Stage 1 V8

Really enjoyed your posts Harry Potter. Huge amount of work and heartache along the way. 10/10 for perseverance!! I hope I have better luck but just as much enthusiasm to keep going when I finally get started on my new purchase! Nice to know your not far up the road in Leamington. I'm originally from Solihull we used to drink all round Leamington and kenilworth back in the day!

Well it's been a good day,
Managed to get the new passenger seat fitted.
Made up 4 brackets, welded to the seat runner and bolted down to the seat box.
Made a massive difference, very nice and comfortable. Next to get the drivers seat brackets welded on and the electrics wired in for the adjustment motors. Then get the switches wired in to the cubby box for the heated seats. Such luxury!!!
Wife had just returned for Portugal on holiday and came out for a great green lane and dinner at the local pub - she approved

Offchurch!

Landy certainly earned her keep the other week. 120mile round trip, roof off and no problems. did get some odd looks as we were overtaken!
have both RX8 seats fitted - much more comfortable now. need to get them wired in to enjoy fully.

Sorry, in reply, can't resist posting these two pics of mine 'earning its keep' earlier this year - just back from collecting this plough from near Stansted in Essex - very tight fit! (had to take the grab handle off the back door) - is this why I fancy a pickup?

Untitled by Geoff172, on Flickr

Untitled by Geoff172, on Flickr

PS Harry Potter - don't you mean "... as we were overtaking"?

That's what we like to see. Build for a purpose and being used as such.

Adie wrote:Offchurch!

Indeed! You know the place? Great food. We are there again at the end of the month.

Overtaken indeed. 60mph with the roof off is more than quick enough.
The pick up has been so handy, moving house, taking stuff from the new house to the tip, much better than trying to put it in the modern tin box. Regular use is certainly helping it. I have a bench seat bolted in the back that means l can take the landy into the tip. Glad l got the pick up rather than the 5 door. There is a blue pick up on eBay at the moment with a outstanding starting price of £1500!!!!

Well yes, I guess in the Station Wagon I don't get blown away at speed - unless I open the front vents! I saw that pickup - Adie posted a link to it - definitely looks worthy of some tlc.

Well finally the tear down has finally begun to replacing the gear box due to the original jumping out of low range. Wish me luck - this is going to be fun!
going to replace by lifting the box out from above as the removal able cross member is seized in place. started today to remove the seats and unbolting the seat box. worryingly some of the bolts were already loose. gratefully I have replaced most of the bolts with stainless so far its coming apart well
new LT95 with overdrive
will require the hand brake and speedo exchange to original. replace diff actuator as well.
will fit new tubular RR manifolds and exhaust as well.
new clutch plate and bearing.

suggest anything else to change?

collected some stones from a friends house today, estimated almost 0.9 tonne in the back, the springs were rather flat!

You're a sucker for punishment dude.

By far the the easier route would to take the motor out with box attached. It is a crap load of weight (116kg dry, so add ~10kg for oil) to try to bring out through the cab. It's not like a series II-III box that is tiny in comparison. All the mechanics I have spoken to either go from under if they have a honking great hydraulic to support it, or take out the engine with an appropriately sized crane or gantry.

Seriously, I would take a reciprocating saw to the cross member before trying that. Actually, I did just that and had a local engineering company make a new cross member to my own design, so now it doesn't act like a bulldozer blade on rutted tracks.

It's not going to be quick nor easy. This is the best method for the tools l have.
The engine crane l have is not big enough to support the v8 plus gear box. I am also working outside on a gravel driveway With no big lift and football pitch size gardens with whare house size garages that all you Aussies seem to have! Where's the challenge eh chaps!!!
The seat box has been out before so the bolts are not putting up too much of a fight. Thank god for ss and nuclear never seize greese.
This also give me a opportunity to give the chassis a damn good clean and waxoil.
Also l do not want to remove all the pipework taking the engine out. I then run the risk of then thinking it would be a great idea to dismantle even more of the truck and engine. That rad is stopping me changing the cam for a 3.9!
The passenger door will come off for the lift in/out. Might even make a set of sill sliders whilst I am at it.
How did you do your new cross member? Why did Land Rover shape it like a plough? Could you send a photo please?

Alan - if you want to pop round and give us a hand your more than welcome. We are in autumn here and it's only going to get colder. At least the beer won't get warm quickly

Aussie!?!

Will be in Blighty in November but only as far as the big smoke.

disco2hse wrote:Aussie!?!

Will be in Blighty in November but only as far as the big smoke.

thought that might get a reaction you all live close to each other don't you? only a little bit of water in the way!

I am working in London at the moment on the River Thames, if you would like to meet for a beer mid week would be good to put a face to the name.

The Tasman Sea is over a thousand miles wide (and probably twice that culturally!) You really should look at a map sometimes Harry Potter - if he's still talking to you, you can both talk about the rest of us behind our backs!

Been a busy day, seat box out, everything's unplugged from the gear box,
Exhaust pipes off the manifold, almost dropped the back section of the exhaust on my head when removing the mid section, the hanger had broken at the mid point which l hadn't noticed before.
Found rust holes under the pedals in the footwell so that will need welding now
Started to undo the the manifolds ready for the tubular pipes but now I think l am going to have to take the wings off for better access which is a unforeseen addition and pain
How easy is it to remove the wings? Tricky bit looks getting at the bolts to the bulkhead