darthdicky

Sorry, I should have said that this is a secondary isolator as there is a big manual isolator as well, like the one Ralph links to. I think the idea behind this one is to have a switch that has to be on to enable the winch buttons to work, which makes sense as I have knocked the switches in the past. If an Albright or Thompson solonoid can be used then I'll probably get one of those to swap over at some point as this isn't looking too great.

I believe this is used to isolate my winches and whilst it works at the moment I don't like the rusty look of the terminals so I'm trying to work out what exactly it is? Can't seem to find anything quite like it anywhere. Is this sort of thing a more modern equivalent? https://www.devon4x4.com/albright-su280-isolator-250a.html

I know it's an old thread but worth updating. My alternator main bearing was getting very noisy and had some play in it. M&D can provide an alternator which is not the same as the original, but they modify a similar one so that it apparently fits exactly as it should. I took mine off (not the simplest of tasks - it's quite buried under a lot of pipework on mine!) and dropped it into http://www.electro-diesel.co.uk/ in Exeter (before the lockdown) who stripped it down, cleared all the mud out of it, changed the bearing and sorted an oil leak in the vacuum pump and built it up again for about £115. They had all the parts on the shelf as it's a Bosch one so it was done in 2 days. I didn't think to ask whether they could provide new ones but they can certainly repair existing ones. Richard

Yeah the picture doesn’t show the lens frosted like the FirstFour ones either but I thought it’s worth a chance as they’re listed as the flood beam ones. If they’re no good I can send them back or sell them on. I’m sure there are better ones out there but I don’t want to spend a huge amount on something that gets used very rarely!

Having had a look around, these look exactly the same at a quarter of the price so I've just ordered a pair. Hopefully they're just as good for £11! https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/163598439182 Rich

Cheers Ed, had noticed those on that site and thought they looked about right. What’s the spread of light like?

Has anyone had any further luck with this? I've got 2 x-lites on the back of my 90 and I'm fed up with changing the bulbs which seem to fail regularly. They are useful to have back there, but I'd like a long-lasting replacement! Alternatively, any good source of cheap LED work lights? Rich

I did a LR Experience day in a D5 and was impressed with how it managed the locking rear diff - it would lock at a standstill (or at least the display showed it as locked) to help pull away, and disengage as you turned to help it get round corners. It would disengage going downhill to ensure it didn't push it off course apparently, which seemed a little un-intuitive to me. Certainly worked well though on slippery but solid based ground. It was constantly locking and unlocking as you drove - not like an ARB where you just stick it in for a difficult section and then take it out again. Have to say I was amazed by it's ability (still looks awful though) and I think the new Defender will be a very capable vehicle, it's just a shame it's not anything like the old one. Rich

Or the smaller Anderson connectors to the front of the seatbox - the 50amp ones rather than the enormous 350amp ones

CTEK do a couple of bits which solve this, depending how neatly you want to fit them: https://www.ctek.com/products/vehicle/connect-eyelet-m10 https://www.ctek.com/products/vehicle/indicator-panel-1-5m

I like the sound of it, good to have some competition in the marketplace.

PS. Mine didn't have the exhaust silencer and was quite noisy on full blast, but not too bad once it had settled down. However I never slept with it going, I just used it to defrost and get things warm in the morning. The fuel pump also made quite a loud clicking noise which would be annoying at night. If I were to use it on a camper I'd try to soundproof the pump a bit more and install the exhaust silencer. It looks like the newer models have an improved/quieter pump anyway.

I mounted my D2 behind the passenger seat in a 90. The seat still goes back enough, it's out of the way and protected by the bulkhead and the outlet hose went up and mounted to the bulkhead so you could aim it forwards or backwards, or warm (roast on full blast!) your hands on it when you got in. Exhaust ran down behind the rear outrigger which was out of the way and protected. Fuel tee-ed off one of the fuel hoses, I can't remember which. I got a full unopened kit second hand and it was easy (even for me) to fit.

If anyone is having similar problems, a further improvement was found when the tappets were adjusted - they were so loose that I think both valves were open at the same time, so half the power was disappearing out the exhaust and giving high EGT's. These have dropped by 200c on some hills and it goes better than it did, although it still isn't quite what I was hoping for. Any other suggestions of things to check when performance seems to just drop off? Makes no difference when the air filter is taken off so that's not restricting anything. Hoses all seem tight and boost at the manifold is around 1.1-1.2 bar. Need to run it around a bit and see whether fuel economy is back into the twenties... Richard

Thanks, the first injector came out easily and it's clear that TDC is when the crank key is vertical, so there is no "flywheel" locking slot on my vehicle so it just has to be done by eye on the crank. I've changed the belt again and on a brief drive it felt a little more lively and held speed up a hill better than it had been, so hopefully it's an improvement which I can work on with some other bits I want to check out. Richard

I’ll see if I can get an injector out later today then, I think it must be when the crank key is vertical as otherwise I don’t think it would run at all, so it must just be a tooth out. Disappointing is how I’d describe it at the moment, it’s driveable but can’t hold speed going up hills where I think it should have the torque. Off road it’s fine, but again keeps kicking down to first when I want it to hold a higher gear. TC locks up at 45mph in high. Richard

I think that may be the way to go, but I've never done that before and don't have a dial gauge - may have to go shopping tomorrow... It's got an Ashcroft "monster" box which I think is an HP24 with a 4.0 torque converter.

Thanks, I've got that and followed its instructions but it doesn't seem to mention autos - only a flywheel housing. It does show the crank key pointing upwards which makes me think perhaps I should ignore the holes and just go on that?

TGV (basically a 300) auto - it runs smoothly as is but is very heavy on fuel (16-20mpg), gets hot on the slightest hill and really feels like it's down on power - which I think points to the timing being retarded? The timing belt was changed in January and the crank lined up by eye with the key vertically so I've been wondering if it's a tooth out. I've since found out there should be a slot that lines up in the flywheel/flexplate, however having found two different holes in there neither seems to be lining up correctly. I've found this photo which seems to show what I've got. If I line up the smaller hole with the larger of the two holes, the pin doesn't go in as it's misaligned - it's too high/low for it to fit in as it should. If this is aligned so I can see it through the hole, the crank key is at about 1 o'clock If I line up the longer slot then the pin goes in but the crank key is at 2-3 o'clock and the injection pump and cam pulleys way off where they should be, which doesn't seem right, given that it runs at the moment. Could it really be that far out, or am I chasing marks that are possibly in the wrong place? If so, how can I check that the crank is in the right position?

Thanks both, there was no way it was coming out with the sill bar in place so I took that off earlier and managed to get the tank out. Bit of rustproofing and painting to do tomorrow and hopefully the new tank will go back in fairly easily... Richard

Any tips on getting the old tank out? I've removed the front bracket and all bolts and it moves back and forth fine, but there doesn't seem to be enough clearance along the sill/seatbox for it to rotate and drop out? Surely I don't need to remove the sill rail as well? Not so worried about bashing the old one to get it out, but I want to be able to get the new one in without bending it! Rich

Looks like an interesting project! I find air-con is also useful for pulling moisture out of the air if you get into the vehicle wet and then find that every window mists up instantly, although admittedly I've never used the LR air-con so it may not make that much difference there! Rich

Any idea what other works/parts are required to fit one of those Daan?

Have to say I'm impressed with a work colleagues Rubicon - factory lockers, BFG MT's on 17" wheels, swaybar disconnects etc. and you can still bolt all sorts of stuff to them. Only the 2.0 petrol but 270bhp and it goes well, although it doesn't sound as good as the old 6's. Really feels like the sort of vehicle I think the Defender should be, but I'm interested to see what the end product actually looks like as I don't think LR are as daft as some think. Rich

My tank is leaking so I'm looking to get a replacement, has anything changed in the last few years? Any particular ones to go for or avoid? Richard