Restoration

Technical questions and answers
Cliff4WD
Posts: 303
Joined: Fri Aug 10, 2018 2:39 pm
Location: Rye, East Sussex, UK

Re: Restoration

Post by Cliff4WD »

Progress has slowed somewhat for a variety of reasons but got back on it today.
Since the weather is changing, temp falling and getting wet, I've missed my window to get the bulkhead painted. I keep changing my mind about colour too (currently thinking green) so I've decided to put that aside and press on with mechanicals. However, it has been playing on my mind that I haven't confirmed the bulkhead still fits after everything that has been done to it, so first things first and fix the bulkhead in place on the chassis.

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Well thank heavens for that, bolts line up perfectly and it bolts straight on. Now, do the doors fit and does everything line up?

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Phew, now that is a weight off my mind and I have to say, I feel quite chuffed with myself.

Obviously this is just a loose fit and I'll have to fettle and make sure the shut lines are just right. But I now know the body lines all line up and the roof should sit on the screen correctly, etc.

So having gotten that worry out of the way, time to turn my attention to the front axle. Things look quite untidy with surface rust although I think things are basically quite sound. Time to get the wheels off then.

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Unbolted the prop from the diff.

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The Hooke's joint seems fine as is the cardan at the other end. So looks like I can take prop rebuild off my to-do list.

There is some play in the right front wheel so probably needs new bearings, otherwise, things look ok. I'll strip down and further and get a better assessment.

So far then, things not looking too bad. I want to get the springs off as well as the axle and steering components and have a good clean up. I'm thinking media blasting although wire brushing might be sufficient. Trouble with blasting is getting all to a blaster and the cost of course. Lot of work though with a wire wheel.

There is a lot of backlash in the diff so I need to investigate that and the shaft splines. First off, I need to get a 52mm hub nut socket or nothing much is going to happen very fast!
Cliff

1981 109 V8 Stage 1
2000 Discovery 2 Td5

109 V8: viewtopic.php?f=6&t=2161
My Disco Thread: http://www.thed2boysclub.co.uk/viewtopi ... =3&t=58130

LAND ROVER. TURNING OWNERS INTO PAUPERS FOR 70 YEARS
disco2hse
Posts: 1637
Joined: Sun Apr 27, 2008 3:51 am
Location: Auckland NZ

Re: Restoration

Post by disco2hse »

Get a socket from your plumbers' merchant.

About colours, and given the amount of effort you have gone to in making this pretty near new perfect, why aren't you looking at the original colour charts?
Alan

1983 ex-army FFR 109 Stage 1
2005 Disco 2 HSE TD5
Cliff4WD
Posts: 303
Joined: Fri Aug 10, 2018 2:39 pm
Location: Rye, East Sussex, UK

Re: Restoration

Post by Cliff4WD »

The original colour chart looked so dated that I started thinking about a more current Defender colour. However, I don't want it to look like a Defender so have come back around to thinking that a more original colour would be better. I'm pretty much settled on a dark Bronze Green at the moment, possibly with white roof and wheels.
Cliff

1981 109 V8 Stage 1
2000 Discovery 2 Td5

109 V8: viewtopic.php?f=6&t=2161
My Disco Thread: http://www.thed2boysclub.co.uk/viewtopi ... =3&t=58130

LAND ROVER. TURNING OWNERS INTO PAUPERS FOR 70 YEARS
disco2hse
Posts: 1637
Joined: Sun Apr 27, 2008 3:51 am
Location: Auckland NZ

Re: Restoration

Post by disco2hse »

Another way of thinking about it, is that colour trends go in cycles. Won't be long before 80's pastels are back in style :lol:
Alan

1983 ex-army FFR 109 Stage 1
2005 Disco 2 HSE TD5
Cliff4WD
Posts: 303
Joined: Fri Aug 10, 2018 2:39 pm
Location: Rye, East Sussex, UK

Re: Restoration

Post by Cliff4WD »

Got the front brake drums off yesterday to start brake and axle inspection. Seems the shoes and cylinders must have been replaced for MOT before it was sold to the PO, all looked new and very little mileage on them. There is a bit of a leak from one cylinder so I'll need to sort that but otherwise, seems ok.

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The slight play I felt moving the front RH hub back and forth seems to have gone now the drum is off, so have to work out why that is. My real concern now is the amount of backlash in the diff. I have no idea how much is typical but I guess I should do the job properly now I'm there and pull the shafts out and have a good look at the splines, etc.
Cliff

1981 109 V8 Stage 1
2000 Discovery 2 Td5

109 V8: viewtopic.php?f=6&t=2161
My Disco Thread: http://www.thed2boysclub.co.uk/viewtopi ... =3&t=58130

LAND ROVER. TURNING OWNERS INTO PAUPERS FOR 70 YEARS
User avatar
Geoff
Posts: 599
Joined: Sat Oct 29, 2011 2:21 am
Location: Leicester UK

Re: Restoration

Post by Geoff »

The original colour chart looked so dated that I started thinking about a more current Defender colour. However, I don't want it to look like a Defender so have come back around to thinking that a more original colour would be better. I'm pretty much settled on a dark Bronze Green at the moment, possibly with white roof and wheels.
That's the colour scheme one of mine is at the moment, if you want to see what it looks like, though it's not actually Dark Bronze Green but a slightly darker green, possibly a later Defender colour - respray by the PO - I couldn't identify it exactly and had to have some paint mixed when I wanted some to touch up some paintwork, but I think it may be close enough to what you have in mind:

ImageUntitled by Geoff172, on Flickr

(There are some other pics of it too scattered among my flickr Photostream)
2 1981 Stage One 109 V8 SWs
Image
Cliff4WD
Posts: 303
Joined: Fri Aug 10, 2018 2:39 pm
Location: Rye, East Sussex, UK

Re: Restoration

Post by Cliff4WD »

That looks pretty good Geoff, yes, a dark green is the way I'm swaying. Who'd have thought deciding the colour would be so bloomin difficult :lol:
Last edited by Cliff4WD on Fri Nov 01, 2019 1:09 am, edited 1 time in total.
Cliff

1981 109 V8 Stage 1
2000 Discovery 2 Td5

109 V8: viewtopic.php?f=6&t=2161
My Disco Thread: http://www.thed2boysclub.co.uk/viewtopi ... =3&t=58130

LAND ROVER. TURNING OWNERS INTO PAUPERS FOR 70 YEARS
Cliff4WD
Posts: 303
Joined: Fri Aug 10, 2018 2:39 pm
Location: Rye, East Sussex, UK

Re: Restoration

Post by Cliff4WD »

Quick update. I've pressed on with front axle refurb and stripped down. Axle and springs are all off and I've cleaned and oiled the chassis.

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Obviously already having a galvanised chassis makes a massive difference. Mine is in absolutely great shape and seems completely unaffected by the years it has already been on the vehicle. Apart from a superficial layer of white zinc oxide, it is as good as the day it was originally fitted. I wire brushed the surface and then painted on a layer of clean old engine oil to give an additional layer of protection.

Of course, before I got to the chassis I had to remove the front axle and springs. All pretty standard stuff really, just stripped down methodically removing hubs, half shafts...

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the final drive unit (aka differential)...

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Steering relay, track and drag rods...

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and then leaf springs allowing the axle case to come away...

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Next job is to clean up and refurb the springs (maybe replace if needed, but hopefully they're still servicable).
Cliff

1981 109 V8 Stage 1
2000 Discovery 2 Td5

109 V8: viewtopic.php?f=6&t=2161
My Disco Thread: http://www.thed2boysclub.co.uk/viewtopi ... =3&t=58130

LAND ROVER. TURNING OWNERS INTO PAUPERS FOR 70 YEARS
disco2hse
Posts: 1637
Joined: Sun Apr 27, 2008 3:51 am
Location: Auckland NZ

Re: Restoration

Post by disco2hse »

Do you have access to a spring setter with a forge? Be a good opportunity to have them reset.
Alan

1983 ex-army FFR 109 Stage 1
2005 Disco 2 HSE TD5
Cliff4WD
Posts: 303
Joined: Fri Aug 10, 2018 2:39 pm
Location: Rye, East Sussex, UK

Re: Restoration

Post by Cliff4WD »

Following on, it was leaf spring refurb day.
This is a dirty horrible job and quite frankly, if I wasn't trying to do as much as possible myself, and keeping costs comtrolled, I'd just buy new springs. However, I don't think mine are anywhere near as old as the vehicle itself as I suspect that they were previously replaced when the vehicle was rebuilt on the galvanised chassis. I only have the engine rebuild date to go by (1996) so can only assume the entire vehicle was rebuilt at that time: so springs will now be 23 years old. The bushes are rock solid but there is a lot of surface rust.
I began the first spring by removing the centre pin and then opening the riveted clamps so that I could separate out the individual leaves...

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It was then a case of mounting each leaf in my bench vice one at a time...

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and cleaning each one with a wire brush (on my angle grinder)...

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Much later, after a lot of filthy work, I had a set of relatively clean leaves that I then painted over with some Jenolite to treat residual rust deposits...

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So that's it for now, next step is reassemble and lube the spring and the decide if I have the will and patience for another 3!
Cliff

1981 109 V8 Stage 1
2000 Discovery 2 Td5

109 V8: viewtopic.php?f=6&t=2161
My Disco Thread: http://www.thed2boysclub.co.uk/viewtopi ... =3&t=58130

LAND ROVER. TURNING OWNERS INTO PAUPERS FOR 70 YEARS
Cliff4WD
Posts: 303
Joined: Fri Aug 10, 2018 2:39 pm
Location: Rye, East Sussex, UK

Re: Restoration

Post by Cliff4WD »

disco2hse wrote: Fri Nov 01, 2019 12:50 am Do you have access to a spring setter with a forge? Be a good opportunity to have them reset.
I don't think they are in need of reset. I could send them all off to Jones Springs here in UK for the full refurb treatment, but quite frankly, if I go to that expense then I'd buy new from them. As far as I can tell, they are in good shape with just some surface corrosion, so hopefully the effort involved in cleaning them and rust treating will be worthwhile and sufficient. It's just a case of how much stamina I actually have for this kind of monotonous and tedious work; it is absolutely filthy!
Cliff

1981 109 V8 Stage 1
2000 Discovery 2 Td5

109 V8: viewtopic.php?f=6&t=2161
My Disco Thread: http://www.thed2boysclub.co.uk/viewtopi ... =3&t=58130

LAND ROVER. TURNING OWNERS INTO PAUPERS FOR 70 YEARS
Cliff4WD
Posts: 303
Joined: Fri Aug 10, 2018 2:39 pm
Location: Rye, East Sussex, UK

Re: Restoration

Post by Cliff4WD »

I'll be sorting out the swivel housings and swivels next and then I think I'm going to convert to disc brakes using the Zeus conversion kit. If anyone has anything to advise on the brake conversion then I'd be happy to listen. I've read a fair bit on the subject but it seems like the Zeus kit is straight forward and well worth doing. I intend to up the BHP of the V8 in due course so braking is a pretty important consideration.
Cliff

1981 109 V8 Stage 1
2000 Discovery 2 Td5

109 V8: viewtopic.php?f=6&t=2161
My Disco Thread: http://www.thed2boysclub.co.uk/viewtopi ... =3&t=58130

LAND ROVER. TURNING OWNERS INTO PAUPERS FOR 70 YEARS
Cliff4WD
Posts: 303
Joined: Fri Aug 10, 2018 2:39 pm
Location: Rye, East Sussex, UK

Re: Restoration

Post by Cliff4WD »

Things have really slowed up what with the winter weather and illness. I have both front springs refurbed...
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...and have the front axle and swivels stripped down.

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Progress has stalled for the moment and Christmas will keep me from doing much more until the new year. I'm currently contemplating how to proceed with the swivels. I'm tempted to replace the swivel balls as there are a few small areas where the chrome has gone, then again, it doesn't look so serious that it will be a problem. The cost of the replacements available make it a very expensive refurb if it is not strictly necessary. The seals and the top swivel pins (king pins) need to be replaced for sure. I'll probably rebuild the swivel balls with new bearings and seals and leave it at that.
I've not determined if I need to rebuild the diff as well yet, but that is another job on the to-do list.
I've also pretty much decided to upgrade to front disc brakes which is another big chunk of money and I'll have to change the wheels too in order to accommodate the callipers.

Roll on the new year and some better weather so I can get cracking again.
Cliff

1981 109 V8 Stage 1
2000 Discovery 2 Td5

109 V8: viewtopic.php?f=6&t=2161
My Disco Thread: http://www.thed2boysclub.co.uk/viewtopi ... =3&t=58130

LAND ROVER. TURNING OWNERS INTO PAUPERS FOR 70 YEARS
disco2hse
Posts: 1637
Joined: Sun Apr 27, 2008 3:51 am
Location: Auckland NZ

Re: Restoration

Post by disco2hse »

Diff is the same as the Rangie Classic :)

V8Alligator is the man to talk to.
Alan

1983 ex-army FFR 109 Stage 1
2005 Disco 2 HSE TD5
Cliff4WD
Posts: 303
Joined: Fri Aug 10, 2018 2:39 pm
Location: Rye, East Sussex, UK

Re: Restoration

Post by Cliff4WD »

Yep, that's the fella V8Alligator. I have his website bookmarked and the various goodies in the basket.
Cliff

1981 109 V8 Stage 1
2000 Discovery 2 Td5

109 V8: viewtopic.php?f=6&t=2161
My Disco Thread: http://www.thed2boysclub.co.uk/viewtopi ... =3&t=58130

LAND ROVER. TURNING OWNERS INTO PAUPERS FOR 70 YEARS
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