 | Home > My Defender > My 1994 300Tdi SW |
 
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| Rosco Member Since: 03 Dec 2010 Location: Burntwood Posts: 1804   
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Some cracking work their Donald.
All the effort on the little details will be more than worth it once it's done. 2007 - Stornoway Grey 90 XS SW - Gone 2002 - Black Discovery II - Gone 2014 - Montalcino Red 110 XS SW |
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31st Dec 2019 10:12am |
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| Fatbaron Member Since: 12 Mar 2016 Location: Devon Posts: 297
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Lovely colour and great work there mate.
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31st Dec 2019 10:39am |
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| donmacn Member Since: 07 Nov 2017 Location: Nth Scotland Posts: 1829 |
Here we go again then - let’s see where this next episode takes us...
Before I start though, I came across another couple of photos very relevant to fitting out the new doors. The first – this shows genuine, and non-genuine exterior waist seals. Can you tell which is which?  Click image to enlarge For me, the pattern vs genuine parts debate will always have shades of grey – sometimes cheaper stuff is OK, sometimes its not. It seems that for door seals, it has to be genuine. On the same theme – here’s the orginal drivers door handle, followed by the ‘Bearmach’ replacement. Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge Not such good copies then...... I had to change them because I was fitting the larger diameter lock barrels, and they’ve been on the garage shelf so long that I couldn’t send them back. I did get it to work, but it took a lot of trimming with the Dremel. I’m prepared to be told that this my mistake, and that the hole in the door skins has changed dimensions over time – but I don’t think so. Moving on then, it seems the next thing was fitting the subwoofer and the ‘Mud sub’ locker. Audio in a car has always seemed important to me, so why not. This what I started with. The wires coming through the centre panel are for the switches on the cubby box. Click image to enlarge I then had to do a little work to marry up the captive nuts/rivnuts in the panel with the locations in the Mud sub locker. They are standard, but my previous cubby hadn’t used the standard holes. I also cut a hole in the bottom of the locker, lined it with an edge cable protector and attached it (leaving the Wright matting in between). Click image to enlarge Next, fitting the sub woofer itself and cutting the same hole in the top of the locker, so that the switch cables could go through into the cubby. Click image to enlarge Then putting the cubby and ‘locker’ lid together. I put some wood slats in between so that the sub had some airspace to work into, rather than firing directly into the bottom of the cubby. As it comes, the locker lid has 4 x 5mm bolts into captive nuts in each corner. Given the height of mine overall, and the leverage involved, I added an extra ‘rivnut’ half way along each side, just for rigidity and peace of mind. I have to say it’s been absolutely fine. Click image to enlarge Finished result. It looks very high, but in reality it’s more or less OK. I think I might lower it a little by fitting thinner wooden battens between the bottom of the cubby and the sub locker, and also by replacing my dodgy home-made top cushion with something professional and thinner. Or I might just try DIY again, but using something like camping mat offcuts. Click image to enlarge You can fairly hear the sub when it’s working – it adds a lot to the music quality – along with the new speakers fitted to the front of the car – of which more shortly. Next thing was to fit a vinyl/leather cover onto the dash top and make the cut-outs for tweeter speakers. The original cover was faded and grubby and had developed the usual splits where the ash-tray goes. Click image to enlarge This was actually a bit of a PITA. Although I had help to do it, and followed the instructions closely, the glue seemed to delaminate the vinyl cover from its thin layer of backing foam. We had to take it off more or less completely, remove the foam – now all sticky and damp – and refit the vinyl itself. Having said that, the finished result gives none of that away, it’s really neat. I also decided to do away with the ashtray. It had only ever been a storage space for loose screws and things. Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge Next thing then was fitting a ‘Raptor’ console into the dash. I’d umm’d and aah’d about this for a while. I wasn’t so keen on anything so ‘bulky’ in the front, but on the other hand I really didn’t like the idea of any ‘pods’ with gauges sitting on top of the dash. As I said a couple of posts ago, I’d also had to source a new lower dash/heater duct. The original had disintegrated at the lower offside corner. Should have fixed those leaks earlier.... So – measure twice, mark and cut. First the foam came off Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge Then the metalwork behind Click image to enlarge Then, while the dash was out and in bits, I decided to “silent coat” the inside. It’s not really surprising, but it’s a real sound-tunnel – acting as a drum for any noise coming off the bulkhead. I’d done this on the previous one about 12 or 13 years ago and it had more or less stayed in place and not blocked any of the vents or inlets, so this time I’m happy it’ll be OK, but I kept it well clear of vents and openings just in case. Click image to enlarge Back on with the Raptor console then - I put the lower dash/duct back into the car. The wiring for the subwoofer was run under the transmission tunnel matting, and up behind the fuse box. I’ve also made a neater job of connecting the audio than in the past – splicing in a couple of ISO connectors which saves space, but also makes any future changes easier. Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge And here’s the finished result: Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge I’ve put a small fuse box in there, supplied from the passenger seat battery box, and a combined earth point, just to keep things neater. This will power what’s there at the moment, and also the dashcam whenever I get around to recovering the headliner panels. As you can see I relocated the fuel gauge and clock (to make room for a ‘Madman’, a tacho, and a boost gauge in the original dash – which is also a Raptor one – a special order one to fit the madman gauge. Click image to enlarge The original console was cracked and creaking, so this is a much nicer thing. I’m also really pleased with the new hazard switch. I never liked the location down by my knee – not the easiest thing to find if you needed to. That’ll do for now.... watch this space. Donald 1994 Defender 300Tdi 110 SW - owned since 2002 - 230k miles and going strong (The 'rolling restoration' or tinkering thread: http://www.defender2.net/forum/topic58538.html ) 2000 Range Rover P38 4.0L V8 in the past.. RR classic - fitted with 200Tdi 1984 RR classic - V8 with ZF auto box 1993 Discovery 300Tdi not to mention the minis and the Type 2 VW camper... |
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5th Jan 2020 7:41pm |
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| Retroanaconda Member Since: 04 Jan 2012 Location: Scotland Posts: 2547 
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Looks great - paintwork is fabulous.
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5th Jan 2020 10:02pm |
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| L110CDL Member Since: 31 Oct 2015 Location: Devon Posts: 10502 
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Some good stuff going on there Donald and i love that tidy battery box
 1996 Golf Blue 300Tdi 110 Pick up. Keeper.
Clayton. |
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5th Jan 2020 10:29pm |
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| Co1 Member Since: 19 Aug 2018 Location: North Yorkshire Posts: 3616 
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Busy day there! Nice work.
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6th Jan 2020 7:06am |
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| Fatbaron Member Since: 12 Mar 2016 Location: Devon Posts: 297
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Really nice job mate.
Any problems with the gear stick hitting the Raptor dash? |
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6th Jan 2020 8:44am |
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| donmacn Member Since: 07 Nov 2017 Location: Nth Scotland Posts: 1829 |
Hi folks,
Cold, wet, snowy day here - so at long-last time to try and start bringing this thread up to date. It’s strange looking back at the pics and thinking we’ve been under the Covid shadow for most of the last year – and the thread was out of date even back in January 2020. But to start where I left off Fatbaron asked about the gearstick and the Raptor console. Now that I’ve been living with it for a while, the answer is a qualified ‘not really’. For me, I barely notice it. I think the issue isn’t so much with the stick itself, but the hand on the gearknob. I probably hold my hand a little differently sub-consciously. When my wife drives the car (I think she feels she has to force the lever into gear!) we’ll occasionally get the rear wiper coming on... Worth mentioning that there is a ‘slickshift’ fitted. It might be different if not. But it’s enough of an issue that I bought a second stick. I just need to find someone who can put a couple of kinks into it. I tried in the vice and that was a ‘no’. Or I might just buy one of those cheapy extension fittings on ebay. I think lifting the gear knob even an inch or so would help. Back to the new work... fitting the new rear floor I set about covering it up/soundproofing. The original rubber/foam sandwich stuff that I’d fitted way back in the early days of my ownership was still in pretty good nick. Too good to throw away, so I put that back on in most places. Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge I also fitted some grey PVC edging on this sub-layer. I assume I did have good reasons for this... but memory fails as we get older... I think the idea was probably to hold any dust or moisture at that level. Click image to enlarge Then it was on with the top layer – Wright Off road soundproofing sheets, to match what’s in the front. Chequer plate is the way it comes.... Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge It got a little more complicated doing the upright sections. Click image to enlarge And then the more-or-less finished result. I think I might have gone a little OCD with the edging strips.... Obviously on this layer they are there to protect the cut edges when putting stuff in/out of the boot. Click image to enlarge All of this does make a difference to the sound levels in the car, and as I know from the front matting which has been in place for donkey’s years now, the stuff is pretty bomb-proof. The next thing the camera gallery throws up is a little step forward in further prepping for the roof lining repair. Somewhere up above there’s a photo of this section when I took it off. This is the spot where the infamous ‘driver’s knee’ leak comes through. The card had just disintegrated and lost all strength so I cut out a little patch in hardboard and fibreglassed it into place. I was quite pleased with the result. This was when it was freshly done, so some of the edges were tidied afterwards. Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge All positive stuff so far, so let’s balance that with a little bit of the old ‘leaky Defender’ syndrome. I’d had the heated windscreen fitted with a new rubber. All seemed good for a while, but then came a decent downpour, and as we say up here, it was just “pishing in”! Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge Fortunately the leak was easy enough to find. Click image to enlarge At this stage, I tried to tackle this with Cap’n Tolley’s Creeping Crack cure.... And to be fair, it seemed to do the job and I was happy with it for quite a while. I’ll leave it here for now. Not sure how many will still follow or be interested, but it’s always been a way for me to record what I’ve done, and there might be the odd pic or idea that could help others. Donald 1994 Defender 300Tdi 110 SW - owned since 2002 - 230k miles and going strong (The 'rolling restoration' or tinkering thread: http://www.defender2.net/forum/topic58538.html ) 2000 Range Rover P38 4.0L V8 in the past.. RR classic - fitted with 200Tdi 1984 RR classic - V8 with ZF auto box 1993 Discovery 300Tdi not to mention the minis and the Type 2 VW camper... |
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5th Feb 2021 2:07pm |
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| donmacn Member Since: 07 Nov 2017 Location: Nth Scotland Posts: 1829 |
On a roll here, so might as well keep going.
I put a ‘teaser’ in a while ago showing this: Click image to enlarge That is the engine, pulled, drained and stripped, wrapped on its pallet and about to be sent off to Turners for a wee rebuild. This was about December 2019 and it came back January 2020 or thereabouts. I didn’t do the engine out/back in work myself. I’d never done such a thing before, and didn’t fancy learning on a newly-rebuilt engine. I was there throughout though, and learnt a lot, so should there ever be a ‘next time’ I would seriously consider it. Having the car on a ramp though does make all the difference – something I don’t have. Because I wasn’t home, I don’t have too many pics but the engine had done 230,000-odd miles. There was a bit of blow-by past the piston rings, though nothing too bad I don’t think. However I’m sort of preparing the car for some extended camping trips (whenever travel is allowed again!) and I really wanted the peace of mind that came with the rebuild. It went to Turners for a rebuild and the option of the gas-flowed head that they offer. Unfortunately, when the engine came out, it was obvious that the mainshaft(?) from the gearbox was wobbling around like a very wobbly thing. Advice was to get the box rebuilt. Ashcroft box came up while the engine was away. A few other things were done/fitted at this stage: 1)the fuel pump was sent off to Electro-diesel in Exeter for refurb and tweaking. They do a first test that the pump is suitable for tweaking, and then do the job. That first test revealed the pump was running at -15% on standard, which is a significant percentage. The name didn’t mean much to me, but I think the tweaks are close to what “Warwick Banks tuning” was at some point? 2) a Griffin exhaust – lovely, lovely piece of work. 3) a full set of Pioneer stainless/braided/sleeved brake lines 4) LOF power spec clutch, and the Power-master master cylinder. 5) Allard full width intercooler 6) 100 amp alternator (might be 120 - can't remember) So when ‘lockdown’ started I had the car back home, recon engine fitted, tweaked fuel pump, new exhaust and spent the first while taking it easy and running it all in. Even at this stage it was obvious that things were going well, but waiting on the shelf for the end of the running in period was a BAS VNT..... Donald 1994 Defender 300Tdi 110 SW - owned since 2002 - 230k miles and going strong (The 'rolling restoration' or tinkering thread: http://www.defender2.net/forum/topic58538.html ) 2000 Range Rover P38 4.0L V8 in the past.. RR classic - fitted with 200Tdi 1984 RR classic - V8 with ZF auto box 1993 Discovery 300Tdi not to mention the minis and the Type 2 VW camper... Last edited by donmacn on 5th Feb 2021 3:42pm. Edited 1 time in total |
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5th Feb 2021 3:04pm |
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| donmacn Member Since: 07 Nov 2017 Location: Nth Scotland Posts: 1829 |
Right then... bored yet? Sorry!
Another mod I’d been persuaded on at this stage was the Donaldson/Wolf air filter. One step to helping the tweaked engine breathe better. Getting this to fit wasn’t completely straightforward. The first thing was that it’s wider than the original, so the bracket needed to be modified to take it away from the engine a smidge. Click image to enlarge So that took care of the sideways fit, but it was still rattling away on the underneath of the bonnet. It comes with its own fixing brackets and I needed to figure out a way of dropping everything just a cm or so. Simple enough really – out with the dremmel to cut away a section of the bracket mount. Click image to enlarge Then the mounting bolt fits nicely into the new recess. Click image to enlarge Combined, these changes mean the filter sits perfectly in its space. Worth a little bit of effort to get it looking so neat. Click image to enlarge A while before I’d fitted the Madman EMS2 gauge. I’d wired up the temp sensor at the time, but not the EGT. I fitted this to the original turbo, still in place during the running-in period. The guys at BAS had said it was safest to leave the new turbo off during this phase just in case of any swarf from the rebuild that could damage it. Being a Turner rebuild that was maybe unlikely, but it wasn’t any great hassle to wait a bit. The manifold already had the EGR blanking plate fitted, so easy enough to remove that, drill it on the bench and then bend the EGT probe to fit. A bit nerve-wracking bending it that far, but it went without a hitch. Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge No sense doing the engine without looking at the running gear, eh? I had bought some Aschroft torque sensing diffs a while before. The paint finish they come with isn’t great, so I tarted them up a bit – this is an etch primer to cut into the base coat and then there was a top coat onto this. Click image to enlarge The front one’s still to be fitted. I’m going to do a full axle refurb on the front – refurbed swivel housings, ball, Gwyn Lewis HD weld-on diff pan, shot blast and coated casing so it makes sense to wait until then, but the back diff is in place and while I was in the vicinity I fitted one of Gwyn’s extended breathers to the rear axle. This needs a M12 tap to allow the threaded fitting to go in. Click image to enlarge A few posts above (or maybe on another thread) there’s a shot of the oil that came out of the rear diff previously – creamy and horrible, probably due to water ingress through the original, rubbish breather fitting. I certainly wasn’t going to fit an expensive new diff into a leaky axle... Donald 1994 Defender 300Tdi 110 SW - owned since 2002 - 230k miles and going strong (The 'rolling restoration' or tinkering thread: http://www.defender2.net/forum/topic58538.html ) 2000 Range Rover P38 4.0L V8 in the past.. RR classic - fitted with 200Tdi 1984 RR classic - V8 with ZF auto box 1993 Discovery 300Tdi not to mention the minis and the Type 2 VW camper... |
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5th Feb 2021 3:41pm |
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| donmacn Member Since: 07 Nov 2017 Location: Nth Scotland Posts: 1829 |
I’m sure I’ll run out of steam soon.....
Part of the reason for doing all this work in such a lump was ‘lockdown’ – though I’ve been working throughout, there weren’t so many options for doing stuff elsewhere. Also because (funny, in hindsight) I’d started to really look forward to trips this summer (2021). Not convinced how likely that is..... Anyway back to the grindstone... I mentioned I’m planning a front axle refurb. The original, way back when, had corroded to the point where it was easier to fit a replacement. I think that job was done about 2005 at a guess, and I think it was a Td5 casing. Now that replacement is getting on a bit – structurally fine though. I have picked up a Tdi-era casing in very good nick – but Covid means I haven’t been able to chase the welding on of the HD diff pan and then the blasting and coating. In the meantime though I added some new toys underneath. Gwyn Lewis steering bar and track rod with all new ball joints. I also fitted galved (since painted) front radius arms. Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge I took the opportunity to swap over to the Disco style drop arm, this meant removing the original. As is commonplace, it was a bit of a pig to get off. I tried with pullers and all sorts before resorting to the grinder. Only went marginally through onto the splines. Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge I also went round the whole car and fitted a full set of Superpro bushes. Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge I'm aware of the OEM vs poly bush debate, but these are an easy home fit, so let's see what happens. I can say that the car's steering and handling is transformed. Cornering used to involve a committee meeting of assorted, worn bushes all reaching a vague agreement on how they should proceed around the bend.... now it's nice and precise. Donald 1994 Defender 300Tdi 110 SW - owned since 2002 - 230k miles and going strong (The 'rolling restoration' or tinkering thread: http://www.defender2.net/forum/topic58538.html ) 2000 Range Rover P38 4.0L V8 in the past.. RR classic - fitted with 200Tdi 1984 RR classic - V8 with ZF auto box 1993 Discovery 300Tdi not to mention the minis and the Type 2 VW camper... |
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5th Feb 2021 4:14pm |
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| donmacn Member Since: 07 Nov 2017 Location: Nth Scotland Posts: 1829 |
Pressing on! Keen to get to the ‘good stuff’!
I should also say, the pics in this post were taken in July so we are getting there.... This sort of stuff – writing reports etc is part of my day job, so once I get the bit between my teeth I can rattle on. I’ve been meaning to bring this thread up to date for months, so now that I’m here.... There’s a few pics above of the roof lining. It came out to get stripped and prepped for refurbing with new fabric. The board sections had been sitting in the house for months, cleaned, painted in PVA and waiting for the “right day”.... I have no pics (or audio thankfully!) of the re-fabric-ing process. It involved three of us, lots of glue, and not-so-quiet family communication..... The finished results are.... “OK”. I'm certainly happy enough with it, on the basis that when I'm in the car I'm usually looking out of the front window! .... but also because it's better than the dirty old saggy stuff that was there, and finally it's a 25 year old Defender! Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge The contours of the roof panels do not make it easy, particularly where they shape down to accommodate the alpine lights, or the recesses for the sun visors. Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge As the pics show, I also fitted 'MUD' interior lights front and rear. Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge I think I've said elsewhere on here that I thought the red light option might be a bit of a gimmick, but it's actually what I tend to use first. If it's dark enough to need a light, then a gentler red light is a good idea. I like these. I also fitted an internal roll cage - this is a Safety Devices cage for a Puma-era Defender with the rearward hoop shaped to clear the wider 2nd row seats. I don't have those, but it was up for a good price.... Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge Apart from the obvious safety benefits (which I hope never to have to use) this stiffens the car up a bit. The structure of these cars sometimes leaves a little to be desired. With the cage bolted between the top of the B pillar, and the chassis brackets under the floor it limits flex - particularly when using a roof tent off road - of which more later! However, as it turns out, this might not be the very best internal cage for me. I'm planning to use a 'gullwing' locker door on one side of the rear, and because the rear hoop runs very close to the window, there might not be enough clearance for the support struts in the shut position. It's not a 'show stopper' - I'd just have to sell this cage on and get the Tdi version which sits further away from the window. Donald 1994 Defender 300Tdi 110 SW - owned since 2002 - 230k miles and going strong (The 'rolling restoration' or tinkering thread: http://www.defender2.net/forum/topic58538.html ) 2000 Range Rover P38 4.0L V8 in the past.. RR classic - fitted with 200Tdi 1984 RR classic - V8 with ZF auto box 1993 Discovery 300Tdi not to mention the minis and the Type 2 VW camper... |
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5th Feb 2021 4:42pm |
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| donmacn Member Since: 07 Nov 2017 Location: Nth Scotland Posts: 1829 |
OK, OK, I'll make this the last one for now! Friday afternoon, getting on for 'opening time'... and if I don't stop I might get a red card from Martin!
I have mentioned before that I had bought a replacement rear door from SP4x4. Somewhat unimpressed tbh, but I'll leave that for now. In the meantime 'hairymonsterman' on ebay started selling heavier duty and fully galved doors. Order placed; door delivered and test fitted: Click image to enlarge Really happy with this bit of kit. Painted and refitted: Click image to enlarge Then it was dynamat and soundproofing before fitting the window grille and replacement 'door card'. I'd got this one as a special order because I didn't need to the lower cut out for the door stay. Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge One thing I'd always fancied - given the size/design of the rear lights - was an upper level brake light. I got this one, inexpensive, off ebay or 12Vplanet or somesuch. Click image to enlarge Fitting it was a little bit of Tetris, there being no proper fitting on my car. I opted to put a couple of rivnuts into the fitting, and then bolts through the window grill into the back of the rivnut. Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge Hard to describe, but tightening the bolt pushes the lamp against the glass (with a bit foam to stop it rattling against the glass), and then a 'lock nut' does just that - locks it all into place. Wired it in, and it works a treat. The foam 'rattle' seal and the light's PVC cover also stops any 'light spill' into the back of the car when it comes on. I can tell it's working by a faint glow on the rear wheel cover, but that's it. Very happy with this, for a small cost and little bit of thought and effort. I've followed the car on the road, and it makes a huge difference. Click image to enlarge Finally - rear dash cam on the window guard - in the swept area of the rear wiper. Click image to enlarge These are still 'July' pics - boy, was I busy in July! - so if you can be bothered, watch this space in due course for further updates... Remember we have a VNT to come, and taking part in a Highland offroad safari magazine feature! Donald 1994 Defender 300Tdi 110 SW - owned since 2002 - 230k miles and going strong (The 'rolling restoration' or tinkering thread: http://www.defender2.net/forum/topic58538.html ) 2000 Range Rover P38 4.0L V8 in the past.. RR classic - fitted with 200Tdi 1984 RR classic - V8 with ZF auto box 1993 Discovery 300Tdi not to mention the minis and the Type 2 VW camper... |
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5th Feb 2021 5:11pm |
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| Fatbaron Member Since: 12 Mar 2016 Location: Devon Posts: 297
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Fantastic work there Don! You've been a busy man!
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5th Feb 2021 6:06pm |
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