As the title says "Thanks!"

I took onboard your advice when I went to look at my first Landrover at the end of September. I have looked at a few and walked away from them all....armed with my new found knowledge.

However, yesterday I acquired a 1979 SWB Series III diesel hardtop - Hoorah!

I'm waiting for my camera to charge up and I will take some photo's and post. The story so far.....

I bought it from someone in the Peak District and I drove it all the way back to Cornwall in one hit, stopping only once for fuel at Exeter (Left at 3PM and arrived at 9PM). I take that as I good sign. Apart from the fact that my hearing was knackered for 12 hours afterwards. Having never driven a Landrover before I can confirm that it was exactly the experience people said it would be.

It's not the prettiest up close but it seems in reasonable nick. The chassis looks good. Apparently the previous owner spent £600 getting it through the MOT last November and then bought a Discovery shortly afterwards. The MOT confirms this too.

On to the nitty gritty. I think it's low on oil as the pressure light started to blink today. The dipstick tells me the same thing. Rather than just top it up I'd like to change all the oils and filters and just give it a little TLC. I've ordered a manual (Haynes) but I have to wait for it to arrive. Can someone tell me how much oil it needs, for a filter off oil change?

Also, using the overdrive last night was pretty noisy - a kind of whine slash sqeal!! It take it this is not normal? Anyone know what the problem might be?

Finally.....a real novice question!

Can anyone explain the fine selection of levers that I now have at my feet.

1. Gear Stick - Sussed this one.
2. Overdrive - Clutch down - Forward (In/On) Clutch Up and reverse for Out/Off
3. Springy Yellow one? Doesn't seem to do much other than spring out when I play with the Red one. What's this for.
4. Red one. 4 Wheel Drive. I'm guessing engage the clutch and then is it forward? Also, this seems to have a Middle (Neutral). Which way is which. And should I be using the yellow one for anything at the same time?

Don't laugh! We were all new to them at some stage

Any further advice would be greatly appreciated!

Cheers!

Mark

'79 SWB Series III Diesel (4 x Levers)
'03 Kawasaki Ninja (4 x Levers - 2 at the top & 2 at the bottom)
'99 Suzuki SV650S (As Above)
'71 VW Karmann Ghia (Just the one!)
'92 Citroen ZX Diesel (As above....which is surprising considering it's French)

some where on this site someone gave a detailed run through of the gear sticks,, so go have a search

Peak District and I drove it all the way back to Cornwall in one hit

Click to expand...

'Kinell your a bloody hero.................Or piggin idiot................either way if you didn't suffer from farmer giles before you will now.

Aha! I searched and found this:

Pull red lever right back = 4wd low box.
Push red lever right the way forward = 2wd
Push yellow lever down whilst red lever is forward = 4wd high
To disengage 4wd high, pull the red lever right back, yellow one should pop back up then return the red lever to it's forward most position.

.......but I'm still confused! I'm not thick...I have been flying planes for the last 12 years and they have "levers aplenty" - particularly when you've two engines with variable pitch propellors which need "squaring" for optimum fuel consumption to avoid taking an unscheduled bath in the English Channel

I have these movable hubs too? So, by moving these to 4 x 4 I don't need to worry about the levers? Or, do the levers achieve the same as the hubs - therefore I don't have to move the hubs?

What's Low and what's Hi? Is Low for getting up steep wet grassy hills, or is it the otherway around?

Should I not have bought this?

free wheel hubs = can of worms
low is fer steep **** not to be used for slippy **** as that will only lead to wheelspin.

best to either lock yer free wheel hubs or swap tham for normal ones and sell them on e bay to some other mug

Can't help with your nobs levers and hubs, but try here for when and where to engage low/high gear.

http://www.difflock.com/offroad/drivingoffroad.shtml

Welcome to the club. I don't have overdrive so I can't help you on that one. Oil for engine about 6 litres, enjoy getting oil pour down your arm from the poxy oil filter. It is Ok for the oil pressure light to sometimes flicker on tickover so long as it goes out when revved. Worth changing the oil EP90 in the gearbox, transfer box, overdrive, both diffs and swivels. buy at least 10-15 litres of EP90 and make sure you remove the filler plugs before the drain plugs, for obvious reasons.
Gearbox- Yellow engages 4wd in high box by pushing down - DO NOT USE on tarmac unless very slippery ie snow & ice, or you will wind up transmission. move Red lever to dissengage.
If using 4wd make sure you lock free wheeling hubs if you have them.
Red Neutral position is used if you have any power take off equipment such as a winch.
Red- Back position Low range gearbox automatically selects 4wd as long as you have the free wheeling hubs locked. Same thing the surface must allow the wheels to slip unless you drive in straight line only.
Any other help needed, no problem.
Good Luck.

yes, just to confirm the warnings. never engage 4 wheel drive unless on a loose surface. never on a hard surface. dire expensive stuff can/will happen if you fail to heed the warning.
(broken half shaft minimum!).

there is a warning sign on the landy selector, big red panel.

Thanks for all the responses! Much appreciated. I'm having it looked at by a mechanic locally on Wednesday and he has restored a few over the years. Hopefully this knowledge will go part of the way to making sure I get a good few years out of this Landy. Unfortunately, I can't do any of the work myself until I get some new/old tools as all my mechanical knowledge comes from Air Cooled Vee-Dubs - and thus rendering every spanner and socket surplus to requirements with this vehicle .

I'm trying to work out how to post photos but as soon as I do I'll post accordingly.

Thanks everyone!

Mark

ormus said:

there is a warning sign on the landy selector, big red panel.

Click to expand...

My was covered in sand ? (I think?) and then when I eventually got it clean.....it discovered it's in German . Having left school 17 years ago and never paid much attention during Geman lessons, I was at a bit of a loss

I've posted the photo's now. See:

Series>Looking Good and there are three shots.