RichardAllen

I want a just-in-case 240V charger for the 90's batteries, they are both Odyssey, one about 70Ah and one about 100Ah. I intend to keep it in the Landy so it should be as small as possible. This is important for me as I already have a good Halfords one which is too big for easy stowage. The CTEK XS7000 seems to be highly regarded, but the reviews I have found here and elsewhere are a little old. Is there anything better/newer I should consider ? All help gratefully received. Regards Richard

No I could not find a UK supplier, so bought two from the US. I cannot remember the postage exactly, but I do not believe it was ruinous. Regards Richard

I have my iPhone 3GS in an Otterbox case "iPhone 3G / 3GS Defender Series Case" see: http://www.otterbox.com/iPhone-3G-/-3GS-Defender-Series-Case/1942,default,pd.html?dwvar_1942_color=05&start=1&cgid=apple-iphone-3g-3gs-cases This has proved bomb-proof so far, in sp[ite of having two pre-school children and stone floors. For the 90, I have a slipgrip mount see; http://stores.intuitwebsites.com/hstrial-eGeneralMerch/-strse-531/SlipGrip-Car-Holder-For/Detail.bok and http://stores.intuitwebsites.com/hstrial-eGeneralMerch/-strse-354/2-SlipGrip-Iphone-3G/Detail.bok The combination works pretty well, but the mount has no built-in power plug, so you have to attach a power cable each time to keep the iPhone charged, especially if you are using the GPS which uses the battery up quickly. The mount does have a camera aperture. Regards Richard

In trying to get some quarts into my pint pot 90, I noticed that the front bumper is in reality a C section girder with all but one side closed off. I was wondering if anyone had made the bumper into one or more lockers by fabricating a flap for the side nearest the bodywork. If so how did you make it and what securing arrangements did you fit ? I was thinking of using it for stuff which may not mind briefly getting wet - ropes, shackles, strops, hi-lift adapter, that kind of thing, so it needs to be able to be opened if the bumper is stuck in a ditch or similar. All help gratefully received Regards Richard

For the Dover Dunkirk route I have heard good things about Norfolk Line, but they have few sailings each day. For Dover Calais we tend to use P&O; if we get there early you can sometimes get on the sailing before the one you booked, likewise if you are late you can usually get on a later one. The ferries themselves are busy with people kids' coach trips etc, but you can usually find a quiet spot, or pay 5 quid for the lounge. Sea France have good food if you can talk your way into the trucker's cafe. For me the channel tunnel may be quick, bu it is a very dull experience. If you just want to cross, take the tunnel. If you want to enjoy the journey, take a ferry. Regards Richard

A well-measured petition. Signed Regards Richard

I had a good go with these ear clamps yesterday replacing jubilee clips which kept catching on things. As recommended I bought them from BES. Every clip sealed tight and dry first time, very easy to use, so I think they are an excellent choice. Some points: 1. I bought a range of sizes and carefully matched the clip size to the joint 2. I bought the proper-job crimp tool (six quid odd), rather than improvise 3. You have to remember in a pipework setup that ear clips are permanent unlike jubilee clips, so once I have left some of the joints as jubilee clips so I can get the pipework apart again if needed. (Seems obvious now, but guess how I found out !) Great idea, I wish I had used them ages ago Thanks for the help Regards Richard

What a very generous offer. Especially since I have just ordered a small bagful to give them a try ! I think we have family stuff on this weekend but if I can get some time on Sunday, I will pm you, pitmole, it would be good to meet up, as it seems like these things need a bit of care and exsperience to get them working well. Thanks again Richard

I have a fresh water system in the 90 using 1/2" garden hose mostly and a Shurflo pump up to about 30psi. At the moment most of the joints are jubilee clips which work fine, but are untidy and skin your knuckles 'something tragic', so I am looking at re-engineering it all. Has anyone experience of two ear clamps like this: which are set using pincers ? My main questions are: Will they seal really well at the pressures I am looking at ? Are they tolerant of slightly different hose diameters say between 12mm and 19mm , or will I need a range of clamp sizes ? Are they easy to set (compared to a 12v electrical terminal crimp, for example) ? When I make the inevitable c**k-up, can they be removed without sawing through the band (grind an ear off perhaps ? Any other hints tips ? All advice gratefully received. Regards Richard

Err brake lights and reversing light don't work either, fuse OK. Looks like the earth at the rear somewhere needs some delicate adjustment

On mine, the earth for the fronts is in the engine compartment on the bulkhead near the clutch master cylinder, and the rear earths feed back through the chassis onto an earthing point on the gearbox

I have a 300TDi 90 which has developed a very odd indicator/hazards problem. With hazards on: the following work: - Right front indicator - Right side repeater - Right rear indicator - Left Rear inidcator the following do not work: - Left front indicator - Left side repeater With indicator stalk switched to indicate a right turn, Right hand indicator, right side repeater and right rear indicator all work, facscia indicator light flashes normally With indicator stalk switched to indicate a left turn, left hand indicator, left side repeater work. The left rear indicator does not work, and the facscia indicator light flashes at double speed So one way or another I can get all four indicators and both side repeaters to light up - no bulb or obvious earth problems, and the right hand side works normally. The left side however is wierd. Left front indicator and side repeater work on indicator, but not on hazards. The left rear works on hazards but not on indicator. These symptoms are clear and repeatable, so not obviously an intermittent loose connection. I do have a trailer pickup which I have not been able to test. I am not clear exactly what the indicator warning light flashing at double speed is telling me. I was messing around with the fascia and passenger compartment fuse box at the weekend so may well have disturbed something. I have looked on the forum, the indicators/hazard technical archive and the diagrams in Rave with no obvious clue as to where the problem might be. What really puzzles me is that the circuit diagram shows that all the lights on one side are powered by a common feed from the header joint K109, so I cannot see how the front lights on the left hand side can work on indicators without the rear on that side working, and likewise how the rear on the left hand side can work on hazards without the fronts on that side working. Apologies for this being somewhat long winded, but all help gratefully received. Regards Richard

Lots of sympathy from me too, we had the family Volvo nicked in Paris last year, so I know it is just sickening. At least for us the insurance paid out in a couple of months, hope the same goes for you if your truck is not returned. Will keep an eye out in Gloucestershire. Commiserations and regards Richard

The lenses I mean are 20 quid a pair, hence trying to look after them a bit Regards Richard

Some great ideas thanks Behind the seats so far I have a jack, breaker bar with wheel socket, jump leads, charger, European emergency kit (hi-viz jacket, triangle, bulb kit, first aid kit), expanded tool roll, and 300 x 200 x 8 bolt-on extended baseplate for hi-lift, so not much room ! However, it's good to know they are not as fragile as I expected, so a roof net , or something on the back of the headrests sounds great Thanks all Regards Richard PS The hi-lift baseplate will be relocated under the driver's seat when I have got around to making a fitting

Unfortunately mine's a 90. As for buying the lights, it is amazing how generous daughters (4yrs old and 2 yrs old) can be at Christmas ! Regards Richard

I have a pair of Lightforce 170 lights fitted on my A bar. I have two pairs of clip-on lenses for them, one wide and one spotlight . At any time, one pair of lenses is fixed onto tthe lights and the other pair is floating around in the Defender - cubby box is full. Since the spare lenses are comparatively fragile and an odd shape, I was wondering if anyone had a clever place to stash them where they will be out of the way and not get damaged. All suggestions welcome, so long as they would not cause me to walk oddly. Regards Richard

Mike, For the last 2 years I have been using ref 67312 from VEHICLE WIRING PRODUCTS at http://www.vehicle-wiring-products.eu/VWP-onlinestore/hoses/fuelpumps.php. My installation is on a 90 300TDi. I fitted an auxiliary tank under the back (where the TD5 tank goes, and connected it to one side of a fabricated a 'Y' shaped filler neck. It is then easy to fill either the auxiliary tank or the main tank by angling the fuel delivery nozzle down one branch of the filler neck or the other. The auxiliary transfer pump pumps into the main tank branch of the filler neck. If the main tank overfills while transfer pumping, the excess simply overflows down the other branch of filler neck, back into the auxiliary tank, so there is no chance of an overspill. The transfer pump has worked faultlessly since fitted. One precaution I have taken is to transfer fuel quite frequently so that if the transfer pump should fail, the main tank is pretty much full, to maximise range. I do, however, also have a manual squeeze type fuel transfer tube in case the transfer pump fails a long way from a fuel station. I hope this helps. Regards Richard

Sorry but the last word says it all. I bought a full set of blue-box seals for both front calipers on my 90 a couple of years ago. Bust every one without fitting any. I then bought LR genuine, and they went in a treat using socket method. This started my dislike of blue boxes and reluctance to buy from those who supply them. It does not comfort me that I can get an extended warranty on their bits, if I cannot fit them in the first place ! Regards - perhaps - a - little - unhelpfully Richard

So no Loctite on suspensions nylocs - fair enough, but would you put copperslip on the thread to make sure you could get it apart again ? Richard

What I mean is: every threaded fastener should have either copperslip or loctite. I have been trying to think of exceptions and have not found any. Can anyone put up a good argument for any one Land Rover threaded fastener which should never have either Loctite or copperslip on it ? Regards Richard

For some time now a simple enginering principle has been nagging at the back of my mind. "For all threaded fastenrs if you want it to come apart again - apply Copperslip, if not, Loctite. One or the other" As a universal rule applicable to all Land Rover threaded fasteners (ie not rivets or plastic trim buttons) is there any significant departure from this rule ? Comments please ? Regards Richard PS The above principle clearly excludes original vehicle build where application of a few pence worth of Loctite would save Land Rover from having to go through all the trouble of selling £millions in spares.

When we were testing the race Ferrari a few years ago, every track day I went to you got the musical sound of the TVR engines invariably followed rapidly by the sound of crunching fibreglass and shredding metal as they went backwards into the nearest bit of Armco. Engines: great, looks: debatable, handling: truly dreadful - though the race Tuscans seem well sorted. Now for a real engine check out the BRM V16 I think that recording was done when Nick Mason (Pink Floyd drummer) ran his at the Silverstone Historic some years ago. It certainly made me grin for a fortnight. He described owning this car as more expensive per yard he had driven it than best Axminster carpet And of course there is always being buzzed by a Spitfire - again grinningly awe creating. A friend has a Merlin engine but without the rest of the plane; well oiled at a party he started it up and the shed next door fell down - shame I missed that one. Richard

John, I should have added: http://www.carrollsmith.com/ Since this sounds like what you are looking for, I would start with "Prepare to Win" and "Tune to Win", followed by "Engineer to Win" , which has lots of stuff about why you heat-treat steel etc. I should also have mentioned that I have no connection with Carroll Smith Books etc, and unfortunately never met him, though raced against a number who knew him well. Regards Richard

For real back to basics car engineering, I virtually taught myself to be a race mechanic by reading all the "...To Win" books by the late Carroll Smith, several times. They do focus on race cars, and particularly those of the pre-electronics era. But if you want a really clear explanation of how an oil system works, and more important for me, why, Carroll Smith is excellent. For me, RAVE is excellent when you already know what you have to do. Carroll Smith helps you understand why the thing you are unhappy about, does need fixing and the basics of how. RAVE then tells you the specifics of dis-assembly order, parts to replace, lubricant or threadlock required assembly order and torque settings. Carroll Smith will explain why suspensions have springs and dampers together, how the left pedal is linked to the clutch, why the rivet pattern is how it is etc etc. His books are not at all specific to 4x4's even less land Rovers, but you do get a very readable basics upwards explanations of most things to do with cars, except for electronics. You will also find out why a single shear mount (found a lot in Land Rovers, especially the steering), is a "crime against nature". And if Carroll Smith can teach me (a software engineer by trade), to become a race mechanic, he can teach anyone. Regards Richard Member British Racing Mechanics Club