Hi all , I wonder if someone could give me a clue please .
I have a 1982 Series III that I acquired last year in a straight swap for a car I had on the driveway that I wasn't really using anymore.
Anyway I've really started to enjoy driving it this year , there's something about the raw simplicity of it all and I'll use it as much as I can to pick things up and drop things off ,any excuse to trundle down the country lanes , peer over the hedges and lean my elbow out of the funny slidey window thing.
I'd love to get so much more out of the wee beasty and I've read loads about off-roading, greenlaning and weekends away that I guess I should start to learn a bit more about what's on board . So if anyone can answer the following questions I should be grateful:-
i) what is the lever with the black knob just next to the gearstick?
ii) what is the lever with the yellow knob?
iii) what is the lever with the red knob?
iv) what is the little lever in the footwell on the passenger side that seems to change the revs of the engine if it's moved left or right?
v) what are ' freewheeling hubs' ? someone pointed out to me that I've got them on the front !
I think that's all for now but would really appreciate some input as soon as poss - I'm planning on putting it in for a service and perhaps some improvements here and there so I can go on the LandyZone weekend
Kind regards
Stephen

Most of the questions are answered here http://www.landyzone.co.uk/lz/f6/ear-wots-all-dem-levers-58303.html

FWH disengage the front wheels from the drive train so when you're in 2wd the front wheels aren't driving the front half of the drive train and so reduces drag either quite a bit or fook all depending on who you listen to.

The lever in the foot well is a hand throttle to adjust revs while stationary, mostly only used if you have a PTO fitted driving machinery or to give the battery a boost while running a lecky winch or similar.

Be sure to lock them free wheeling hubs up once a week at least. The top steering bush in the swivel housing (chrome ball) relies on oil being flung up by the drive shaft universal joint. You have checked the oil level in them haven't you ? Also sounds like you may have an overdrive fitted and maybe a hand throttle.
Put your location up and someone local will put you right.

Thanks guys very useful info , much appreciated . Just a couple more things if you don't mind :-
I thought the car was always in four wheel drive ! How do I get it into two wheel drive in order I might disengage the front wheels - I take two wheel drive means rear wheel drive .
No I have checked the oil level in the free wheeling hubs / chrome ball , how do I do that?
Kind regards
Stephen

Look at the link in the first reply, it explains the levers for hi/low and 4wd.

In normal high range Series are rear wheel drive, in low range they are 4wd and in hi range with the yellow knob depressed.

There is a level plug for swivel oil level on the inside (axle side) of the hub. Have a look at Google pics and then crawl underneath.

Should be ep90 in there but lots use one shot grease (Google that anorl)

many thanks blue beasty you are a star

Remember too that you should be in 2wd on the road. Using 4wd for any length of time on grippy surfaces can cause excessive tyre wear at best and something broken at worst. The permanent 4wd system on 90/110/defender/discovery is better in this respect

Sounds like you might also have an overdrive (black knob next to gear stick). Should only use overdrive in 3rd or 4th gears only to avoid damage.

Enjoy!

Great thanks again everyone

:nopics:

LandyStephen said:

Thanks guys very useful info , much appreciated . Just a couple more things if you don't mind :-
I thought the car was always in four wheel drive ! How do I get it into two wheel drive in order I might disengage the front wheels - I take two wheel drive means rear wheel drive .
No I have checked the oil level in the free wheeling hubs / chrome ball , how do I do that?
Kind regards
Stephen

Click to expand...

If you Do engage the yellow button in High Ration (Red Lever forward) then to dissengage 4wd you need to stop the car and engage low ration (pull red lever back) the yellow buttun SHOULD pop up. Then push the Red Lever forward to return the transfer box back to Rear wheel drive high ratio.

The yellow button can be used in high ratio while the vehicle is in motion, e.g. you are driving accross a muddy field and you realise you need 4wd but stopping could cause you to get stuck.

As for checking the oil level in the swivels there is a square headed oil filler/level plug on the rear face of each swivel housing halfway up. These should usually contain 1/2 pint of EP90 gear oil but it usually leaks out (must check mine out).

Personally if the vehicle is not used much, e.g. not a day to day car, then I would leave the hubs engaged (actually I would throw them away useless bloomin things and replace with the original drive flanges as on the back axle).

Another option is to clean ot the hubs of oil and refill with the "One Shot" grease that is now used instead in the Defender swivels. Though again I am personally not sure how well that lubricates the upper bearing.

Thanks joules excellent advice