Snagger

Since the max gross weight of a 109 and Discovery are near identical, I had planned to fit the whole Discovery system to the 109. I had been under the assumption that 110 Defenders also had the smaller rear pistons, not just the 90. However, either way, braking will be significantly increased over the original full drum system.

I have a lot of photos and documented account on my blog - just to through the engine section: www.nickslandrover.co.uk Tdi transplants, even into early 90s and 110s, tend to have a lot of vibration al low rpm. I have a fix that I did as a brief test, and once I get the materials back will be fitting permanently. If it works, I'll post the details up.

I just went to my local specialist (Rogers) and a friend showed me a TD5 90's system. It has an inertial valve, which by the sounds of things takes into account the deceleration rate of the vehicle and probably any incline it's descending. I have the plain pressure reducing valve from the Discovery I got all four callipers (and a master cylinder) from, so I'm not a bit unsure which to use - the discovery pressure reducer would be simplest to fit and I'd guess that it's orientation would just be horizontal, but my friend has a spare s/h inertial valve which may be better for a 109 conversion, but may be very subject to mounting angles... Does anyone one know if it makes much difference?

Nah - the house's double glazing gives it away! That's a lovely rebuild.

The aft main bearing cap "T seals" can be a problem, and RTV sealant is a good alternative. T seal failure could look like crank seal failure. Did you use a good brand seal? Britpart seals are like colanders. Use genuine parts for bits like this.

Thanks, guys. Much like the Discovery I master cylinder then, but with one less port and a rectangular reservoir rather than tapered. I presume that single port end is for the rear brake line, while the front brakes use two lines right back to the MC? (Series III 109 LRs used a single to the front and single to the rear, teed off to each corner at the front cross member and rear axle respectively).

Can anyone please enlighten me as to how to identify 90 or 110 master cylinders for the all-disc braked models, please. Photos of the key recognition points or part numbers would be especially useful.

I'd say fro that use that the BW would be better. Anywhere you're likely to be dangling wheels in the air or frequently losing traction, a locked LT230 would be more durable.

Well, sort of. It's more correct to say it's as if the diff lock is already engaged, but will allow enough slip on good tractive surfaces not to damage the rest of the transmission. It does scrub the front tyres a little on the shoulders of the tread, but nothing significant.

I had that happen on one of mine once, but just one minute of holding my hand against it unfroze it. I do periodically oil them, and that must help in winter.

I think most 200 Tdi RRCs had the Borg Warner transfer box. The RRC Borg Warner and Discovery LT230 have the same 1.2:1 ratio. The Defender LT230 has lower ratios (1.4:1 or 1.6:1). The cases look markedly different, so you should be able to tell easily if you have a BW unit there. LT230s all look basically the same, regardless of their ratio or vehicle model.The Borg Warner transfer box is chain driven and has a viscous unit that requires no diff-lock lever. It acts as a limited slip diff and is always engaged. The lever moves fore and aft to select high and low range, just like on the LT230, but has no lateral movement.

I agree. In fact, quality hd parabolics can probably handle more than original springs. My 109 rides almost as well as my near-mint 1995 RRC, just tucking in more on cornering because it lacks a front anti roll bar. I have TI Console HD springs and ES9000s and a rear anti roll bar from a 100 ambulance and it,s very comfortable. Adding a third leaf to the front springs will improve it's cornering as well as support the winch, bull bar, sound proofing and front fuel tanks better.

Blimey, Koos, that's impressive! It's a hell of a change from your RR axle conversion, never mind what you had before!

I had similar problems with the release bar seizing. I ended up fitting MoD/Camel Trophy style bonnet clasps and removed the spring from the bonnet pin, winding the pin in a bit further so that it acts a a bonnet locator on the latch but doesn't engage the locking mechanism. No more trouble.

Tbs is the key issue - LR bottle jacks have two pistons, one inside the other, while after Market versionshave only one pistonand a screw out adjustment. The latter is no good for our vehicles, regardless of weight capacity. Amazon 4x4 have crates of mint original LR jacks. Ask for the kind with the cradled top which sits more securely under the axle than the round topped version (similar top to theaftermarket jacks)

Overdrive yes. But not a diff swap on a mud plugged with oversize tyres. Given those tyres, you might benefit from fitting SII suffix B low range gears inthe transfer box (direct swap with 2.81:1 ratio instead of the later 2.35:1). Brand new genuine gears will cost about £90 in total.

The dampers do not support any weight, so their thrust is unimportant. Gas dampers are pressurised to increase the boiling point of the oil inside the damper which does the work. Because they are pressurised, the gas charge extends the piston out. The different rates suggest that there is a small difference in either the internal friction of the dampers or, more likely, a difference in the gas charge pressure. This will not affect the damping rate, which is set purely by the amount of fluid flow through the damper's internal heads (think of a cafetiere being pushed down after brewing fresh coffee). The slower extending damper will have a slightly lower boiling point and will thus not be as capable of dealing with continuous heavy cycling as the quickly extending damper, but that's more of a theoretical issue than a practical one.

It's definitely easiest to swap the whole axle, and you'd need to have changed an awful lot of other items to be worried about the VIN.One point, though - all Salisbury diffs are 24 spline, even on SIII 109s.

There is an ebay shop selling steel sheet spacers that allow the alloy to fit over the hub without any machining (about £18 per pair). I used the centres from some scrap brake drums to do the same thing. I would urge you to fit the longer Wolf wheel studs, though, otherwise the wheel nuts might strip their threads. Unfortunately, you still won't be able to fit wheels' centre caps as the hubs' plastic cones will protrude through the centre of the wheel. If you fit the after-market HD drive flanges with the centre nut instead of cone, then I think it'd look just as good and will give you the strongest and most wear resistant shafts and flanges - the shorter hubbed and thinner flanged late axles suffer much more rapid wear of wheel bearings (because they are closer together) and spline wear of shafts and flanges (dry joint and smaller contact area). Old axles with the HD flanges would be stronger and much longer lasting. The net increase in wheel track will be invisible at under 1/2" total, and you don't need to worry about mud and stones being thrown up the side of the body or increased bearing and steering loads like 30mm spacers would do.

I have QT guards on my 109 - Salisbury on the rear, which is the same as the Defender item, and a half height guard on the front (to allow for the Series' front track rod). That one has weld-on lugs either side of the pan for the front of the guard to bolt to, the rear end using the diff nose bolt holes. It seems very sturdy, and I can't see any reason it wouldn't fit a Defender - I plan to transfer it to my coiler axles when I do the swap..

I have an early 110 Salisbury axle which I have converted to discs, but because it's using the original shafts/flanges and 90/100 front hubs, it had the same problem. My solution, rather than grinding, was to use the centres from some scrap brake drums to use as thin spacers. This means that I only needed to do the one axle, and it has negligible effect on wheel track, bearing loads, steering forces and so on, and avoids throwing mud up the sides of the car and stone chipping the wings. I found new spacers made from sheet steel for the same purpose on ebay the next day for about £18 a pair. I would recommend using Wolf long studs, though, if you do this.

Exactly. If your BP ones are OK, then there's no reason to change them. But I'd recommend Lockheed or EBC next time for peace of mind and known reliability. To be fair, I'm highly sceptical about Britpart and have been one of their loudest critics, but they are supposed to be trying to improve their quality across the board, being well aware of the level of criticism they get on forums like this. Some of their bad lines have reportedly already been improved, and brake discs may be one of them. Let's hope they do turn it around.

I can see similar slots in the steel in the Cosworth clutch too, just next to the friction lining. I suspect that the clutch is designed to shear before the torque into the transmission becomes too high, like a fusible link.

That won't leave much room for articulation. I'd agree to split the difference for rubber compression and to make weekly checks that the rubber is securely bonded.

AP Lockheed are OEM. Your warped discs are probably Britpart, which have a reputation for warping and, of course, are Paddock's primary supplier.