Military defender 90 help required!

Evening folks, I've just taken my second plunge into the murky world of landy owning by getting hold of an ex-army 2.5NA 1986 defender 90 FFR.

Whilst I'm waiting for Swansea to register and provide a nice new registration number I thought this is an ideal time to really inspect the old girl and see if she's got many gremlins! Which I could now do some assistance with if possibly, especially from those with experience of ex-army landys.

Firstly, it doesn't seem to have a main headlight beam - although I'm still getting to grips with nato light control. Should it have one? Is it an MOT fail not to? If it should have one, how do I operate it?!

I've got a switch setting for convoy lights but this doesn't seem to do anything. What should it do?

Between dash and gear stick there's a black plastic panel secured by a know that screws into place. Behind this looks like a load of wire, a relay, and a 3 pin male/female connector which is separated/unplugged. What is this likely to be?

With the rain last night I noticed a puddle on the floor of both driver and passenger sides and blame it on the sliding windows. Is this common? Something to just live with and hammerite the floor, or worth investing in new rubber seal etc?

Windscreen washer is present but doesn't do anything when button is pressed. Going to check power is going to the spade connector before replacing motor but wondered if this is a common issue?

Many thanks for reading, appreciate any and all help.

I believe that the convoy light disables all the lights including the brake lights apart from a small light underneath the chassis that shines onto the rear diff that should be painted white.

And there ends my knowledge of military land rovers

Yea, make sure you turn the dial to the left (anticlockwise) and then main beam should be on the indicator stork as normal.
Turning it to the right (clockwise) will turn convoy lights and ofher nighttime operations lights.
That's how it is on mine, can't imagine it's differnt on any others?

As said theres 6 positions on the switch, from left to right:

H.S.T - Headlights, sidelights and tail lights.
S.T - Sidelights and tail lights.
T - Just taillights, no front lights illuminated
Off
Conv - Your rear diff pan should be painted white and there should be a 'convoy' light under the rear tub which shines towards the diff pan. This is the only thing illuminated in this setting.
S.Conv - As above but with sidelights illuminated.

When in Convoy you cannot use other functions such as horn, indicators, brake lights etc. And as previously mentioned you should have a normal indicator stalk with main beam settings.


And my sliding windows do leak, I just live with it.. Get used to them rattling too!

Ste.

Thanks for the replies, understand the convoy lights now. I do have an indicator stalk with what looks like main beam, but this operates rear fogs at the moment instead?

twinter82 said:

Thanks for the replies, understand the convoy lights now. I do have an indicator stalk with what looks like main beam, but this operates rear fogs at the moment instead?

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On my non MOD 90 of the same age there is a separate switch on right of the column for the fog light. The main beam should flash on when you pull the indicator switch towards you, and stay on when you push it away from you.

Firstly I would buy an owners handbook and workshop manual, at least then you will know what all the switches do and also how to carry out servicing & repairs.

The Handbook you want is Milittary Land Rover User Manual 90/110 All Variants (Excluding APV And SAS). ISBN 978-1-85520-892-66.
For a Workshop Manual the Haynes is fine as there is actually very little difference between 1986 civy & MOD vehicles.

With regards to the leak, no it shouldn't leak and yes it would be better to stop it but don't bother painting the floor as it is alloy anyway and won't corrode. Mine are finished in the factory applied paint but over the years it has worn away and is now a nice polished alloy finish. If the footwells are unpainted then that is a different matter and yes they should be protected.

Litch said:

Firstly I would buy an owners handbook and workshop manual, at least then you will know what all the switches do and also how to carry out servicing & repairs.

The Handbook you want is Milittary Land Rover User Manual 90/110 All Variants (Excluding APV And SAS). ISBN 978-1-85520-892-66.
For a Workshop Manual the Haynes is fine as there is actually very little difference between 1986 civy & MOD vehicles.

With regards to the leak, no it shouldn't leak and yes it would be better to stop it but don't bother painting the floor as it is alloy anyway and won't corrode. Mine are finished in the factory applied paint but over the years it has worn away and is now a nice polished alloy finish. If the footwells are unpainted then that is a different matter and yes they should be protected.

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Thanks, yes both on order from flea bay, I'm just being keen! There is some rust in the foot well, and also on the bulkhead where the bottom of the dash is mounted, so hammerite is currently working it's magic.

Are the door seals the same as the civvy ones? Is there an alternative supplier to dealer or eBay?

Land Rover Military Parts & Accessories | John Craddock Ltd

Google is your friend, also pick yourself up a Land Rover magazine, there's loads of parts suppliers advertising in them

Ok, so i've done some investigating for the water leak causing this:



and the water appears to be coming from the window channel through a seam rather than from the rubber seal between the door halves as i initially though:



I'd appreciate any views on how to deal with this. Is there another seal inside the metal work that I should replace, or will running some silicone sealant along the seam be sufficient?

thanks!

Are the weep holes on the outside clear ?

Sorry, first defender and the Haynes manual doesn't seem to cover this door style. I've just had a look and assume you're talking about the vertices holes in the window channel and the gaps in the rubber seal between top and bottom halves on the outside?

If so the army had helpfully painted over one on each side, and the others were clear-ish, some mud and debris in them.

Do I need to take the door tops off to clean these out or just take the channels out by undoing the screws in the channel?

Three horizontal slots in the rubber seal on the outside of the window that lets the rain water drain from the window channels. Run water onto the outside of your window and see if the area inside (your red circle in the photo), leaks. If it does leak, then blast the outside slots with air or water to try and clear. If you need to get inside the window to clean/clear then follow the link below. Remove the window by undoing the two nuts/studs (one of which is directly below the red circle in your photo. Then lift it straight up. The studs are always well rusted.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FFA_wHh5bqM

cassey said:

Three horizontal slots in the rubber seal on the outside of the window that lets the rain water drain from the window channels. Run water onto the outside of your window and see if the area inside (your red circle in the photo), leaks. If it does leak, then blast the outside slots with air or water to try and clear. If you need to get inside the window to clean/clear then follow the link below. Remove the window by undoing the two nuts/studs (one of which is directly below the red circle in your photo. Then lift it straight up. The studs are always well rusted.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FFA_wHh5bqM

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Top Man, very helpful thank you!

..... Does your ignition come on when the hazards are put on? What does your convoy light adjuster thingy look like , I have a dial to left of strewing wheel, but it seems to turn the heater on in the back ???

lurch915 said:

..... Does your ignition come on when the hazards are put on? What does your convoy light adjuster thingy look like , I have a dial to left of strewing wheel, but it seems to turn the heater on in the back ???

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oh dear...

No hazards doesn't affect my ignition, i don't have a rear heater either. My convoy light setting is on the dial in the centre of the dash.



The actual convoy light itself seems to be missing from underneath the truck, but it does stop any other lights coming on when it's on CONV setting! Which is handy.

My 110 leaked around the tops of the doors. This seems to be because the doors weren't tight to the frames when closed. I unbolted and took off the window sections, bent the bolts slightly and gently to angle the window section closer to the frame. This reduced the leaking, but some carefully applied Harry Black tape in the guttering over the door has cured it - for now.
The convoy light setting on mine turns everything off it should do apart from the brake lights. I haven't the heart to try and work out why. I hope my days of trying to avoid the notional Russian Air Force on night moves through German forests are over.

I don't seem to have anything like that , see photo attached .... Hopefully attached :/

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lurch915 said:

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I'm not an expert on these things but your looks after market to me. Especially as that looks like a civvy FM radio at the top of the picture?