need4speed

Thanks for all the comments chaps. Big thanks to PaulMc as well for helpful PM's Would it affect the operation of the x-charge at all if I were to connect 1 end of it to positive bus-bar rather than directly to main battery terminal?

Thanks for the reply Zardos. To answer your question re the wiring of x-charge to alternator. The reason behind this was purely due to following the official x-charge fitting instructions.. http://foundry4x4.co.uk/pdf/X%20Eng%20at%20Foundry%204x4%20X-Charge%20Instructions.pdf In response to your other points, my vehicle is a big gas guzzling v8 so unlikely to be venturing too far. The only thing I can foresee me running without the engine running might be a fridge one day. Most of the extra equipment it will have will be needed while engine running. For example winch, compressor, air-lockers, and extra lights.

Yes I suppose I've wasted a space on my negative bus bar. Just need to join both neg battery terminals together... Cheers Ralph

Thanks chaps. Will this work better? 2nd draft..

Starting to think about powering things up. Drafted a quick diagram. Now I'm anything but an expert at vehicle wiring so no need for the comments to be too damning.... That being said, please feel free to criticise. Especially if this can be made simpler or if it will set fire to my defender..... Batteries are Odessey PC1500's. Bus bars are 350A from mobilecentre. There is also an auxiliary fuse box and an Anderson socket for jump starting which is inside the vehicle on the seat box. Cable is all 40mm except the existing wiring to under seat fusebox and auxiliary fusebox.

You are a rock star Paul. Thank you very much...

Just found this.. Quite useful. http://bmhor.org/steering.htm

Just posted at exact same time. Fair enough I will need to try and remove first I think. Do you know if it's just the shaft that's a different size between 36 and 48 spline, or is the outer tube different too?

Just out of curiosity, in the unlikely event I'm able to remove them, do you recall part number/size of bearings you needed for it? Will size of bearings differ from 36-48 spline?

Hmmm now that would be VERY handy. Mind you, as you say it might be impossible to do in situ..

I've always found most jobs on my defender fairly easy (apart from the wiring) due to pretty well thought out utilitarian design that allows most things to be changed without having to take out a million things first. Today however I've found a doozy.. Went to swap out my upper steering column. Loosened all the brackets, removed column/ignition switch, went to slide column down through hole in bulkhead only to find it won't go. Why? The teardrop shaped hole in the bulkhead is partially covered by the lower dash. This means that the lug/stay near the top of the column won't fit through without removing dash first. At this moment in time I'm thinking the old one can just bloody stay there. I'm not taking the lower dash back out AGAIN after just getting my Raptor dash etc in place... Grrrrrr

Sounds like I've made a mistake buying the stamped metal kind. Looks as though I will need to purchase the kind Bowie linked to. I just hope they fit better than my original ones..

Say what?

Bugger. Just ordered a set of the stamped kind earlier I have studs fitted so maybe I will be ok as I can see if they're perfectly centered before I offer up manifolds. If not I will get the kind you referred to Bowie...

Thanks guys. So basically as long as I get correct spline number it will fit.. B.O.B over complicating things a bit

Just how many types is there? I've been looking at getting a new wheel. I always figured that it would either have to suit 36 or 48 spline and that was it. Was looking at Bolt On Bits eBay shop. They are doing steering wheels along with slim-line bosses for reasonable money. But they seem to do loads of different types depending on year/spec/airbag etc etc. The problem I have is that I recently bought an upper steering column as my original one was toast, and the only thing I know about it is the spline number..

Can anyone recommend the best exhaust manifold gaskets to use? I have the type pictured below and the fit is nothing short of awful.

Fair enough... I just had visions of you bringing out a box from under the LR that had the heater in it, and you going to fit it and thinking....... Oh f**k...

Errrr where's the heater going?

That's a pity Might be worth pinging Dave a PM. I've always found him to be very helpful..

Dave W is the man. Mobisquirt it's called

I'm sure someone on here was doing that.. Can't for the life of me remember who right now

Cheers Bowie.

Regarding the serial lead on Niges site it says "wired the correct way for Megasquirt". Does this mean that the leads available from him are unique in some way? Reason I ask is because I chopped off 1 end of the lead from his kit in order to pass through the side of my enclosure, with the intention of crimping on a connector afterwards. Tried contacting him today but couldn't get a hold of him.

I just received a load of red and black 40mm from Tim at mobilecentre. Very nice stuff. And very flexible.