Geoffers
15th Nov 2009, 18:36
Having reached the age of 60 I enterred a mid life crisis. ~Decision - Either buy an old motor bike or an old Land Rover. As I am on this forum its obvious which way I went.
The monster is a 1974 series three diesel. She has an MOT till next year and it appears to have been made of bits in that its blue in some places and green in others. The good news about it is that it is sat a new chasis which was allegedly put under the vehicle two years ago. One potential headache out of the way.
It would overheat after a three mile run. It smoked like Battersea power stationon tick over, bit of interior heat would be nice and there is a dely between switching something on and then things happening. I think there is some delving to be done.
Anyway I tackled the overherating - thought stuck thermostat. After a considerable anount of heat from a blow lamp I eventually got the three thermostat housing screws out. There was a thermostat in it so to speak except that some intelligent owner before me appears to have taken the hose of the thermostat housing a ceremoniously battered the thermostat with a chisel until they had knocked a way through it. Replaced the thermostat and it made no difference. Thought the radiator was blocked. Replaced the radiator - no difference. Drastic measures next. Thermostat removed, old radiator put back in and heater bypassed. Then £1.50s worth of caustic soda from local shop and a run down ther road. Temperature went up and then dropped down to just above cold. Took the rad cap off and extracted a clod of earth from the header tank which had green growth on it still. This must have been attached in the cylinder head somewhere. Left the caustic soda in for another couple of days before draining. Everything replaced and it seems to have cured the problem
Smoking Diesel - easy cure in the end. New timing chain brought the timing marks back to where they should be and now no smoke on tickover and slight smoke when pulling.
Next is the heater and electrics.
Life is never boring with a Land Rover on the drive.
More later
Geoff
The monster is a 1974 series three diesel. She has an MOT till next year and it appears to have been made of bits in that its blue in some places and green in others. The good news about it is that it is sat a new chasis which was allegedly put under the vehicle two years ago. One potential headache out of the way.
It would overheat after a three mile run. It smoked like Battersea power stationon tick over, bit of interior heat would be nice and there is a dely between switching something on and then things happening. I think there is some delving to be done.
Anyway I tackled the overherating - thought stuck thermostat. After a considerable anount of heat from a blow lamp I eventually got the three thermostat housing screws out. There was a thermostat in it so to speak except that some intelligent owner before me appears to have taken the hose of the thermostat housing a ceremoniously battered the thermostat with a chisel until they had knocked a way through it. Replaced the thermostat and it made no difference. Thought the radiator was blocked. Replaced the radiator - no difference. Drastic measures next. Thermostat removed, old radiator put back in and heater bypassed. Then £1.50s worth of caustic soda from local shop and a run down ther road. Temperature went up and then dropped down to just above cold. Took the rad cap off and extracted a clod of earth from the header tank which had green growth on it still. This must have been attached in the cylinder head somewhere. Left the caustic soda in for another couple of days before draining. Everything replaced and it seems to have cured the problem
Smoking Diesel - easy cure in the end. New timing chain brought the timing marks back to where they should be and now no smoke on tickover and slight smoke when pulling.
Next is the heater and electrics.
Life is never boring with a Land Rover on the drive.
More later
Geoff