good Instructional DVD's

[slihp]

I am new to all this and looking for good dvd's to help with my knowledge of working on my 90. i am watching A 4x4 is Born, just now which is good, so looking for any other similar topics dvd's.

[FridgeFreezer]

Welcome!

The 4x4 is born DVD is perhaps not the ideal instructional material since it involves handing a chequebook to Scorpion for the "fully extreme" suspension

Also the test-drive at Brick Kiln my mum has driven round that site in a stock RR

What exactly are you looking for instruction on - spannering, fabrication, upgrades, modifications, driving, maintenance...? All the answers are on this forum if you ask the questions

[Happyoldgit]

My advice is to learn by getting your mitts grubby by helping someone experienced. Not sure where you are located but apart from asking on here getting involved with your local LR club is a good place to find people who know a thing or two.

[gruntus]

I am new to all this and looking for good dvd's to help with my knowledge of working on my 90. i am watching A 4x4 is Born, just now which is good, so looking for any other similar topics dvd's.

First off Welcome to the forum!!

I would recommend the same as the other guys.

Initially I would buy a Haynes workshop manual, read through basics on the layout and its design and carry out a service or some general maintenance to get a feel for all the working bits.

Land Rovers (series three, 90's and Discovery 1's) are very basic to work on and you can't do too much damage as long as you don't bite off more than you can chew and are reasonably practical with a spanner!!

With regard to a 4x4 is born I am quite sure I could get a similar result given the same circumstances (a big chequebook and premises and time) however we can't all afford that. I would start off small (an oil change fro example) and then move on as your confindence builds up.

The Oil comes off eventually!!

Cheers

G

[slihp]

thanks guys for your response.

basicaly that is what i am doing. starting off small first (oil changes, greasing propshaft etc) so by the time something semi big comes up (oo- er) i could have enough experience to takle it. I am basicaly a big sponge just now wating to suck up as much info as possible. lr4x4 is great though, have learned lost since i joined esp the tech archives.

im in Glasgow by the way

chees

phil

[FridgeFreezer]

Just remember the Haynes book is FULL OF LIES - not that it stops any of us from reading it but remember to add a couple of spanners to the difficulty rating and about 50% extra to the expected timescale...

The "Green Bible" (Land Rover service manual) and White Book (Parts catalogue) are money well spent (usually around £20 each from Paddocks etc.), in fact the parts book is often the most useful because it contains an exploded diagram of everything with a part # to order a new one. It doesn't tell you how to do the job but it does show every last nut and bolt and where it goes.

[slihp]

Just remember the Haynes book is FULL OF LIES - not that it stops any of us from reading it but remember to add a couple of spanners to the difficulty rating and about 50% extra to the expected timescale...

The "Green Bible" (Land Rover service manual) and White Book (Parts catalogue) are money well spent (usually around £20 each from Paddocks etc.), in fact the parts book is often the most useful because it contains an exploded diagram of everything with a part # to order a new one. It doesn't tell you how to do the job but it does show every last nut and bolt and where it goes.

nice one, exactly what im looking for

[FridgeFreezer]

Oh and you can download most of the LR technical manuals, one link is here but there are others, use the search button.

[slihp]

Welcome!

The 4x4 is born DVD is perhaps not the ideal instructional material since it involves handing a chequebook to Scorpion for the "fully extreme" suspension

Also the test-drive at Brick Kiln my mum has driven round that site in a stock RR

What exactly are you looking for instruction on - spannering, fabrication, upgrades, modifications, driving, maintenance...? All the answers are on this forum if you ask the questions

my main aim just now fridge is maintenance, just looking after the 90, make sure all in good working order etc

[FridgeFreezer]

Buy a 25l drum of EP90 and a 5l plant sprayer minus the spray head, makes a lot of maintenance much easier - fill with EP90, stick nozzle in hole and squirt! Repeat until everything's topped up.

[slihp]

Buy a 25l drum of EP90 and a 5l plant sprayer minus the spray head, makes a lot of maintenance much easier - fill with EP90, stick nozzle in hole and squirt! Repeat until everything's topped up.

sorry fridge, this has lost me, what is ep90. i actualy was going to buy a plant sprayer but only so i could cleant areas underneath the chasi where jet washer could not get to, and also to spray waxoil into crossmember, sills, door cavities and bulk head.

[Happyoldgit]

EP90 - transmission oil

[Guest dew110CSW]

EP90 Is a very thick oil used in Diffs and other little bits around the Landie. Worth having some around.

Off the top of my head you'll need (May Vary depening on your engine)

15w40 Engine

ATF Gearbox

ATF Transfer Box

EP90 Diffs.

[slihp]

right ya;

can you buy these oils anywhere/and any brand?

[Guest dew110CSW]

I get mine off Morris Lubricants (http://www.morrislubricants.co.uk/) because my dad uses pretty much the same oils in his wagon and so gets them in LARGE quantities, but yeah pretty much any. Semi Synthetic they like.

[muddy]

DO NOT put atf in the transferbox! ep80/90 goes in the transferbox,

buy your engine oil and ep 90 in 25l drums makes it far far cheaper and easyer.

[FridgeFreezer]

I get mine from the nearest motor factors, it's usually Comma but there are others out there that are fine. It's a lot cheaper than halfords, and since it's good practice to change the oil in any part that's been under water it's good to have a barrel of it "on tap", otherwise you just find yourself putting it off

I tend to buy oil and filters in bulk and change them often, rather than fill it with expensive oil and not change it.

Main gearbox, if it's manual, takes either ATF or MTF94 - check Ashcrofts website for guidance.

[Gromit]

Hi Phil,

Welcome to the forum.

While there are a few inaccuracies in the Haynes, I think it's invaluable for someone new to LRs. It's a good introduction, you'll get familiar with all the terms and it describes most jobs pretty well. Yes some things are a bit daft in it, but it'll get you most of the way.

Next, as has been said, get yourself a parts catalogue. There are a couple of varieties, from a simple pdf file, to the software LR use in their garages. As well as detailed diagrams, you can always be sure you are ordering the right parts. The one and only time I ordered something without a part number, it took 3 goes to a garage 60miles away to get the right part.

Next, read, read and read on this forum! There are many questions that arise again and again, and they will stick in your head. So the next time you are wondering why your truck clicks going round a corner, or your indicators don't work, you'll have already read the thread and know the answer! Plus there'll probably be a thread from Les to hold your hand while doing the job

Buy tools as you need them - and get good ones. You don't need much to start off with spanners, maybe a socket set, some screwdrivers and a collection of hammers

When I started, I had no tools,very little mechanical knowledge and no experience. I had no choice to learn myself and do any work the truck needed. Everything I've learned has been from studying the parts cat, reading this forum and getting my hands dirty. I love learning, and plus you get to see all the bits you've read about over and over again!

A few years on, and I've done loads of work to the truck, and there isn't a job I wouldn't have a go at.

Start off with changing all the oils - engine, gearbox, transfer box, axles and swivel housings.

You'll be flying in no time.

[slihp]

Hi Phil,

Welcome to the forum.

While there are a few inaccuracies in the Haynes, I think it's invaluable for someone new to LRs. It's a good introduction, you'll get familiar with all the terms and it describes most jobs pretty well. Yes some things are a bit daft in it, but it'll get you most of the way.

Next, as has been said, get yourself a parts catalogue. There are a couple of varieties, from a simple pdf file, to the software LR use in their garages. As well as detailed diagrams, you can always be sure you are ordering the right parts. The one and only time I ordered something without a part number, it took 3 goes to a garage 60miles away to get the right part.

Next, read, read and read on this forum! There are many questions that arise again and again, and they will stick in your head. So the next time you are wondering why your truck clicks going round a corner, or your indicators don't work, you'll have already read the thread and know the answer! Plus there'll probably be a thread from Les to hold your hand while doing the job

Buy tools as you need them - and get good ones. You don't need much to start off with spanners, maybe a socket set, some screwdrivers and a collection of hammers

When I started, I had no tools,very little mechanical knowledge and no experience. I had no choice to learn myself and do any work the truck needed. Everything I've learned has been from studying the parts cat, reading this forum and getting my hands dirty. I love learning, and plus you get to see all the bits you've read about over and over again!

A few years on, and I've done loads of work to the truck, and there isn't a job I wouldn't have a go at.

Start off with changing all the oils - engine, gearbox, transfer box, axles and swivel housings.

You'll be flying in no time.

thanks gromit for the detailed reply. your reply is just about a mirror image to my ethos just now. i reading this forum all the time just now, although i limit my searches to just the defender forum, is this a good idea??

I would say though when you hear the problems some have, it kind of scares me as my knowledge is so limited just now. i have now doughts in my ability to pick this knowledge (im quite handy) but some of the jobs seem so out of reach for me just now. i guess i need to look at the smaller picture like you said (oil changes etc). though have no regrets getting the defender. really enjoying the experience.

cheers man

[FridgeFreezer]

thanks gromit for the detailed reply. your reply is just about a mirror image to my ethos just now. i reading this forum all the time just now, although i limit my searches to just the defender forum, is this a good idea??

LR's share a lot of components so unless you're searching for something that's purely Defender you are probably best off searching the Disco, RR and International forums too.

I would say though when you hear the problems some have, it kind of scares me as my knowledge is so limited just now. i have now doughts in my ability to pick this knowledge (im quite handy) but some of the jobs seem so out of reach for me just now. i guess i need to look at the smaller picture like you said (oil changes etc). though have no regrets getting the defender. really enjoying the experience.

There are all manner of problems that can occur, but there's nothing that can't be sorted and I'd say there's very little that you wouldn't be able to do with a decent set of spanners and some advice from here.

Gromit makes a good point - buy tools as you need them. Even buying an expensive specialist tool is cheaper than paying someone else to do a job, and then you have it for the future too.

[Gromit]

i limit my searches to just the defender forum, is this a good idea??

As said, there are a lot of common parts, not least engines, so you can pick up a lot on the International Forum, plus it's the busiest, and a bit more diverse than here.

When you read about someone's misfortune with a Range Rover who's electronic brain has died, you can just be smug in the knowledge that your truck has no intelligence built into it at all

I would say though when you hear the problems some have, it kind of scares me as my knowledge is so limited just now.

Yeah, but some of it will stick, and a clearer picture will emerge - honest

no regrets getting the defender. really enjoying the experience.

..and you won't regret it. Ya gotta love 'em, despite their Idiosyncrasies.

[Gromit]

Even buying an expensive specialist tool is cheaper than paying someone else to do a job

And I can't think of many of these that you need, well I haven't needed any.

I reckon the most expensive single item I've bought was an impact socket and breaker bar for the crank shaft nut.

I did shell out for ratchety spanners though, and they have been WELL worth the money.