Dave Smith's Freelander

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5 hours uninterrupted Freelandering.
Passenger wheel off, brakes apart, cleaned up a bit and in the old Bilt Hamber gloop.
Drivers door card off, catch and handle out, cleaned up, graphite lube and refitted with new cable.
Tailgate rust dremmeled off. That's my biggest concern at the moment.
Get caliper and holder sprayed tomorrow and back on on Monday I hope.
Al lot easier when you have all the tools, parts and know what order to do stuff in!
 
Waiting for paint to dry. Then I can get the brakes back together and take a crafty drive up and down our road.
Back in the garage the other way round and then look into the wonky hand brake (handle won't stay down).
 
Waiting for paint to dry. Then I can get the brakes back together and take a crafty drive up and down our private road.
Back in the garage the other way round and then look into the wonky hand brake (handle won't stay down).

Edited for legal purposes :D

Handbrake might be cables seizing up causing a spring effect pushing the lever back up or no ones cleaned inside the drums in 15 years and everything is seized up
 
Front brakes all sorted. Started her up to spin her round. Engine purrs nicely but the gear selection is a bit stiff.
96 point turn on the drive and back in the garage to sort the arse end - handbrake, rear door rust etc.
Happy days.
 
Getting bits together to do my timing belt. When did the manual to auto tensioner changeover happen? Was it at the same time as distributor to coil packs?
 
Its easy to check which one you have. Or get the tensioner (recommend) and fit whichever belt matches the tensioner you got.
 
So it's OK to get an auto tensioner and fit the auto tension belt? I had it in mind that there were other differences.
 
All the engine's are the same. So either tensioner should bolt straight on without a problem. I have heard of one engine that wasn't drilled to take the spring bolt, but didn't see it myself. The theory is that you can use either type, providing you use the correct length belt. The auto tensioner belt is wider iirc. It's also the most common type I've seen.
 
Assuming there is no issue with a wider belt on the manual-style pulley then I'll go auto. In theory that's one less thing for me to bugger up.
 
If you are worried, use the same as is already fitted. It's easy to tell which is fitted, simply by removing the top cover. The manual tensioner has small 8mm bolt fitted under the inlet cam pulley. The auto tensioner has a spring fitted below the inlet cam pulley, hooked onto a pillar bolt.
 
Not sure how similar they are but the auto tensioner on my first 1.8K series didn't auto tension correctly and I ended up using the belt twist method (no more than 90deg) and setting it manually. It was probably my fault for not cleaning everything properly but there is a lot less room to work and see what your doing in an MGF. I'd rather have the manual tensioner.
 
Not sure how similar they are but the auto tensioner on my first 1.8K series didn't auto tension correctly and I ended up using the belt twist method (no more than 90deg) and setting it manually. It was probably my fault for not cleaning everything properly but there is a lot less room to work and see what your doing in an MGF. I'd rather have the manual tensioner.

+ 1 Had this on the last 2 K series I changed belts on think it was down to cheap springs within the tensioner so where you buy it from might make a difference

IIRC they changed to the auto tensioner around '97 ish ( on MG/Rovers at least ) so it might be pot luck which you get
 
One brake drum off. An hour and a half for me and my eldest. I'm going to ache tomorrow.
Actually all looks in reasonable condition but the shoes now have a pint of WD40 on them.....
 
I've been lucky with all three of mine as they had already been done so the drums came off easily. It's probably worth buying a spring kit as well as new shoes, only a tenner from ebay.
 
I don't want to get a rep as the 'loves odd greens' guy!
But yes, I really like that :D:D
I don't think I'd have another 1.8. I'd have another V6 though, or a L-series.
I think diesel users are going to get hammered soon which will be a bugger for me (Volvo D5), hence the diversification into petrol.
 
I don't want to get a rep as the 'loves odd greens' guy!
But yes, I really like that :D:D
I don't think I'd have another 1.8. I'd have another V6 though, or a L-series.
I think diesel users are going to get hammered soon which will be a bugger for me (Volvo D5), hence the diversification into petrol.

Diesel is a necessary evil currently for me dong 90 ish mile days but I think we will get hammered soon for one reason or another

What's the D5 like on juice?
 
In an XC70 AWD Auto (about the worst case) I get 41-42 mpg. That's on my 45 mile each way commute.
Boring as hell mind.
Current inclination is to say f^ck it and get something that makes me smile and stops me wanting to veer into oncoming traffic.
 
I tried an XC70 before I settled on the Jeep Grand Cherokee. I nearly fell asleep on the test drive :confused:
The only problem I have with owning the Jeep, is I now have a branch of Green Peace camped at the bottom of my drive waving banners about air pollution:(
Mike
 
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