Snagger

That flange is nigh on impossible to remove - not only is it an interference fit, but it's made from crumboleum, the brittlest metal on Earth! The replacement shaft I had made up to take regular sized bearings (two sealed bearings instead of one pot) has an integrated flange, all one piece. The timing cover needed reaming out a little for the bearings as the pot type is a non-standard size. The whole job, which was a first for the engineering shop (so needed a bit of thinking time and development) still cost less than a new cover and bearing assembly, so is worth considering. This page will give you an idea of what was done: http://www.nickslandrover.co.uk/range-rover-april-2014-update/ The shaft is even along its length from the shoulder on the external part before the flange to its tip, save for the circlip groove. The cover was machined from each side to take the bigger diameter bearings, but leaving an uncut step in the middle that each bearing seats against. That distance is the same as the distance between the shaft's shoulder and clip groove, so even if the bearings did somehow come loose from their interference fit in the cover, the shaft will keep them and the fan in the correct place because of the uncut ridge in the cover plate between the bearings.

Most Defenders and Series vehicles are not serviced properly, so little chance for a fiddly and time consuming accessory like this. The Rover/Roamerdrive, though, is fit and forget - it exchanges its oil with the transfer box (both variants), so does not alter the service task at all (except, arguably, an increased quantity in the Defender instance if you fit the bigger sump on the LT230 which replaces the normal lower cover). Since the oil is shared and rotated through the transfer box, it gets an opportunity to cool, which is helped by the replacement transfer box bottom plate which is made of aluminium and has cooling fins, so sheds heat and seals better too. The LT230 version also significantly increases oil capacity by acting as a sump. On initial installation, you add 1/2l of oil into the unit to "prime" it (not a matter of priming any pump, it's just making sure it isn't run with dry bearings), then leave it running with the transfer box in neutral but gear box in gear for a few minutes to move the oil about and let the levels work themselves out. A quick level check after that is a good idea, but it shouldn't need any more, and that's it. There is no need to repeat on service oil changes unless you have removed the overdrive. An occasional greasing of the rose joints and pivot on the lever assembly is a good idea, but that's all it needs. I know which unit I'd go for if I had a Defender!

The only spot that concerns me is the top rail behind the left windscreen bracket - it has swollen very high and lifted the seal. That section would need cutting out and welding. The rest just needs cleaning back to good metal and repainting, with a liberal application of cavity wax internally. And, of course, the mirror arms need repainting black while it's in bits.

I have that sort of stay on mine. It's a bit of a nuisance, to be honest - it would be fine in most cases, but with a spare wheel, pioneer tools and Noise Killer sound proofing on the underside, the bonnet is heavy, and leaning in to unclip the middle of the prop (or reclip it when lowering the bonnet) while holding the bonnet up, having to lean in past the bull bar is a little awkward. If I had a plain bonnet, I'd use the thinner prop that stows flay across the slam panel, as used on TDCIs. I'd be interested to see whether I could fit the old scissor type to my engine bay (fairly non-standard, so not easy to be sure) as it'd be easier to use than the early solid prop. One word of warning with the new type prop; if wind lifts the bonnet, the hook at the top f the prop can come out of the slot very easily, allowing the bonnet to be slammed against the windscreen or drop closed. I found that out the hard way with our TDCI, needing a dent repair guy to sort the dents along the back of the bonnet bulge made by the wiper arms.

It is a bugger as SII and SIII gauges look the same, and most senders look the same,even on the much later engines, so it's hard to know what you have and not at all apparent that they are different from each other. It gets even worse when dealing with 24V vehicles, some of which have everything 24V and others which have 12V main systems with 24 V for a sub-loom for the special application (radios, for example). The only safe way really is to find out what the gauge is from (tricky on a second hand vehicle), and then buy the matching sender anew. But Mike's comment about buying a decent and accurate gauge is right. I haven't done that, using a new standard gauge and matched sender, just because of aesthetic choice, but I think the Holden Classic gauges (which have the fuel level, water temp and oil temp gauges with modern construction and the old face) are a little more accurate anyway. As long as you have something that indicates reliably whether the engine is cold, normal range or getting too hot, then it should suffice, as long as you have a way of dealing with it once any excessive heat is present.

If you are retaining the standard 4-cyl transmission, you don't need to make any chassis changes other than engine brackets - the V8 conversion is a well troden and well proven route without much chopping, just a tight fit on the left exhaust manifold against the bulkhead and a clearance issue between oil filter and diff on some engines. As for moving the cross member for the PAS, you get a much easier conversion with much better results for driving, maintenance and robustness using a P38 steering box. You could also use an "opposite side" Adwest box outboard of the chassis in the same way as the P38 type, ie a LHD box on an RHD vehicle and vice versa. It saves chassis butchery and also keeps the box out of the way of the radiator.

Wrap that section of exhaust in heat wrap and make up a big sump with cooling fins. I had heard the same thing, that most of the GKN issues are from cooking the ATF.

Why Trading Standards allow multiple company names for the same staff and location is beyond me - it is clearly fraudulent. I hope their shop burns down with all the staff trapped inside.

I think that Heritage scheme is the new one announced within the last 12, possibly just six months, following the success of the Jaguar Heritage scheme. It did seem a major change of heart for Tata, who announced shortly after their take over of JLR that they would only support vehicles up to ten years old, in other words, only complying with EU law and determined to force owners of older vehicles to scrap them and buy new. It is the auctions of SIs and early RRCs which will have changed their minds; they see the prices they go for and realised they can make good money supporting that market. Perhaps the end of Defender production was also a factor, given how easy they are to rebuild - I suspect the SI factory rebuild scheme may be testing the waters and practicality of having a department rebuild other "classic" vehicles that the enthusiasts want, the rebuild nature circumventing many vehicle standards and emissions regulations, making an easy revenue stream for JLR.

So, on the basis of not overheating on a long high speed run, which we established means the fan is not active, you advise others not to use one? As for Polish lanes, Poland has light hills, not mountains. My 200Tdi needed its fan in the Alps, and I know of several engines that have overheated running without fans after the owners read similar advice to yours.

But the Garrett is the genuine part - the LR unit just has a different label.

No, its a SIII suffix a-c 3rd/4th synchro unit, at least in the Series version, and they're supposed to be internally similar, with just the front end different to the Defender version.

Given the difference in price to the Garrett supplied item, you'd be a fool, but it's probably better than the Melett. Look to the bottom to see the LR price, though!

Yes, and given the corporation taxes depend largely on the average emissions of the manufactures combined fleet, hence the production of the Evoque, you'd think that JLR would be using electric fans too if they saved even a thimble of fuel. You are quite correct in your statement that in most driving there is enough ram airflow that a fan is not needed, so an electric fan will be unpowered. That airflow reduces the angle of attack on a fixed or viscous fan to zero or a negative angle, so it is not suffering any drag, so it too will not be sapping energy from the engine. The only time a mechanical or viscous fan is taking significant energy is at low speed and high rpm, like a steep climb or off road. In those circumstances, an electric fan would also be operating, but with all the energy transfers, it'll be less efficient as well as less effective. An electric fan will also react late, only responding to a climb above acceptable temperature rather than regulating it to a constant value. This means peak work with an already elevated temperature is more likely to cause an overheat, before you even consider the lesser effect of the electric fan to recover the situation. That's why I use the override switch to activate my electric fan before any temperature rise on long climbs or high rpm off road. All the statistics that get used to prop up sales of electric fans are for bench run engines at high rpm with no relative airflow, and thus unrealistic conditions. Statistics can be misused and manipulated, and sales and advertising are where that occurs the most.

No, the function is to drop the voltage as 12 or 24 is too much for the heater plugs, but the resistor is supposed to provide a constant voltage, but it does heat up if over used. It should not take 30 seconds of preheating to start the engine; about 10 is correct. But yes, a single failed plug knocks all of them out on the early 12J and standard 10J types. 12V, and probably 24V, probe types are available from auto electricians.

Please don't encourage others to blow their engines up. Fans are not optional, and running without one will catch up with you one day.

You didn't replace the sender unit for the temperature gauge to work correctly, and omitted the fan too? This is the sort of reason Land Rovers get a reputation for being unreliable.

Only because they have transverse engines; it is not because of any efficiency benefit. Electric fans are less efficient and less effective than viscous.

Modern GL5 is ok, it was the early GL5 that was a problem. GL4 is what is specified, but it's harder to find and getting expensive.

I used a heat gun and scraper - the trick is to get it hot enough to weaken but not hot enough to start melting; don't let it blister.

The way you go about it, "stump it out" would be more appropriate than "hand it out"!

I disagree - I think anything over the standard 16" looks daft on a Defender. We all know they ruin the car's ability and ride and it smacks of trying too hard to impress.

I didn't know the steel wheels were significantly lighter than alloys, but I agree about their resilience and bush-reparability. HD wheels will be heavier than alloys but quite some amount though.

Don't use 80 or 80w90 as listed above - it's far too thick!

I was under the impression that this Discovery engine is to replace a Defender engine in a SIII. I may be mistaken.