Snagger

They're calling it the Metro SII.

Oddly, the 12J (with fixed 10 bladed SIII FFR fan) engine that preceded the 200Tdi in my 109 warmed up far faster. I tried a few thermostats (all genuine) to speed the process, but to no avail. It does get hot after a little while, though, and makes the heater pretty effective. The thermostats are set hotter than Series engines, so that's a big part of it.

It'll be getting past the hub seal as you and the others already identified. If you have replaced that seal with no benefit, it could be the seal land; the collar on the stub axle on which the seal runs. They often corrode a little, giving a porous surface and eating seals, but even if clean, often wear a groove. If you have the pre 1980 axle type, then you can replace just the collar, as it separates from the stub axle. If you have the later type with identical inner and outer bearings, then the land is integral to the stub, needing a new stub axle (over 80GPB last time I bough a genuine one), but you may be able to have it sleeved more cheaply. You might consider fitting the oil catcher rings from the later axles if you don't have them. You'd need to drill a drain hole through the backplate inside the diameter of the ring and grind a drain slot in the corresponding area of the stub axle flange at the 60'clock position for any caught oil to drain out and away from the brakes.

I take that to mean the coolant thermostat at the front of the head and the oil thermostat in the filter housing. I replaced both of mine, but it still takes a much longer time to warm up than my 300, despite the 200 having an electric fan and the 300 its viscous unit. I put it don to the 200 sitting in a large and unobstructed bay in the 109 while the 300 was in the RR's more congested bay, but it could be a quirk of the engines. I don't know why 200s should generally warm slower than 300s, or if that's what Fridge meant to imply.

Are you running anything else off the charge light wire? I use a split relay for a second battery spliced into that wire, and it needs a small blip on the throttle to excite the alternator as a result (returns to normal behaviour if I disconnect the relay).

If you need the boost to increase significantly before the new boost pin shows an improvement, then you may need to adjust the spring tension against the diaphragm to open up the pin sooner. That is what the "star wheel" does.

300s are a fair bit less harsh than 200, and the mounts are considerably better. But you're also avoiding the LT76 transmission noise, which is a considerable pat of it and is worse behind a Tdi than an earlier engine (petrol or diesel).

Forget phase 5 - it won't achieve a thing but will cost plenty.

Even if he doesn't have the brackets, he could find some easily enough, along with strut and A-frame ball joint mount from a scrapper. Finding a working strut, well that's another matter...

Having two ordinary UJs at one end will allow the prop shaft to sag and run off axis, causing enormous vibration and probably disintegrating. That is the whole point of the double cardan joint.

My 95 has a Boge strut, so I'd expect a 94 to have one. I have HD rear springs and De Carbon dampers, and I'm very happy with it.

I read on AULRO about a great many pinion failures on the short nosed diffs.They seem to think them weak, and that a pegged long nose diff with 4-pin centre is stronger. Might be worth asking Nige.

Discomikey and Ed Parrot are the guys to ask, but I don't think so. At worst, you might need to notch the bell housing cross member for the front prop shaft.

That is good. I might get one myself.

BFG ATs are pretty good as an all round tyre, and last very well on road. They performed a lot better on icey and snowy UK roads than the road biased Michellins fitted to my 90XS by LR, or the road biased Hankook ATs I briefly had on my RRC. I reckon with something like them, you'd never need more than two sets, if you need something more aggressive for playing in mud.

As long as you use the Defender (or 90/110) short LT77 or R380, it's fine. Tight, with the standard front body panels, but it works.

The air was probably already there - bubbles, then clear , then empty can only mean trapped air. That is the whole point of vacuum bleeders rather than pressure bleeders - they suck out trapped air and are far more thorough. How much did it cost?

Apparently, parabolic don't affect the VIN; they are regarded as an in service replacement of wearable parts. The suspension points for the VIN exclude wearing parts such as springs, dampers and bushes. That is pretty much all we have for suspension, with no rods, arms, struts and such, but those are the rules. So, you should have enough points not to be a problem. Swapping the rear axle will have cost you both points for axles, though. I contacted the DVLA a few days ago about the whole points thing, because I'd like to do something similar to your transmission mod, and wasn't sure about my interpretation of their registration guide ( https://www.gov.uk/vehicle-registration ). It would be tested for IVA under a radically altered vehicle or an amateur built vehicle scheme. The former is for professional rebuilds and includes several very costly tests. The latter is advantageous to us as there are no tests other than the basic inspection, but we have to be able to show that we built the vehicles ourselves and for our own use. This is in the response from the inspector. More of concern is the comment that the IVA is performed and then they decide on the points awarded (seems logical), but the wording in the guide and the letter I got strongly suggest IVA is mandatory for all modified vehicles, regardless of whether we have worked out we keep the 8 points required. I'm awaiting confirmation of that. It might be a rule change, or it might be a clarification of an oft misunderstood rule - I don't know. Your spec is much like mine, except I have gone PAS, so lost the steering points. You have more wiggle room with the original steering, so should still qualify for the original VIN. It's not the end of the world registering from new, but it is a shame for those with tax exemption to lose that (you would if under 8 points). I didn't get a clarification about road tax band and the registration date, but literal interpretation suggests that we'd be paying on emissions bands on a new registration, which looks like it could be very punitive with a Tdi. I hope that is not how it works. As for the LT77 and LT230, it'll be a stronger, quieter and less leaky combination than the standard transmission, and it can be fitted without major chassis alteration. Those who have fitted it are all very pleased with it. Brackets and mountings are not considered major chassis structures and the DVLA aren't concerned about them. It's wheel base length and cross member removal that loses the VIN.

That's a thread I'd be interested in, too, though as a long term wish rather than imminent purchase. But we know you are objective, Nige, and your open declaration of your business constitutes full disclosure as far as I'm concerned. People like Tweety and I would ask you if we had any reason to doubt you!

Glad that things have turned for the better after such a calamitous time>

Change your fluid and then get back to us.

That sounds like fuel starvation or an ECU and associated systems problem. I'd disconnect the battery and then open each plug in the engine control system to spray the contacts with electronics cleaner and WD40 before refitting them, and replace the fuel filter and drain out the sedimenter.

Wow!

I can't imagine HD springs having a significant lift either. I had bad problems a long while ago on my RRC. The bushes were pretty bad, but replacing them had little effect. It turned out to be the track rod adjustment.

Any movement on the rear axle would cause steering stability problems, and it's hardly rare for the trailing arm bolt holes in the brackets on the axle to become worn to oval. Do you have any kind of suspension lift, and if so, did you correct the steering castor angle?