guy009

maybe you could get away with the thin but dense grey foam underlay thats folder rather than rolled, from b and q (not the clear foam laminate underlay that is cheap). Then put van carpet over it, both of those materials are really easy to work with especially around corners/shapes. just means a load more high temp spray glue (cheapest i found was off ebay, think it was 12 tins for 40 quid). But, the upholstery guy over the road says he only uses high temp glue on exterior panels like ceiling and single skin side panels. Maybe if the sun isn't going to be able to heat your inner ally skin through the foam you could get away with the cheaper spray glue. I do wonder whether i should have used something wipe-clean rather than carpet considering how messy i can be when cooking :S

Hey Neill, (guy, grey high top) I used that doublesided foil bubblewrap, as thats what all the t4/t5 boys seem to use. I've since heard its not ideal though, professional HVAC installers have been moaning online that it doesn't meet the insulation (different to reflective..?) properties unless it is fitted with an air gap, and as its used as a wrap with no air gap it is not actually delivering the minimum required legal insulation ... blahblah that the yanks need. long story short if i was doing my truck again i might look for something better (i also used closed cell foam as a sandwich then topped the lot with veltrim van carpet and 4 way stretch liner carpet off ebay). But yours might be insulated already and you might just carpet? The only thing that bothers me about that is that the carpet is very porous and you can see through it so might not completely cover any cold surfaces to stop condensation. boring reply complete. Guy

I've worked on this recently after bulkhead swap, there are two flaps operated by the cables, the cable that operates the lever on the side (as oppose the top) of the heater box moves a metal flap/door that blocks up the hole into the dash (the lower part of the dash is actually a tube through which the air passes). Maybe your flap is wedged shut or cable snapped. I'm sure the link posted will answer all your questions though.

I have got sunpower flexible 140w panels x2 sikaflex'd to my 110 ambulance roof connected up to a tracer MPPT controller, with the LCD controller, connected to a 110ah AGM leisure battery I got the solar stuff from bimble solar and the battery from tayna batteries. Whole kit isn't cheap but bimble seem clued up and well respected, although i'm sure you could get cheaper stuff if you were willing to use ali express or ebay amazon etc (china). Each panel i think weights about 3-3.5 kilo's whereas the similar rated glass ones seem to weigh more like 18kg (off the top of my head). I have been trying to keep weight down (especially high up). I haven't used it in anger yet, but at adventure overland we were swimming in power i almost wanted to just switch everything on just to use it. I'd like more batteries but as my ambulance is a converted 110 station wagon not a big 130 beast i'm struggling for space. will see how i get on. Plus i've got a 2nd alternator on the 110ah battery No idea if that helps, happy to help with any questions etc but i am an amateur. Guy

I'd be interested in knowing (but not interested enough to google it for myself because i'm lazy) how a bio diesel or veg oil type of fuel fares on the emissions? i.e. does it produce the same type of controlled emissions, or does it e.g. not produce the 'controlled' pollutants, but creates something else that is just as bad but no one regulates for yet.

Hi Mo I've got the gwyn lewis twin alt setup on my 110 200tdi. My engine already had the 3 belt crank pulley on it. I've got 2 standard alternators (60/65 amp?) One as standard and the other is connected to my leisure batt for fridge etc. I have it wired to the spare 24v light on the dash. Wiring it in - google 'twin alternator wiring' and look for images you will probably find the gwyn lewis instruction drawing (basic drawing with coloured lines). Its along the lines of big wire from alt to aux batt, 12v from aux batt to one side of dash bulb, other side of dash bulb to the other alt terminal, but with a relay switching that wire that is triggered by the ignition - otherwise the dash light stays on I think. I've got some jump lead clamps and wire offcuts that I'll make into a short jump lead I can use to link the battery positives for jump starting if I drain my starting battery. Also, buying halfords jumpleads and cutting the clamps off is a surprisingly cheap way to get hold of cable quickly vs buying it by the metre at e.g. maplins or motor factors. The gwyn lewis kit isn't cheap but it might be a good place to start looking if you could fabricate your own. Hope some of that is useful. Guy

I've never looked at a TD5 engine before... but on my 200TDi when in a fix i was able to remove the viscous fan with a hammer and chisel, knocking a notch in the 'nut' and then tapping it around - bearing in mind it is reverse threaded. Actually i think i needed to cut a V shaped notch in the plastic in order to get the chisel onto the flats of the nut. I used it for 6 months like that then replaced the viscous fan with an electric so no idea if it would have suffered failure long term as a result of the chiseling (i doubt it). I think i've heard people say it can be bad for the water pump bearings - but i was doing it to replace the water pump... Not ideal, but did the job. No idea if that is possible on a TD5 - sorry if its a wasted suggestion. Guy

Hi Red, I have read through your install and checked out the kit. Looks like a great install, the figures speak for themselves! I'm not sure I can handle fitting the bigger heater solutions, with the squirrel cage fans, although I guess that's the best way.. But I don't want to cut the bulkhead really. I checked out the matrix's on the carbuildersolutions site and they don't do one as big (smaller by 50mm x 25mm height and length) which is a shame as the prices are good. I see allisport do an uprated matrix but that's £220-250! What I would like to have done is fit the bilge blower with an uprated matrix but unless anyone knows of a cheaper, better matrix I think that's out of the window! will keep investigating.. thanks for your input that's given me a good push forward

Thanks C18RCH - was searching through tech archive...! Red90 - sounds interesting do you have any details or a thread related to the better heaters? Cheers PS - cold? Last time I was in Canada it was 38 degrees C! (ok, to be fair it was cold on the Athabasca glacier..)

I may be being a div but I can't find anything relating to bilge, fan, or extracter/extractor in the tech archive?

I've got anti roll bars,or certainly on the rear. is that unusual for this age? Thank for the heads up on steering bars

Right that explains a lot! In which case I reckon its a 1.4 ... Although I'm presuming that based on how it goes, how it's different to tanuki's and thats what it's supposed to have I guess. I must admit ive not attempted to identify it via number etc. Yeah I think its an r380, reverse is bottom right. Thanks for the link will take a look now.

Ok thanks, may change the wheels if the right wheel/tyre package comes along. Coming back to ratios, I just went out in the truck and observed the following: Got to 45 mph in 3rd, revving it's nuts off ( I don't have a tacho so not sure of revs but wayyy past where i would normally change even when attempting to 'boot it'). Got to 60mph in 4th, revving it's nuts off/ screaming to point it hurt my mechanical sympathy gland On normal flattish roads in eg a 40 limit (so not trying to make major progress) I pickup 2nd at around 10 mph, 3rd at 20, 4th at 30 and I can realistically pick up 5th at 35mph and happily cruise long gentle ups and downs. All speeds based on garmin gps, as funnily enough the speedo doesn't work (think its drive from the transfer box as the speedo unit responds to spinning of the transfer box end of the speedo cable) I have an r380 box. Does the above sound correct for an r380 and standard defender 1.4 ratio transfer box?

Thanks again, Tanuki can you confirm 60mph in 3rd?! Is that nearing the governor/ limit?

Thanks everyone, a nice clear route forward appearing here. Can i just confirm then, will a new take-off genuine landrover factory HD suspension setup from an e.g. 2013 model 110 csw still fit my 1988 110 csw chassis,(including ARB's and steering damper?) Should i stick with tubed tyres or tubeless? I see the advantages of tubes (or more accurately, carrying spare tubes!) Any comments on overdrives? i can't majorly complain about mpg, i clocked 28mpg on a trip from wales to the isle of skye this winter (on the old knackered intercooler) Cheers, Guy