ChrisM_110

I've got a few dash harnesses, and a genuine PRC8410 Defender vin FA450333 to vin KA929567 has the same pack of electrickery (wire colours are green | green/black | black | white/slate). Another harness, unlabelled, has exactly the same wires at the main connector but no little electrnics pack, and no white/slate connector. According to my parts book white/slate goes to the low fuel warning light, for single and twin tank models. As that's the only output from the pack I guess that's what it's for, the optional low fuel warning circuit.

12849 : Frosts Powder coar remover. I used a much smaller 250ml bottle, that was enough for an A bar, with a smidge left over.

It's a bubblyupy-smelly-scrapy really, like Nitromors. If you let 2 coats soak in really well, you can blast it off with a pressure washer and do a final clean with a wire cup brush in a grinder.

Wiper wheel box - pants, disintegrated after two incontinent sparrows passed overhead Bearings/UJs - awful, Bearmach are much better Light units - OK so far, not tried their new super cheap units though. Brackets/panels/non-spinny-movey parts - fine, I got four outriggers (two bulkhead, two rear body) that were excellent.

I've used new-fangled compliant Panel wipe as a soak, the old stuff didn't work. Soak a cloth in panel wipe, and slap it on a warmed panel, leave for half an hour. Softens up most adhesives.

+1 for Frost's removal stuff, works a treat.

I've got a short bellhousing LT77/300tdi combo (not done by me, bought like it), it works well, and there's loads of room up front for bigger intercoolers etc. Possibly not the most refined box for the engine, but who cares. PS: TR7/Rover SD1 specialists may be able to give advice as well, as they're forever fitting LT77s into hybrids with V8s and V6s etc. They may be more willing than your local recon blokey.

Butter > Marge anyday

I've seen a couple of Aussie motors on Aussie forums with IC's under Scooby or Isuzu bonnet scoops. They look a bit chavvy IMHO, but work well apparently. I vaguely remember one with two IC's in series, the second one under a scoop, longitudinally above the exhaust/turbo on a 300Tdi, very short pipe run for that one, natch.

Wossnames, or rear lamp panel covers - MRC2244 (Right) - MRC2245 (Left)

Witham the MOD disposal peeps used to do Oman spec gennies in Sankey trailers IIRC. May be a nice cheap option.

Halfords plastic primer usually meant for barried nova and saxo interiors works very well, nice and flexible too. I did mine with plastic primer and some cheap black acrylic.

I always stick little rubber washers on both sides of the screw holes for all lamps. You can then be a little more careless tightening them up, and they don't let in so much water either. I cut them from a sheet of thin rubber with a hole punch.

Have you considered a demountable? Fit a guard with a receiver in, slot in the winch as required. ScrapIron did one, obviously it was ripped off from someone with some design talent so should still be around somewhere. David Bowyer used to do Bikini mounts that just drop onto the top bumper mounts, quick and easy to remove. Neither is quite as strong for sustained/high impact pulls of course.

It's amazing how little noise you get from a broken exhaust. Mine fractured before the centre silencer and I didn't even notice until it was pressure wash time Mine passed MOT later with just a standard small [ESR2384] rear silencer, and straight through pipe from the manifold.

If you just get a click the solenoid may be stuck. Give it a whack with a Land Rover #1 tool, then try again.

The colour of a battered sausage?

I've made some internal mud-flaps for this hole from some old truck mudflaps, scrounged from a layby. Fitted using the two screws for the bulkhead - inner arch fitting.

I use two old hard drive magnets poked under the dash top to hold a tin of travel sweets. Fixed to the lid of the tin is my sat nav mount. Take top off tin, job done. Tin [Werther's Buttery Sugary Wossnames] flange has good grip. A screw top one would be better.

Indicators by switch - trailer and indicator warning lights flash on dash, trailer one should flash three times. [i think you need the trailer type flasher relay for this] Indicators by hazard - switch should flash trailer warning light, and either dash warning light, or a warning light in the switch. My old 1987 90 flashed dash lights, but my 1989 110 flashes trailer warning and switch. I assume this is because it left Solihull with a tow pack option. Mine were a law unto themselves until I replaced the flasher relay, and the warning light in the hazard switch failed MOT, replaced with a Mini one, exactly the same.

Excellent advice, I would add that a ratchet crimper will make a massive difference to your connection security. It makes it so easy to get a good connection compared to the cheapo crimps it's silly not too. If it's a connection likely to vibrate [i.e. engine bay] it's safer not to rely on solder alone as this can apparently lead to joint fracture. I think Mike may have a wasp stuck in his trousers.

Seconded for some Britpart bits. I've had a Britpart wheelbox for wipers last for a fortnight, bearings should always be genuine, belts and seals also. I have to admit I had all four outriggers front and back from Britpart, I had a decent crossmember and was then low on cash, but they were fine, well made and lined up OK. Their crossmembers are pants though. Not all Britpart is carp, but it's hard to know what is and what isn't so don't risk it. For safety related and moving parts genuine or a good branded part [All Makes, Bearmach]

I have used Screwfix flashing tape with excellent results. Bitumen adhesive with an ally top layer. Heat up a panel with an air gun & slap it on. Used under floor panels, hardtop and sides and seatbox. Great stuff and sticks like burberry sticks to chavs.

One of the previous crossmember threads here mentioned an SPI tooled crossmember. I ordered one as I was in the same boat as John. 6 hours later, job done. Excellent fit and finish and £175 delivered next day from MPS4x4. Much less arsing about than repairing - measure, mark and clean chassis while paint dries on X-Member, chop legs and drop tank, weld, cleanup, more paint refit.

I'm pretty sure the water for screenwash has to have a BLUE cap OR a warning label, not both, that was SVA regs though. Most garages have a bunch of the brake fluid labels as they replace them when servicing [well my mother's Honda garage did], maybe worth asking a local garage for a freebie? Or as above and laminate them.