Clean that baby up. It's filthy :(

Rip your gauge out, and buy another one with a matching sending unit. Even a cheapo one made by TIM will do the job. A Durite or VDO will naturally be a better choice.

Jack up the bellhousing. That way it will tilt the engine forward.

The only reason that Land Rovers have wheel arches is purely a legal one. Defender bodies are as wide as Series bodies but the axles (originally designed for Range Rovers) are 2 inches wider, hence the need for arches to cover the wheels.

There's nothing to it. It's just time consuming and heavy but it's really a no-brainer. It can be done single-handedly but I always got some help to put the engine back in. A manual is not really essential but it will help. I usually tackle it in sections, i.e, start off with the front end...

Just a quick tip. Try to buy a 6mm long allen socket. That way you can get it onto your 3/8" or 1/2" ratchet and apply sufficient leverage to undo the bolts.

Can anyone explain why it is essential to use non-OAT coolant? I have been asked this question multiple times and never had a suitable reply. Whenever someone asks me which coolant to use I insist that long-life coolants, i.e. red or pink ones are definite no-no but I never knew or understood why.

You're not the only one. Keep a steady supply in a drawer in your garage and replace as necessary.

If you're mechanically useless, it doesn't mean that you have to remain that way. When I bought my first Land Rover, a 19 year old Series III, 20 years ago when i was 17, my spanner-wielding skills were limited to adjusting bearings and seat height of a push-bike. I quickly learnt how to carry...

I'm sorry to burst your bubble mate but seems like it's gearbox-out time again. I had a similar problem six years ago. Turned out to be a warped pressure plate.

Always worked for me too and never quite understood why.

That sound you're hearing is ether. Reminds me of my 2.25 a couple of decades ago. An overdose of easy start will make it sound like piston slap.

15 second squirt? That's insane! anything more than half a second is too much!

They're notoriously hard to start for the first time once the head has been removed. I always had to resort to the dreaded easy start.

+1 re the bull-bar. They went out of fashion in the late 90s and yes, they spoil the classic looks. The Series III grille is a wonderful thing (if you look closely, you can see that the Rover badge (the viking ship) makes up a good part of it. Don't cover it.

Have a bottle of aspirins handy. Tightening it will pop veins in your forehead.

It would probably be cheaper to buy a drop arm and drag link off a scrap disco and fit that. It'll obviously have no bracket for the steering damper. All you need is two small pieces of flat bar welded to the drag link. half an hour tops (not including the time needed to remove the dreaded...

Oh bloody hell I have each and every item mentioned above in my garage. I must be a sad, sad sod.

What he said. Get the head off sooner rather than later. It's not a difficult job at all.

In my humble opinion, one of the few advantages a 300tdi has over a 200tdi is the R380 gearbox. Without it, i just wouldn't bother fitting a 300.