smo Posted October 18, 2009 Share Posted October 18, 2009 I'm still building the D-Lander, what was ment to be a 6 month build is now 2+ years, last year i was offered a 4HP22 with bits as a swap for my R380 - this seemed ideal as i simply needed a compushift and i'm away. Today the car is still not finished, fitting in the oil cooler is proving to be very awkward and potentially very expensive, the gear stick is impossible to fit in the tunnel as the engine is set 16" further back than normal stuffing my hi-lo lever in the middle of the tunnel, not enough room in front and too far back to reach if positioned behind. It seems to be a never ending nightmare to the point im conisdering changing back to manual just so get her driving. I have no idea if i should struggle on, or change back...anyone else really regret "good ideas"??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajh Posted October 18, 2009 Share Posted October 18, 2009 Only about a dozen times a day, build what you want to have and most importantly enjoy the build and challenge itself. That, and keep a good supply of beer handy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smo Posted October 18, 2009 Author Share Posted October 18, 2009 I stopped enjoying the build a while back, just want it done but it seems this change of g-box was the worst decision ever! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest noggy Posted October 18, 2009 Share Posted October 18, 2009 Lets get some pictures, so we can all cast an eye upon the problem. Im sure someone on here can think of a way of sorting this out that perhaps your haven't thought of. This is going to turn into another manual Vs automatic debate! And do i regret 'good' ideas.... yes, all the time, everyday of my life. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smo Posted October 18, 2009 Author Share Posted October 18, 2009 Piccies..... That is the tunnel and the space constraints, not enough space infront, none beside and if it goes behind its impossible to use as its too far back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve 90 Posted October 18, 2009 Share Posted October 18, 2009 Why do you say theres no room beside the transfer lever?? Is it because the seat is too close or just the profile of the tunnel makes it awkward to fit? I have a 100" defender with the the engine and box moved back quite a long way, the shifter is beside the transfer lever which is perfect. Your hand falls straight on to it from the steering wheel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Milemarker Type S Posted October 18, 2009 Share Posted October 18, 2009 Smo- I am with Steve on this one. It looks like the space you have with the tunnel the shape it is at the moment does not allow for the shifter- widen the tunnel (even if just next to the shifter to keep the space elsewhere and it looks like it will fit nicely. From the views I have been hearing recently in relation to the auto vs manual debate then I think you will be happy with it once it is done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smo Posted October 18, 2009 Author Share Posted October 18, 2009 Tunnel is too narrow to take them side by side. Also with the design of the shifter (carp design landrover!) once mounted the top to the base there is a gap of about 1.5" which needs to be filled, originally by the D2 fake wood tunnel top, but not any more as i dont have a D2!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ashtrans Posted October 18, 2009 Share Posted October 18, 2009 Hi Simon, you sound quite fed up ! hi/lo location : on the pumas we make a flat steel plate as an extension to move the ali hi/lo mounting bracket forward then extend the hi/lo rod and adjust the diff lock lever so it still works, or maybe you could fit the disco 2 linkage as this is cable operated and you have much more flexibility as to where you mount it, My link cooler : again on the puma we fit a 12" square cooler from think automotive : this has a 22mm female fitting, just make up a mounting bracket and buy some aeroquip 1/2" pushfit hoses or bend up some steel ones, think automotive sell the fittings and the hose as well as the actual cooler, the above cooler is part number 50-640-7612 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smo Posted October 18, 2009 Author Share Posted October 18, 2009 Hi Dave, We spoke about the cooler the other day on the phone! Its sortable but a pain and its turning into a never ending money pit, coupled with the problems of working in a stable as my workshop heading into winter!! I'll have a look at the alternatives for the hi-lo lever, i have the cable operated alternative too but it does mean lack of control of the centre diff lock??? I am indeed thoroughly fed up, it was a fun project to begin with but its dragged on too long now, i just want to get out and play again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ashtrans Posted October 18, 2009 Share Posted October 18, 2009 Hi, you should be able to get the cooler and pipes all done for under £200, we have a mounting bracket for the pumas which you may be able to use for £ 10, the disco 2 diff lock kit does the hi/lo and the diff lock, there is only one cable in the photo as you reuse the D2 hi/lo cable, or if you want to keep the cost down just fit the D2 hi/lo lever with cable (£ 20) and put a simple handle/wheel ontop of a rod sticking up from the diff lock stud to engage diff lock, Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FridgeFreezer Posted October 18, 2009 Share Posted October 18, 2009 If you keep changing your mind you'll never finish - witness some of the lengthier vapour builds on this forum The fastest way to actually finish is to decide what you want, and get to and build it. Most things, gearbox included, could be changed later if you decide it's really not right. The manual/auto thing has so little in it that it's almost the toss of a coin which one is preferable/fashionable. Sometimes I wonder if I should've done all sorts of things differently, but my truck has been up & driving for 3 years now when it could've been under a sheet in the workshop while I worried about what to do. Now I've driven it for a bit there are a fair few bits due for revisiting, but not the bits I would've predicted if you'd asked me 3 years ago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajh Posted October 18, 2009 Share Posted October 18, 2009 Yeah, re-engineering is what eats time. Getting parts here (Canada) can be a nightmare and NAS 110 might as well be Porsche when it comes to buying one, so the majority of my work is on corrosion repair and prevention and updating a 1992 to modern since tha was the newest we are allowed to import. If I went after every single idea I would probably still be working on it 10 years from now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turbocharger Posted October 18, 2009 Share Posted October 18, 2009 I would probably still be working on it 10 years from now. Oh, you will, you will. I'd go with what's said above - pick a plan and stick to it, but that doesn't mean you should blinker yourself to the other options available. It strikes me that your problem is the location of the t-box lever? If you include a manual gearstick it'll poke out in a similar location. It's not the work of a fabrication god to produce a linkage to move the original t-box shifter (or go cable) and put it on the console as planned, with your PRND321 shifter alongside. You could fold up a triangular 'wedge' to take the PRND shifter alongside what you have at present. I may have missed the point already but, as John said, small progressive improvements deliver better than delayed perfection. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bishbosh Posted October 18, 2009 Share Posted October 18, 2009 I am indeed thoroughly fed up, it was a fun project to begin with but its dragged on too long now, i just want to get out and play again. Want some help? Will work for Jaffa cakes! Devon's not too far awy either On the shifter front, you need to position it where it is most functional. Looks come second as you don't want to be hunting around for the lever when you're in a hurry for a gear change. It is also realatively easy to space it up off the tunnel and make it look good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
white90 Posted October 18, 2009 Share Posted October 18, 2009 Seat looks awfully low in the vehicle, could this be raised to give more elbow room? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smo Posted October 18, 2009 Author Share Posted October 18, 2009 Bishbosh - very kind offer, i can always find jaffa cakes Tony, its slightly higher now its in on custom sub-frames, i cant go any higher without being waaaay to close to the internal cage with my head, but at 6'1" i find it about right anyway, and it was never really designed with "other drivers" in mind (the misses refuses to go near it, and my 4yr old can see fine when sitting on my lap!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turbocharger Posted October 18, 2009 Share Posted October 18, 2009 I too will work for Jaffa cakes and can give Charlie a lift down on my way through. What're you doing on weekend 14/15th November? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gruntus Posted October 18, 2009 Share Posted October 18, 2009 I stopped enjoying the build a while back, just want it done Hi Simon, I know the feeling and anticipated this would be the case before starting my project. I am only doing a rebuild of a 90 with a 200TDi defender engine but it does take time. I could have thrown it all together easily in a year but I dont want the feeling of "wish I had done it while I had the chance". There have been a few of them and now I am into my third year... The hard bits for me are balancing how far to go, how much attention to detail and the spend. Tied in with money (and seeing what I could have bought with the money spent so far! ) , work, family and not forgetting the weather keeping up the interest can be a challenge. I should be finished by July next year and I want it to look right so I am determined not to rush it at the last hurdle. Fortunately the most technical control for me is a 12v suply to the fuel pump solenoid ! In terms of playing I sold my Disco nearly two years ago and have nearly forgotten what its like in a 4x4 and the experience of driving a Land Rover....... Keep your pecker up and just think of the Tortoise making his way to the finish line for next July Have at it mate and get it ready for the snow. Cheers G Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daan Posted October 18, 2009 Share Posted October 18, 2009 It's called choose your cake and eat it. It sounds sensible, but this comes from the man whose 1 year build turned into 4 years of graft . Seeing how far you got with the install of your auto, it looks like there is no way back now. Unless the manual is lying around, a straight swap, and I convinced you manual is the way to go. Not really helping you am I? Daan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave W Posted October 18, 2009 Share Posted October 18, 2009 Not sure if this helps but I always seem to go through a "middle phase" of every project where progress seems to slow and it's easy to get disheartened. I usually end up building to a deadline which, I think, helps speed the build up, not least because it forces you to "find a temporary solution" to a problem. Often those temporary solutions aren't perfect BUT they get the project moving again and allow you to build on them at a later date. Most of my deadlines have been imposed by upcoming competitions and in every case I plan to have at least a couple of months testing before the competition but almost invariably end up still putting the final touches together on the night before ! Perhaps you should set a deadline for a competition you want to enter next year and send in an entry form. The major advantage of this comes as you get closer and realise you can't get everything done so start prioritising. I split my list of jobs into Essential, Important and Nice to Have that way you can concentrate on getting the Essential stuff done without getting sidetracked. When i look at my "Nice to Have" list from when I was building my motor for Australia in 2008 there is still stuff on there that I haven't done even now and I didn't miss having. As for the current problem, if you look for a perfect solution and there isn't one be prepared to compromise and move on. If it bugs you then at a later stage once you've used the truck for a while and have a better understanding of it's true strengths and weaknesses you can revisit it and maybe find a better solution. I often find that my compromise solutions actually work really well and end up being permanent. It doesn't pay to be a perfectionist when building a vehicle, at least not if you want to actually get to drive it at some point ! In this specific case, if you can't use a combined hi-lo/diff lock lever then why not use two levers. Both levers can operate North/South and can use either bowden or rigid bar links of any length. A combined lever may be traditional and perhaps preferable but two levers side by side take up a lot less room and are far easier to fabricate/accommodate. I'd look at two fabricated levers spaced on a single pivot bar side by side. The left hand one operates hi-lo, the right hand one operates the diff lock, that way you could use rigid bar to link to both rather than having to worry about bowden cables. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
landroversforever Posted October 18, 2009 Share Posted October 18, 2009 Think of all the comments you will get when it is finished Smo, and the Fun you will have in it! Setting a deadline of a Comp sounds like a great idea! I would offer help.... but 1) I have no experience and 2) I'm miles away! Best of luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FridgeFreezer Posted October 18, 2009 Share Posted October 18, 2009 I found booking non-refundable ferry tickets was a great motivator Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ejparrott Posted October 19, 2009 Share Posted October 19, 2009 In this specific case, if you can't use a combined hi-lo/diff lock lever then why not use two levers. Both levers can operate North/South and can use either bowden or rigid bar links of any length. Great idea, you've already said that the vehicle isnt designed for other users, so this is the perfect answer to me!! My 109 got stripped 2 years ago now, after the nosy old cow next door complained to the council that i was running a jeep repair service (**** ***** £%&$** )...when she failed on that one, she complained that it was an eyesore, depreciaiting value, affecting the area..whatever -doesnt matter.....Since then its been sat in piles in the garden and in the sheds and attic - if thats not disheartening i dont know what is! Im slowly collecting bits for her, but i have a plan as to how she's going to end up, and im sticking to it. If its going to cost me money, I'll save it and pay it, if it turns out not to work perfectly, then I'll leave it until shes acctually on the road, then change it. Keep at it, and look for alternative ways of doing you Hi/Lo issue - who said you have to use LandRovers difflock lever?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark90 Posted October 19, 2009 Share Posted October 19, 2009 Pneumatic activation for hi/lo and difflock and a couple bottons/switches on the tunnel? At least that will give you a different set of problems to play with Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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