Scotts90

My 2012 Transit does this, has done from new and 180k further in it still does it. Never an issue on braking efficiency and I'm pretty sure it's mentioned in the drivers handbook.

The elbow off the pump on mine had a habit of sweating for a while after being disturbed. It wicked its way down the timing case and pooled at the crank.

Hmm I was told 3 times, can't remember from where though...

Cheers Fridge.

Cranking live would be a starter feed, not much else is triggered from the crank position. Never dealt with MS, does it require a crank feed prior to maintaining power to the pump etc? (Like ye olde Vauxhall motronic?)

Ok, had a measure off my rebuilt one which I made a jig to capture key points from the OE, so mine is as close to the original as my rudimentary engineering skills can muster... Sides taken as looking from rear (as you will be LHD?) left side: 17mm from top, 36mm in. 57mm from top, 37mm in. right side: 17mm from top, 35mm in. 58mm from top, 36mm in. So, almost the same as yours. I only have 8mm holes in mine for the later type one piece hinge blocks although it should be a larger hole similar to yours.

Of course it is! Trying to get project defenders for sensible cash is proving very hard. I've seen a lot worse than what's pictured above going for £2-3k, if you're handy with a spanner and like most of us have a healthy collection of bits it make perfect sense to rescue and restore these.

As far as your axle is concerned, the assemblies are the same. The ABS sensor is down through the top pin but the housings are unchanged. On my basket case 90 it was the wheel bearings that had collapsed... If the disco axle is in good order then swap the whole lot, if your overhauling it then swap over to the standard discs and calipers at the time, fit a non-ABS top pin. Some discos had 3bolt flanges on the diffs IIRC, easy enough to change to 4 though. As for the anti roll bars. If they are fitted and faulty (ie worn bushes/broken links) then it’ll fail the MOT, if they’re not fitted then it’s not part of the test. Why aren’t they on as standard? Your guess is as good as mine...

+/- 2mm is great by LR standards. Will try and grab some measurements tomorrow, have you tried the hinges to see if they fit ok? It's not too hard to sit the windscreen on and loosely run up the brackets.

I found that my HFS relay at the fuse box was showing signs of overheating when I did the rebuild, I have a 3 tab screen so fitted a pair of relays to supply each "side" of the screen...not really an option on a two tab.

It's not the simplest of circuits to follow. The OE timer relay is extortionate so the retrofit option is to use one from the likes of VWP, this requires altering the inner workings of the standard push switch from a switched negative to a switched positive. Anyway, if it's still all factory you have a relay at the fusebox panel at the transmission tunnel (this supplies power to your windscreen tab). The timer relay is located behind the dash/instruments. The factory setup won't allow the HFS circuit to energise unless the engine is running as it requires a signal from the oil pressure switch to confirm its running (wh/br wire). The timer unit monitors the switch position via the pink/orange wire. When you push the switch, this creates an earth path (black wire) and assuming the timer relay is getting signals from the ign feed (fuse 15, white/green wire) and the oil pressure switch it energises the timer relay, turns on the tell-tale and sends power down the the fusebox relay on a purple/yellow wire. The circuit diagram is below if you can follow it.

A neighbour of mine is having similar issues with his tdci. Loads of algae/sludge in the tank and fuel lines were found. It’s in for it’s 3rd session of flushing. Seems to affect the tdci more than the td5.

Don't want to jump on the negativity bandwagon but I think we expected something more professional. But as said as long as you're happy and its solid that's what matters. Why the seam weld down the A-pillar? Puddle welding the original spots would have been neater and closer to spec.

Nope, in the lumbar area on the backrest

Cool. Always nice to have your pride and joy immortalised in ink.

This little blighter here... I purchased two as they were so expensive http://sinolec.co.uk/en/normally-closed-thermostats-loose-bracket/399-thermostat-50-closed.html

I had to solder in a new thermo switch on my OE heated seat element. Hardest part was gently peeling the element from the foam as it was glued on. Switch was only a couple of quid from an electronics supplier.

just be wary of the wind if your welding outside. It doesn't take much to blow the shielding gas away from your workpiece which will give you really carp porous welds.

Do the backs heat or have you nothing at all?

Great progress Ralph, good luck with the welding

These may help some idea of what you need to cut out for certain bits

Looks as though you’ll need to rebuild the lip at the gearbox tunnel aperture too so that you can spot the new panel on. The new panels are the opposite of the replacements, the side panel sits over the footwell whereas the original is the other way around, it makes lining things up a bit more awkward if not replacing the entire footwell/side panel

I think you’d be best cutting out as much as possible, especially at the foot/A-pillar. You may find that this isn’t in the best of shape given the hole on the pillar... On one of my bulkheads that I repaired, I cut along the top fold to leave the servo etc in place then seam welded along. Like most bulkhead repairs once you start cutting and grinding it can get quite extensive

Doesn’t really matter what you estimate it at, if you want a decent price should the worst happen then an agreed value policy is the way to go. This usually requires some photographic evidence to back up your claim of value. Most standard insurance will only pay market value and although it may be insured to have your listed mods, some companies operate a standard parts replacement clause (although not easy to find “standard” parts for a 90 4C). When I built mine I valued it at what I’d spent...I’ve been offered more than double to sell so have since put an agreed value on it . Defenders have quite a split following, there are those who loathe the whole “Chelsea truck” bastardisation of their beloved basic icon and those who don’t. Plenty room for both though as it keeps them alive! Taking the whole twisted and bespoke price range into account seems to inflate opinions on value regardless of condition or spec. Charging £50k for a rebuilt/resprayed body and luxuriously retrimmed interior does not make farmer bloggs’ dog-eaten, rust-ridden 300k TDI worth £5k more than it really should be.

My last two 200s were exactly the same, they all tend to "smooth out" once they get a bit warmer. Mine runs 10/40 semi synthetic oil...makes no odds in the tropics of Scotland lol