Starter motor issues sorted

After the poor engagement of the bendix on the starter motor since having the car, the inevitable happened with nothing happening when the key was turned, apart from a click of the relay inside the car.

Not making any assumptions,  the battery was checked, followed by the fuses and finally the voltage at the motor itself.

I was expecting to find the starter broken, but the reason for not starting was the spade connector on the white lead from the ignition had come off the starter motors stud.   The reason it came off was the starter moter was not bolted down, with all 3 bolt wound out about 10mm, causing movement which worked the push fit connector loose.  The bolts being loose also explains the reason for the noise upon starting.

Lead pushed back on and bolts wound in and it starts again with no noise and much quicker.  As there are no spring washers on the bolts I fitted some to stop it happening again.

The next job will be to fit a new turbo heat shield, which I found laying on top of the starter motor.  The endless joy of owning a Land Rover is there is always something to do.

Devon 4x4 twin battery tray installed

The latest eBay bargin was a Devon 4x4 twin battery tray,  but for a newer model.

Once in place the holes didn't quite line up where I wanted to place it, but a few minutes with a drill fixed that.  The existing holes we closed off with some blind grommets.

and then the tray was bolted down.

As one of the batteries was taller than the tray was designed for a, spacer was needed between the smaller battery on the right and the clamp bar.  Also a piece of threaded bar was used to replace bolt on the left which was too short.

In all it was 30 minutes well spent. Firstly the battery terminals won't touch the body work and cause a fire, and secondly it will pass scrutineering at the next event.

A bit of extra rubber never goes a miss

Ebay is a wonderful place to pick-up some bargains.  Obtained 5 Boost alloys from a Disco, with 3 good tyres between them.  Also, 5 BFG KM 265 85 mud terrain tyres with a good amount of tread.  Best thing is I only had to travel 20 miles from home to collect them!

Off to the tyre center in the next week or so to play swap the tyres, however I need to get some wheel nuts for the Boosts first.

Rusty cab items replaced

New YRM supplied drivers footwell repair panel installed and U-POL Grey Stripe seam sealer painted ready for painting

OSF outrigger top plated ready for some Hammerite and Dinitrol

OSF outrigger bottom plated ready for some Hammerite and Dinitrol

Reconditioned battery box

In preparation for the welding I removed the ancillary battery from the battery box.  On inspection it looked a bit messy in the bottom of the box so decided to remove both batteries to see if there were and holes.

After clearing the mud, leaves and sticks, followed by a good wash out and wire brushing, it looked very solid.

Quick coat of Hammerite Kurust anti-rust solution and gloss black smooth-rite and it's ready to receive the batteries again.

Next job will be to fit extended grommet tubes to stop water getting in.  These will be a home made solution created from large washers and bicycle inner tube.

New toy

Just been and bought a threaded nut insert tool. Great for putting nuts in hard to reach places, like in the extended seat tubes.

And the finished product.

Few less rusty bits

The grinder has been getting a bit of use today!

Driver footwell

Passenger footwell

Front drivers side outrigger top

Front drivers side outrigger bottom

Rusty bits found so far

Drivers foot well has a good size hole.

And a couple of small holes on the passenger side.

Time to get the welder out!

Bit drafty

Just need to ensure I don't drop the mobile or the insurance claim will me interested.

Well I was driving along and the phone slipped off the seat and fell through the floor!

Gearbox tunnel repair time

Better get outside before mixing this up!

First delivery of items

New drivers side floor and sealing tape arrived from YRM today, along with some electrical wiring loom tape from motorguard and flooring plugs from RST.

Quietening the engine

First, and easiest, upgrade was the transplant of the engine cylinder head sound proofing from the Disco to the Defender.

So what shall we name the Defender?

The favorable option at the moment is 'Joe' as in Joe90.

However, if you follow the link the UK website is http://www.bigrat.co.uk/ after the Rat Trap.  Looking at the state of the paintwork, combined with the external cage, 'Rat' or 'Rat Trap' seem more apt at the moment.

Is this the start of the end for my bank balance

So after many years of owning Discovery's I have finally upgraded, depending on your point of view, to buy what many people think as the iconic off-roader, the Land Rover 90.

The full spec of the Defender is <Click to access spec>