ON GUARD

Guards to prevent damage to light are also a worthwhile addition if you drive where stones are regularly flicked up. The grilles fitted to older Series Land Rovers look the part and withstand impacts well, and some are available for the current range of vehicles. Another solution is to use moulded Perspex protectors, which clip on to the lights and diffuse impacts from flying objects.

The steering and fuel tank can also sustain damage, and a wide variety of guards are available for all Land Rovers from the advertisers in Land Rover. When fitting accessories you’ll also need to consider the rest of the vehicle. A light bar on a Discovery roof is unlikely to cause problem on a chassis requires a decent base to start with. And a winch looks great on the front of a Land Rover but first time you use it, the winch and bumper will part company with the rest of the vehicle.

THE LIVING WITH DISCOVERY

Same as for the series III, but you have more chance of joy at main dealers. Both vehicle can be very cheap to repair and maintain if you DIY and shop around for prices and don’t forget the massive supply of secondhand parts.

Resale value: unless you buy mint one , don’t expect prices to appreciate. We bought a rough one with a few weeks. In a few years time, expect nice once to be sought after, as has happened with Range Rover Classics.

Luggage capacity: Surprisingly enormous again the family car credentials are boosted by the huge boot, and if you fold and tumble the seats, they make excellent vans. Bikes, for example, will go in upright. They become increasingly plusher as the years went by, but this K reg example has a sensible bare minimum diff lock, electric windows, remote central locking and the seven seater option. Depending  

STAYING SMART

Just as when the vehicle was new the blinged engine bay will get dirty again, spoiling the results of your hard work. To keep it smart, use a degreaser spray every few weeks then rinse off. When the engine is dry again, spry everything lightly with WD 40 to prevent the dirt, oil and mud building up and stop rust and aluminium corrosion taking hold. It’ll also keep electrical fittings corrosion free, helping ensure electrical reliability.

Its as easy as that to keep an engine bay permanently smart a little, and often. And if any serious oil leaks develop, you’ll see exactly where they’re coming from. Carburetor, rocker cover, coolant transfer pipe and clean spark plugs start to build the contrast in the overall engine view. It’s the clean details and neatness that make the job look striking ignore these, or paint sloppily, and it’ll look like a botch job. 

THE LAND ROVER IN THE PARK

They say elephant never forget. While I’m sure there’s substance to that supposition, I’ve no way of proving it. Monkeys on the other hand, are another matter. I’d managed to find time to sneak on the holiday before the kids new school term started and as it would be tied into me being the Land Rover, I decided to find somewhere relatively local near a beach. So, off we headed to near the sea.

We didn’t take the touring caravan this time, but settled for a static on a site with a direct path through to the beach ideal as the forecast was for changeable weather. Yala (in Sri Lanka beach side) is great as it has fine, sandy beaches, ideal for the kids to build sand castle on. The only problem is that when the tide goes out, it really does go out this is, after all, one of the longest beaches in all of Sri Lankan. This doesn’t really matter if you’re just building sandcastles but, if you want to fill the moats as well, you won’t to be able to get any water to fill them. 

HALP SAVE THE PLANET

The good thing is that Land Rover products last considerably longer, so the amount of energy spent on creating the vehicles in the first place can be spread over a longer life span than normal cars making Land Rover more environmentally sound.

But you can reduce the environmental impact of your Land Rover still further by using greener fuels. On the next five pages we look at the main options and highlight the pro’s and con’s of using them in your Land Rover. Some require modifications to be made to the engine, which means you should inform your insurance company.

Our intent should be to reduce the overall amount of carbon dioxide our vehicle emit for it is that which creates global warming and leads to ice melt and rise in sea level. Crops absorb carbon dioxide will be absorbed and new fuel created. The negative impact will be less by using biofuels than from fuel extracted from mineral oil

RESPONSIBLE FOR GLOBAL WARMING

Electrical cars may well be future, but their movement is reliant on energy stored in battery packs energy that has been converted from another from somewhere down the line.

Locally, they may be classified as being zero emission and city dwellers can sleep soundly in the knowledge that they aren’t destroying their neighborhood. But what about the environment of the people living close to power station? Or where the chemicals for the batteries are produced

Energy is used in every manufacturing process, whether it is whittling an arrow from a stick or building a jet aircraft. To make the best of that initial consumption, people expect items to last a certain amount of time. The life expectancy of a toaster is around a decade, yet the average age of cars on roads is just 6.8 years.  

GO GREEN WITH LAND ROVER

Day after day we are bombarded by pleas to cut our reliance on fossil fuels to avoid a catastrophic change in the global climate. The ice caps will melt and sea levels will rise, we’re warned. Indigenous species will die as the temperature become too hot to sustain them and ecosystems will break down.

Of course, it’s easy to blame the world’s ills on car owners alone, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t play our part in stemming the tide of global destruction, even though we’re not the only culprits.

Flicking a light switch at home does not produce the same visible evidence, but travel to where the electricity is produced and you’ll find then chimney and the exhaust. Nuclear power tends to be cleaner, chucking out less pollutant and being more energy efficient. But there is the drawback that highly concentrated levels of radioactivity can be deeply unpleasant.

DIFFERENTIAL

Leaking rear axle shaft seals can be withdrawn after releasing the suspension arms, allowing the shafts to be withdrawn. Replacement of the differentials pinion bearing and oil seal is a relatively involved job, and is not a basic DIY prospect.

The differential mountings can be changed with the diff in position, though it’s very tricky. To replace all three it’s worth disconnecting the suspension to withdraw the half shafts so the differential can be manoeuvred to improve access for the mountings. Ensure the diff is accurately aligned with the drive train when bolting up. Retighten suspension links with the vehicle’s weight on the suspension.

If the rear drive train starts giving trouble and you can’t get to garage, or the garage can’t do the work for a couple of weeks, you won’t want to risk expensive damage by driving on. So, remove the complete assemble of front and rear prop shaft and VCU. You can then use the car in two wheel drive with far less load on the differential and IRD, and with no chance of damaging other parts of the transmission. 

REPAIR TIPS

Freelander rear drive train parts can be bought individually, though separating parts can be tricky. A dose of easing oil, and thinking the job through, helps them. When connection begins to move, wind the bolt out, and repeat. That’s the theory, but if the connection is very tight, this might bend the bolt. In that case, it’s down to ingenuity and force.

Crunching noises from the IRD suggest a damaged hypoid pinion gear caused by bearing failure. It’s practical to confirm the problem by disconnecting the front prop haft and unbolting the IRD, pinion housing to view inside. Parts are not available separately for this unit, and overhaul is a specialist job anyway. DIY instalment of a replacement IRD is possible, but it’s a mammoth job that we described in detail in Land Rover. 

MISFIRING

It’s a rare symptom on a diesel, unless you drive a TD5. The injector wiring loom is sealed into the engine top. When the seals fail, engine oil works its way along the wiring loom and reaches the ECM where it cause electrical problems, leading to misfire. Check by unplugged the red connector from the ECM and looking for oil on the contacts. Dealers will replace the loom, but cleaning oil from the contacts and loom, and renewing seals should effect cure. Otherwise, suspect a loose fuel connection or solenoid lead on later models.

Case of misfiring on TD5 engines can be caused by engine oil seeping along the injector wiring loom and into the ECM multiplug. Here, it causes electrical tracking resulting in misfire. Remove red connector and look for oil stain in the socket and ECM 

TD5 DIESEL ENGINE

TD5 was a massive step forward from TDI, but the wholly different TDV6 system brought petrol engine standards of smoothness, quietness and power. It reverts to an engine mounted, now belt driven, high pressure injector pump, fed by an in tank lift pump.

Pressurized fuel is supplied via common rail piezo actuators which react thirty times faster than solenoid injector. Piezo crystals deform when an electrical current is applied, and this movement operates the injector.

Injection is in two stages a pilot dose, followed by a main injection which helps control noise diesel rattles. A lower 17.3.1 compression ratio further reduces noise and heat, and improves the burn to give lower duel consumption and emissions. Fuel is injected at up to 1650bar (24,000psi).

To further improve combustion, each cylinder has two inlet ports, a swirl port for low load efficiency, and a high volume port. In place of the conventional stop solenoid to shut off the fuel supply, the TDV6 engine is stopped by the ECM cutting the electrical supply to the piezo actuators in the injectors.

AUTOLOGIC DIAGNOSIS

Component and circuit defects are detected by the ECM and logged in its defect code memory were they are accessible using diagnostic equipment such as Autologic or Land Rover’s own Textbook system. By connecting to the diagnostic socket under the dashboard, Autologic can read the stored fault codes and receive by the ECM. The characteristics of the signals can tell an experienced operator much about the state of the engine and the DDE system components and circuits. Contrary to popular belief, this information is not necessarily displayed instantly it’s gained only by having a thorough understanding and interrogating the systems.

The injection timing solenoid and its signal characteristics in the timing modulation section of Autologic. Fuel quantity can be diagnosed by observing the signals associated with the fuel quantity servo system, and a procedure can be carried out to test the servo. Diesel engine electronic control is one of the least troublesome systems on the P 38. In most case, electronic diagnosis is the most efficient and often the only way to identify the causes of running and starting problems.

SAFETY FIRST 3RD STEP TO AXLE OFF

When we’ve done it this way on my own, I’ve used plan first remove the haifshafts and diff. to do this, disconnect brake pipes from the backplates wrapping the ends in plastic to stop dirt getting in then take off the brake drums and shoes.  Remove the ring of six bolts, and then release each shaft by tapping gently with a rectangular drift around the wider a part of rear hub bearing housing. The brake backplate, hub, shaft and everything should remove the differential suitably supported from underneath.

The remaining axle casing doesn’t weigh much itself but if you’ve got this far, just take the parts to the garage they don’t actually need the axle casing. So that’s the sequence. In real life you would be well advised to slightly loosen and re tighten each fastening first, while the weight of the vehicle is on components. That way, you can be certain that they’ll come apart when you need them to.

And whatever else you do, please be careful all the parts involved here are heavy and there’s no room to exert real strength, so use jacks, levers and sizeable wooden blocks to take any loads.

2nd STEP AXLE OFF SERIES I

Once you’re sure about this, remove the wheels. Disconnect the rear brakes at the flexible hose, clamping it to stop fluid loss. Disconnect the rear propshaft. Now support under the axle with a trolley jack, remove the shackle pins at the back of the rear springs, lower the axle and springs, take away the jack, remove the axle U bolts and carefully pull the axle out from under the back of the vehicle. This is the easiest way but, if you do it this way, loosen the nuts on the front shackle pins a little, too and when you replace the axle don’t fully tighten any shackle pins nuts until the vehicle’ s weight is on the spring.

Unfortunately, shackle pins are often rusted any place, so you may end up with Plan B: support under the diff with a trolley jack, between spring and chassis. If you do this, be carefully not to knock the vehicle sideways, and always have two people lifting.

HOW TO TAKE AXLE OFF SERIES I (1st step)

It’s a seriously heavy job getting an axle off a Land Rover. Let’s deal with the front first that’s much heavier than the rear because of all the ironmongery associated with the swivels and steering. I wouldn’t even think about taking this off to save a bit of money.

Anyway, it’s simply not necessary the process is the same for a Series III and the parts can be soured through regular motor factors. It’s normal job for your garage. Here’s how you remove the rear axle. Drain the oil, jack up the rear of the Land Rover until the wheels are just clear of the floor and support it securely with a good sized stand under each chassis longitudinal. Check that the vehicle can’t move, rock or tip.

WRECKS TO RICHES

It can be a strange business, pulling an old Land Rover apart and putting it back together again. The nut and bolt stuff isn’t too hard but getting everything lined up and properly finished can be difficult, tedious and time consuming.

Most people doing rebuilds to show standard tend to make them factory specification, or as near as. The smart green creation we’re looking at here is for show, but it’s gloriously non standard. We certainly wasn’t aiming to make something like this when we standard.

So than Land Rover simply become a show vehicle. But rather than begin the end of the story, it was more like a new beginning. When improvements were possible, we were made and we acknowledge the help giving by friends and workmates. Originally, the Series II was put back together with a Land Rover 2.25 petrol engine. 

2005 RANGE ROVER SUPERCHARGED

ENGINE :  4197cc supercharged V8 petrol with Stage 1 tune includes reprogrammed electronic, modified supercharger drive, itg air filter, air flowed and matched inlet casings, stainless steel exhausts with free flow catalysts.

TRANSMISSION: six speed automatic with Command Shift

SUSPENSION: standard supercharged Range Rover Sport

BRAKE: Brembo standard supercharged Range Rover Sport

WHEELS: JE Magnum 20x10 inch

TYRES: 295/40/R20 Hankook Ventus MAX PORWER: 436bph @ 5600rpm standard: 384bph@ 5700rpm

MAX TORQUE: 458lb ft@ 3500rpm standard: 405lb ft @ 3500rpm

MAX SPEED: Limited to 140mph. 0-60mph in 6.4 seconds standard 0-60mph in 7.2 seconds.  

SO MUCH POWER IN SPORT MODEL

Environmentalists will be up in arms at that sort of figure but, to put it in perspective, our Series III A used to get 14 mpg and that would hardly qualify as a derided 4x4 detested by the green extreme. Using one daily will seriously dent your wallet but, as a toy, it can’t be beaten. You have the power to keep out of trouble and the suspension and brakes, though standard, ensure you stay safe. The only time we managed to get the Sport out of shape was as we accelerated hard off a wet roundabout. A slight twitch of the front saw a dashboard warning light flash up telling that Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) had been momentarily called into play to keep on the road.

It uses to be said that there ain’t no substitute for cubs I think that needs to be amended slightly. Big diesel engines are good but, for sheer fun, there ain’t a substitute for big petrol engines. 

MISSION CONTROL

One redeeming factor for the Range Rover is that it has Land Rover‘s Adaptive Cruise Control. At least this makes the journey a little more tolerable. Cruise Control work by maintaining a steady speed. ACC does the same, until something gets in your way. Sensor on the front measure the distance between yourself and the car in front and if you get close it will back off the throttle. Get too close and it will apply the brakes.

Obviously, if you come up to the back of a tailback at speed it won’t have time to react, but in traffic that is continually slowing down speeding up, it keeps you a safe distance from the car in front. And setting your cruise control for just below the speed limit in roadwork means you won’t endanger workmen by driving too fast.

ACC was fine in heavy traffic, but if you wanted to move into another lane to overtake, it would apply the brakes if you already deemed too close to the vehicle you can overtaking. This makes for erratic driving. The remedy would be for change to driving style and pull out before caught up with the car front which, thinking about it, would make you better driver.  

FULL FRONTAL

Work on the rear axle we’re off to the other end of the Discovery to toil on its counterpart at the front end. You may wonder if, and how, it differs from the rear axle there are plenty of differences. Also we were available for duty, and brought with from dealer bearing and seal drive set, which we were keen to put to the test.

We elected to work outside the workshop in the glorious sunshine at least the ground was solid, unlike my drive, which meant we could move a trolley jack around easily. The trolley jack is my preferred method of lifting when I’m going any workshop stuff as it’s portable and stable. You are better to go for one with at least a 500mm (20inch) lift, if you don’t want to be faced with using potentially dangerous combination of block.

THE LAND ROVER G4 CHALLENGE FOR MONGOLIA

One word describes Mongolia vast. It is a huge place, and its spectacular landscapes are among the least inhabited on this planet. Mongolia’s 604,000 square miles that’s three times bigger than France are occupied by just two and a half million people. And more than a million of those live in the capital of Ulaanbaatar (UB).

The rest of this giant country, landlocked between Russia and China, consists of arid steppes in the north and west, while to the south is the massive Gobi desert. There are few people living in the remote regions, and no tarmac roads once outside the main population areas just miles of tracks crossing the huge landscapes. This supreme 4x4 country and it’s no surprise the venue for the G4 challenge finals. Next summer 18 national teams, each consisting of one male and one female, will compete in four week of adventure sports such as mountain biking kayaking climbing and running as well as off road driving. 

THE KNOWLEDGE

Ever tightened a bolt a little too much and felt it suddenly break loose beneath the socket? It happens to most of us, and sometimes you can rescue the day by gripped the remaining thread with pair of locking pliers. But what if the worest has happened and the bolt has sheared off completely? This is where a screw extractor comes in very handy.

Start by finding the largest screw extractor in relation to the sheared off bolt to minimize the chances of the extractor itself breaking. Drill a hole in the top of the offending bolt to the size recommend in the instructions, insert the tapered, left hand thread of the screw extractor into the hole and turn the extractor anti clockwise.

Once the extractor has bitten into the metal of the bolt’s remains, use grips, tap wrench (from a tap and die set) or spanner to turn the extractor and remove the broken bolt. For especially stubborn sheared studs or bolts, a drop of diesel or penetrating oil left to sock in overnight can work wonders.

DISCOVERY 3 VS FREELANDER 2

For a big heavy 4x4 it’s an incredible performer its smooth, effortless handling inspires confidence. For most of the time, the TDV6 delivers all the power you need it’s no road burner but it’s long way from gutless. If you’ve never driven a Discovery 3 off road you can’t appreciate fully what a spectacular piece of design and engineering it really is you simply have to experience it to believe it.

The TD4 Freelander 2 can run rings around the Discovery 3 on fast twisty, point and go roads. It’s nimble, responsive and hangs on like a leech to any grip it can find. It’s a completely different beast from the Freelander 1. With virtually no turbo lag, strong acceleration and very little road noise. It’s definitely a driver’s car. This is a vehicle for Land Rover and Land Rover fans to be proud of.

THE G4 CHALLENGE VEHICLES

All of Land Rover’s models will play a part in the G4 challenge, but only three were in this race. The media had Freelander 2 TD4 autos and TDV6 Discovery 3s, while the race team used Puma engine Defender 110 Utility. All are equipped to transport competitors, media, support crew and loads of kit. The vehicles are factory space, and the kit listed here is from Land Rover Accessories unless otherwise stated.

Freelander 2: front and rear lamp guards, front sump guard and Mantec fuel tank guard, front A bar, rear spoiler, luggage\dog guard, roof rack, hella Xenon riving lamps, Mantec ladder.

Discovery 3: warn 9.5 winch and winch bumper, A bar, dog guard, roof rack mounted hella Xenone driving lamps, Mantec rased air intake, sump guard and rear ladder.

Defender 110 Utility: Spare wheel carrier, window guards, rear luggage shelf and bins, side protection sills, steering guard, fuel tank guard, snokel, locking cubby box, warn 9.5ti winch and bumper, roof rack, hella Xenon driving lamps, towbar, dog guard, front and rear lamp guards, A bar. 

THE TRACKS ARE ROUGH

I have the Terrain Response dial turned obviously to sand, and keep it mainly in first gear in the manual Command Shift option occasionally snicking up into second. On the F2 you have to turn off the Directional Stability control (DSC) manually to prevent it cutting power just when you least want it. On the Discovery 3 this is done automatically.

Playtime over, it’s time to get back on the trail. The four cylinder puma engine Defender 110Utility, my first experience of driving one in sand. I engage second gear low range and rev the heavily laden Defender hard, holding the gear for some time through the deepest sand section before engaging third.

Then we are out of the tracks and I shift to high range. The six speeds and wide ratios mean you can stay in high range longer than you would in earlier models, such as our TD5 110. The gearchange is faster, too, allowing you to snick easily down into first as yet another wash out or river bed creeps up on you.

FRONT PASSENGER COMFORT

Just as comfortably as the front, with the added bonus of nets above your head for maps, toys and copies of Land Rover. The door openings aren’t the largest, but the elevated seats a real Discovery strong point make travelling in the back no hardship. The boot mounted, foldaway, side facing seats are for kids of emergencies, but they often come in useful.

None other than Sir Terence Conran designed the Discovery interior in the late 1980s and it shows. That said, the seats are comfortable and the interior’s planned in a very user friendly manner. Touch the key and the 200 TDI dur- dungs into life; you’ll never forget its diesel. Once underway, though, a civilized conversation is quite possible at motorway speeds.  

RIDE AND HANDLING DISCOVERY

The discovery didn’t get anti roll bars until 1994, which is a real shame. Without them, the Discovery feels wallowy and disconcerting if you try and rush it through bends and even roundabouts. Generally, though, the ride quality is good the Range Rover pedigree shows through. Effective disc brakes on all four wheels are reassuring and, although it can feel vague, the steering is nicely weighted. The TDI pulls well it feels like a rocket after the Series III’s trusty 2.25 but you need to keep the turbo on song to make decent progress. This is a big heavy car, and it feels it.

Brilliant family vehicle, still dead basic and easy to fix, very capable off road chaws miles relatively effortlessly and will do 30mpg. A lot have rocketship mileage fine for the generally sturdy engine, not so for the rest. 

REAR PASSENGER COMFORT SERIES III

The Series III is a working vehicle and makes no bones about it. The vinyl seats are much maligned but, if they’re in good condition, they’re not too comfortable unless you really go far. Welly boot sized pedals and the long, spindly gearlever give the Series III a real tractor like feel, while no carpets, sound deadening or door trims make it a noisy place to spend time as well but that only adds to the charm.

Well, there is a certain appeal to riding sideways in the back of a Land Rover, specialist for kids, who usually insist on it. But subject an adult friend to a long journey on a side facing bench seat especially in the clamorous, bare metal surroundings of a hard top and you might not be too popular. And with four up in the back of an 88, you’ll lose next to all your cargo space. A roof rack is a good ally in such circumstances.

SPOILING LIFE WITH A RANGE ROVER P 38 DIESEL

The latest fault is that the check engine light flashes on and off now and again. A few months ago the engine cut out for five second and that light came on. When the light went off, the engine picked up again and run perfectly, as though nothing had happened.

Who took it to a local dealer, whose diagnostic kit showed that the heater plugs were faulty. These were duly changed but, since then, it has cut out a couple of times and the computer has shown it to be an accentuation valve fault.  

The accentuation valve is actually the quantity control servo unit that regulates the amount of fuel sent to the injectors. The control servo unit does fail regularly and the only option with this is to replace the pump with a new or recondition unit because the servo unit isn’t available as a separate part.

THE DISCOVERY 200 TDI TURBO

The fuel economy on your Discovery 200 TDI has deteriorated, along with its performance. You can no longer hear the turbo charger cutting in and suspect that may be the cause of the problems. Will need to take the vehicle to a specialist to have the turbo checked over?

The turbo on a 200TDI engine isn’t particularly complicated but I wouldn’t suggest a DIY rebuild. Any garge it doesn’t need to be Land Rover specialist will be able to tell you if the turbo is at fault. If it’s found to be so, it’s a simple case of buying a reconditioned turbo from one of our advertise.

Before you take it to the garage it’s worth checking all the intercooler hoses and the intercooler itself to make sure these are in good condition. A weak pipe or one with a very small hole could have the same effect. 

BLACK BEAUTY

The 90 is a bit of a street machine since we have it last year we had seriously improved the Defenders on road performance. Plundering the twisted performance upgrades bin, we fitted a bigger intercooler and new turbo pipes to ensure the inducted air stays cool. A high power chip improves performance and the exhaust keeps the gases flowing.

Outside, we gone for Bi Xenon headlights and LED sidelights. Despite this improvement for the road, we still take it off road at the weekend where it also excels. But no matter what we are using it for the Defender never fails to put a smile on the face and even we loves it. 

DIESEL DO

We took the popular step of replacing the 2286cc petrol engine with a diesel from a Sherpa van. This has affected several things. Firstly, off roading has dramatically improved the petrol engine would stop every time it contacted water, and it suffered from fuel starvation on steep descents. Secondly on road performance and economy has gone through the roof.

But despite being a mechanic, it hasn’t been plain sailing for. Committed the cardinal sin of failing to replace the timing belt when the fitted the engine, resulting in it snapping on the way home from a greenlining run. Fortunately, the damage was only minor. We done a plenty of other work, from replacing outriggers and spring hangers on the chassis, foot wells on the bulkhead and other parts associated with a hard life off road brakes, UJs and difference, and a homemade snokel. 

SLACK DRIVE SPOILS 300 TDI EXPERIENCE

A little wear on the many moving parts in a Land Rover drive train can add up to a lot of backlash in the transmission. The most common causes are worn prop shafts, wear on the gearbox main shaft and the corresponding gear in the transfer box and wear in the half shaft and driving members.

The first things I would check are the rear prop shaft and the driving members on each axle. The prop shaft is a simple case of checking the UJs and the small plastic dust cap from the driving member the outermost part of the axle and checking for wear by rocking the vehicle backwards and forwards with it parked in gear with the handbrake off. I would guess that four new driving member will remove most of your slack.

AIR SUSPENSION LEAVE DISCOVERY

We have a 1998 Discovery TD5 for just over a year. We have had a problem with the air suspension ( on the passenger side only) where occasionally it will completely deflate. This happens quite quickly. One minute it is at the correct level and then, the next time we look, it is down.

The land rover dealership said straight away that it is a leak on the air spring, but surely this isn’t the case as, if it was a leak, it would do this every night. Sometimes it doesn’t happen for weeks. This is a common fault. Like many rubber products, the air springs have a tendency to perish over a period of time. We have had customer’s vehicle coming to us for fixing only to find that when we park them up sometime for two days they have not dropped at all. We then have to resort to raising the vehicle at unusual angles to detect or confirm the leak. 

WHY IS BRAZILIAN BOX CRACKING UP

That looks frightening. The steering box casting has cracked at the weakest part across the filler plug so might be caused by excessive tightening of the plug. Alternatively, the box may have been incorrectly adjusted, so extra resistance on the gear would tend to make the worm gear drive out. Check the steering box mountings for deformation.

Replace the complete assembly, but first check all steering component for any resistance or fouling on outer parts. Disconnect steering rod ball joints and test their movement and ensure the relay, steering box arm and relay top arm move freely. Check the drag link and trackrod are straight and that nothing is fouling them, such as a damaged damper, brackets or incorrectly fitted steering guard. Check the trackrod end ball joint and, while and recheck the steering swivel movement. The steering swivel should register between 3.6 and 4.5kg when pulled using the spring balance, with the rear oil seal disconnected. Also, ensure the steering lock stops are correctly set. 

CLOSE THE BRAKING POINT

Some Defender 90 TD5 2001 has done 56,000 and thy not happy with its brake power on the rear axle. During testing, the rear axle was poor so could change the brake fluid and pads but it made no difference the 56,000 mile rear disc pads looked new. Is there a pressure reducing valve with a different ratio to modify the braking balance?

There are many different pressure reducing valve out there but you have to bear in mind that Land Rover spent a great deal of time and money ensuring that the brake distribution on the do to change this may well make the vehicle unsafe. The fact the rear brakes are working correctly if they were not, then the rear discs would have a lot of corrosion on them. The rear brakes are designed to have very little power going to them unless you are either going to them unless you are either towing or braking very hard. Many owners will brake heavily once ever week or two just to ensure the rear disc keep clean because normal braking does not do this. 

CLEANER THAN EVER

The big deal on diesels is that they, in theory, burn all of the fuel that is injected, so there are no unhealthy hydrocarbons shooting out of the exhaust pipe. They’re also low on CO output. But the fuel type and high compression does produce small carbon traces particulates which are believed to be harmful. Land Rover engines have so far met legislation without using a particular filter, though it available as an option on Freelander 2.

Inherent excess oxygen in a diesel tends to produce harmful nitrogen oxide (NOx.)This is controlled party by the EGR which recirculates some of the inter exhaust gas back into the engine, giving a cooler burn and less NOx.

Petrol hybrid engines are more frugal and cleaner than current under development are likely to take the lead in the future. Exhaust Gas Recirculation system on 200 TDI feeds a proportion of exhaust gas back into engine air intake manifold.

WATER IN THE SYSTEM

The main fuel filter has a sedimenter designed to collect water from the fuel. Drain the sedimenter at service times and more frequently if plenty of water comes out. Just one bead of water left overnight in an injector will cause microscopic corrosion will concentrate and accelerate. From TD5 onward, excess water in the filter will illuminate a warning lamp on the dash, but never rely on it keep draining.

Check and adjust control cables to injector pumps on early engines. Lubricate with thin oil, and replace any that have become frayed. Change the fuel filter at prescribed intervals. Coat the rubber seal both sides with diesel fuel before screwing it in hand tight.  Water should be drained from sedimenter under fuel filter. Sediment in this TD5 unit was cleaned out while fitting mew filter. The drawn from a fuel tank and left standing, shows the amount of contaminants dark at bottom that need to be filtered out.

HOW IT WORKS

Direct injection head has flat face. Combustion space is in piston crown. Piston crown recess is shaped to aid swirl during fuel burn less noise stress. Discovery tank unit with fuel level mechanism and submerged lift pump. Removing injection pump involves working timing cover where driven by belt. Glow plugs raise temperatures of air in cylinder to help the fuel ignite during cold starts.TDI injectors are superior to Series III type. Black deposits due to burnt oil poor seals.

Mechanically controlled exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) was introduced, though the system had appeared year’s earlier on Australian specification Series III models. Moves towards electronic control appeared in the 300 TDI Discovery models fitted with Electronic Diesel Control (EDC). These engines were controlled by an engine control Module (ECM) which received signals from engine sensors and dictated timing, the amount of fuel injection and EGR operation.

TD5 SYSTEM

Now we’re getting sophisticated. A twin stage pumps submerged in the fuel the tank sends fuel via a filter and pressure regulator direct to the electro mechanical injectors. Surplus fuel flows through a fuel cooler on the side of the engine. It then flows back to the tank or is reciculated. You’ll notice there’s no injector pump the injectors themselves carry out the final pressurization of the fuel.

Each injector is operated partly by an electrical solenoid valve and party by a pushrod in the bore of the injector which is moved by the engine camshaft via a rocker. Fuel continually flow through the injector body and out into return line. When the ECM signals fuel to be injected into the return line. When the ECM signals fuel to be injected into the cylinder, the solenoid valve closes the return outlet from the injector, locking the fuel inside down, the trapped fuel is compressed to 1500 bar 22,000psi which lifts the injector nozzle and the fuel is forced into the engine cylinder.

TD V6 ENGINE SYSTEM

Pressurized fuel is supplied via a common rail to injectors which are energized by integral piezo actuators which react thirty times faster than solenoid injectors. (Peizo crystals deform when an electrical current is applied, and this movement operates the injector.) Injections are in two stages a pilot dose, followed by a main injection which helps control the burn and thereby reduce combustion noise (diesel rattle).

A lower 17.3.1 compression ratio further reduces noise and heat, and improves the burn to give lower fuel consumption and emission. Fuel is injected at up to 1650 bar. To further improve combustion, each cylinder has two inlet ports, a swirl port for low load efficiency, and a high volume port.   

In place of the convention stop solenoid to shut off the fuel supply, the TDV6 engine is stopped by the ECM cutting the electrical supply to the piezo actuators in the injectors. 

TOMB RAIDER SPECIAL

Rain drips lazily from the dense tree canopy humid sweaty air clings to every leaf. Suddenly, a bestial roar shatters the sub tropical silence. Shaft of sunlight probe the forest floor, as though searching for a lost treasure. The gunmetal gray monster slides to a halt a breathless figure leaps from the vehicle. They greeted by the bearded.

The Land Rover has a lot of history. It’s a 1996 300TDI that we’ve had from new and use in the gardening business to haul trailers and gear. Originally it was a standard hard top, but with side windows in the back.  

In 2003 converted it to a truck cab with a hinged aluminium lid covering the load bed. This was for the Rainforest Challenge pre selection in Spain. 

HOW TO MAKE TOMB RAIDER

We started ripping it apart in December 2005. Within a month we had every panel off and we found most of the replacements on the internet. All had to be hand sanded to bare metal even mum stripped the bridging ladders before painting. Because he wanted to fit a high capacity load bed behind an extended cab, we needed to stretch the chassis. But there was a problem. Belgian law forbids this kind of creativity. The solution was to chop off the rear crossmember and make a new one that stuck out a little bit further than the original.  

Crosmember we were really appalled at the state of the chassis. It was packed with mud from all the off roading we done. It filled three wheelbarrows. We made the new crosmemeber out of 8mm U section steel, and then welded a 6mm plate across the open side. The two tubes that allow me to pressure wash the inside of the chassis are made from 8mm tubes. The entire thing is completely watertight. We made the front bumper from a steel building joist, so it’s indestructible, too.

COMPETITOR EXPERIENCE

I was determined to have it ready for this year they say. I put in a lot of effort over a six month period to get this finished in time. And it’s been apart. Everything you can take apart, I’ve done it the diffs in pieces, and engine rebuilt, everything its back together, looking stunning in that British Leyland Sandglow paint. And here’s surprise. I’ve always liked Land Rovers. But I don’t like yellow Land Rovers. And the Camel thing some people like to flaunt it but, to be honest, I feel a bit embarrassed driving this down the street. It’s a bit over the top.

As such, you’re not likely to find this lovely One Ten passing you on the road they keep it for Camel Club outings and special occasions, such as showing us just what a quarter century old, written off, ex scrapyard Land Rover can still do. Were we impressed? Hugely…..

THE EXPERIENCED

In fact, the Camel trophy is itself largely responsible for generating the current interest in offroading, and has massively influenced the gear and the look that’s favoured for tricked up Land Rover today. So if Camel One Ten looks rather standard, that’s because it’s the way things were. In terms of off roading kit, this is the top of a blank page that we’ve filled in later with bush wires, skid plates, roll caged, chequerplate and all the rest.

Even apart from the Camel trophy special fitments and the early spec tricky bits. This One Ten was a big job. Competitor is lucky in that they run a Land Rover repair business. But that’s the day job and, if anything, it only took away time from the project. Work preceded by spare time fits and starts, then they hit a bad patch apart from searching for the elusive missing parts, progress ground to a halt for several years. But the 60^th celebration provided impetus. 

THE CAMEL TROPHY EQUIPMENT

The off road kit look pretty primitive by 2008 standards, too. A big yourself deeper transverse bar protects the steering and the roof rack originally bolted through the guttering without any front or rear vertical stiffeners. They had to recreate the rack from scratch, but he’s included stiffeners, because the original racks collapsed the roofs.

Up there, forward facing fuel cans are just waiting for a big branch to tear them off, so that’s something else that was changed in later years. No wing to rack bush wires either they hadn’t been invented. Instead, huge truck mirrors are supported to sweep aside the vegetation.

And there’s one surprisingly big item missing from the spec sheet a roll cage. There was a bad roll over on the 1984 Brazil event and in subsequent years, every Camel Land Rover was fitted with a roll cage. But there wasn’t much aftermarket off roading kit in those days, anyway. Proper off road kit was almost all home made by ARC members for their trailers, or custom fabricated for the fortunate few who could afford overseas off road trips.  

THE HISTORY

However a certain Charles Shooter persuaded the scrapyard to sell all three, with a view to repairing them and selling them on, as new model vehicles, they’d have a high value. At that time, they were a mess. The roof were collapsed, the air cleaners were packed with blue butterflies and the headlining were full of wasp grubs that starting to hatch out. And, apparently Shooter had a hell of a time registering them, because Land Rover refused to confirm they’d even been built. But he did get them registered eventually.

So abuse right from new, rebuilt on a budget and worked hard in the civilian aftermarket. Is the vehicles 10^th owner, and that doesn’t include its use on the Camel Not a good recipe for a simple rebuild. As he stripped the vehicle, traces of its early life appeared. Stage 2 is written on a panel behind the nearside rear wheelarch in silver wax crayon. Stage 2 was the name for the development project vehicle that becomes known as One Ten.

BTHAT’LL BE THE ONE TEN

It was over at Liversedge in West Yorkshire at the time, painted blue. The guys who had it were planning a rebuild, and then they saw the yellow under paint and realized it was something special. The chassis was rotten and the bulkhead was bad. The engine was all right, but it was obviously going to involve a lot of work. They had to admit defeat with the chassis and all of the special Camel Trophy equipment was missing, too.

The equipment may have gone but, as they began to research the vehicle’s history, they realized how remarkable it was that this One Ten had survived at all, because the 1984 Camel vehicles returned to the UK badly beaten up. Indeed competitor vehicle ended up as one of a batch of three ex Camels sent from the factory to a breaker’s yard. That was standard policy at the time, Land rover didn’t want any issue with warranty claims, so condemned them. This is a very early One Ten, too, with some very early parts so there may have been concerns about conformity issue. 

THE NEW LAND ROVER EXPERIENCE

The people who work here are very special. Even before they invested in the new plant, they invested in the workforce. Everybody was involved in the planning of the operation. Every operation had and input to ensure it worked out. Everybody is part of the team at Halewood.

It was also a culture shock for older workers who had been in the industry for decades. They had grown up in the era when, frankly, mediocre cars left the factories and came close to destroying the reputation of British workmanship. All that has changed.

In the past, you only hit the safety button that shut down the lines in an emergency. These days, if there’s the slightest doubt about quality, the line is shut down unit it is sorted. Quality is a massive issue, it’s an amazing experience to stand in the spotlessly clean assembly hall the biggest building site in Europe just six years ago watching new Freelander 2s emerge. 

BACK FROM THE BRINK

Camel Trophy events were normally tough, but the 1984 edition was hardly normal at one point the Land Rover were transported on a ferry along the route of the road but there was 27 feet of hostile, swirling, muddy water between them and your actual road surface. Mud” matter of factly.  When they was rebuilding they got lots out they not kidding there’s a plastic bag Brazilian spec mud kept as a memento in them office drawer.

So is ever a One Ten needed restoring properly this historic one did and competitor spirit is the right man for that kind of job. They been looking out from a Camel with proper history I mean, a proper event vehicle. In later years it became a big thing and, for each event, they built lots of Camel Trophy vehicles but some just went straight to dealers as publicity and never really did anything. But this one did the event. It wasn’t in good condition, so it needed a lot of work but I thought that I’d never get a better Camel.

WRECKS TO RICHES CAMEL TROPHY

The forest was in Brazil, the reason was the Camel Trophy, and One Ten was a competitor’s vehicle 15 were built to this specification and shipped out to RJ Reynolds. Owner of the Camel brand. In fact very One Ten was the 1994 Camel Trophy pace car right at the front, first to challenge any obstacles and taking the hit from any nasty surprises.

It would have been impressive for another reason, too while the 1984 Brazil Camel Trophy was running, the One Ten was still a new model. Land Rover’s iconic coil spring utility started life as a long wheelbase model, appeared in Ninety from the following year and morphed into the Defender, which is still with us.

The world favorite off roader cut its teeth on one of the toughest Camel Trophy events ever, led by this very Land Rover.