Another Land Rover Series Thread

[mjrose78]

Rather than clogging up warch's and matt_the_cat's interesting and much more competent land rover threads, I thought I should write my own.

 

 

All those entering this thread should be aware that my series is still in 1000 pieces at the time of writing and only a slipping target completion date provides indicative certainty that all shall be restored to a single functioning item.

 

 

I shall start at the beginning, some 10 months ago.  After missing out on eavb's banana'd series advertised on here I was on the trawl for a series project. The subsequent 10 minute Facebook marketplace hunt identified a single nearby example, which obviously I bought. This turned out to have a frilly chassis, pitted swivels, and skillfully wobbed bulkhead & radiator grill.  Only 2 of these issues were really noted on initial inspection! On the plus side the non standard 2.5d na was strong, the gearbox and OD were good, and it was all there. In hindsight I kidded myself that the chassis could be repaired enough to drive it for a year or so before committing to full rebuild. It was not to be.

 

 

 

However, there was a brief honeymoon period where it came home, got roughly welded (rear spring hangers), the top was removed and it trundled round the lanes at 20 mph, seeing what fell off. Bliss. Briefly. 

 

 

However I knew the front spring hangers were bad, but removing the wings and having a proper dig yielded wob in the front chassis rails (!!!). So that was it, I was committed. 

 

 

 

 

Sent from my VOG-L29 using Tapatalk

 

 

[mjrose78]

First job was the front axle. And what a heavy bastard it is. I should have dismantled it more before attempting to move. Some grunting got the rusty bugger into the shed for inspection.



Dissambly found everything was pretty much knackered, leaked upon, or properly manky. New swivels, bearings, and full brake kit was ordered. Reassembly and shimming was basic but time consuming but everything seemed to go back OK and at least ended up shinier than it was.



Interestingly I had a bolt that wouldn't torque up and on removal had necked. First time I've seen that and has got me worried about the others! 



Sent from my VOG-L29 using Tapatalk

[Landy Mann]

1 hour ago, mjrose78 said:

 turned out to have a frilly chassis, pitted swivels, and skillfully wobbed bulkhead & radiator grill. 

 

I have got a spare grill panel that is generally good (obviously a little rust) can get photos if interested. Its an earlier one that houses the lights as well. 

I don't have a price on mind but £cheaper than eBay!

[Landy Mann]

Not seen a bolt do that before!

[mjrose78]

I have got a spare grill panel that is generally good (obviously a little rust) can get photos if interested. Its an earlier one that houses the lights as well. 
I don't have a price on mind but £cheaper than eBay!

Thanks Landy Mann but I'm already sorted. I sourced an excellent repair panel from Tony @ the welding wood on Facebook.



Sent from my VOG-L29 using Tapatalk

[mjrose78]

A side note on the swivels. They were completely buggered with huge pits and swivel hubs full of muddy grease.



The only replacements available are britpart and are of dubious quality. One of the two that I ordered had a death star like canyon, an obvious machining fault. This would have leaked ep90 like a seive. This one was replaced without quibble but does speak volumes on the quality. I doubt they will last like the originals. 




Sent from my VOG-L29 using Tapatalk

[mjrose78]

It was getting colder in the shed by now and I wanted an indoors job, so I switched onto the wiring loom. This was probably salvageable but given how deep I was as this point I thought it was better replaced.  This was about the worst bit - the cause of visible smoke and sparks when started with the wings off!



High quality replacement looms are available from autosparks, but come unlabelled. Hence this marathon session with the manual and labeller on the living room floor!



The instrument panel also needed some love, which was duly administered.





Sent from my VOG-L29 using Tapatalk

[mjrose78]

Meanwhile further stripping and chopping left behind this sorry state in the garage.



Judging by the tree like rings of steel on some chassis sections, it's lived quite the life this s2a. 



This further digging also reinforced my decision to go down a new chassis route.



Sent from my VOG-L29 using Tapatalk

[spartacus]

Gulp, I'm guessing a new chassis won't be cheap, are there different options?

[mjrose78]

Gulp, I'm guessing a new chassis won't be cheap, are there different options?

There are few different suppliers for chassis. I've gone for a Richards chassis but they all seem to have their pluses and minus'. You're looking at £2k min for chassis but a swap is going to be £3k plus by the time you add in fixings, and sorting out arising issues along the way!

The positive aspect of this, is that there seems to be a minimum value for a galvanised chassis series, so hopefully it's not a fools errand!

Sent from my VOG-L29 using Tapatalk

[mjrose78]

Next up was the rear axle. The strengthening pieces had a couple of decent sized holes in so they were chopped out. In hope of being able to repair rather than replace.



However this turned into a puzzle as it seems the pieces were fitted without drain holes, water had got in and rotted them from the inside out. Why no hole!?

This made the problem worse as the axle case underneath the inner piece had holed too.



Both strengthening pieces had to come off to repair. I welded in a patch to the axle casing then fitted new pieces. I wish I had done something differently here as I reckon my weld (still learning!) will have some pin holes in and therefore leak ep90 from the axle. It's going to a pain to fix again, as I'll have to take the strengthening pieces off again! Gah. Oh well I'll call it done until it does leak. 





Whilst I was in there everything was refreshed. New cylinders, shoes, bearings etc. Which left me with this pair.



Sent from my VOG-L29 using Tapatalk

[mjrose78]

As a side note to front axle story a few posts up: The driveshaft universal joints were utterly buggered. Like needle bearings floating around in the bottom of the swivel casing buggered. Fortunately I had been running around with the front hubs freewheeling so miraculously the axle shafts themselves were fine.

Replacing the UJs is a bit of a chew on, as to get the caps off, you need to weld some threaded bar onto the cap and use a socket and nut to pull the cap out. The bearing lands on the shafts also needed replacing, which involves angle grinding, heat and luck! Unfortunately I didn't take any photos of all of this as it was an irratating rather than enjoyable job. However these are the drive shafts skulking around background, ready for new UJs.




Sent from my VOG-L29 using Tapatalk

[warch]

This is an excellent thread, and a good basis for what will surely be a really well sorted Land Rover when finished. 

The 2.5 D would probably be my preferred engine conversion for an Series Land Rover, especially as it is basically the same engine as the old 2286cc with the timing belt driving the pump (I have another thread going on my dad's Series III diesel which has had pump timing issues). The later pump design is much better and more reliable.

I am most impressed that you somehow managed to move a front axle and springs without apparently dismantling it into its component parts, they are enormously heavy iirc.  

 

[mjrose78]

This is an excellent thread, and a good basis for what will surely be a really well sorted Land Rover when finished. 
The 2.5 D would probably be my preferred engine conversion for an Series Land Rover, especially as it is basically the same engine as the old 2286cc with the timing belt driving the pump (I have another thread going on my dad's Series III diesel which has had pump timing issues). The later pump design is much better and more reliable.
I am most impressed that you somehow managed to move a front axle and springs without apparently dismantling it into its component parts, they are enormously heavy iirc.  
 

Thanks Warch. I hope that the series does indeed end up sorted. I don't want a show queen, but something reliable and usable would be ideal!

The 2.5d does seem to suit the series. Good low down torque and no on boost, off boost behaviour to worry about. It'll do 55mph happily with the OD - that'll do for me!

When I collected the land rover, the engine conversion hadn't been properly finished and the engine was directly resting on the offside engine mount via the injection pump. I sorted this straight away and it still ran sweetly after, but still, I hope there isnt a cracked spindle in the pump waiting to spin into a 1000 pieces!

I nearly broke myself and a 3 tonne Jack shifting that axle around. I must have been subconsciously hoping it didn't need stripped!!! Mental, given the state of it.

Sent from my VOG-L29 using Tapatalk