Nice job. I love the way folks work without a two or four post lift.;)
Not an option unfortunately but my new 3 tonne axle stands from Halfords, bought for the princely sum of £12 are very handy. They were on special offer recently but you had to order them online.
 
I started fitting my 50mm lift kit this morning and ran into a couple of problems. Because of the shape the car was in the garage I started at the back, I had read somewhere the rears were more difficult to fit and OMG what a pain. It isn't difficult as you only need to remove the two clamp bolts on at the bottom of the strut and the three nuts at the top but the issue is the metal brake pipe which is clamped through the bracket at the back of the strut. To get the strut out (unless someone knows different) you need to release one end of this pipe and doing so without breaking it is a trick I haven't learnt. So once I realised it wasn't coming out in one piece I just kept going but it wasn't pretty, the pipe was screwed.
Once the brake pipe was out of the way and a suitable container placed to catch the drips, my recently purchased 30" breaker bar cracked the bolts easily and with the bolts out the strut came out easily. It only took a few minutes to fit the 50mm lift and refit the strut.
BTW, top tip, trying to locate the bolt holes in the strut tower is almost impossible from below so get the strut in approx the right position and go inside the car. It is easy to pull them into position from inside. Once that was done I made a new brake pipe and screwed it in. Thankfully I have a couple of brake pipe tools so it was an easy job.
This is it fitted
20160824_120118_zpst0wrr6ts.jpg

Yeah I can't see much either but honest it is in there out of site at the top. BTW the hub was loose so I took it off to clean it up and will paint it black.
So that was the easy side done. :eek:
I did the OS this evening and unfortunately found I have a leaky brake pipe so it looks like I need to fit a new brake pipe to the front of the car. :mad:
I haven't traced it yet but will do that tomorrow, at least I have the other rear lift fitted and a new 10" brake pipe ready to go for the connection to the wheel hub.
While in the OS wheel arch I found this connector and what looks like an earth connection.
20160824_215103_zps13qwtwmi.jpg

Anybody know what they are for and is it possible the earth not being connected might be the cause of the HDC and TC warning lights coming on intermittently?
oooh - an inspection pit - I love my inspection pit - makes like so much easier for so many jobs.

Unfortunately hibernating hedgehogs love it as well, but that's fair enough :)
 
Isn't that connector part of the towing electrics? If it's o/s rear arch, then the relay is usually above that.
Mike
 
No, I'm talking bollox, towing electrics n/s rear arch, o/s rear arch is low pressure pump electrics.
I need more coffee:oops:
Mike
 
Is that not the power for the fuel pump that sends fuel to the diesel heater on the HSE. I forgot mine had one until a couple of weeks ago I stopped to put diesel in after only driving about 800 yards and there was smoke coming from under the car. I had a little panic moment till I remembered what it was.
 
oooh - an inspection pit - I love my inspection pit - makes like so much easier for so many jobs.

Unfortunately hibernating hedgehogs love it as well, but that's fair enough :)
It would be good if it had been dug deep and long enough and was dry, but I was tired and doing it on my own, plus it was filling with water as quick as I could empty it so it is only 3 foot or so deep and even though I lined it first it fills with water. :oops:
The result is we rarely use it.:(
 
It would be good if it had been dug deep and long enough and was dry, but I was tired and doing it on my own, plus it was filling with water as quick as I could empty it so it is only 3 foot or so deep and even though I lined it first it fills with water. :oops:
The result is we rarely use it.:(
Shame. Mine doesn't get used often - its just so much easier when you do need to get under the car. Mine's probably not much deeper than that, but I'd rather be kneeling than on my back!
 
Is that not the power for the fuel pump that sends fuel to the diesel heater on the HSE. I forgot mine had one until a couple of weeks ago I stopped to put diesel in after only driving about 800 yards and there was smoke coming from under the car. I had a little panic moment till I remembered what it was.
All TD4s had a fuel burning heater (FBH) until some time in 2005 iirc.
It shouldn't be running if the ambient air temperature is above 5°C however;)
I've rigged mine to work remotely :)
 
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Shame. Mine doesn't get used often - its just so much easier when you do need to get under the car. Mine's probably not much deeper than that, but I'd rather be kneeling than on my back!

I was thinking while cursing today.............the FL is a motor designed for use with a pillar lift and not being flat on your back. Everything I have done underneath makes me think this. It's low and heavy. Once I get it running it'll be on the jacking ramps stat. I do not trust axle stands with anything over a ton. I used four trolley jacks on this viscous business and as for changing the IRD oil..............level on the ground, they were having a giraffe when they designed it. Ridiculous.
I built a pit in the 60s but with the car over it there was no way to get in.:D:D Or out.;)
 
I was thinking while cursing today.............the FL is a motor designed for use with a pillar lift and not being flat on your back. Everything I have done underneath makes me think this. It's low and heavy. Once I get it running it'll be on the jacking ramps stat. I do not trust axle stands with anything over a ton. I used four trolley jacks on this viscous business and as for changing the IRD oil..............level on the ground, they were having a giraffe when they designed it. Ridiculous.
I built a pit in the 60s but with the car over it there was no way to get in.:D:D Or out.;)
Without a pit, the "Hippo Ramps" are a good idea. You can make them as long and as tall (within reason/safety) as you want. Its gives a bit more room - but you're still basically n your back.

Luckily I am an athletic god, well actually just skinny really - so I can slide in and out of the pit under the side of the car.
 
Luckily I am an athletic god, well actually just skinny really - so I can slide in and out of the pit under the side of the car.

Competition for Usain Bolt then. To be fair I have worked on worse motors but those were in the days when I liked fast motors.

Do we get to the IRD filler from the front or the side?
 
Not a lot done tonight as kinda tired after yesterday, (was up working on the car at 6:30 and finished at 22:30 with lots of other stuff in between) but I managed to pick up the new rear flexi hoses from Eurocarparts today, the OS one seems to have welded itself to the brake line that was damaged. I replaced it and got the new brake line connected at the back wheel so it just needs fed through to the front and connected, the NS one was fine so will only fit it if or when required.
A few nights ago I mentioned I was going to refurb the VCU but so far I've rather skilfully managed to avoid this nasty job and fully intend to do so for as long as possible. :p While fitting the lift kit at the rear I found the brake hubs were loose and easy to remove so I started chipping flaky bits and I think I achieved some significant weight reduction. :eek: I've left them painted with Krust and plan to give them a lick of paint before refitting. Turns out the brake shoes are almost new so that's a handy result. :) Must update the 'to do' list on the first page of this thread. I'm sure I must have achieved something. :rolleyes:
 
Quote taken from another thread.
I never weighed the fluid but if its density is something like 1.0 then 150 ml will make 150 grammes which I think is about the volume I used in the units I have done.
If they are to loose I just add a little fluid until they are OK for the use I want them to work with. Snow and ice in the winter and mud in the autumn hunting season require more grip than highway work during the summer. My experience is that once the correct amount of grip has been set it does not change with mileage.
It just occurred last night, if I remember correctly Jonaf didn't cut the end off his, so there would have been some residual stuff in still in the VCU before he put in the new fluid. That might account for the 150mls making it too tight.
I'm especially interested because yesterday I was standing with the grinder in my hand, about to cut the end off and had a change of mind. I'd done it that way three times before and really couldn't be arsed doing it again so instead drilled a couple of holes and left it overnight to drain. Yes guys I'm cheating this time. :p
I've drilled VCU's before and the previous ones drained very little, it's like the fluid in them had virtually solidified. The fluid in this one is much more viscous so I now have quite a puddle.
This is great news cause not only will it be much easier to flush out but it means the drive train will have had less strain on it. That is especially significant for my latest purchase as the propshaft was in the boot when I bought it. :eek: Normally I would have walked away but when I mentioned to the dealer selling it that the prop was missing he just pointed to the trashed support bearing and said he took it off because it was rattling, I think he had planned to sell it without the prop as he said most of the Freelanders he sees don't have them, so it's no big deal to him. After checking if I could turn the VCU by hand with a couple of screwdrivers I went ahead and bought it. :confused:
 
Tap the holes and insert bleed nipples for future servicing Alibro?
Way ahead of you Rob, That's how I planned to do it. :D
I normally have every disc and the inside of the VCU spotless before welding back together and adding new fluid, but this time I'm going to try doing it the lazy way. It can never be as clean inside so the fluid will be always compromised but hopefully it'll be good enough. If not I'll pinch the propshaft off the 4 door. The Doris has no plans for offroading hers. :D
 
If you weigh what comes out, I guess you'll know how much to put back in?
That may turn out to be really difficult - there will be wear from plates (and I know Alibro thinks there is little of this) suspended in the fluid, plus after the main drain it will be flushed with (possibly) various types of chemicals - that Alibro will expand on not doubt :)
 
That may turn out to be really difficult - there will be wear from plates (and I know Alibro thinks there is little of this) suspended in the fluid, plus after the main drain it will be flushed with (possibly) various types of chemicals - that Alibro will expand on not doubt :)
Yip, virtually impossible. I plan to inject some white spirit with a syringe, put the VCU in the vice and turn it to try and mix everything, let it sit overnight turn it again and pour out the mixture, then do it again for at least a week. Then let it sit for another few days turning it every day to give the white spirit a chance to evaporate before injecting new fluid. It's not the ideal way to do it but I'm feeling lazy.
Edit i might even put a lit taper to it to confirm the white spirit is gone.
 
You have to remember there are 50 odd disks in there each with a thin film of fluid between them. Only the excess fluid at either end will come out voluntarily.
 

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