mickeyw

I always felt it came down to high insurance premiums/difficult to get cover etc, only because as said above, so many insurers can't be bothered with a little extra effort to understand what the owner has. I am under the impression that Q plates are only required when there is no clear single vehicle identity that the majority of components originated from. In the case of current builds with chassis mods etc, when an IVA may be required, it's still possible for a non Q-plate to be used. Say for instance where someone bobtails a truck, changes the WB, body type etc, it can still be based on one single vehicle. Agreed that a Q would mean it's been checked out by VOSA (at some point), but that doesn't mean it hsan't been fiddled with since. Of course any inspection probably has dated paperwork (same as an IVA) that will give potential buyers a guide to how valid it may still be.

However long ago it was done, I don't believe it has enough 'points' to retain the identity of a tax exempt Series II, even by the old rules. He openly states that is is based on a cut down 110 chassis, although the leaf spring mounts can be seen clearly in the picture, so he has to have got that bit wrong! It uses the bulkhead from a IIA, and appears to have a series gearbox, so let's assume they're original Front panels are series ones, but the rear tub looks like it's from a 110. The axles are Range Rover or early Disco judging by the drive flanges - not original Coil suspension - not original Tdi engine - not original PAS steering - not original

Another one of dubious identity.

Looks very impressive FF, when I need to create similar I'll have to give your supplier a call. Having gone to all that effort with damp proofing and insulation, what have you done about the windows? Are they still single layer shed glass, or something better?

That's sooo wrong.... so wrong I want to vomit.... = ...

Old stylee door cards aren't much more than thin hardboard, covered in a vinyl material. However hardboard isn't that resistant to life in a landy, especially from a moisture point of view. A more modern material that may suit if you want to make your own trim panels, would be Foamex board that is used for sign making. This is pretty impervious to water. As for the moisture curtain, any reasonably tough polythene sheeting would do.The adhesive stuff they use reminds me of Dum Dum putty, but I think it's a bit stickier than that. Gaffer tape does the job pretty well though.

Sounds like our FD that does, he drives a 911 In my last job, one of my young colleagues went to buy a brand new 3 series, a cash sale too (he was a bit of a squirrel with money). He was one of those nerdy looking types, but he had one heck of a job getting taken seriously by the salesmen at all, never mind when he explained he didn't need finance! The 3rd dealership he went to eventually took his money for a rather smart 320 convertible. So, like has been said above - dealer snobbery loses them sales. As much as I will never buy a Jeep, I can understand Si's reasons for doing so.

You need a 1-5/16" socket

Don't spend too long worrying about it, just grab the deal and feel pleased with yourself

Hedley, the mats you have received are the ones our favourite blue box merchant supplies. They are actually a very good product made from durable rubber, and don't crack and let the rain water through to the carpets beneath them (unlike the genuine LR item) - well not until they overflow at least I have a set in my 90, we had another set in mum's old 110, and I think they have been excellent value. The important fact is that they didn't cost anywhere near £80, I wouldn't have bought them if they had been that spendy.

Of course it will be reliable ....... so long as you don't want to go anywhere.

Pretty sure the black industrial range does have latching drawers

Having seen the insides of THIS re-con box I would say they don't do that. So I agree you are less likely to get a good box that way. I think many of us on here have already come to that conclusion. A new or non-leaky 2nd hand would be the options to consider.

No, SpeediSleeves are for restoring sealing diameters, not bearing faces, espcially radiussed ones Last night I pulled apart another steering box that used to be fitted to my truck. this one had been leaking from the bottom, not profusely, but enough to make a mark wherever the truck was parked. I dived in through the top cover and removed the sector shaft. Now if you look at the area the bottom seals run on (outlined in yellow), you will appreciate why just throwing new seals in tends to be unsuccessful. This area is well pitted and worn, so no point in trying to reuse or even reclaim this shaft. Even more significantly the area outlined in red is what runs in the needle roller bearings. The surface is pretty well chewed up and a significant step is worn in the shaft. The top bearing surface is also well worn. It can't be seen in this photo, but I'd say the box was over adjusted, as the needle rollers have left distinct markings in the shaft. The gear teeth also look like they have had a hard life. I think my next move is to see what state the worm shaft is in. If this looks usable I feel a game of mix n match coming on. The box I started the thread with came from a 160k mile rangey that I broke, and the innards are in far better shape (the damage to the worm shaft bearing journal is clearly recent) than this 'reconditioned' unit that can't have been in my 90 for that many miles. What is clear though is that when these steering boxes start to leak, it is likely that it's due to a worn bearing, permitting the shaft to move about beyond what the seal can accommodate.

Here you are Barry and here. Racetech use a pair of Defender 90s for towing horse racing start gates around the country. Here's one based on an 88" too.

In the UK the towing speed limit is 60 MPH on motorways, (I'm guessing you are not familiar with that part of the highway code ), and less on other roads. For one thing, no-one needs to drive at the max permitted speed on any road, especially if conditions make it unadvisable - weight of traffic, weather, to mention a couple. Towing a heavy trailer is also a good reason to exercise caution in this respect. Bear in mind that a challenge spec 90 can easily weigh 2.5 tonnes, add another half tonne or more tor the trailer, and any LR will be working pretty hard (yes even a tuned Td5) to drag it along at 50 MPH, never mind 60. Taking things a little slower can reap BIG savings on fuel consumption. I have to agree here, I too have had a few scary moments towing poorly loaded trailers with my 90. I'd never considered using a stabliser, I guess I always assumed they were only needed for caravans and other units that catch the wind in a big way. Always good to learn something Length makes a big difference, particularly the distance between the trailer axles and the rear axle of the tow car, but also the tow car's wheel base.

Yes, there generally are lifting points on an engine, at least there are on every LR engine I've worked on.

Jeff I seriously suggest you go back to the retailer for warranty support. My local BP agent will always honour this, at least he would if I'd buy any of it. I know you've butchered the hose, but remember that a) the heavily publicised warranty BP offer, and b) sale of goods act says a part has to be fit for purpose. All pee taking aside, even if the stainless went rusty, or the rubber hose crumbled, a hose should still be capable of passing air or liquid. Your chopping the part has provided visual evidence of the fault. You should be able to get a refund

Especially if you mention that it will save you asking her for help lifting greasy stuff.

Is that a box containing all the Blue Boxes Jeff has bought in the past?

From what the green bible tells me I'd say that LHD and RHD boxes are opposite hand internally. I was planning put it up between centres in the lathe and polish up as best as possible with some wet and dry paper. The steel will be uber hard, so it won't be possible to shift much metal, but damage can often be smoothed out enough to give the seal a better chance. If I still had access to a cylindrical grinder I could have taken the diameter down a small amount, without being too small for the seal to work OK.

Cleaning the oil of the worm and its bearing surfaces brought an unpleasant surprise. The front bearing outer race was in near perfect shape, as was its corresponding surface on the worm. The rear race looked pretty good too, but the rear bearing surface of the worm was not at all pretty! I'd thought the shaft was a little lumpy before I began dismantling the box, but I'd put it down to a lack of oil in there. I certainly wasn't expecting this though. Further inspection of the ball race found the culprit. Check out the ball in the middle. All the other balls on that race were perfect, I would have expected to see more damage. The track is damaged, but I don't reckon it's been like it long judging by the fact that it doesn't go all the way around. Also if this occurred recently it would explain the sudden extreme fluid loss. The damaged bearing would have allowed the shaft to move out of line when under load, and the aging seals would not have been able to move enough to keep the fluid in. Unfortunately I think this is the end of the road for this particular steering box Beyond economic repair.

A while back my 4-bolt PAS box suddenly started gushing fluid from the input shaft seals. Having borrowed a box while I rebuild mine, I started to pull it apart, armed with the green bible and a seal kit. Now like we know, anything that's been on a LR for a while tends to be on the rusty crusty side. First thing to remove is a whopping great internal circlip that retains the rack piston cover. Well I got that out OK, but the cover was not going anywhere. The suggested method to push it out is to turn the steering input shaft to full right lock. Clearly this wasn't going to work. Next on the list is to remove the sector shaft adjuster nut and top cover. No problems encountered here. Rotating the sector shaft allows it to be withdrawn from from the top of the box. Now I'm not sure how necessary it is to remove the rack. Here is a close up of the part of the shaft the lower seals run on, a regular source of leaks, but not on this box yet. This surface doesn't look great but I reckon it'll polish up. Next to remove the worm shaft, first the adjuster lock nut needs to come off. Not the correct tool, but a large set of Stilsons worked well, and brought out the adjuster with it. The adjuster has a square section seal in its outer diameter. The shaft can then be gently tapped out.

Jeff, that is really bad news, but I think many of us learned our lesson long ago. How many times have you said NEVER?

Seems a rather grey area. Yes, you are driving directly to an MOT test centre, for a booked appointment. However if you were stopped I wouldn't be surprised if plod questioned the fact that it's a Sunday. Where's our forum traffic cop when you need him?