It is possible to keep the 11 inch drum brakes on the rear. They're better than 10 inch as they have an an adjuster on each shoe which reduces pedal travel. What I have done on several vehicles is to remove 2 inches of lining material on the leading shoe of each side. This reduces the inherent...

I use Vehicle Wiring Products, in Ilkeston. They stock OE Lucas wiring colours.

My local diesel pump rebuilders tells these types of stories regularly. The common culprit (here in Ireland) is from the more "sub prime" rural fuel stations supplying fuel mixed with bio diesel from various sources. This unregulated bio diesel lacks the lubricity of the regular EN590 spec of...

I had a similar issue ages ago. Using two trolley jacks, I raised the vehicle up a few inches before starting it. Turns out I had two bad ride height sensors. Jacking it up brought the sensors into a better operational range.

You could upgrade and get rid of the OE glow plug coil ballast completely, by using a glow plug relay from an older 80's model Toyota or Peugeot pre chamber diesel engine. The Mercedes relay was a tough old model too. These relays use an additional D+ signal from the alternator which keeps the...

I second the suggestion to watch LRTime on the Tube. Christian and Vera share an impressive knowledge and enthusiasm for Disco 3 and 4. They know nothing about Toyotas!

The fuel and temp gauges will get their power feed via a small metal box about half the size of a box of matches. This stabiliser reduces the voltage to power the gauges and also helps to buffer and slow the movement of the gauge needles. If you have the wrong one fitted, both of your gauges can...

Seeing as you have the correct sender, I'd suggest checking if you have the right voltage stabiliser.

or you could convert to hydraulic clutch.

From memory, your 86'' has a solid shaft clutch release mechanism from the pedal. So no hydraulic clutch. You would need to keep your original bellhousing but I don't know for sure if it will correctly fit to a Series 3 gearbox.

If your throttle position sensor isn't giving the proper voltage signal at closed throttle to the ECU the idle control valve won't be commanded to function as the ECU doesn't know the engine is to maintain idle. Does it idle more smoothly with the air mass meter unplugged? One, or both of your...

I have seen some Series before where they have a tie bar between the crossmember and the gearbox. It looked like it limited movement in the mounting rubbers when the hand brake was engaged.

On a side note, if you drill out the hole in the centre of the steel adapter by 2mm it makes the clutch pedal noticeably lighter. Just take care tightening it into the master cylinder. New adapters can be found from Britpart for a few quid.

The smaller thread going in to the M/Cyl is 3/8 UNF (nut hex is 7/16 spanner) The larger thread of the steel adapter is 7/16 UNF (nut hex 1/2 inch spanner).

The lower oil pump filter bases shared the same bolt holes so you can swap filter housings between Rover V8's. The issue is that the filter will be mounted in different ways usually for clearance to front axle, chassis legs etc.

The biggest issue with earlier Series models were the seatbelts which had the shoulder strap secured to a fixing behind the top of the front seats. In a head on collision the belt would compress downwards resulting in serious shoulder injuries. Later hard top models had the shoulder strap...

No pin in blue box. Red box uses a pin in some earlier Series 2 models. If you're disassembling them, you can remove the 7/16 hex bolt and screw in a grease nipple. Makes a difference...

You seem to be having too many oil leaks. I suggest checking your crankcase breather system. If its not venting vapours/pressure, you'll find oil leaks everywhere...

A red top will be fine. The carburettored RRC had them as OE fitment. I'd suggest putting a filter ahead of it so you can easily see if it's dirty. They have an internal filter (behind the hex cap) which cannot be easily monitored.

I've had SU's on my V8 Series for decades an I've never had any issues. Certainly nothing heat related. They're off an SD1 and run on a dead head layout, so there's no return back to the tank, just a feed from the pump. I've an electric fuel pump bolted to the transfer box with a generic plastic...