Is it always like this ?

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PeteCo

Member
Posts
12
The challenges of Land Rover ownership are coming back to me. I had a Series 2a a while back, but now have 1986 Defender 90 SW.

I had planned to replace the R380 gearbox oil a few weekends ago, but didn't have a spanner big enough, or a new copper seal, so I bought the bits and planned to do it this weekend. Then I found out that the biggest Torx driver I have is T50, and I need a T55. So that's postponed.
And I don't have a clue where the oil is going to go when I do crack open the drain bolt, as some idiot has put a chassis cross-member directly under it.

While I was under there, I thought I would check the transfer box oil level. Who put the filler behind the gearbox cable, making it difficult to get a ratchet drive in there, and then when you move the ratchet drive, the cable catches the ratchet reverse switch, and you'd up driving the bolt back in half the time.

Then I banged my head on a sharp chassis sticky-out bit and drew blood, again.

Then I thought I would lubricate the prop shaft UJs with my new grease gun. All good except the bloody thing wouldn't come off the nipple (twice) and I had to resort to hammering it off, and now it's bent.

Then I thought I would replace 2 of the rear seat belts, but of course the mounting bolts are effectively welded in with rust, and when they do come out they are ever so slightly different to the after market belts/bolts, so I end up inventing a solution that's safe, but taking 4 times the time I had planned.

Still, I'm happy, just knackered.

Pete
 
Undo the end of the grease gun to release off the nipple. The end is spring loaded and set to a pressure not to release easily.

And always wear a beanie hat. Saves washing the oil/grease/blood out your hair
 
All of your woes above show that the vehicle is new to you and you are doing jobs for the first time. Give it ten years and you will be doing jobs for the third or fourth time and thanking yourself for meticulously greasing every bolt before refitting, replacing things with stainless, and butchering that expensive spanner to make the perfect tool to access the awkward bit!
 
Extension with a wobble end makes tfer oil bung easier to access.

You can get longer grease nipples for the prop u/js, these make the job much easier, ahving to keep turning the prop to get the nipple in the right places is a pain on a driveway.
Also helps if you grind the grease gun end down a little to make the end slimmer, machine mart actually supply pretty decent grease gun ends for under 3 quid.
 
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