Something similar has been done in the past with taxis, but there has to be a pretty big market to get the development costs of the conversion back.

I think it might have met the "in-service" limits on smoke for EU6, but that wouldn't actually make it Euro 6.

The problem is getting the automatic number plate recognition system to recognise your car as meeting a different emissions level to what the DVLA database thinks it is. Obviously, you can write to DVLA, give them the new engine number and tell them it's Euro 6 now, but they're wise to that...

Update: All sorted now. Did the waterpump and thermostat before Christmas, but he had to wait until after Christmas to get the alternator. That's all now fitted and everything's back together and working as it should. (I'll just wait for the crank damper to go now)! Thanks to all for the...

Thanks guys. At least the engine mounting bracket was already off for the alternator! I can't begrudge him this. All the hours he put in on various "sheds" that I ran when I was younger, helping me out with absolutely any job, this is payback now. I owe him that much... Have a good...

So... that went well...:mad: Spent all day Thursday at my dad's place. Took the thermostat out, took the water pump out, gave the pulley a twiddle and said: "er... dad... this feels OK to me...". While he was examining it, I then decided to have a twiddle of the power steering pump and...

Meh... I've wimped-out and ordered another thermostat. This one was working fine, and was changed in 2019, but this is a job I really... REALLY never want to have to go near for the rest of the car's life!

LOL...;) Do you mean the one where that bit of steel pipe pushes into the top of the thermostat housing? If so, I'm not sure where I'll find one of those! Plan is for me to go down there tomorrow...

OK, thanks. I've ordered the bits, they should be getting delivered some time tomorrow and then I'll go down on Friday. Wish me luck!

Many thanks! That has filled me with good cheer for Christmas! At least, in a way, I'm relieved that it wasn't frozen coolant... I'm not sure I understand about the gasket though? Is it a paper gasket or an o-ring type moulded one?

Hi everyone, There was, indeed, more to it:( I spoke to him again today. He and another mate had been working on it, they got the new belt on, fired it up and it shredded the new belt.... It does seem like the water pump is cream-crackered. He said he gave it a twiddle before putting the...

That's such a kind offer, thank you! But no. Liverpool. He does have some younger mates, still in the trade, so one of them might pop round. Failing that, I'll sort it next week.

Thanks, I wish I'd never given them the car! I did that belt (Dayco) just before I gave it to him, it's only done about 15,000 miles. However, there's a lot more to this story. You may have seen my other post about starter motors? That's what he originally called me with. Today, he asked a...

Thanks guys. He's 83, and really struggles trying to find his way round that!

Hi all, Bit of an odd one this! Does anyone have a Freelander 1 Haynes manual handy, please? My dad's car has just shredded its ancillary drive belt and he's got my Haynes manual, but can't find the section on the belt routing for the TD4. I'm 150 miles away, so if someone could just let me...

Thanks all. He tried another battery and it was no different, so he's going to take the starter off tomorrow.

Hi All, My dad has just called. He'd been out in the Freelander this morning and it started fine, even though it was a few degrees below freezing. Now he's just tried starting it again (engine is still lukewarm) and it won't fire. It's cranking very slowly. He's tried jump leads (albeit off...

Thanks Jay. Good to hear from you! As you've probably gathered, it's not my Freelander any more, so I'm not on here that much. And yes that was a pretty bad business. The car was originally my sister's (well, she got it second hand). It did them OK for a good while, but she and her husband...

Thanks Stan, It wouldn't have been an option, in reality. The Kodiaq has a maximum towing weight of 2 tonnes - and given that the bloody thing was overheating towing my empty half-ton dropside trailer up Shap, I doubt it would have made it! (Long story, but Skoda are really cute with their...

Thanks ever so much for the thoughts. I'm amazed at the cost of your European breakdown cover though? I've just been on the RAC website and put in their car details for a month, on their "single trip cover" and the premium was £292 for the basic cover and £468 for the comprehensive? Saga...