Pipes and pipes..........

I have put in the front to back brake pipe and the flexi to the axle. I have also put in the new fuel pipe from the tank to pump and back again but I've used metal fuel pipe rather than the plastic one. I made up the small front caliper brake pipes myself, they don't look factory but I know there ok. I have put a new clutch kit in,so much easier when the engine and gearbox are out of the car and at chest hieght. I lowered the engine and box into place on thier mounts and all seems good. The exhaust front front pipe! This lovely part of the exhaust, a nightmare to change when everything is back together. I decided that if Land Rover had put a join in the pipe on the straight part that runs level to the sump, then you could remove the pipe in two sections and not have to dismantle so much around it.

 .............I will post a picture of the front exhaust pipe when I decide what i'm doing.........

As you can see I've decided that the next plan of attack for my little helper (my nine year old) is to strip the bulkhead I'll be using to replace the rotten one. Again its work in progress so whatch this space.

It's been too cold and damp! Ooooh Errrr missis!!!

Since the last time I posted anything the snow has fallen and along with it the temperature.  I do have a very effective wood burner in the workshop but obviously that only keeps it warm and dry on the times I'm there.

Now onto work done. I have only spent the odd hour here and there so progress has been slow, never the less the chassis now stands on both of it's axles with shocks, springs, bump stops, radius arms and all the other axle ralated bits on there. Apart from the cranked trailing arms and the poly bushes its all as you would find on any 90 so no need to go into the ins and outs there.

I have fitted the fuel tank in place. You may notice that my chassis has no tubular jacking points on it. The reason being of course is that this chassis is a bit of a hybrid, in laymens terms a bitser. I have used 4mm thick 40mm angle where the tubular jacking point would be, I found that nobody jacks a Defender up using these because it takes a week to get off the floor but also they get packed with mud and rot out, by using angle the dirt should be easier to blast off.  The braket on the drivers side not only bolts to the rear tub but also to the fuel tank. I have perposely angled the bracket slightly downwards away from the chassis in the hope that water will run down and off. I still have the passenger side one to go on yet but with no tank to worry about it will be easier.

Hanging out with Zebedee!

In the earlier post I showed how I've lifted the rear spring seats. I've used the same idea this time but with a slight change. The bolts I have used to hold the seat to the axle go right through from the top and are partially threaded so they don't crush the seat but just nip it enough to hold it tight this means I didn't have to mess around getting a spanner into the centre hole to tight it down.

Using the Nutsert tool tool I was banging on about recently I popped in two captive threads opposite each other, these will hold the pieces of flat metal that steady the spring.  I know my spring retainers are two pieces of  pre-drilled  flat steel. I'm sorry but in this case I really feel that function over looks has to prevail. I can't bring myself to pay more than what the brake pads cost on two strips of metal when I've got fifty foot of this stuff going in a skip. Right that's my Scrooge moment over with and here's the pics........

This ends almost ready for wheels!!!!!

Ok, I've dropped the new wheel bearings in and applied plenty of grease. Getting the bearing cups in and out can be a bit of a rude word inducing past time but I'll let mr Haynes and his manual take you through that one.

I've put in a new set of brake pads including a new fitting kit, the seals and pistons seem ok in the callipers I tested them by blowing air into the calliper whilst holding back each piston in turn so they all go in and out. I'll find out when I bleed them through if I'm wrong but we'll save that laugh for later date.The half shafts are back in and bolted up, don't forget the paper gaskets and I advise another thin covering of sealant if your surfaces are as rough as mine were.

TOOL OF THE MONTH! (no not me this time).

This is a NUTSERT TOOL.  Also known as a RIVNUT TOOL.

This has got to go down as one of the most dramatically effective tools you will use on a Land Rover.
Imagine this,  you've got two pieces of steel,alli or a part to bolt onto a panel. You want to be able to easily remove the item from time to time so a pop rivet is out. You can't get to the other side to nut and bolt them. Hey presto, drill a hole, screw a rivnut onto your nutsert tool, pop it in the hole and squeeze like you would a pop rivet gun. Unscrew and low and behold, a permanent thread is now in place awaing the bolt which will hold your part or panel. Now you can do up and undo as many times as you like. They really are that easy to use. I couldn't believe how little they cost too, I would've paid treble the amount for mine, the amount of stress mine has saved me you have to use one to believe it.

I'm not advertising any one make, just the tool itself. Mine was a moderately cheap one at £25 plus inserts at £3 for 25.  A BARGAIN..........

Lift your Landy without lifting your cash!!

As your working on a Land Rover I pressume you have access to a welder.
I wanted to lift the rear of my Land rover 90 by 30mm. I was quite happy with spring poundage, bounce etc but I just wanted to put a bit of  air between things without going mad.
Taking two spring seat plates and putting them back to back gives you about a 30mm lift and these cost about £3 or £4 each, obviously you already have two on your axle so only two more needed.  I did look at ready made items from all the big boys and hey who am I to knock any of their great products, but if like me time is not really as much of an issue as my budget then you too may use an idea like this.
The ones fitted onto my 90 axle are painted gold, you can see them in the pic. I will post a better one as I go.  I have put these on my old Disco too, this time incorperating three bits of 20mm box between top and bottom plates thus giving me a 50mm lift. They have been on a while now and show no signs of anything untoward accurring.

Please remember when lifting the vehicle take the shock travel, brake hoses, trailing arms and bushes into consideration.

NO RUMBLES FROM THE REAR..........

Onto the rear axle. I stripped out the half shafts and removed the bearings and hubs. Placing the diff onto clean cardboard I removed the inner parts one by one so I could replace the inner and outer pinion bearings.
I found though the bearings didn't appear loose,tight or indifferent I did notice they had gone a goldish colour on the inner ring. I can only pressume this is due to heat stress so replaced them both anyway along with a new pinion oil seal.  A lick of paint over the outer casing once back together and jobs a good'un fingers crossed. I did put a new gasket in but also put a smear of sealant either side, the casing is quite pitted and I don't want leakage. I have pictured the sealant because people tend to buy this in a toothpaste size tube that goes nowhere and costs the same as this size canister from any good factors, truth be known you will get through some of this too.

Pictured are the stub axles awaiting rebuild. I do have new wheel bearings to on however I'm not putting new brake discs on the rear because the ones on there are not as old as they look, surface rust tends to set in quite quickly on these, once used for a while they'll be good as new.

I am replacing the brake pads with new after cleaning and restoring the calipers best I can.