When I bought it ..



What it looks like now ..



Right now it still has a 19j (2.5TD) engine in, but I'm stripping out my old 300Tdi Disco engine and gonna use that. It already has Disco axles front and rear, Adrenaline trailing arms, +5" rear shocks with +2" springs and all new bushes etc. It has reverse mount (Spring bolted to Chassis) re-locators, +2" front shocks and springs, home made rocksliders, home made front bumper, rebuilt Warn M8000 winch. A Discovery light bar with 4 spots, properly angled for night laning, 235 x 85 R16 Malatesta Kobra tyres .. feckin' awesome for the cost .. HD steering bars, with a new Disco steering drop arm, Timken bearings all round, breathers all round. Home made dog guard and rear 'camping stuff' shelf, which also helps keep recovery gear, tools and fluids neat, tidy and in their places. I fitted my Disco Southdown snorkel, and found it works .. I also know the 90 doesn't float so no dramas crossing deep water now .. I hope ..

Lots of other stuff to try and make it more reliable offroad, like decent winch wiring, battery isolators, new 1000CCA 90AH battery, fluids changed every two months,ish (with my money that's about every two laning trips!) New props front and rear. Just due to check all the wheel bearings, the last run out showed the brakes fading after running over very bumpy terrain, which points to a loose bearing.

Inside I run a Tesco Hudl with MMTracker app using Memory Map (Ordnance Survey) maps in both 1:50k and 1:25k, with an ipod connected to the radio 'cos the radio's crap. I have a camera mount bolted to the dash and use a cheap Fujitsu J37 (I think) for any videos or pics I take when laning.

The heater doesn't work, I recently replaced the matrix (one pipe had fallen off) but still no joy .. so will use a 12v (caravan) halogen heater when it's cold enough for now, but I'm hoping the engine transplant might fix this .. especially if I use the Disco heater setup .. dunno yet how I'm gonna do this though!

Future plans after getting the 300 engine fitted and running ..

Swap the +2" HD springs (2nd hand and all I could afford at the time) for much softer sprung +2" or +3"s, the ride is a tad harsh even when full. I want to move the remote winch receiver from inside the fusebox into the roof for better reception .. it only works when about 3' from the vehicle. Similarly the cb needs moving to the roof .. bought it brand new last time I went to Salisbury Plain and whilst it works well, it's been getting full of mud every time I leave a window open and won't last long!

I have a worklight to fit, an interior light, some sound dampening pads and it could do with the bits of bodywork I've fixed being painted the 'real' colour instead of red oxide or primer grey! I also want to remove the inner wings, the bottoms of which are rotten and likely to become a liability, the door bottoms need fixing, and I'd like at some point to remove the whole body to properly clean and check the chassis. Most of it is sound, but there are a couple of 'iffy' bits that would be easier to fettle with the body off ..

All in all it's effectively a toy, the only miles I do on the road are local scrap runs when I have a trailer full, round to TC's workshop and then wherever we're going laning to!

Mostly though it's mine, I keep making bits for it with the aim of improving reliabilty and off-roadability and I love it ..

I've always liked this LR (a great colour and a purposeful look!) and now I can read all about it.. cool.. interesting to hear about the tyres, I'll be investigating those further as I'll need tyres soon.. I couldn't find +2" normal duty springs when I looked so I settled for lift blocks and am trying standard 90 rears on the front to compensate for the winch/bumper, I'll read with interest how you get on.. nice one!

Thanks.

The tyres are actually Malatesta Kaimans .. Tyres For years I'd used BFG AT's, always 31" x 10.5 R15's, but changed them at 25000 miles (Went through three brand new sets) and sold 'em to offset the cosst, but wantes tyres with a lot more bits 'cos my laning was taking a different route, and being why I had a Landrover, rather than laning 'cos I was in a Landrover. I was worried that they'd wear quickly, but they've been on the Disco first and now this 90. Dunno for definite how many miles they've done, but it has to be somewhere near 7000 (I've done 5000 in the 90 since I got it) with notalotta wear on them, though a few cuts on the treads etc (Derbyshire and Lakes Stone).

Yeah, best springs for lift at standard weight I can find are Flatdog, but at £200+ I couldn't afford them, still can't!!

So it keeps changing .. the full SP is here .. https://www.landyzone.co.uk/land-rover/my-new-old-defender.248534/

Recently I've fitted the cb to the cab roof, an internal LED cab light, external LED spots (feckin' ace .. ), tidied a few things up and am working on a locking diff .. making good out of broken bits and scrap!

so it now looks like this ...



until this morning when it now looks like this ..



ATF .. so either the steering pump or hopefully it's a more easily fixed pipe .. Can't do anything right now 'cos I'm working though!

Today I are been mostly mending me Landy ... as ever ..

Taken off the steering box to renew the seals .. got it all apart, all cleaned, had to make a couple of new tools to replace the Landrover special parts, and all went well with seals being replaced and all looking good till re-fitting.

One of the inner bearing races, whilst obviously worn, looked useable but as I re-fitted it it 'pinged' and the feckin' thing broke a chunk off. Looking more closely there's a hairline crack running all round one side of the worn race .. I suspect the other one might be the same, so that's been abandoned. This is after working on it since about 11am ... (I'd normally swear here, but I'm trying to be good)

So, 20 minutes ago, turned my eyes to the Disco, Impact wrench, pliers and hammer, got the steering box off within 5 minutes, and it feels much smoother than the Landy one did anyway! Too dark to bother fitting it now, mind, so it'll be done tomorrow!

Think I need some ATF ... and a cuppa ..

So today ... fitted the Disco pump, filled the reservoir, bled it through and on test it drives lovely now, straight, smooth, light as a feather ... still no damper and tracks straight and true with no wobbles in bends over potholes either ..

Also built up the locking diff I'm playing with. It seems that a 10 spline diff in a 24 spline case needs some bits grinding off .. as I was torqueing the bearing caps down they were contacting the diff body, left a witness mark but free now when fully torqued and the diff feels lovely. All it needs now is the pipe brazing onto the fitting and putting in the 90 .. then a compressor and tubing wiring in with a switch or two .. good for Wales trip next month!!

Happy ..

Built the diff up now, with the pipe and fittings brazed up, new 0-rings of the correct type and size, new Timken bearings, cleaned up and oiled up when building and working nicely with no leaks now! This is a short video pointing bits out for grinding and whatnot .. it's easier to mouth off than type ...

Hope someone finds it interesting ..

So the locking diff is in ..

It still needs the hubs/stub shafts and seals sorting for the different shafts, the pneumatics plumbing in and the electrics electricking in, but they're mere technicalities .. I have all the 10 spline 'stuff' on another axle and already have seals and bearings etc so that's all good.

A quick re-test with a bodged together hose and external compressor says that it works without leaks or issues .. time will tell ..

Money spent so far .. £20 machining time, £5 seals (well 10 'cos I ordered the wrong ones first) and £15 for the steel diff housing fitting ... and a few man-hours spent dithering about when I can ... not bad for an ARB locker ..

Paul D said:

So the locking diff is in ..

It still needs the hubs/stub shafts and seals sorting for the different shafts, the pneumatics plumbing in and the electrics electricking in, but they're mere technicalities .. I have all the 10 spline 'stuff' on another axle and already have seals and bearings etc so that's all good.

A quick re-test with a bodged together hose and external compressor says that it works without leaks or issues .. time will tell ..

Money spent so far .. £20 machining time, £5 seals (well 10 'cos I ordered the wrong ones first) and £15 for the steel diff housing fitting ... and a few man-hours spent dithering about when I can ... not bad for an ARB locker ..

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That is a good result, recycling in action!

It works ..

So I already had a T-Max compressor, bought an Ashcroft solenoid and a few bits and pieces, took the T-Maxx front end off, added a few pneumatic connectors and a manifold, wired it all up, plumbed it all in and air goes where it should when it should, and stops when switched off too. Some parts might be improved on later with a modest cash injection (I already have a couple of ideas) but for now and 'our' Welsh trip next weekend ... it's a go!

I need more wiring, the thing works fine off the Landie, but it's getting dark so pics and/or videos will follow tomorrow when I actually fit it into the Landy. The wheel spin test was all good. It's going to be set up so I also have an on-board air supply for the tyres and maybe a Dukes of Hazard airhorn set .. just needs fitting into the Landy and it's good to go ..

Happy.

And .. camping weekend in Wales .. it all worked ... for a while!

Compressor fitted ...
It comprises of a Tmaxx compressor, handle, base and front bits took off to wire in the standard switch and in-built 40A relay with a pressure switch rated from 80 to 100 PSI (The diff needs 90), and which I also intend to wire into a red switch on the dash to turn the compressor on more easily. There's a Square anodised blue aluminium 4 port manifold into which is fitted the Pressure switch, an air output for tyres, an air output (small black pipe) to the solenoid and a direct connector between the manifold and the compressor head. The (Ashcroft supplied) solenoid is switched from the dash and sends air from the manifold to the diff, via the black pipe that goes through the bulkhead push-fitting, with a short piece from the other side of the bulkhead fitting to the diff itself. Not elegant, but simple, needs a couple of bits sorting, but it has the power to blow tyres up easily, and will power a number of diffs or other accessories! I will cover it to minimise the chance of pulling a cable or pipe off or battering it somehow, when I get round to it.



Diff fitting ...



So why did it fail?
Simple really, my lack of forethought! The diff input seal ring moves, and as standard uses 3 bolts or screws into the ARB locking adjuster to stop this movement. Because I made up an adjuster, the locking ring doesn't lock to the diff inner and we think it's popped off, I know it had about 5mm of movement, but I was rocking from forwards to reverse to get out of a ditch when it stopped working, whilst the compressor fired up, continuously pumping air in!
I'm just in the process of removing the diff to work a solution out, but if anyone has any ideas ...



Similarly the 10 spline half shafts into the 24 spline hubs are not a great fit, so I was losing some diff oil through the seals that don't seal too well on well worn surfaces. Had a word with @Mr Noisy and it seems new stub shafts are in order, and new seals, so that's an easy one too ..

Paul D said:

So why did it fail?
Simple really, my lack of forethought! The diff input seal ring moves, and as standard uses 3 bolts or screws into the ARB locking adjuster to stop this movement. Because I made up an adjuster, the locking ring doesn't lock to the diff inner and we think it's popped off, I know it had about 5mm of movement, but I was rocking from forwards to reverse to get out of a ditch when it stopped working, whilst the compressor fired up, continuously pumping air in!
I'm just in the process of removing the diff to work a solution out, but if anyone has any ideas ...

View attachment 91951

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How about a bracket held by the large bearing cap bolts bent through 90* and riveted to the top two holes? proper rivets mind not pop. I did wonder if this would give you problems when I watched your build vid

Jam1 said:

How about a bracket held by the large bearing cap bolts bent through 90* and riveted to the top two holes? proper rivets mind not pop. I did wonder if this would give you problems when I watched your build vid

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Heheh, great minds, was my first thought but I don't think there's room. What I hope, 'cos this is the easiest option, is that I can do it with a sort of annular ring with a plate up to the bearing cap bolts so it doesn't need connecting to the input ring, it just holds it there on the outer edges all the way round. Seems like a simple fabrication exercise ..

My other thought was to undo the adjuster and remove it and the bearing caps, then weld a circular plate inside it 'cos it's quite thin, then drill and tap it three times to suit the input ring holes, it'd only need maybe M3 or M4 I think and be pretty solid.

Thanks for the ideas and input.

Is there enough meat on the bearing cap to drill and tap two small holes so you can bolt two tags to it and bolt the other ends to the holes in the collar?

Jam1 said:

Is there enough meat on the bearing cap to drill and tap two small holes so you can bolt two tags to it and bolt the other ends to the holes in the collar?

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Like this?

Jam1 said:

Like this?
View attachment 91983

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Almost sure there is but I'd be wary of drilling the caps, the other side 'moves' a little in use which is why many people peg them to stop crown wheel and pinion teeth stripping. Mind, writing that, it occurs that this side is mostly just holding the bearing there ....

Another thought I had is simply turning an O ring from nylon to slip between the input and the diff case!

Think I'll have to measure shaft to case clearances, so many ways to do it really.

I'm edging towards my second thought of welding a circular plate to the inner adjuster and tapping it for the three holes, same as how ARB do it, fairly simply, more elegant and how it _should_ be done I suppose .. Wouldn't need a full weld, just a bit more than tacks I guess, where the bolts are ...

this is what I meant by the 90* brackets using the cap bolts, are sure there isn't enough room?

Yeah, but I'd do it this way I think ... excuse the childish paintshop pic .. which could then pick up on all three bolt holes and obviously the actual part would be a little more smooth and stylish ..

Paul D said:

Yeah, but I'd do it this way I think ... excuse the childish paintshop pic .. which could then pick up on all three bolt holes and obviously the actual part would be a little more smooth and stylish ..

View attachment 91985

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Yeah agreed I did think that adding a crescent to the top third would help stabilise the brackets but didn't want to confuse the question .
No real point picking up the third hole without a corresponding fixing point as the leverage on the bracket would be the same.
This is what I'd probably go with:-

So, now the diff is out, the failure was exactly as predicted .. the input ring had pushed out slightly at an angle, there's a wear mark on it and the outer O-ring seal is broken .. Easy fixes, ordered the O-rings, gonna play a little and try to work through a solution, but I might also bite the bullet and order the correct adjuster part from USA anyway! It'd make sense but it galls me to pay so much, more postage than the part costs!! ... I also don't want to be taking a diff out every weekend or so. But if the fix works really well ..... it's a waste ordering the part!!!!