Snagger

I used to think that way too, but it's wrong. Try pushing a door open near its handle and try again near its hinges. Your shoulder muscles are just as strong and the door just as heavy, but the leverage (ie gear ratio) is markedly higher - your fingers are working much harder if you push near the hinge line, even though their required movement is less, just like increased gearing in a transmission. If the transmission isn't strong enough, it'll break under the resistance - ask a person with arthritis or osteoporosis to push a door open that way and see the look they give you! That's what happened to my third gear, which was perfectly happy with the Tdi and overdrive, but the addition of the taller diffs killed it.

Have a look at the rad installation this fellow did on a RHD 109. You can see that it would eb feasible to mount the rad all the way to the right on a LHD vehicle because you con't have any steering parts there, and a 300 Tdi intercooler should fit in front of the left side of the rad, staggered so that the air hose connections run between the rad and the steering. It'll need trimming of the left side of the existing rad mounting of the front panel, but should work.

The Roverdrive lever pivot is really designed with LHD in mind. While the Fairey lever is cranked towards the driver, whichever side they are on, by having a bend in the lever rod that can be rotated in the vertical pivot hole to suit driver position and locked in with the locknut against the pivot top, the lean on the Roverdrive lever is done by having a straight rod and an inclined receiver on the top of the pivot. For LHD orientation, the lever leans left and the bottom of the receiver is welded to the right hand end of the pivot centre tube, clear of the tunnel, but for RHD you need to fit the pivot assembly the other way around for the lever to lean right, and that puts the base of the lever receiver inside the edge of the tunnel, causing clearance issues with their gaiter and retaining ring and any carpet or matting. The lever and pivot assembly are one area where the earlier design is superior.

Bloody hell, Fridge!

Possibly, by maybe they were factory fitted, especially if they all share the same key. All the SIIs and SIIIs I have seen had a key barrel in the driver's door and back door only. It might be an optional extras issue or specification for different markets.

That's fine then - photos taken while the work is still under way can be misleading, but you are clearly satisfied with the workmanship. I didn't know you are already familiar with the vehicle!

All the Series gear boxes had comparable gearings, with 4th always being a lock-up between the input pinion and main shaft (ie no gears at all), so any Series transmission with any non-1-Ton or V8 transfer box (the latter is integrated in the LT85 anyway) will give you the same output to the prop shaft, from the earliest SI to the last of the SIIIs or Santana units. So, unless you have a modified or non-standard transmission, all your problems will best be solved by 750 or 235/85 tyres and an overdrive, but 3.54 diffs will be bad unless you keep cookie cutter wheels and tyres. Importantly, the speedo will be thrown out of calibration by changing diffs (35% under-read) or tyre size (approx 10% under-read). Only fitting an overdrive avoids the need for recalibration. Using a speedo built for a 109 and use with 7.50s is a simple way to ensure accuracy, overdrive or not, but using 3.54s will need recalibration by a company like speedycables or JDO1 - I used the latter and have been pleased with their work and service.

Series doors typically only have locks on the driver's door and rear door of hard tops. Soft tops have a rear tailgate with no locks, and I wouldn't be surprised if the driver's door had no lock either. The passenger door is only lockable from inside using a knurled knob - it has no external key barrel.

That's the common method on RHD vehicles, but there may be issues with the intercooler bottom hose fouling the steering relay and arm on LHD vehicles, hence the suggestion to use an intercooler in front of the rad rather than staggered alongside it. As long as the pipe work and steering are clear, though, then your proposal would be ideal.

A voltage sensitive relay would be ideal, cutting power when the alternator is not charging the system but providing power whenever the alternator does. Fitted in conjunction with a relay that will cut power when the headlights are switched on (to prevent blinding others at night), it should work fine. Failing that, a standard relay controlled by the charge warning light wire from the alternator (the small one) would do the same job.

I'd suggest Ashtree would be worth a look. They're probably cheaper than genuine new doors, despite being galvanised so you don't need to worry about doing it again. There have been adverse comments on the forum about some other after-market new doors, though that seemd limited to issues over cracking of rear doors around the spare wheel mount.

As I said, I have had very few issues (arguably none at all) caused by the Tdi, and nor do the majority of Tdi or V8 users as long as they don't drive with binary pedal use (ie sharp on-off movements). I think my gear box 3td gear failure was entirely down to my misuse oft he transmission - I was using the overdrive in 3rd as 4th is too high with 3.54 diffs for 30mph, and that much torque resistance combined with the Tdi output nailed the gear. It's like a velodrome cyclist breaking the bike chain through having very high wheel resistance from tall gears and massive torque input on the pedals - a smaller input or lower gearing will reduce the load on the chain. So, any gearing alteration will have toque load effects on every component in the system, including the engine crank shaft, con rods, gudgeon pins and pistons. Increase the gearing and everything upstream of the alteration is under more strain while everything downstream under less; decrease the gearing and everything upstream will be eased while everything downstream loaded higher. Consequently, I refit the 4.71 rear diff, hated the noise and refit the 3.54 again, restricting high range use of the overdrive to 4th gear to protect the rest of the gear box. Low range with overdrive should not create any overload. The thermal oil issues are significant with higher loadings. That's why it's helpful to use 4th as much as possible, because it locks the input pinion and main shaft, the gears being loaded only with idling forces.

It could be good - it looks straight and the engine bay conversion appears neat. Photos don't show detail of chassis or mechanical condition, though. It doesn't have mud shields under the front wings and the bolt holes in the foot wells are letting water in. If they haven't been fitted, with their importance in protecting the heater and pedal boxes, what else is missing? Fine if it's a job being completed, but if the car is being run like that routinely, I wouldn't go for it because the approach of leaving off protective panels is a worrying indicator. I'd have to know what was going on there to make a guess on the condition of the innards of the vehicle and the care taken over it, as a fresh lick of paint for sale says nothing.

The engine isn't geared, and all LR 4-pot diesels are limited to the same 4200ish RPM. But the engine is important in that it needs to have enough torque to pull the higher gears otherwise speed and fuel economy will suffer. Having small diameter tyres reduces overall gearing considerably, and so running 6.00s with 3.54 diffs would not be such a massive step up as with7.50s, but is effectively a little more than half the effect of an overdrive with standard gears and 7.50s. An 88 will have no trouble on the 6.00s and 3.54s, and a 109 only a hint of performance decrease over standard, but have you ever seen a 109 on 6.00s? If you're going from 4.71 and 6.00s to 3.54s and 7.50s simultaneously, you are increasing the axle gearing by approximately 45%, and will be in for a big shock at how badly the car drives on a 12J.

The thing is that the pro warming/weirding climatologists are being extremely unscientific in being so selective/manipulative about historical data and looking at the Earth in isolation. Apart from ignoring fact like extensive vine and olive groves in middle-age England, and the 10 degree temperature drop in the early-mid 17thC that allowed bubonic plague to travel so easily on a mushrooming rat population, and the sea level drop indicator of the village where the Romans landed in Kent in 72AD being 5 miles inland, they are not considering the recently increased storm activity on all of Sol's planets or the ice cap recession on Mars to be relevant to Earth's alleged climate change. I would argue that if Earth's climate is changing, and it is a big if, then it has very little to do with mankind and a great deal more to do with received solar radiation, which can be the only explanation after all for the other planets' changes (as much as the media would wish to portray the effects of three all-wheel drive Rovers for Mars' storms and ice cap). And so, shouldn't the money being used to tiddle into wind and stop the inevitable be spent on mitigation of climate change, like developing better GM crops to grow in the new climate, building more resilient infrastructure and creating reserves? We have three Rovers in the household, but given that I drive jets for a living, anti-4wd sentiment is just one facet. The airline industry is equally vilified, but what long range travel mechanism is more environmentally friendly? How many thousands of tonnes does a train weigh, and how many hundreds of thousand a cruise ship? Compare that to a fully loaded 747 set for a maximum-range flight weighing in at about 400T, which is going to take the most fuel to shift? And which system needs the least physical infrastructure? How many millions of miles of tarmac do roads make up, or millions of miles or rail track with all that environmental damage of grading the land, laying the ballast and smelting millions of tons of steel track? An aeroplane just needs a mile to a mile and a half runway and a parking spot! Any warming effect that jets have by CO2 emissions are more than offset by the insolation reduction caused by the reflective quality of the contrails they emit. But hey, why would the media or politicians let the truth get in the way of "A Convenient Lie"? The reality is that politicians, media organisations and many industries like car and domestic appliance manufacturers, energy companies, transport companies, food, entertainment, home improvement and other businesses are all making money from this scam. The pro change climatologists are all on the payroll of beneficiaries of the climate change hysteria, and those who oppose the theory are treated as heretics, consigning their scientific careers to the dustbin, so how balanced can the scientific argument be? Now, what if all this is really a cover story for the fact that oil is running out faster than admitted, with the collapse of society and civilisation coming sooner if alternative energies aren't found? It could simply be an attempt to prevent panic and hoarding on vast, corporate scales.

Some of the lower gears were lower, but their upper gears and transfer boxes were standard, I believe. I'll happily be corrected on that, though. My 109 managed 60 mph eventually on the level with the 12J and standard gearing plus overdrive (cruising gear only, acceleration in 4th with OD being non-existent). Without the roof rack, it could eventually wind itself up to 85 mph on the level and cruised merrily at 60-65 on the level, but lost speed on even shallow long hills. The Tdi allowed 85 mph too (rack installed), but became raucous above 65 mph with OD engaged, but accelerating, even with the rack, is easy and you can maintain 60mph even on relatively steep, long hills. With the 3.54 gears (OD disengaged), the Tdi can struggle on big hills in 4th in the same way as the 12J did with the original diffs, typically dropping to 50mph on long steep hills and not having the guts to keep the OD engaged. OD works really well with the 12J because you can use standard gearing for acceleration and the engage the OD for cruising. The 3.54 diffs are significantly taller than 4.71 +OD, though (another 25% of the OD's increase), so if you try accelerating or driving up a long hill in 4th +OD, and then imagine it even worse, you get the idea of 3.54 diffs.

A 2.8TGV would be a great swap for the Tdi, and is designed to be a nearly straight swap. There aren't many second hand engines about, and a TD5 or Tdci will be cheaper in that respect, but they will have mating issues with the transmission and the Tdci would need the humped bonnet too, as well as new floors, transmission tunnel and quite possibly new propshafts for both conversions if the transmission sits in a different position to the current location. There's also something to be said for the TGV's rugged simplicity, almost exactly the same as the Tdi, with no electronic to worry about.

Well, it's interesting to read who drives under different conditions and who considers dipped or high to be "main" beam, and that will depend largely on whether you're driving deserted country roads in the middle of the night or congested town roads during rush hour, but it doesn't help the technical issues! Likewise, referring to the units as bulbs seems reasonable for simplicity's sake... The UK regs require the use of 55/60W bulbs. Higher wattages will give better illumination, but you could have hassle with them if you get caught, and I suspect that if you had an accident where the other driver claimed to have been dazzled, it could complicate your defence and also potentially void your insurance. However, the super-duper Halfords and Bosch 55/60s are road legal despite their higher output, so it's worth considering them in favour of the higher wattage bulbs just to cover your backside. If they're not enough for night driving (unlikley, especially with the crystal lenses), then adding spots is still legal and will give similar or better results than the mega bulbs. Of course, in countries which allow the higher bulbs, then they have the benefit of being easier to fit than a spot lamp installation, but obviously you will need to ensure that the wiring loom is up to the current the bulbs will draw.

No photos, but I would suggest keeping the existing rad and fitting separate oil cooler to the tight of the rad and an intercooler in front of the rad (a bit like the big Alisport intercooler mods for Tdis and Td5s). I have seen a Subaru intercooler used that way very neatly.

It sounds like the problem is the wheel offset, putting the wheel centre further from the bonnet. Longer bolts would work fine, but you will need to make a bar that spans the wheel centre and takes both bolts as the clamps will not work properly with the long bolts; their legs will not press against the bonnet as the bolts are tightened, so they will not tip and press down on the wheel lip.

All Series LRs had the same gearing except for the 1-Ton and V8 109s. The top end RPM of the 2.25petrol and 12J is close, the 12J being limited to 4250rpm if I remember correctly. If your 12J is so rough at 2500rpm+ that speeds over 40-50 were unbearable, then there is something wrong with the engine or mountings - they're not as smooth as the petrol engines, but the indirect-injection diesels weren't particularly prone to vibration or harshness. It should certainly have pulled the car to a higher comfort speed and maximum speed with standard gearing. I'd look first at the timing, as even slight maladjustment of that causes harshness and rapid performance drop off. Having run a 109 for twelve years with a mint 12J, I can assure you that 3.54s will be over-geared in anything other than a basic spec 88. It's not a matter of opinion but a simple fact. That is why LR used a 1.6: ratio transfer box with the 3.54 diffs. 1.15 transfer gears and 4.71 works out roughly comparable, but mixing the taller late diffs with the taller early transfer box would be awful for the vast majority of Series drivers.

It i a problem, and even more so with RHD vehicles using Roverdrives because of how their pivot is shaped; I had to cut not only the hole throught the Wright Off Road matting for the pivot to enter the cab, but also an arc for the base of the lever. In LHD vehicles and those fitted with Fairey ODs, you wouldn't need to cut the arc. It looks OK, but using a gaiter would be neater. I used a black DII gear stick gaiter to cover the base of my gear stick, and it looks pretty good.

MTF94 is the LR specification, changed from the earlier Dextron III or similar. It helps with the gear changes on older units and makes the unit much smoother and quieter than than the original ATF. There seem to be varying opinions about Difflocks's later substitute (I can't remember the name just now), but I haven't tried it and so can't recommend for or against, but MTF94 certainly seems better than the ATF previously in my RRC's R380.

Sorry, I was unclear - there would be no legal issues because the wheels would be using steel bands of the same thickness and fall well within the C&U regs on the wheel dimensions. I just wonder about insurers getting funny about modified rather than after-market manufactured wheels. They can be very illogical about any changes, like owner installation of what were factory options, so this would be bound to make some of them nervous.

That's not bad. I paid £60 per wheel to have the CSK/90SV alloys to be fully refurbished, so £70 for blasting, cleaning up the wled lines and coating is pretty comparable. Eu50 or £40 per wheel for banding is pretty reasonable. I'd be concerned about an insurer's reaction to them, but realisically, as long as the welding is properly done and checked, I can't see any strength or safety issue.