Gazzar

Hi graham Why do you ask? The MPG will be better than a petrol or an older diesel, as the engine is more efficient. In the real world it can vary so much - tyres, driving style, road type etc. But with a well set up engine, road tyres and gentle driving you should get from 22 to 34 imperial miles to the imperial gallon. Allowing you to save enough money to buy a couple of spare gearboxes. And rebuild the overdrive. The TDI has a lot of torque, and torque kills gearboxes. If you do this please ensure your brakes are up to the job. G.

Hi Henrycrabbe. What I suggest is you go down to a good motor factor (ask local mechanics and see where they go). Ask the parts guy for a copy of the Delphi brake parts book. My Factor gave me one - said they were for customers! Its about 1000 pages thick, but towards the back there is a disk brake reverse lookup where the dimensions of each brake are set out. To reuse landrover callipers you need a disk that is about the same diamater (298mm or so). My research showed a small number of disks with a lower top hat than land rover: a Nissan Patrol, some Porsche and some Toyota Landcruser/Hi lux. Of course I may be reading the book wrong so what I'm going to do is ask my local mechanic to get a second hand set of disks for me and I'll work from there. Remember - brakes are serious, eve if you are a land rover brake engineer with access to the full brake testing regime and certification process any modifications you do are unapproved, dangerous and uninsured. Bring it to a main dealer for any safety critical work. G.

Agreed! Especially if you don't live in the UK! G. PS: moves afoot to remove this freedom in the UK - in a couple of years the regulations will be much tighter (Main dealer lobby group has a lot of power). If you want to stop this might be a good time to write to your MP/MEP. Political rant over.

Maybe the rules in the Med are different from the UK? There are a lot of land rovers all around the world, and isn't it great! G.

No worries! LWB And a variety pf prop shafts kicking about to try (including a LWB 6cylinder). Thanks, G.

Hi Jon, Thread hijack (a bit) Would a sailsbury be better able to cope with the torque? Or would you know? Reason I ask is that is what is currently fitted to my (permanently stalled) build. G

Isn't there a potential problem with stainless tanks? Doesn't the non ferrous material react with the sulphur in diesel or something? Or was that galvanised steel? I remember that galv tanks were a bad idea for generators at one time. Probably nothing. Ignore me: not enough caffiene. Still - I'd go with standard tank and apply top quality rust prevention and waxoyl. Also - keep the tank full to prevent condensation. G.

Alessandro I'm not in the UK I'm afraid (from a Land rover parts price perspective anyway!). To get the parts you need you will have to phone the companies up. The parts will not appear on the website. I'd start with paddocks or craddocks, however other members of the forum will offer their suggestions too. G.

Hi Alessandro from Italy, Is your land rover a SWB 88 inch wheelbase, or a LWB 109 inch wheelbase? For the LWB you only need the Roof panel and back window panel, these parts are cheap to buy in the UK secondhand. It might be cheaper than trying to find them locally. For the SWB you need the Roof, The back window and a "filler" panel. This is because the SWB back body behind the seats is closer to the seats than on the LWB. I do not know if a defender part will fit, you would need the front windscreen as well, however I do not know if you can attach this to your bulkhead. G.

Big Brother is WATCHING you. Go to the DVLA website and look it up! Still: important thing is its >25 year old. Should be a 5 bearing unit (red block?). G.

4.7 is the series standard ratio, isn't it? 3.54 is the coilsprung modern things, 3.54 turns of the propshaft to turn the wheel once or something like that, whereas the series needs another 1andabit to turn the wheel. I reckon Jons gearing is good/ideal, low when you need it, not too fast in high. If you need speed then fit an overdrive! Remember the brakes! G.

Daniel, Congrats on the prezzie. I reckon that it is a early 1980's model - the "w" denotes the age of GB vehicles - wikipedia for more help. MIne is an X reg (year later) and is 1981. Thus yous should be built before Aug 1980. Also the chassis number is the comparitavely newer EU (or is it world) Standard format. Contact british heritage gaydon for more details (google). I'm not sure for certain but I think that your landrover has been metricis(Z)ed - some fittings are metric and some are imperial. Important for ordering parts such as brake fittings etc. No biggie as you can get them, but your US supplier may not have them to hand. Download the manual (I think they're in the archives here otherwise go to the estonian land rover website). This has chassis number data etc. I believe it qualifies for import to the US as >25 year old vehicle. Best of luck, G.

Chris, Reviewing the above the ideal for a SWB would be: disco tdi200 Late defender LT77 LT230 from Disco - avoiding the later Disco transfer boxes as some of them have different innards (search for this problem) for the higher ratio. To avoid the permanent 4x4 problem convert lt230 to selectable 4x4 (search the forum) You will need to hack the gearbox mountings and bellhouse crossmember. Also the battery box may have to be shifted. You will need to change propshafts. Your rear diff and halfshafts will have to healthy, otherwise you'll brake something (roverdiff). And, most importantly, you will have to ensure your brakes are up to the extra power and speed. You can see why people suggest you get a defender! If you have a petrol engine then you'll have to plumb in the diesel return line and consider extra filters etc. Finding space for the intercooler is also fun. I'm going for power steering so I'll have some space under the headlights. Best of luck, G.

HI Chris, Don't know much about this but here is what I remember form my research: There are (at least) two types of TDI200 - defender and discovery. I think the defender has a High mounted turbo and a low injection pump and the discovery has a lower turbo and a higher injection pump. If you have a SWB then I believe the disco tdi is the best fit - swapping the block mountings from a diesel (and probably a petrol) 2286 wshould allow you to fit the engine without changing the chassis mountings. I believe it isn't easy but dooable. You may need to hack battery boxes and the like, and making an exhaust is also a job but it is doable. For a LWB the turbo most likely will hit the chassis rail, although some seem to have managed to avoid this. I don't know if the defender engine is better, I'd be concerned that the pump would hit something or not allow mountings or something. What I'm doing is fitting a defender manifold to a disco engine, to allow me fit the disco engine into the LWB (one day anyway). As for the gearbox the I don't know much about the LT77 as I'm fitting a R380, but the disco gearbox sits a long way back, mainly because it has a much longer bellhousing (6 inches or so) so it won't fit unless you change the bellhousing and input shaft. Even at that I believe the selector mechanism is in the wrong place. The transfer box, the LT230, is shorter than the series box at the front, (longer main gearbox) so the front propshaft has to be longer - which means it fouls the bellhousing crossmember, which needs to be scalloped. Finally the front axle doesn't have CV joints in the swivels so if running permanent 4X4 then the tyre wear will increase, there will be a "lump" in the steering wheel every time you turn. Fit a stage 1 v8 axle to avoid this. Search and research before you decide what to do = lots on this forum, ORRP and landroveraddicts, also try teri wakemans site for ideas. G.

Don't forget that the old fashioned Arc welder is an option for doing the top of the chassis if the mig torch can't access the area. Just put a gentle bend in the rod and away you go - doesn't matter if you can't use all the rod, compared to the hassle of the body removal. I would suggest that you fabricate a jig of some sort to support the body in the right place if you are going to do this. G.

I think it is a viable option to fit the autobox - certainly it has been done in the past. If money is no objcetion then a good place to start would be ashcroft transmissions - they sort of started up by fitting autos into land rover products. Do mention the idea to use the tdi at the same time. The difficulty with fitting a manual 5 speed box from a discovery is that it is a lot longer than a series box - so to have the gear leaver in the same place the engine has to move forward. The disco auto box may be the same, I don't know. Mind you - moving the engine forward isn't impossible - you do have to do cutting and welding, I think. Best of luck - I toyed with the idea of an auto - I do like using them, but the manula won it for me on simply because most people can manage a stick shift, whereas the auto wouldn't be familiar to most folk. G.

Ah, Marc, you are right, but I don't live in the UK. My point is that you guys in the UK have some very flexible rules at the moment - and unless you continue to lobby for those rules to be preserved they will be taken away. As I understand it the UK Govt are actively considering implementing an EU directive that will take these rules away. It will get to the stage where the major manufacurers have the whole thing wrapped up. Amongst the current proposals is a requirement that all new vehicles will have to have ABS certified by the mannufacturer. So - no more road legal one offs, for starters. No more kit cars. Next: no new chassis modifications unless certified by manufaturer. Also: no tyres that were not originally specified by the manufacturer. Whats next? All vehicles over 30 years to be restricted to 500 km per annum? Or scrapped unless of special historical interest? Variations of these rules are alreay in place in some parts of the world. <theatrical voice> BE Warned /<>end voice. G.

Ah, yes, I remember that from my Kit car days - before the SVA. Where I am living at the moment rules are different. The chassis determines the vehicle. Change the chassis and you change the age and plate. So if you rechassis your 1959 swb with a new chassis it becomes a 2008 (or whatever), that is, if you tell them. They couldn't give a damn what else you do - except if you change the engine size to a bigger engine you pay more road tax. If you tell them. Of course you have to do a safety test every now and then, and also your insurance company must know of all changes, but other than that you can do what you like. Even the safety test is no longer required after 30 years (I actually find this frightening) but most insurance companies would insist on an engineer/garage report before gining cover. Actually there are moves afot to "Harmonise" the UK rules - so that no non-manufaturer mods are allowed. <>Soap box time<> Lobby your MP and MEP about this - make it a big issue, otherwise you'll lose the right to build your own vehicle the way you like it. Quick email should do it, or perhaps a petition online? <>/ Soap box over <>/ G.

ltwt1981 Do you mind if I ask you which discs you used? I'd appreciate it if you would tell me. Cheers. G.

Those wilwood calipers look fantastic. Almost too nice for a landrover, still, if they do the job.... Which Toyota were those discs fitted to? I might get a pair and see how the setup would look. Cheers G.

I quite agree. My landrover, my responsibility, good and bad. Doesn't stop me asking for advice, or details, I would have thought. Or giving advice to others, either.

I agree with your comments on safety, and am fairly comfortable with building/ reconditioning brake systems, having built a few kit cars, rebuilt a Silver Shadow citroen brake system (uses a Moris Minor master cylinder to give the pedal "feel"!). I had hoped, admittedly not with much expectation, that a solution that was witin the grasp of a competent home mechanic was possible, however I accept that it isn't likely. Regarding the rest of the braking system I was expecting to keep the rear drums, and fit a dual circuit servo assisted brake pedal from either a late series, or a defender, whichever I can obtain in the right condition. The appropriate valve would also be fitted. I'd probably use a later defender master cylinder as it would have the correct diamater front chamber for the smaller amount of fluid a brake calliper displaces compared to a wheel cylinder. I may not, as the larger series master cylinder front chamber would require less brake effort, making the vehicle spouse friendlier. I do have access to sophisticated brake testing equipment in that the Landrover would be put through a recognised safety test prior to being used in anger. Thus I wasn't asking too many questions on these matters. but The difficulty I have is I don't have access to a good engineering shop locally, and thus to entrust components to an unfamiliar workshop would mean that I have to get the specification right and tight beforehand. In addition I've not got the luxury of lots of LR Brake components kicking about to swap and change in order to optimise the arrangement. I'd have to go out and buy them on the offchance they'd fit. And there aren't that many LR bits around here. Toyota and Nissan are two a penny, but not LR. Thus asking about which particular components someone else used sucessfully would save me a lot of time and money. The calliper mounting bracket is potentially the most complex engineering job, if it has to made so that the calipermounts are offset from its mount. If it doesn't have to be then it is a much simpler engineering job. Truing the hub and the disk are simpler jobs, as is tapping the holes. Finally, if I don't ask questions, then how else can I get answers? G.

Tonk, That confirms my understanding, thank you. So, to use a 10mm flat steel caliper mounting bracket the Toyota disks and the LR 110 "long pad" calipers are a viable route. Which Toyota disks? Makes it easier to order. And is the machining of the hub to take the disks a job for a lathe? I mean to ensure that the holes are drilled at the same diamater/offset relative to the axis (sorry I just can't think of the right terms today - the letters PCD wanders about my mind as I type for some reason). I enquire as I know from experience that to find the right engineering workshop for any one off job requires a knowledge of the work to be done. It looks like converting to disk brakes without paying several hundred euro on parts you alreeady have is achievable without too much headscratching, thanks to the pioneering work of the members of this forum. Well done - gets my vote for services to the series award. G.

I've been following this topic with great interest. I'm keen to fit disks to my rebuild, as flood resistant brakes are a necessity where I live. Have I got this right? If I was to start from scratch (1974 109 front axle) then the key heavy (for a DIY person) pieces of engineering are 1) Capilar attachment bracket and 2) Attaching the disk to the back of the hub. If I had the right disk in terms of offset then the caliper attachment bracket could be a flat piece of, say, 8mm steel. This doesn't have to be very high precision, as once it holds the calipers in the right place that's it. So I could do this myself. How do I attach the disk to the hub? Obviously the hub has to be drilled and tapped, but is this a precision engineering outfit only job? Disk balance at 60 mph being a serious consideration. Tonk, which disks did you use? Sorry for the detail of the post but I want to take advantage of the work that has already been done and not reinvent the wheel (sorry - bad pun). G.

That'd be my first guess, after checking all electrical gubbins for a build up of dust/loose connections/spiders webs etc. Isolate from mains first, obvious I know, but I forgot once! Also check the oil, as contaminated oil could increase the drag. Check drain plug, air filter and all the usual. If it is belt driven then take off the belt and try again - maybe a valve stuck in the pump etc. If it is an integrated pump motor then disconnect the air output and see if it goes ok. Did it restart fine? I mean, once the receiver had filled and been used a bit did the motor just cut back in? 3hp?? How was it wired? 110v or 220/240v? It wasn't through a 3 pin plug. was it? My thinking (I flatter myself) is that if it was on a 13 amp fuse + 240 ac mains and had been fine up until now, you were doing well, as a 3 hp motor can pull a lot of amps. Now, coming up to Christmas the power companies have trouble meeting demand and sometimes drop the voltage to 190 or so, which If I recall correctly, means for a given horsepower (watts) the amps would increase, pop goes the fuse. Of course I could be talking nonsense. Let us know how you get on - if unsuccessful then let us know more about the compressor - is it belt driven, seperate starter. These things are simple enough if you brake them down. If you are dismantling anything do take a picture of the wiring. I once had a compresser in I couldn't get to run well. Couldn't figure it - stripped everything rebuilt and the damb thing still wouldn't make 20 psi. Previous idiot working on it wired the motor the wrong way and it was running in reverse! Best of luck G.