garrycol

Maybe you are correct - as I said I am not up on the ambulance - but those points are the lift points - there are ones also inside the cabin. All 101s started as the air portable GS variant with some of these being later converted into ambulances and Radio Bodies. So some of the air portable stuff may have still been on the vehicles. The brackets are just bolted through the bumpers and even in Aust rust out - I would be happy to use them for an onroad recovery or tow but not for snatching or a heavy recovery. The winch had nothing to do with being air portable - in the UK inventory it is fitted to some of the Rapier group vehicles. It was fitted to all Australian 101s - works well but does need a working engine so an electric winch in my view is a better option.

I am not up on the Ambulance but I dont believe they had the winch. The position of the right hand lift point has been moved a few inches to the right of the correct position which would have been just under the edge of the grill - in a mirror position to the other one.

Where those shackles are on either side of the number plate are not recovery points and it would be highly dangerous if used as such - they will pull out of the front bumper if used in a horizontal pull of a bogged 101 Ambo. They are there for a vertical lift by a helicopter and set up for a vertical lift not a horizontal pull. Garry

You do not put detroit lockers in the front without the use of free wheeling hubs - you will not be able to steer. Yes the 101 wheelbase is 101" but they are lighter than a 110 and less than 100kgs heavier than a 90.

You are kidding arnt' you - our alpine region here has a larger area than the Swiss Alps. Of course we have snowy roads - just not so much in the city. I have a Detroit locker and as said - in my vehicle for 12 years - driven on road, off road, beach, and snowy roads. I know nothing about a TruTrac. These two pics are just 10km in a straight line from my house in the suburbs of Canberra. Snows in the city a few times each year but generally clear but the surrounds are covered in heavy snow late May to September though season is getting shorter with global warming - we used to even have a ski club and run from the early 30s.

Well I have had a detroit in the rear of my 101 for 12 years and none of the above apply - no unpleasant handling and no noise - you would never know it is there. They work perfectly and in my view are the optimal locker for the rear - relatively cheap and quietly get on with the job without you knowing it is there. Garry

Thanks for those additional thoughts - I will investigate that further. Cheers Garry

Thanks to everyone for their input - has made me think of a few options I had not considered previously - like moving the throttle body and placing the manifold air temp sensor elsewhere in the system. Great stuff 😀 garry

The outlet from the airbox airbox is that dark shape to the left, about mid way between the yellow arrow and the green handled screw driver in the second pic. Based on your comments and those of Missingsid an idea is forming. Remove the throttle body and mount a 90 degree bend to the intake plenum - mount the throttle body where the yellow arrow is in the top pic and mount the replacement AFM in the air box as you suggest - the air box is a cylindrical tube about 10" across and about a foot long - the air filter is nearly as large and the replacement AFM could fit inside the cylindrical air filter. My main concern would be is what impact on the system would there be mounting the throttle body away from the plenum. This is the air filter arrangement. Cheers Garry

Thanks for the input - yes the throttle does unbolt and piping for the PWM is not an issue as it is easily sorted. Unfortunately with the Thor intake being on the left, there is no way the piping can be turned forward as the seat when it is in place will be in the way as going forward will be in the cabin. I have already had to cut a hole in the cabin body work the feed the piping back to the air filter which its outlet pipe is in line with the back of the engine on the passenger side. (a bit hard to see. Also when you say "cut down" throttle body - do you have an examples? Appreciate your comments.

I am putting a Thor 4.6 into my 101 – it is a tight fit, particularly in the left side of the engine. The air intake will take a 90 degree bend from the throttle body and run back to the rear on the outside of engine on the passenger side. I intend to install the Megasquirt Thor AFM replacement unit for Manifold Air Temp (MAT) sensor and PWM Control. The AFM Unit is fitted between the Plenum Entry and the Air Filter. Now I might be worrying about nothing but this temp sensor which is on the bottom of the replacement AFM unit sits only a few inches above the exhaust manifold and there is little air flow in the area. I can move the temp sensor to the top of the AFM unit by adding a new port but I still have a concern that the heat soak from the exhaust may give false readings from the MAT sensor. Here are two pics – one with the engine in the vehicle and another showing where the replacement AFM sits. So am I worrying about nothing?

I am not sure what your thinking is re the dizzy cannot handle higher compression ratios - doesn't matter but with higher compression ratios, a better more power full coil may be more appropriate.

Here is but a small selection https://www.carsales.com.au/cars/land-rover/defender/?sort=~Year The other advantage is that many will also have Australian appropriate options and accessories.

As an Aussie - unless your Defender is something special that is not available here, I would sell it in the UK and buy something here - while not all that cheap, they a plentiful so you should find what you want - none of our Defenders are V8s - diesels only. I have imported a car from the UK some time back - I went RoRo rather than container and when you take the costs and hassles it will just not be worth the effort. What sort of Defender do you have or will want when you are here?

You say with is a 1999 vehicle with a 3.5 - would seem unlikely as the 3.5 stopped being made in the early 90s to be replaced with the 3.9. Are you sure it is not a 3.9? The main change would be a better oil pump driven by the camshaft (different profile to a 3.5) and may save ordering the incorrect cam shaft.

I am 6' and a bit of a porker - when turning I can use my belly to hold the steering wheel in place - lol.

Some more 101 ideas - noting that whatever base vehicle is used modifications will be required. I earlier posted this pic Well here are two Youtube vids on its build and modifications. Part 1 - the vehicle Part 2 - the vehicle and camper

I have driven a 101 from Canberra to Melbourne and back in one day (24 hours) - total distance was 1400km(870m - just a bit further than London to Glasgow and back) - you will not normally cruise at 60mph. I was on gas so not expensive but would have been if on petrol. Was a comfortable drive and averaged about the same speed as your HGV (our Semis) I have driven the equivalent distance of London to Berlin in one day with no major issues so on the aspects of comfort etc do not discount the 101 as it is not as bad as most think - fuel consumption is high but does depend how you drive it - on the high cruising I get 14 - 15mpg on petrol but any where offroad it is far worse. By comparison my V12 jag at half the weight of a loaded 101 only gives the same.

Any sals diff ratios will go in - just need the matched crown and pinion - many go for the 4.2:1? ratio. The .9:1 hi range ratios are freely available and easily installed. Because the "new" diesel fitted to series 3 vehicles in the UK from the late 70s was garbage, Leyland Australia fitted the Isuzu 4BD 4.0 diesel to the Stage 1s and then the 110 as an option to the V8 until the Defender came on the scene here in the early 90s. Was initially fitted to the LT95 in the Stage 1 and 110, then from the mid 80s was fitted to the LT85. In the Perentie in both 4x4 and 6x6 it was fitted to the LT95 - the 6x6 had the turbo diesel. So parts are available to put the diesel to the LT95 and LT85 if you look "hard".

This 101 has had its chassis extended - 125" I think - has a Leyland 4.4 litre V8 out of a car. If the extension done where the load area is there is minimal body modifications required. Various engines work OK - the 4.6 RV8 is good so is the 4.o Isuzu turbo diesel and the 6 cylinder version. The red camper I posted up before had a Mazda 3.2 diesel - on road performance is about the same as a 3.5 RV8 but only uses about half the fuel.

Yes we all have our views and they are all valid, it is up to the OP to select what he thinks is appropriate. By the way the 3.5 in the 101 (unlike the Stage 1) is not detuned, it is the same basic spec as the equivalent RRC of the time. I did not make any assumptions on your knowledge of the 101 - just expressing my own experiences having driven them over massive distances (compared to UK) a quite a number of times and using one as a camper. A Series (even a 3) is completely different to a 101 on the road. A 101 is far more quiet, the ride is far smoother and softer, and the cabin is no where near as hot. I have been away with a number of series vehicles and taken series passengers, and they all commented how much more comfortable a 101 is compared to a series. Yes a 200 or 300TDi is not a good fit for a 101. Cheers Garry

You won't want the V8 so that goes in the bin - WHY works well and cheap top run on LPG. The gearbox/transfer probably goes with it - Why works well once you are familiar with it - high speed gears out out of a RRC works well It doesn't have PAS so you need to engineer a conversion - yes I agree but a RRC four bolt PAS box virtually bolts in. It has drums all round and the axles, hubs, drums and even wheels are unique to the 101 / FC so a ton of work / money to sort that out - The drums stop well but 4 disk brake kits are available. Why do you need to change wheels - all available relatively cheap. It's a noisy uninsulated 2-seater with Series seats so loads of work to do there - not as noisy as you think - easy to insulate and Defender seats go straight in. It's not long enough so you've got to modify the back end - I guess it depends what you need - as shown in the pics I put up earlier there are various options available. They're not even cheap to buy these days, a crusty 130 would be cheaper and the parts are all stock Defender apart from the middle 20" of exhaust pipe and the rear prop.

I have driven them over that distance in one go and in one day and they are far from a pain. If properly insulated they are quiet, the ride on the highway is fine.

Some nice 101 campers. These are professionally fitted out and are all based on the GS. The Ambulance is too top heavy, too ungainly and too ugly. A radio body is too rare to modify. The red version is along the lines being suggested with an extended rear end.

That last link has the arrangement. On the drivers side of the inlet crossover pipe - there are three ports one for the brakes, one for crankcase ventilation and a small vacuum port. The crankcase port connects to the top of the rocker cover and sucks the fumes out of the engine. In the pipe at the rocker cover end is this small restrictor - it slows the flow and catches the mist allowing the oil to drop back into the rocker cover. On the passenger side, a pipe goes from the rocker cover to the throttle body, and connects just before the butterfly on the airfilter side. Basically the manifold suction on the drivers side is much greater than the inlet side and it sucks air through the engine.