Deface

Remove under shield Clean the area around the transmission fluid level/filler plug. Remove the transmission fluid filler/level plug.(This is situated near the nearside driveshaft, looks like a normal hex bolt possibly 17mm) Fill the transmission with the correct fluid until it runs from the level/filler plug. Install the front undershield. Hope this has helped you, sorry for the late reply and lack of pics. ethan

This is for an auto, i will post the manual one shortly. Ensure that the automatic transmission is in 'P' and the handbrake is fully applied. Clean the area around the transmission fluid filler plug. Remove the transmission fluid filler plug.(I can't copy the picture to illustrate this, the filler plug is situated on top of the gearbox under the air box in the engine bay it looks like it may be a alan key or a torx bolt) Remove the front undershield. Clean the area around the transmission fluid level plug. Place a container under the transmission. Add 0.5 litres of transmission fluid. Install the transmission fluid filler plug. Torque: 40 Nm Start and run the engine to operating temperature. NOTE: The fluid level plug and drain plug both use the same point on the transmission. The inner plug is the level indication and the outer plug is to drain the fluid. Remove the transmission fluid level plug.(This is situated underneath on the gearbox, the level plug is as it says above in the centre of the drain piont, they both look like either alan or torx bolts) With the engine running a small amount of fluid should drip out of the level plug. Install the transmission fluid level plug. Torque: 7 Nm Install the front undershield.

I dont know if there is a downloadable version out there, but what i do know is that the manuals the dealers use are online but only accessible by technicians at the dealers. I have access to these manuals so if there is something you need to know I MAY be able to copy it on to here (depending if i can get my computer to do it). hope this helps ethan

The l322s have a monococh type shell, so if you wanted to body split one it would involve an angle grinder

Once you start taking the engines to pieces you start seeing peugeot citreon badges stamped in all the parts.

Im thinking of doing this conversion aswell so im interested in the answers to these questions also. But i was thinking of using a r380 gearbox, ive always thought a lt77 woudnt be able to cope with the power from a 4.6 especially if its been tweaked.

Yeh we are replacing like for like, i dont think anyone has tried putting a td5 in a rrs so I think you would be the first the hybrid idea sounds interesting though. The main issues with replacing an engine with the body in situe is space around the bellhousing theres just no easy way of getting to the bell housing bolts, and ounce there undone theres not alot of room to get the engine out. I kind of wanna get one runing with the body off and drive it, it would be like a tdv8 powered skateboard

We dont take the body off for clutches on the D3s its easy enough to do it without. You can do turbos without aswell but only on tdv6s. There not that bad to do really they are designed to come apart. We have probably done about 20 this year for engines, turbos and 1 for a sheared injection pump belt tensioner bolt. I blame it on those french engines

Yeh you can do it the normal way but its so awkward its not worth the hassle, we can usually get the body off in around 3 hours.

Hi all, just thought I would share with you some pics i have of what we have to do at my work when replacing and engine on a disco3/4 or a range rover sport. Its a little different to my defender Hopefully here are the pics.

Ok cheers dan , im thinking bout going mud monsters tomorrow, i know its in sussex but i dont know exactly where, could i have the address? I take it spectators are allowed?? Ethan

@dirtyninety i agree with what your saying and i have seriously thought about doing exactly that but what has always stopped me selling is, it was my first car and ive always got abit sentimental when thinking about getting rid, im not making my mind up anytime soon and will probably wait until billing so i can get some ideas on what to do. @yella90 i am based in newport pagnell near milton keyens. Id love to go and watch some events but im sort of out of the loop when it comes to knowing/finding out when and where they take place.

Ok thats something i didnt know, by shallow do you mean if i was to mearsure the side of a disco chassis rail and 90 chassis rail they would be different? Is there really that much difference to effect the break over a noticable amount? I understand what your saying about competeing and your right, i probably should of done that when i had the car working but its past the piont of no return in the dismantling process now, and my other 90 is in was too good nick to compete in i think. I was never thinking i could build a fully kitted challenge truck and then compete with everyone that had been doin it for ages, what i was thinking was mayby build the basics of what i wanted chassis, engine, suspension etc, then from there start competeing and then add/change things as i go and hopefully work my way up to bigger events.

@dirtyninety surely as offroading goes a disco chassis and a strectched 90 chassis are not that different. A 90s suspension and a discos suspension are the same so what would be the need for the redesign? i would use gigglepin arms on both chassis and i would gain from extending the rear a frame for the reasons mentioned by muddy. Surely if both chassis are 100" and both have engine, body etc in the same place the COG and clearance will be the same? am i missing something?

@muddy the 90 in question i have had for 4 years and has mainly been my only car and has been used and abused offroad so all the body work is battered and not worth keeping IMHO plus the engine has issues, the gearbox has been used for my other 90, the bulkhead and doors are rotten and axles are being rebuilt to again go on my other 90, but chassis is good (about the only thing ). My intension is to eventually compete, but Ive never competed before which is why i am unsure on mods etc. For me building the truck will be as much fun as driving it but at the end of it want a competative truck hence all the approach angle type questions. Ive had a look through the members vehicle forum at all the challenge truck builds which is where i have got most of my ideas from, but there are a few ideas i have of my own that i need know if they possible or not as the case my be.

Well if i start with a 100" chassis ive still got to change outriggers, engine/gearbox mounts,rear crossmember and modify the front of the chassis for approach angle so the only thing i gain from a 100" chassis is i wont have to move spring/shock mounts. If i stay with a 90" and use an extended A frame or d44 bracket are there any benifits to doing regaurding axle movement etc ??

Youve moved the body forward? What are the benifits of that? I plan on useing 35s to start with which seen like castor wheels compared to 44s but plan on mayby going up to 37s in the distant future, which will effect the approach angle. What my basic plan is at the moment to move the body back 2" or so, cut off all chassis before front cross member to make way for a bumper of some sort, move engine as far back as i can untill both props are the same length for a 100" wheelbase.

Sorry for repeated post. Stupid phone!!!

@yella 90, so for your build are you just moving the out riggers and extending the column? Is that all thats required? I am undecided as to weather the car will be road legal yet, but if i do go ahead with moving the body, will i have issues with the IVA? Im moving the rear axle so it would have to go for an IVA anyway.

@yella 90, so for your build are you just moving the out riggers and extending the column? Is that all thats required? I am undecided as to weather the car will be road legal yet, but if i do go ahead with moving the body, will i have issues with the IVA? Im moving the rear axle so it would have to go for an IVA anyway.

To move the body back is it just a case of moving the front and rear bulkhead outriggers and extending the steering column? if it is then is sounds alot easier than moving the axle forward or am i being naive? I have thought about just cutting the front of the bonnet and wings but decicded against this as i would lose the proportions of a defender and as you have said it wont allow me to move engine etc so i was looking for another way of gaining an improved approach angle. As for the IVA test i was under the impression that aslong as it was within reason and the modifications to the chassis were done safely it would be ok but again i could be being naive, i will be going through the IVA manual before the build so i dont want to focus to much on that on this thread as im sure that something like this has been covered on here before i just need to find it For now i just want to know how possible it is to move that body back the few inches it would take to create a near 90 degree approach angle. .

My plan is to use a 3.9 v8 out of a disco and one other reason to move the body is so i can move the engine back aswell to improve centre of gravity and i want to put the rad at the to free up a bit of space under the bonnet. As for moving the front axle i thought this would be more complicted having move raduis arm mounts, panard rod mount, steering box and spring hangers. Has anyone moved axle or body? Im interested in whats involed in doin either.

Thank you for the reply team idris and i shall keep in mind what you said about ALRC and MSA rules regs etc, before i start the the build i plan on having a good read through them aswell as IVA regs. As for my original query i think you may of misunderstood. I was thinking about moving the body back on the chassis to improve the approach angle on the front so the bodywork at the front lines up as much as allowed with the front wheels with losing the iconic defender shape and proportions.

Hi there, i am currently planning a challenge truck build out of my quite batterd 1992 defender. I was thinking, what would it take to move the body back on the chassis to improve the approach angle? To give you some more info on the build, im planning on useing challenge wings and the tub will be goin on a diet aswell so modication to move these back would be limited. Thoughts please Thanks

Ok thanks for the info, if thats how simple it is then i wont worry bout lpg now.