hairyone

Looking at the picture it looks as if a replacement x-member with extensions has already been fitted. See how the longitudinal seam on the top face of the lower chassis rail n the pic ends where the extension piece sleeves over the original chassis. Not impossible to fit another replacement, but might need some tricky fabrication if all traces of the replacement are to be removed whic woul be my preference.

This chap wanted £350 "buy it now" with a £99 start for a very similar pile of bits (no bids and didn't reach the reserve) V8 Range Rover Engine, Gearbox and Running Gear

The one in Aldi looks like it has a much larger blade and it's not the sliding mitre just a cutoff saw (admittedly the camera angle is funny but it looks much larger. Aldi don't list the model number though). I think this is a close match Cutoff saw at £150

Cheap Rage aw from Aldi (pinched from www.mig-welding.co.uk)

Tony, There's an interesting site here where someone has gone the MS route + SPI throttle body on a 2.25 109". The job isn't completed yet but there are some useful pointers regarding the fitting to the manifold. English Electric Landrover. The idea of going MS + Coil Pack + SPI on a 2.25 or 2.5 petrol does appeal (I have a 2.5P) in that it may not have the BHP of the RV8 route but if someone were able to build a kit of parts (trigger wheel, MS unit, crank sensor, manifold adapter for suitable scrap yard SPI) it could be a straightforward upgrade without having to worry about engine mounts, gearboxes etc that go with the V8 upgrade.

Recently noticed that my alternator (Lucas A127) has started squeaking a little at idle. Originally I thought it was because Slindon mud so I hosed it out but the intermittent squerak remained. What I did notice was that a large squirt of WD40 on the stator plates (the laminated plates visible between the end housings cured it for a minute of two). So last night i whipped it out and had a good look, no mud visible and the bearings were fine no axial or radial movement, pushed a bit of grease into the bearing at the pulley end and re-fitted it. Started the engine and blissful silence Then I remembered all the dire warnings about not spinning the alternator if it wasn't plugged in, I had forgotten. Stopped the engine plugged in the alternator and started the engine again ... the squeak was back. The battery light went out so i don't think any damage was done, but I'm curious as to the cause of the noise. My guess is that when the field coils are enegergised there is some sort of vibration or movement (perhaps the squirt of WD40 on the plates had some effect here). I know that when you load up an alternator with lots of electrical equipment they tend to resist being rotated, hence the squeaky belt (when the belt is old or loose) you can sometimes get when headlights and fans are on that disappears when you switch them off. Any ideas, the only real clue I have is that with the alternator elactrically disconnected the noise disappears.

There's this one in East Grinstead (I've not been myself) East Grinstead Pay and Play 1 East Grinstead Pay and Play 2

I changed my drop-arm ball joint a few weeks ago and though it would be easier if I could remove the drop ram. I tried a small 4" puller like the one above, the end of the arms broke off. I then tried a bashing the lugs from above with a 3ft 1" dia. steel bar and 4lb sledge hammer, which slipped off the lugs every other hit and it's quite tiring holding the 3ft bar, a 4lb sledge and balancing on the bumper and then having to move the steering from lock to lock to reach the lugs every other go. I was also worried that the downward forces on the internals would eventually damage something. But the lugs can just about be reached even with power steering but I couldn't get a good vertical position so the blows were always slightly oblique with a sideways force component. I gave up and bought a 6" puller which was unable to get a good grip on the now battered lugs ... I could wind up the tension but it would always slip off at the wrong moment even after the lugs were filed flat again. Fortunately I was able to change it in-situ but I did consider buying the hydraulic puller but I reckon you need something like the pitman puller above with some form of slotted disc or bearing puller that can slip over the top of the arm.

That Bearmach crossmember looks exactly the same as what I was told was a BritPart one (bought from www.gumtree4x4.co.uk). It wasn't a perfect fit but the difference in chassis height was much less, but I did cut much closer to the tow-bar mounts at the rear (pics here My 90 crossmember)

What puzzled me was that there is no mention of this on the Old Sod's web site, and I thought that the vintage sortout didn't usually have LR spares. This site gives the impression that the Vintage Spares Day and the Sodbury Sortout have been merged. On re-reading I also noted that the words 'Old Sod', 'Sodbury' and 'Sortout' are very prominent by their absence.

No connection, just wondered if this is the real deal ... Newbury4x4 and Vintage Spares day

Thanks Les + Nige ... I had intended adding some strengthening plates at the time but I was covered in rust, grinding dust , burns from the torch and spatter so decided to pack up and paint, have a bath and enjoy the sun :-) but i will be coming back to this and add some plates then, still got to get new trailer sockets, reinstate trailer loom and waxoil (any tips ) . Primary target was to bite the bullet and make sure it was OK for MOT. Having spent a little more time with the MIG I am now much more confident at putting the plates on. Initially I was dreading the welds across the top (and those on the bottom for that matter) but with the right power and feed it becomes much easier, as a beginner I find that it's easy to use too little power for fear of burning through and end up with blobby welds on the surface with no penetration, probably a result of practising on thin plate and my previous bulkhead corner repairs.

I've had a welder for a few years now (Cheap and nasty Cosmo 130 with mods for the wirefeed) which was bought with the intention that one day it would be used to replace my crusty crossmember. Over the years I have put a few patches on it but the time had finally come to replace it. Sadly I left it too late to get a nice SPI crossmember and ended up with a nasty Britpart one, the welding though incomplete was somewhat better that the one Les had to fit. A couple of evenings were spent Henson-ising the new crossmember and generally turning the one inch bursts of weld into continuous ones. I took last Friday off and arose with the sun ... Wheels off, exhaust off, tow bar off, disconnect battery and alternator, (all of which had been previously loosened and put back in preparation), jack car up realise roof is hitting garage door, push car out jack up again and start cutting. I wanted to replace as little as possible so my first cuts were just in front of the (towards the engine that is) chassis brackets that take the tow brackets. As expected the metal was good except for the area just underneath the bracket which had rusted through previously and been patched. It was just about possible to cut all around with a 4.5" angle grinder with new thin cutting discs, just had to use a hacksaw for a tiny 0.24" cut at the top in the middle where the grinder wouldn't reach. Cutting down the replacement extensions also meant much better access to weld the top of the chassis rail. Whilst not a fantastic fit I was expecting worse, all the mounting tabs lined up. Looking at the cuts ends I hadn't realised that the original LR chassis has a significant amount of internal bracing, not something the replacement crossmember has !!. Started at about 6:00am and had it all welded and bolted buy 3:00pm with a break for lunch and chats with inquisitive neighbours (which lost me abouit 90mins!!). Chassis loom was soldered back together with heatshrink and tools away and all painted by 5:00pm. Anyway the pics below show the job, this is the biggest welding I have ever done and was pleased with the results. I had an auto mask but it is practically impossible to hold your head upright under the body and still see the top welds, my neighbour pointed out that a hand held mask would have helped (shame I threw it away). I'm not putting this up as a model example, but I hope that the pics might help others intending to do this job as much as the previous postings on this site have helped me.

If it is problems with lack of fuel then the problem should also be present on all wide throttle openings i.e. on the flat at speed once a certain fuel demand is required and not met. I had this problem on mine with a filthy fuel filter. The other cause could be a solid object in the float bowl that is jamming the opening that feeds the primary/secondary jet, I once had a petr(ol)ified moth in mine!!. I would change the fuel filter (located behind the driver's side bulkhead outrigger) first and check the wire mesh filter in the carb fuel inlet. Next I would clear all the jets and finally I would take the carb off (cause it's easier) and then take the top off to inspect the float bowl and possibly use a weber 32/34 dmtl refurb kit.

These guys now have a multi-car policy for indviduals might be worth a call Tradex Homefleet

Does anyone have a date yet for the Surrey 4x4 Autojumble at Capel? I need to grab my spot in the family calendar. Last year a bit of vicious prodding around the tail-pipe exhaust mount revealed lots of holes before the MOT, so off down to superfit for some tube from the scrap bin a bit of welding job done, MOT secured. The very next day at Capel I then picked up a new tail pipe at Capel for £5. Not as big as sodbury, but the entrance fee was cheap, not coporate, T.B.H. I kinda hope that this is the one that benefits the most from the demise of sodbury. I will miss Sodbury, even the drive down from E Grinstead to the last one was a mini adventure, lots of sunshine, pasties and coffee in the car park waiting for the gates to open <sigh>.

Steve by primary circuit I mean the fuel systems involved with idle and the first choke i.e. not the one that kicks in at wider throttle opening, so primary jets, accelerator pump diaphram etc.

Steve, It does sound like a problem with the primary circuit, i.e. when you back off the throttle the problem gets worse, does it get easier to drive with the choke out? I know in the past I have had problems when I have leaned out the idle mixture too much, everything was fine until I tried to get the choke in once the engine had warmed up then it would baulk on accelerating and you could sense it was unhappy. It does sound like a carb problem but if you have stripped and cleaned the carb, then the next thing I would do is change the filter on the outrigger and then pull the electric fuel pump out and have a peer inside the fuel tank. The pump has a plastic mesh filter like a sock at the bottom, plus a look inside the tank wouldn't hurt. My 90 had a huge piece of silicon sealant inside the the tank where someone didn't have a gasket so they had used loads of clear bathroom sealant when fitting a new float the piece i fished out was about 8" long. I know it feels like you're getting nowhere but it was 8 months after i bought my 90 til it would go faster than 50mph, all because the fuel filter needed changing (at 50mph it could no longer keep the float bowl full).

I've used the breaker bar and starter method, but with one subtle difference ... I place the end of the 2ft breaker underneath of the o/s chassis rail and for added safety I usually tie it there with some rope so at most it has a 0.5-1" swing before it hits the chassis. On both occasions 2 or 3 flicks of the starter have done it. T.B.H. the hardest bit was persauding the socket to stay on the bolt not fall down an crack me on the forehead whilst getting it into position. The starter's no use when you come to do it up though

Looks like someone has already had a good stab at this (impressive videos too) IBOT 3000

Fame at last or just a case of mistaken identity Les moonlighting ?

Steve On the top of the carb with the elbow removed you will see a round hole about 1cm diameter.This hole goes directly into the float chamber. Through this hole you can prod the float and if it is sticking you might free it off. With the ignition on (and petrol pump running) does the petrol well up out of the hole or is it leaking from between the top and bottom halves? If it's not flooding out under pump pressure then I reckon you just have a leak and not a sticking float valve. Maybe you just need to tighten the the screws a little, on the otherhand maybe the gasket was displaced / cracked when you tried to separate the two halves, it's a bit fragile and quite narrow in places. When I have dismantled mine I have always taken it off the car, as you have found until you can disconnect the choke pull-down linkage you cannot separate the two halves. This is a fiddly job and with the linkage at the back of the engine I wouldn't try it in situ. If it were me I would buy a refurb kit and then take it off the car for a looksee. You will probably only need the gaskets but the kit is worth having just in case. Weber 32/34 service kit

Steve I've done it a few times the link below should help. You should at least check the jets, if not separate the top from the bottom for a good look at the float chamber. Haynes - Weber 32/34 DMTL

On my 2.5 petrol this nearly always happened when the primary jet was blocked (or the emulsion tube). By pulling out the choke you are giving it a richer mixture on the primary, as you use increased throttle the secondary jets come in to play. For some time I used to have this every few months, each time I would drive with the choke right out until I got home and could clean the jets and the problem would be cured for a while. Finally reached a point were even after cleaning the jets it would not idle. Since I had a spare carb I decided to investigate further. On opening up the carb I found a petrified moth stuck at the bottom of the float chamber in the drilling that supplied fuel to the primary jets. So it would seem that the moth had been disintegrating and blocking the jets (which explained how the contamination was getting past the fuel and air filters) until it finally blocked the fuel altogether on the primary jets. I can only imagine the moth crawled into the carb inlet when I took the head/manifolds off to replace the head gasket last year.

That thing is the swirl pot, there's no filter in there! I think it allows the fuel to circulate and keep cool, plus I guess it would also separate out any air but the float chamber is open to the atmosphere anyway. If yours is the same as mine then the fuel filter is in a canister attached to the rear face of the outrigger under the driver's side of the car. There is a long bolt that goes up thru the bottom of the canister (about 10mm and probably rounded off if mine is anything to go by!)