Got around to painting the grill

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Decided that driving the Freelander 2 would be even nicer if I have a set of arm rests on the front seats. So bought a middle one. Okay, but looks a little out of place. So the original ones on each back rest, are so much nicer. But since our car is a SE i6, no arm rests.
I then looked into partslists, and they can be bought but not installed as the metal frames inside the back rests are different.
So bought a set of second hand HSE back rests from the UK, and took the seats out of our car, and pulled the front seats completely apart to the very last bit.
The UK sourced HSE back rest metal frames were then used as new bases, and I transferred every single bit over: motor, gears, lumbar support, wires, airbag, springs, sprung back support, head rest support, lumbar knobs and so on. Only took me some 30 hours as I cleaned up all parts and made sure they are ready for another two decades of service. I also renewed the leather tension system from old steel wire, to the newer nylon string system, which is extremely easy to use, rather than the steel wires.
Just finished reinstalling it all and into the car. Put be "new" arm rest on, and the look and work the part. Now I need to recolor them to Alpaca Beige. That's another job for tomorrow.

Kind regards,
Redfox.

Last edited by Redfox on 4th Aug 2024 9:49 am. Edited 1 time in total

Had a pleasant trip up to Bell Engineering for a new diff, nice walk around Bewdley and an artery clogging full English at the river side cafe while Austen worked his magic on the noisy diff.
A few hours later picked a fully serviced haldex with a lovely quite diff for the journey home.

Decided that the ignition coils and spark plug hats were old, while working 100%, but 17 years is probably a good time to renew them, so went to Land Rover and got 6 new ones and 6 new quality NGK plugs, FoMoCo marked for sale through Land Rover. Not the silly Bosch low quality plugs I recently bought, and that misfired every now and then.
Easy peasy to install and everything spins. I can feel the gaskets are new and seal optimally.







Kind regards,
Redfox

Changed timing belt+pulleys+tensioner+water pump.
I have a question.....
Why does the crankshaft timing belt pulley have play between itself and the Woodruff key ?
I've worked in engineering ( mills,lathes and all things machining metal ) all my working life,
Key ways have always been a sliding fit, I know about offset keys etc
Surely the clearance between key and slot is a bad thing as the thing that stops them moving ( once timing pins are taken out ) is the extreme torque applied to the stretch bolt holding the pulleys against each other holding them onto the crankshaft.

Replaced a dead bonnet sensor, but unfortunately with a crap chinese one, so bent it, cut it and it's now
working.
Also installed a new Muddy Mods air filter box drain valve. Works well. Let's hope this is also valid when under water or flooded.

Kind regards,
Redfox.

Alana and I have a weekend of socialising and offroading coming up. So I got the car onto the run up ramps.

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I did a engine oil change and air filter change, second this year, change them at least twice a year, irrespective of how miles are covered, which is no more than 6,000 per year anyways.
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Special I made up to reach the daft oil filter.
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5.5ltr taken out.
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same returned. S&L used they are my fluids of choice for my cars.
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Air filter replaced also after 4 months.
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Should be ok until next sprung now, I'm little early this time round usually later September early October.

Onto now doing the belts, fuel filter, and glow plugs. MY07 TD4 manual

Then the MY14 Ork SD4 Auto

Today I finally got round to changing the air ducting to turbo from the early flute type, to the later type without the flutes, never worked out what those flutes where for anyone know, some sort of catch tank maybe ?

The later type air duct has been in my shed for over 15 months it was a to do job, now done.

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Managed to get a photo of the turbo fins while doing the job.
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Took it for an MOT which it passed with no advisories

Quote:

NeilTD4

Took it for an MOT which it passed with no advisories

[quote]

Hi Neil
Congrats on your pass, snap took mine today also passed no advisories, well chuffed.
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Think the flutes are for resonance sound damping. 
Hung like Einstein, smart as a horse.

Well, that was a result.

After a long trip down to Cornwall and back, I thought the whine at the back of the car was the diff giving out. So I did all my research on Austen and Bell, got ready to shell out the £700 odd to have the diff exchanged. However, before I did so I recalled that my friendly local mechanic (old school, very good), had recommended that I change brake pads and discs within the next 2k miles when he serviced the i6 in late June.

Along I went and asked Mark to also look at the diff to confirm my diagnosis. We had a discussion about chassis ears - neither he nor I had heard of them. Anyway, he calls to say not the diff but the n/s wheel bearing. Huge sigh of relief this end.

So I ended up spending some £700 on new discs and pads, new handbrake shoe and cable, as well as a new wheel bearing. Tim

Freelander 2 HSE i6 Stornoway Grey with Alpaca & Tundra interior
Driven many miles in:
2 FL2s
1 Range Rover P38
4 Range Rover Classics
Many military LWB & 1/2 ton Lightweight Series IIA & III