 psi P2 = 130 psi P3 = 120 psi P4 = 120 psi Filled some oil thru spark plug holes. Results: P1 = 150 psi P2 = 150 psi P3 = 140 psi P4 = 140 psi I cranked the engine for a few minutes in short durations (maybe 20 seconds). Fit the spark plug and try to start the engine. Engine wont start. Pull the plug lead, distributor cap, rotor and HT wires and fit into the other running LR S3 (Grey). It fires right up (Grey LR), meaning there is nothing wrong with the rotor, dist cap, HT wires of the faulty LR (Green). Even swapped the known good one from the Grey LR to the Green LR. Still the Green one wont start. I test the compression on No 3 Piston on the Grey LR, results around 120 psi. Took the rocker cover off. And all valves and rockers seem to be running ok. Oil is pumping ok. I am quite baffled by this, as normally I am quite good with engine and things (lol). Please, please, anyone out there must have experienced something like this on the LR S3. My last resort is posssibly to call a shaman/witchdoctor so that he can weed out the evil spirits that is 'possessing' the Green LR (lol). Thanks guys zul malaysia

Thanks Secondjeremy and Farmerfred, Will do that this weekend and how it goes. Thanks again zul malaysia

I left the LR for about 3-6 months without starting it. It was ok the last time I drove it. Last week, I put a battery and try to start her up. The starter motor turns the engine, but it wont fire/start. Check the ignition and they are ok; sparks on every sparking plugs. I noticed something a bit strange. The stater motor seemed to be too free, meaning it turns so easy and fast, like no load or no compression. Haven't done the compression test just yet, but will do it this weekend. However, just out of curiosity, what could be the problem? Can the head gasket go bad just standing there? Or could it be the sealing on the valves' faces become bad due to the car being left there for a few months (from rust, maybe?)? It baffles me somewhat. Has anyone out there experienced the same thing as I do? Please someone shed some lights to this 'mystery' (lol). Thanks in advance. zul malaysia

SeriesEwan, Thank you, thank you, thank you... zulkifli malaysia

Thanks for the replies everone... Any picture of that drum to disc handbrake conversion? Any pics will be much appreciated. Now I am driving without a handbrake. But I seldom use handbrake anyway. zulkifli malaysia

Hi again, Looking at the sheared drum, one part looks like a disc. So I think, is it possible to modify a car/lorry disc brake system into the LR handbrake? Has anyone done it before? Disadvantages? Advantages? Any posts on this excursion? Thanks guys Zulkifli Malaysia

Hi All, You guys were right, it was the brake. The handbrake! The handbrake shoes jamned somehow to the drum, and it cut (more like sheared off) the drum into 2 pieces, one look like a disc brake, and the other like a radial ring, if you can imagine what I mean (lol). I tied the 'ring' thing and be able to drive the LR for the weekend job, minus the handbrake. I have to use the LR to pick oil palm brunches to the collection point on almost every weekends. I have weekdays job too (lol). Some of you guys might be asking, Why using LR? Answers: (1) Hard terrains, hilly and muddy, and during rainy season, the job can be a lot tougher. Must have reliable and light 4x4 for this job as I carry about 1500 kilograms (1.5 metric tonne) of oil palm brunches from the plantation to the collection point. Laterite roads, streams, monsoon river, etc. (2) Lorry would not do the job due to not having the 4x4. But now they have 4x4 lorries, but they are too expensive to buy. (LR about $5000-$20000, 4x4 lorry no less than $80,000). In addition to that, lorry has to be inspected (by govt agency) every 6-month, like MoT in UK, but due to hanky panky undertable money deal, I have to forgo having/buying the lorry. It is as simple as, 'if u dont pay, u dont pass', if you guys get my drift (3) Other vehicles like Hyluxs are quite expensive to buy, and in addition, they are too tall (too high) to carry that much weight on hilly laterite roads. Not so stable and surefooted. (4) I have Isuzu Trooper too, but being a van like, it is hard to load and unload the fruit brunches. IT is good though, very2 reliable, incl the 4X4 area. So far I've mostly been using the trusty old LR and they are good. For the price, they are better than good! I have 2 LR's, one 1976 and the other is 1978 model. Thanks so much guys. You guys saved me from having to take the gearbox out, which is a pain (I have done twice before). Thank you, thank you, thank you. If anyone of you guys are planning to come over and visit Malaysia, you can contact me, and I try to help with what I can. I have a friend in Coventry who visited Malaysia in 1991 and I drove the guy to see about 80% of Malaysia. Thanks again. Zulkifli Malaysia

Thanks guys for all the replies. This weekend I will look into the handbrake and rear brakes first, as suggested. I hope that it is just brakes giving problems, as I hate to take the gearbox apart and do the overhaul. I need to use the vehicle on both Saturday and Sunday on every weekend. The forwards gears are all ok, no problem whatsoever. I can shift into reverse, no problem, and it never jump out of gear, any gear for that matter. I will post here of the findings. Thanks so much guys.. zulkifli malaysia

Hello All, I have an old and battered LR S3 109, maybe 1976-1980 model. I have the LR for about 3 years now, and they runs fine, except for few repairable gremlins, eg engine, broken clutch flexy line, brakes etc. Last week, my LR was reluctant to reverse, hesitation on reverse. What I meant by that was: I can put it into reverse, no problem, and it reverse ok if I do it very2 slowly/ very gently with gas pedal, but after about 5 feet or when it has some load, like going uphill or trying to reverse a little faster, the vehicle just 'reluctant' to reverse. It seemed like something stuck somewhere. Like putting the handbrake on real tight, it hesitate to move rearwards. Feels like something stuck in the gear or something like that. I looked underneath the vehicle, to see if there was somethng obvious (like broken UJ), but nothing unusual that I can see/find. So I think it is internal, somewhere. Maybe gears, I dont know. Has anyone here experienced something like this before? For information, the forward gears are all ok, except the 2nd gear whines when go fast. But this has been like that ever since I have the LR. Is this sort of problem likely lies in gearbox? Transfer Case? Rear Axle or Rear Differential? What is the culprit? How can I repair it? I plan to take the gearbox out this weekend. Thanks in advance. zulkifli malaysia _________________ Land Rover 109 Series 3