Who is doing what maintenance today?

[Chas]

Back to screen washers, I've also bought an extra washer pump to increase the flow, but how the hell can I get the lecky plug of the top of the pump on the washer bottle so I can tap into the wires to feed the extra pump? it looks as though there is a 'catch' to release before the plug can be lifted off but it doesn't want to move.

EDIT

Just been out for a drive to warm the engine up so I can test what difference wrapping the plastic tube with kitchen foil made.
Well if anyone else is doing this mod I can thoroughly recommend doing the same, it has made a very significant difference, the water out of the jets is now hot!

I know it's not too neat, but it was difficult getting the Gaffa tape between the water pipe and the bulkhead.

 

[Gary820]

Started to make some extended bumpstops for the 80 after nearly took a rear arch trim off!! Pulled the mudflap bit of trim off which is now a bit mis shaped.

 

[clivehorridge]

Back to screen washers, I've also bought an extra washer pump to increase the flow, but how the hell can I get the lecky plug of the top of the pump on the washer bottle so I can tap into the wires to feed the extra pump? it looks as though there is a 'catch' to release before the plug can be lifted off but it doesn't want to move.

EDIT

Just been out for a drive to warm the engine up so I can test what difference wrapping the plastic tube with kitchen foil made.
Well if anyone else is doing this mod I can thoroughly recommend doing the same, it has made a very significant difference, the water out of the jets is now hot!

Personally, Chas, I think shifting more water would just be an inconvenience, due to more frequent tank fillings.

Hot water is so much more efficient, you'll find you use less water especially if you use "proper" screenwash, one flick of the washwipe will leave the screen clean without having to drown it. Only IMHI of course!

 

[Chris]

You know that little jobs you wish you'd never started.... No? Really - I don't believe you.

Decided to change the stat today. Such a lovely day I thought I'd be better on the drive than in the garage. First job, airbox out. Found one original bolt had been sheared off. So that was another fix to do. I couldn't get in there with a tap, so it was drilled out and a rivnut put in instead.

Couldn't get onto tone of the housing bolts so the alternator had to be dropped.



This meant slackening everything, belts off and swing the unit down. To do that - I had to drop the steering guard, steering arm and belts. Decided to clean up around the turbo too. Very oily there.


Then had a problem with Lad's new SIM card so a dozen calls to Vodabone and a trip to Carphone warehouse culminating in a threat to move all 4 accounts to another provider, they finally fixed it.

Got the stat swapped no problem.
It was in a right state as was the cap. All back on and hoses connected after a really good scrape out in there. Then a reverse procedure with every nut and bolt being an absolute swine to get to. Then I found the watering can had a leak in it with all my new coolant in there.

A frustratingly awkward day. Job done though.

 

[adrianr]

Ouch. Had days like that too - (fuel pump recent replacement springs to mind)

At leasts its done.

 

[clivehorridge]

"If it ain't broke, fix it anyway!



At least you know it's OK now and you know to bin the watering can!

 

[Chris]

Got to be done Clive. You can't just assume that everything in there is OK. I flushed the rad recently and it wasn't good. The cap was really knackered and not pressurising the system. The top hose wasn't getting particularly hot either. I have to wonder about the water pump I suppose. We'll see how it does now. Engine temp not been an issue so far OK, maybe a needle width higher than in previous 80s but then it's only an indicator at best. Heater hasn't been that hot either. I shall give it a run and see if it's better now. But if not then I might have to look at the pump. Got a spare in the box somewhere.

 

[clivehorridge]

Got to be done Clive. You can't just assume that everything in there is OK. I flushed the rad recently and it wasn't good. The cap was really knackered and not pressurising the system. The top hose wasn't getting particularly hot either. I have to wonder about the water pump I suppose. We'll see how it does now. Engine temp not been an issue so far OK, maybe a needle width higher than in previous 80s but then it's only an indicator at best. Heater hasn't been that hot either. I shall give it a run and see if it's better now. But if not then I might have to look at the pump. Got a spare in the box somewhere.

I'd put my money on the heater working better and sooner than before you changed it.

When I had problems with it taking 20 minutes for the gauge to start moving, a new stat brought it all on within 10 minutes (or less) from start-up at -12 C.

 

[Gary820]

Have far too many days where wish I'd not started a little job lol

 

[Trevor]

Had a new clutch in the 120 today, got the garage to replace both transfer box oil seals at the same time as 1 had been weeping. There are just some jobs best left to the pros with their fancy post lifts and gearbox stands.

 

[silvercruiser]

Had a new clutch in the 120 today, got the garage to replace both transfer box oil seals at the same time as 1 had been weeping. There are just some jobs best left to the pros with their fancy post lifts and gearbox stands.

I don't Blame you, i had a 200tdi disco back in the day and changed the gearbox/transfer box/clutch to the newer 300tdi set up and that was heavy/awkward enough working on the floor with various trolley jacks. id hate to think how heavy a landcruiser one is.

 

[Dan W]

Have far too many days where wish I'd not started a little job lol

+1 to that.

This week I have changed my handbrake cable for MOT as the old one was a bit tricky. Last year I put new discs/drums on with new shoes and spring sets. Looks easy enough but only if the bolts come out. What are these rivnut things you speak of? They sound very useful.
Anyway it failed the MOT. On the handbrake efficiency. By 1%. I'm (perhaps naively) assuming that since the old cable was rubbish it never bedded in the old shoes.
It also failed on a tiny bit of rust (about the size of a five pence piece) inside the bottom of the wheel arch. But it's within twelve inches of a seatbelt mounting point. It's eleven and ah half inches away.
To be fair there's a little under the sill to, so it's been in the body work place this week for repair. Even removing the sidesteps for them became a mission.
Also replaced the petrol filler tube as it had corroded where it runs between the chassis and body, but it did give me a chance to get out the electrolysis tub to clean up the filler neck. If only I'd ordered the correct size jubilee clips to go with it :-S

 

[jonnyboy54321]

Have far too many days where wish I'd not started a little job lol

Isn't that the truth
Yesterday I received a package with a new aerial mast and drive cable/drum.
What a complete a*se of a job.
No slack at all on the aerial coax so managed to wiggle the motor out of the inner wing in the engine bay then I took off the mast carrier freeing the motor. As suspected there were shattered bits of nylon drive cable stuck. Took it to bits, cleaned and greased, all back together, then spent over an hour trying to get the bl00dy single mounting bolt back in place. Was not a happy bunny, especially when I road-tested it and found that the drive cable detached itself from the drum. Oh well, it's up and staying up. TO top it off, I took the nsf arch off to better access, all the mountings on it are previously shattered and glued so came adrift
And then, as I was marvelling at the radio, I spotted that it is still dropping into "search" mode every couple of minutes as if the aerial strength is poor.
P'd off just reliving it this morning grrrrr

 

[Chris]

Oh I have done that job JB. It is a right pain. I actually gave up and fitted a DAB radio instead with a roof aerial.

OK bit of fixing today but a bit different.

I was cutting a 12mm x 1.25 thread on the lathe and like a knob, ran into the end of the bed under power feed. I snapped the lead screw spiral shroud retainer which was made from cast. Not able to weld cast, I made on in steel like this.

First I milled a blank out of flat plate





Then contoured the face like the original, picked up on the rather oddly positioned holed, drilled and tapped, bored hole for lead screw and re fitted the retainer ring.



Then all I had to do was refit the guide and the lead screw. Gave it all a bit of a clean and grease whilst in there. Better than new. No bendy end stop now.

 

[Jon Wildsmith]

shame it was needed but nice fix Chris

 

[Chris]

Sorry Jon.

It was a momentary lapse. Cutting a long thread, just didn't quite get the set up right and was concentrating on the tip cutting the thread.

Still, much better in steel than cast

 

[jbecks]

I went to install my B&M Supercooler transmission cooler for my car today...walked outside, it was cold and overcast so I decided to just replace my intake pipe tract that split instead. If anyone is interested in buying a a B&M Supercooler, I ordered it from Amazon.com and got free delivery from the US to UK and it worked out £55 including tax not a bad deal at all

 

[Trevor]

The 120 went for it's MOT today, passed with no dramas. The only verbal comment was to sort out securing the lower part of the front number plate now that I've hinged it to access the winch fairlead, a couple of magnets off eBay should do the trick I think.

 

[Chas]

Fitted (well Julian V did it for me ) an ARB CKMTA12 Twin Air Compressor under the drivers seat, the pressure gauge needle fairly zooms round the dial now, whereas the previous compressor wouldn't even get the pressure up to 125psi this one went on to 150, that's as high as the gauge reads.
It pumps the 2.5 gal air tank from zero to 100psi in 45secs and to 150psi in 1min 25secs, it's also a lot quieter than the other one maybe because it's under the seat,
Martin, Julian's mechanic also fixed my rattly exhaust and my dodgy fuel flap release and found the cause of a noise that had been annoying me for ages.

EDIT

If anyone is after one of these compressors there's a seller on eBay selling at £100 less than what it cost me to get from the USA, which at the time was the cheapest I could find.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ARB-Air-C...arts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item2a330a7b1b

 

[chadr]

Nice one Chas - I saw Julian V's pic of your truck on FB, though he didn't mention what "toys" you were having fitted....