What have you done to your Freelander today

htr said:

I've used re-modelled bicycle spokes for that sort of thing in the past. Kid's bikes are always missing one or two - they never noticed and extra on missing!

Now having read the whole process I see that my bike spoke idea wouldn't apply. In the past I've used them to reach tricky springs / clips that need to be pulled back into position.... They are quite tough, won't bend easily and the hook you make won't straighten out under 'load'.

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Yeh, wheel spokes would be a bit thin - but the brake cables, the outer shield, might do the trick. You'd probably have to nick them off the next generation now though

Got the seat put back together this evening. Its a really good result. Anyone with a torn drivers seat (and most cloth ones are these days!) should get themselves down the breakers for a passenger seat

As Tony says, there are now 2 holes in the center facing side of the seat now - but that can be 'hidden' with some cloth from the old seat tucked underneath. The main problem is that the other seats in the car look filthy now and need a good clean!

Finally bit the bullet and ordered a set of proper tyres for my Hippo today
General Grabber AT2 235/70x16
I actually did the sensible but expensive thing and ordered a set of 5.
I'll post some pics when they are installed next week.

I noticed a grumble in the backend - of the Freelander as well.

So pulled the rear diff out and one of the carrier bearings is quite worn. Also the pinion is rough when I turn it. The pinion felt quite smooth when I turned it in the car.

If it had only been bearings I would have got them locally but a couple of seals look to have been weeping and should really replace them anyway. So waiting for prices for Royal Mail to do its thing, then another week for Royal mail to do its thing.

Tony Reeves said:

I noticed a grumble in the backend - of the Freelander as well..

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I get that, so usually leave her at home ....

Tony Reeves said:

I noticed a grumble in the backend - of the Freelander as well.

So pulled the rear diff out and one of the carrier bearings is quite worn. Also the pinion is rough when I turn it. The pinion felt quite smooth when I turned it in the car.

If it had only been bearings I would have got them locally but a couple of seals look to have been weeping and should really replace them anyway. So waiting for prices for Royal Mail to do its thing, then another week for Royal mail to do its thing.

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What we've found is that the Royal Mail, or whoever ships from the UK, usually do their job quite reliably - its once it gets to the agent over here that things have a much better chance of going bad!

GrumpyGel said:

What we've found is that the Royal Mail, or whoever ships from the UK, usually do their job quite reliably - its once it gets to the agent over here that things have a much better chance of going bad!

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I used to sell stuff on ebay and had to stop sending outside the UK for that reason.

I recently had a box of parts arrive from the UK by mail in 2 days. The stars must have been aligned as
parcels normally take 8-10 days to arrive.
On the negative side when I started my Freelander today it seems to be running on 5 cylinders. Very annoying as it
ran great on the way home yesterday. The commute was extra long due to accidents blocking the highway and I had
less than a quarter tank of fuel when I got home. I usually don't let it get that low so I am thinking that it may have picked up
some crap from the bottom of the tank. Of course my diagnostic gadget is out for repair so I will have to try an old OBD2 reader
that I have. There goes the relaxing weekend I had planned!

Rich in Vancouver said:

I recently had a box of parts arrive from the UK by mail in 2 days. The stars must have been aligned as
parcels normally take 8-10 days to arrive.
On the negative side when I started my Freelander today it seems to be running on 5 cylinders. Very annoying as it
ran great on the way home yesterday. The commute was extra long due to accidents blocking the highway and I had
less than a quarter tank of fuel when I got home. I usually don't let it get that low so I am thinking that it may have picked up
some crap from the bottom of the tank. Of course my diagnostic gadget is out for repair so I will have to try an old OBD2 reader
that I have. There goes the relaxing weekend I had planned!

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Crap from the bottom of the tank can't get to the injectors. However I've come across water in petrol on more than one occasion, here in the UK. I hope your fuel is better treated over there.

Our fuel is usually good here, but s**t happens! I did find the problem and have started a thread about it.

Not done much on the Freelander front today, other than playing with my nuts - wheel nuts that is. Spring must be the season for fitting wheel nuts, because they appear to be in demand here in NZ. So I'm wondering how many I need to leave on each wheel of my parts car and still safely push/tow it around - I think 2 is OK - but as there is 5, not 4, they are not opposed each other.

My afternoon was taken up fixing the 'backup' Starlet windows. Driver's is basically siezed in cold weather, but works fine when its warm - which it was today so didn't find much. The passenger window has broken 1 of the plastic bracket/clip/sash jobbies that holds it to the winding mechanism - that looks like its going to be fun when the replacement part arrives!

Nodge68 said:

Crap from the bottom of the tank can't get to the injectors. However I've come across water in petrol on more than one occasion, here in the UK. I hope your fuel is better treated over there.

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Absolutely -
And to add - the other issue is that water / emulsion - if present - really bu&&ers up the fuel filter big style. If anybody is ever concerned about crap in the tank when running extremely low or dry then definitely change the filter.
To Rich, glad you found the issue !
Joe

The L Series has a really big filter and I've not touched it since I got the car 5 or 6 years ago! It probably hasn't been touched since new! I suppose I should really change it, or at least drain the H2O out the bottom!

I have had 'fun' with my freelander this morning - Clobbered a bl00dy sharp lump of granite with my right hand front wheel - knocked the bead of the tyre off the rim
Instant puncture
Tyre not damaged as far as I can tell but getting it checked tomorrow (they have some form of ultrasonic checker). It was the angle I clobbered it - I was just driving up a steep and twisty grassy lane that I use every day - we used to call it 'rock rimming a tyre' - however - since the internet the term 'rimming' is apparently err ... inappropriate..................
The real worrying thing for me is that it is MY steep and twisty grassy lane ... I KNOW it is there - I just misjudged it. Total brain fade / Alzheimer's etc doh . The only feeble excuse I can make is that the thing was grown over.....
Then I (like Grumpy) had wheel nut worries... (Luckily I was on the farm so still had access to my workshop (well - shed )
Undid the front wheel nuts - 4 normal and one special nut - adaptor in the jack bag - Jacked it up, removed wheel, went to rear to remove the never used Michelin original 4X4... undid top two nuts, removed cap from bottom lock nut and - errrr - ooops
Different bl00dy lock nut

Luckily it was on the wheel carrier so not so tight - a pair of vice grips persuaded it to release.
Morals here - I now have a large wooden stick to be painted orange and white to mark the offending granite low level tank trap. I also am getting my local tyre man to sort a key socket for the rear or find me another keyed nut same as the others.

It was also quite 'alarming' to realise that there was no feeling of a deflated tyre as I was on grass - with bone dry sub surface. I drove to the top of the lane, turned around and went back down to check - a. what I had clobbered - and b. if any rim damage /tyre damage had been done.. (It was only then I noticed it was flat as a flat thing ( luckily only at the bottom ....)
I will have to get the little 'selective' flags for the top of the marker stick.

So as the male health adds say- check yer nuts..... and know yer own tracks / roads on yer own property...
tum te tum te tum te tum..
Nurse ? - I need my 'steady' pills......

GrumpyGel said:

The L Series has a really big filter and I've not touched it since I got the car 5 or 6 years ago! It probably hasn't been touched since new! I suppose I should really change it, or at least drain the H2O out the bottom!

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It's an L series, so no need ......

GrumpyGel said:

Not done much on the Freelander front today, other than playing with my nuts - wheel nuts that is. Spring must be the season for fitting wheel nuts, because they appear to be in demand here in NZ.

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Yes, and thank you very much for satisfying my demand!

I suspect they are in demand here because the problem of wheel stealing is not as common here in NZ as in other parts of the world, so the original locking wheel nuts are just a bloody nuisance and get swapped out fairly frequently.

Grumbly diff out and in bits. No surprises, spalling on carrier bearing cones and rollers, same on pinion bearing. Crown wheel and pinion teeth are good, very consistent contact pattern.

My pinion nut undoing tool - needed a 28mm socket, but did not have one. Inch and an eighth did fine.


And on to the leaky sunroof. Of course while getting into that I found the headlining fabric coming off the backing - just another job to do.

Stripped the headlining out, followed closely by the sunroof mechanism. Faults were leaking in one corner, and clunking but no movement when operated.

Quite surprised with the result, the metal around the glass is very corroded and obviously causing the leak. But the base is showing no rust at all, apart from staining from the rust above - very unusual in my experience.





Looks like I will be looking around for a good glass bit, or I will rebuild the existing one. Next step is to strip the mechanism and free it up.

Once the Diff bits get here I will do a rebuild story, including setting up the backlash and pre-loads, hopefully the outcome will be good.

I finally stopped being a law-breaker and replaced my (spent) light bulbs above the rear registration plate. Total cost 38 pence.
Also makes the rear end more visible with the shorter day-light .

Booked MOT for 11am tomorrow

LUKBENPHI said:

Booked MOT for 11am tomorrow

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good luck with everything

plus, make sure u put a nice tasty branch in the boot, just to remind the hippo to behave itself , or its basil treatment