Raggylad

A very useful list, Ron - thanks for posting. I hadn't found that site in all my research on V8 distributor advance curves. It tends to prove my point about the almost endless permutations possible - which makes having the ability to adjust curves in either the Tune or Tune+ all the more attractive. For example, my original 15G prefix engine bust a bottom end casting almost ten years ago and had to be replaced. The replacement is a rebuilt early high compression 3.5 unit (ser no starting with 45. HC better for running LPG) with a 3.9 camshaft and a 'later' serpentine front end; originally running (& OK-ish until it started failing) with the distributor from the original 15G unit. Now look at the 16 curve options on that list and go 'Which curve ?' !

Yup ... bit of a gulp moment when I committed to buy. However, I pretty desperately needed a new distributor and did a lot of research on prices; cheapest for a generic Rover V8 (probably Chinese ?) was about £150 - most expensive, for a specific to 1983 110 V8 from Land Rover was ...... £1900 !!!. On that scale, the 123 isn't even half way up ! I've explained further up why I didn't go down the MJ route ten years ago. There's some curves at this link: https://www.123ignitionshop.com/gb/content/11-123tune-curves-download-page (I'm using the LR 110 V8 petrol & LPG ones from there. Petrol one is good; LPG one is OK but could probably do with some tweaking for my setup) and also in the manual that RobAnzac links to in the post above yours. You need graph paper and a pencil or plotting software to get a graphic, though. None of them are particularly radical.

I suppose the difference with the Tune (USB) and Tune+ (Bluetooth) versions when compared to the Switch is that you are not confined to 16 pre-loaded curves but can set up and adjust your own. There are so many possible permutations of engine/camshaft/distributor with the Rover V8 that, even if there had been a Switch version for the V8, I was wary of having to live with pre-set curves for ever. I've used the curves from the 123IgnitionShop library as a safe starter and, in truth, they seem pretty good. However, once I can get onto a dynamometer, I'll see if they can be improved on for my particular setup and (daily driver) needs. I went for the Tune version because it allows two curves to be loaded at the same time and you can switch between them on the fly - ideal for my dual fuel petrol/LPG setup - no more compromise advance settings. The Tune+ does away with the need for a USB connection to load curves, but only allows one curve at a time to be loaded into the ECU - so you can't switch on the fly. A bit more pricey too ...

You have beaten me to it ! That's exactly where I got the curves that I've installed from. If running on petrol, this is the one I used: land rover 110 Distributor lucas 35DM8 & 35DLM8 / benzine Afstellen op 8 graden voor bdp bij 750 rpm mat stroboscoop lamp The LPG one is the line above. The link takes you to what is effectively a text file, but it's a pretty straightforward job to read off the values for both centrifugal & vacuum advance and enter them manually into the 123 software. I couldn't find a way to load the file directly into the software. One minor issue that I ran into: you are invited to download the latest version of the 123 Tune software from either the retail supplier or manufacturer's sites. I couldn't get this to work on the junker Windows 10 laptop that I was using (my normal laptop is Ubuntu Linux; can't stand Microsoft or Apple - but that's a story for another forum !). A quick email to customer support at the manufacturer got me a slightly earlier version which worked perfectly. Very friendly and helpful; their English is better than mine ...

Took the plunge and bought a 123 Tune distributor from 123Ignition Shop in the NL (cheapest online price I could find, even after paying import taxes, etc). Rebuilt and set up the carbs for petrol. Fitted the 123 Tune and loaded petrol and LPG centrifugal & vacuum advance curves for LR 110 V8 from 123Ignition Shop's online library - having checked that the centrifugal curves were more or less where my research indicated they should be - nothing too radical ! Ran like a dream on petrol. Had the LPG system completely overhauled (LPG Service Centre, Port Tennant, Swansea - excellent job and reasonable cost). 123 distributor connected to the LPG switchery so that the system switched to LPG curve for LPG and petrol curve for petrol. Now (a month on) runs better than it ever has in the nearly 20 years that I've owned it. Money well spent.

I hesitate to ask this in the land of Megasquirt and Megajolt enthusiasts ! (* see below for why) Does anyone have experience of using the 123 Ignition Tune or Tune+ systems ? As seen here: https://123ignition.com/products/?filter_cylinders=8&filter_brand=rover I have run my 1983 110 V8 on LPG and petrol since 2007, using a simple single point system with a BLOS 'LPG carb' (variable mixer) through SU HIF44 carbs. At the same time as this was installed I converted the points Lucas 35D8 distributor to electronic with an Aldon Ignitor. Overall, it has run pretty well, although setting the timing was a compromise between the needs of LPG (my primary fuel) and petrol (backup). It was becoming pretty clear in the last few months that the ignition system was degrading; replacing the coil had little effect and I'm in the process of temporarily converting back to points to see if it is anything to do with the Aldon bits. The distributor (now 40 years old) is also showing signs of wear - wobble and float in the shaft and dodgy vacuum advance. I suspect that I'm looking at a new distributor in the near future. Which brings me to the 123 Ignition systems. They are pricey (even though it is cheaper to buy direct from the manufacturer in Holland and pay the import duty, VAT, etc than to buy in the UK) but offer the advantage of a minimum of two (Tune) and many (Tune+) programmable centrifugal and vacuum advance curves (ie: I can have settings for both fuels) and look remarkably easy to install and set up. The classic car crowd seem very happy with them, but I can't find much about their use in Land Rovers. Are they worth the extra £££ ? *Ten years ago, I did consider going down the Megajolt route to address the LPG/Petrol timing issues. I even bought most of the kit to do so but have never installed it. Ultimately it seemed to much faff to install and too much modification of the engine from standard; not something that I chose to do just for the fun of it. I still have the MJ ECU, EDIS, timing wheel & other components, etc but am thinking of selling it all TBF - its just sitting in a box in the workshop !

The vendor - Mode Land Rover - played very fair throughout this. While they were quite clear that the ratios fitted to the recon box were correct for a 1983 110 V8, they acknowledged that these might have been changed at some stage in my old box's 32 year life and offered to change the ratios to match the originals free of charge (inluding carriage to and from Pembrokeshire - they are in London). I rang them to explain the outcome and apologise for messing them around; they couldn't have been nicer. I didn't name them while the 'issue' was ongoing, but have no hesitation in doing so now. Their customer service was excellent.

Thanks for all the suggestion. It's not threaded: So how to get a grip of the remains still in the carb - without damaging the carb body or any bushing ?

I mostly run my 110 on LPG,but every now and again I flip to petrol to keep the fuel turning over and the carbs from gumming up. I did this yesterday and got a really strong smell of petrol, so flicked back to LPG as soon as I could. On investigating, petrol was p***ing out of a ruptured carb fuel inlet on the nearside carb: (ignore the yellow plug - that's sealing off the fuel inlet to the carb) It should look something like this (this is the offside carb connection):: The brass (?) stub tube projecting from the carb had snapped clean through, leaving nothing projecting: (ignore the traces of the Blutak used to seal the yellow plug) The spare tube from Burlen is only 95p - but how do I go about removing the remains of the old tube from the carb body ? Any advice very welcome ! Thanks.

Long silence while I got this one sorted ...... and a cautionary tale. As it turns out, there's nothing wrong with the transfer box ratios. As fitting the recon LT95 box was the only thing (as I thought) that had changed, I jumped to the conclusion that the symptoms described earlier were the result of that change. Wrong ! The 110 was off the road for about 10 days while the new box was sourced and fitted, so when I drove it again afterwards I notice what was in fact a loss of power. I had forgotten that: a. Engines running on LPG are very sensitive to the quality of the spark and b. An 8 cylinder engine pulls best when more than 7 cylinders are firing reliably A long run along the M4 in wet conditions highlighted an intermittent misfire. Stopping at a service station, I found 2 plug leads slightly loose and one with a corroded terminal. Nipping the loose ones up and a bit of work with emery paper made an immediate difference. I've since fitted new leads, plugs distributor cap and rotor arm and the 110 is once again pulling as she should. It just goes to prove that assumption is often the mother of f***up ..... and this one was nearly very expensive !

Many thanks for all the input (I've had similar useful advice over on the Stage 1 V8 Forum as well). I'll have a look at the old box before it goes back as an exchange unit to see if the original ratios in the transfer box are salvageable.

I have recently had to replace the LT95 on my 1983 110 V8 (transfer box decided to eat itself after shedding most of its oil on a long run). Finding a reconditioned box - or a firm prepared to recondition my old box) - took a while, as the LT95 is increasingly rare but eventually I sourced a reconditioned box. This was sold as a 110 box and has the correct 13C prefix serial number (thanks to a great Dutch website ID'd elsewhere on the Stage One V8 forum !). The driving experience is now much smoother and quieter ..... but the final drive gearing seems far taller than the old box. I'm having to change down earlier on familiar hills, acceleration in 3rd and 4th gears is noticeably slower and top end speed seems to have reduced (though I have yet to check this accurately with GPS). Basically, I now have to spend far more time in 3rd than before even on relatively shallow slopes and don't put it into overdrive until over 60mph on the flat (previously 50mph). I haven't tried towing yet, but am concerned that the vehicle is going to struggle more. Luckily, I fitted a recon engine (with a 3.9 cam and SU HIF44s) last year, so I have a good power unit which partly counteracts the tall gear effect - the 'on cam/off cam' effect is particularly noticeable now. Short of taking everything apart again (and those who have wrestled with their LT95s will recognise why I am reluctant to do this !) to count teeth on gearwheels, is there any way of identifying what final drive ratio I have ? Do I have a justifiable beef with the supplier ? It seems to be a good box, but the innards don't seem to match the serial number on the casing and I've lost flexibility in my vehicle's capability. Or do I just suck it up and get used to driving differently ?

Well, the MGB item, although derived from the same basic door handle mechanism, can't be made to work - all the actuating connectors for the door latch are different, although the connection for the remote locking mechanism is the same. Here's a clearer couple of pics of my problem part.

It's item No: 1 in the attached scan of the parts list. Part No: MUC1216. Thanks. Nick DACPR001_DACI-FAK17012_3463_001.pdf

Continuing the search for an alternative - does anyone know if the RH inner door remote control handle (as fitted to 90/110 from 1984-86) could be made to fit in the 1983 inner door setup ? Thanks for all the thoughts above.

The driver's door inside remote door handle on my 1983 SW is completely k******ed - the metal pull lever has folded and is about to break. Unfortunately the part number (MUC1216) comes up as NLA with every firm I go to. Before I start trawling breakers, it occurred to me that the part looks remarkably similar to the item fitted to later model MGBs (CZK3792) - which is readily available at reasonable prices. Given BL's habit in the early 80s of using standard 'parts bin' items where possible across several ranges, does anyone know if the MGB item is a workable substitute for the LR one ? Thanks. Nick

I know - when it stops dripping, it's dead !

Slight thread drift - but also make sure that you wear the correct hearing protection. I've lost all my high tone hearing and have constant tinnitus as a result of frequent exposure to machinery noise and loud bangs with inadequate or zero hearing protection in the first couple of decades of a 30+ year Army career. Wearing a pair of hearing aids (while great for letting me actually hear stuff again) is no fun - not least because of the p***taking comments of my colleagues and teenage sons !

Tractor & trailer is another option - plenty of them around here !

Thanks to both. Josh, I had considered tapping in a breather but came to the same conclusion as garrycol about it not being pressurised. Garrycol, I'll see if I can refit an O ring to the shaft.

I am experiencing a small persistent oil leak from the Fairey overdrive on my LT95 box. Symptoms: - When the box is cold, there is no leak - Once up to driving temperature (therefore possibly connected to viscosity ?), there is a slight leak which appears to be coming from where the actuating rod enters the O/D casing - Every time I change the O/D in or out, a spray of droplets is emitted (covers the handbrake drum, the back of the 110, any trailer and presumably the windscreens of following vehicles) - Rate of loss isn't massive - less than a pint from the T Box (from which the O/D is splash lubed) every 3,000 miles There doesn't seem to be any obvious way of effectively fitting any sort of seal to prevent this. Has anybody experienced this ? Is there a solution that works ? More widely, any ideas for a cure ? Thanks (Also posted on the Defender forum, but 110 V8s with LT95 boxes are pretty rare nowadays so posted here in the hope of catching early RR Classic expertise)

I am experiencing a small persistent oil leak from the Fairey overdrive on my LT95 box. Symptoms: - When the box is cold, there is no leak - Once up to driving temperature (therefore possibly connected to viscosity ?), there is a slight leak which appears to be coming from where the actuating rod enters the O/D casing - Every time I change the overdrive in or out, a spray of droplets is emitted (covers the handbrake drum, the back of the 110, any trailer and presumably the windscreens of following vehicles) - Rate of loss isn't massive - less than a pint from the T/box (O/D is splash lubed from this) every 3,000 miles There doesn't seem to be any obvious way of effectively fitting any sort of seal to prevent this. Has anybody experienced this ? Is there a solution that works ? More widely, any ideas for a cure ? Thanks (Also posted on the Rangie forum as the LT95 is common on early Classics)

Many thanks for the advice - good points about low box. All hypothetical, of course !

Thanks all. It's a couple of miles of Pembrokeshire lanes. Low speed but some steepish hills (up & down). Using a standard braked twin axle trailer rated for 3500kg but in good nick (as is the 110). No coupled or air brakes. Seems like I either take a (slightly illegal but reasonably safe) punt or find a friend with a flatbed.

In my case, a 1983 110 V8 station waggon. The book says a maximum GTW of 3.5 tonnes. My challenge is to move a small yacht (weight 3.3 tonnes) a couple of miles. Assuming (optimistically ?) that a trailer capable of supporting 3500kg weighs about 500kg, this put me over that limit. But, setting aside the plated limit, what can a 110 actually tow ?