Snagger

The amount of energy needed to heat a fuel tank is enormous, so don't bother with that. As said repeatedly above, the heat exchanger needs to be as close to the injection pump as possible, ideally immediately before it. A heated fuel filter will help in cold conditions as the thicker fuel will be restricted unless heated there too.

My kits came with only one relay each. I suspect this is to act a a switch between the battery and seat control switches, triggered by a spur from the fuse box white or green wires (activated with the ignition switch) to prevent the seats taking their load through those ignition circuits but using them as a safety cut out to prevent battery drain with the engine off. My RRC already had the full wiring installation, and I connected the 109's heater pads directly to the control switches and aux battery, so didn't use the relay in either case.

I took the ends of the p38 hoses (the steel pipes cut down to length) for refabrication to suit my engine bay at a hydraulics specialist. Cost about £15 including the new hoses and the crimping.

I'd have a look at the intake and air filter to make sure they're not iced up, choking the engine. You may also need a new fuel filter - cold weather causes more condensation in the fuel tank and some of that water collects in the filter. Over time, that water will build up, and could block the filter when frozen. Other rubbish in the filter will also be more of a problem when the fuel is cold and more viscous.

A good UJ has no play at all (check rotationally and laterally - the plastic thrust bushes inside the bearing cups can crush or disintegrate, allowing the spider to slide in and out of the cup). A UJ can also bind in specific spots, which causes vibration and forces on the bearings of the assembly adjacent to the UJ (box or diff). You can only check properly by removing the prop and exercising the joint in every direction, both unloaded and with torque applied in each direction (this will help detect grooves worn into the spider ends by dry bearing needles in the cups).

The limit may be variable based on the vehicle spec, especially its suspension and body type, and the exact spec of the rack, so it may be that you can increase the weight. However, while your insurer may be happy for you to carry more if the rack is so marked, the authorities wouldn't be unless you can get similar approval from LR. The 75kg dynamic and 150kg static limits are simplified by LR to avoid confusion, error and litigation. You may find a rack that eliminates all the body stress issues but would then be restricted by suspension and handling issues. With all the different suspension specs available (spring heigt and rate, damper stiffness, anti-roll bar spec, tyre size and type, etc), it is a minefield, so I doubt you'll get any exemption.

RRC and Discovery heaters are very powerful and easy to come by, so if there is a way of grafting the guts of one into the housing from a Defender, or a custom housing that takes the same space, then it should do well. Another option would be to fit the RR unit in parallel to the Defender unit (so that the Defender unit can still demist the screen) under the seat base or tub floor with hoses to outlets wherever needed.

The ram kits are hugely expensive, vulnerable, suffer lag, have unequal force in opposite directions (as all rams do) and don't fix the play inherent in the Series system. I used a Defender upper column and reservoir with P38 box, pump and lower column. It has the same gearing ratio as the SIII steering box, so handling is the same, but I can turn the wheel lock to lock with ease with one little finger while parked, and all the slack and wander is gone. The P38 boxes are stronger and more reliable than the Adwest type and won't need any chassis chopping (particularly the front cross member) - you just need to weld a bracket tot he outside of the chassis leg. I mounted the pump using a custom bracket on the aircon pump mount lugs of the Discovery 200Tdi timing case and used a second water pump pulley back to back with the first to power it. I used a cut down and re-threaded P38 drag link, but I also have coiler axles, so needed a longer link. Standard axles may be able to use a Defender drag link.

The limit is not due only to the strength of the body but also the stability of the vehicle while driving. Making mountings that connect to the chassis could reduce the load capacity as the rack itself will weigh more. In theory, a roll cage equipped vehicle would have a very low roof load limit.

The latch is held in place by two bolts - slacken them to slide the latch around to make sure the hole lines up well with the bonnet pin. The closure gap is set by slackening the locking nut inside the bonnet pin's spring and then using a big screw driver to wind the pin in or out to adjust the closed gap before retightening the locknut. If it's a SIII, I'd suggest replacing the plastic hinge barrels first, adding heavy grease as you fit the new ones. They're the same part on Defenders, so will be easy to source. Just open the bonnet vertically and lift the bonnet one side at a time to clear th bonnet bracket from the barrel, swap the barrel and lower the bonnet before doing the pother side. Much easier with help.

I agree with some of what Tanuki said. My wife had a TDCI 90 XS - first is too low, sixth is fine for the motorway (as the LT230 is 1.22), but the rev range for any torque is narrow. I also thought the front seats were far less comfortable than the TD5 and earlier seats, but the fold up rear seats were pretty good. A big factor is the heating and ventilation. The TDCI has a blisteringly hot heater and pretty good aircon, where fitted. On the down side, iIt doesn't have the bulkhead vents, so you can't get a decent breeze without the window being open and having all that noise. Noise levels on the TDCI are pretty good.. As for the 90/110 debate, I'd only ever buy a 110 for myself. The fold out seats of the TDCI are as good as can be, but there is still a lack of head room, they have poor leg room (legs kinked) due to the interior wheel arches, and poor load space. I also don't like the handling or feel of a 90 compared to a 110 - they pitch and buck too much and feel less directionally stable at speed, and the TDCIs have too stiff a factory setup for their weight. In an ideal world, I'd probably have a TDCI 110 and swap the front seats for older. Their performance and economy aren't far off, and while I prefer the R380 to the transit box, a reasonable (still a little low) 6th gear and 1.22 LT230 and good sound proofing make motorways much easier than the older model, but the main factor is the HEVAC being so much more effective.

An overadjusted hand brake can make horrifying bangs and thumps, so back it off just a tad and then test drive. I used to replace UJs with a rubber mallet and two sockets (one with an internal diameter larger than the bearing cups to support the yolks, and one with an external diameter similar tot he cups for use as a drift). You have to be careful not to drop a roller, but it's manageable. The vice did make it much easier when I got it, but it's not essential.

Bandog, there are actually different spec window seals because the glass thickness was changed at some point. I don't know when, or which vehicle spec was the change point, but it did change. I know that because of retrofitting new old-stock alpine lights to my 109.

I have seen Defenders with EP90 in the gear box because the "specialist" thought it was standard LR spec oil. It is standard spec for the axles and LT230, and for the whole transmission in Series LRs, but was never correct for LT77s or R380s (and possibly not for LT85, though I don't know about that one). The point is that any "specialist" who refers to "LR spec oil" instead of EP90, W75, ATF DIII, MTF 94 and such is not a specialist at all but a bodger.

You can drill the chassis without worrying about corrosion - just apply a dollop of grease to the exposed steel before fitting the fixings.

Even a tatty, old Defender is a target, for spares if not cheap disposal. Series vehicles are being targeted too now that their value is increasing. I think my vehicle is both too obsolete and too mucked about with to appeal to thieves as they'd be unable to sell it to Defender or Series markets, but I can't even depend on that.

SIII does have those two circular rubber buffers, but worn plastic hinge barrels do make noise. They are also prone to squeaking if dry, which sounds like a dash squeak.

In fairness, mail order for a hybrid is a nightmare for suppliers as so many customers don't know what they're talking about or know what they need. That's even worse if they're second hand hybrids. That said, the biggest mail order companies have woeful customer service - I have been utterly disgusted by Craddock and LR Series, and fairly unimpressed by some elements of Paddocks (namely their supplying Britpart pattern stuff where genuine was specified, although they always billed accordingly). PA Blanchard are reliable but eye wateringly expensive. The only mail order I have been happy with is Dunsfold LR, who have been superb every time I dealt with them. But like David above, I prefer to buy over the counter at a local supplier.

Oh, it's very interesting, and a source of comfort I'm sure to people like me who hope to do more Series restorations in the future. There is no reason buyers can't sort out their own rust treatments after delivery, ultimately. Given that it typically takes about five years before a standard LR bulkhead starts being problematic, a few weeks of internal surface corrosion should be a small and simple issue to deal with. Good luck with the enterprise!

The bonnet should close down onto the canvas strip on the rad panel. It sounds like you have worn hinges, worn canvas or a maladjusted latch.

It is an electrically charged dip painting system that ensures a completely even coat of the charged primer particles, including strong attraction in tight corners, cavities and between spot welded joints. It is what the majority of luxury manufacturers now use on their chassis and panels so effectively to prevent any chance of rust without mechanical damage first breaching the protection. As the bulk of a dipped item becomes covered by the particles, it becomes electrically insulated, so the remaining free particles will be attracted specifically to areas with thinner coating or still uncovered, so penetration is much much greater than capilary action of conventional paints, waxes and so on, while being perfectly even and ripple free.

The whole point of having both on aero-engines is to have two independent pumps running from separate power sources, so the mechanical pump will work if the aircraft has an electrical failure and the electric pump can prime the unstarted engine as well as back up the mechanical pump at critical times (low altitude and aerobatics, mainly). Having both on a car is no problem, but not essential like it is in an aircraft. It's not a direct comparator.

Electro-plating would be a bad thing - it gives minimal protection and makes painting very difficult as it's so hard to get rid of the greasiness.

Not on a 200.

Are you acid dipping them before paint, though? I think e-coating would be worthwhile if you can take them in batches; you'd get a dozen or more in a Transit van. Otherwise, they'll suffer internal corrosion like the originals. It's the overlaps of the spot welded joints that is the problem. If you can prime the completed units externally and then carefully internally spray them with thin cavity wax, then hopefully it'll have enough penetration to get into those joints and protect them. It'd just be a terrible shame for them to start rotting out, and the photos show just how fast it starts.