Recent content by Richard Seddon

P.S. suggest you speak to your insurance company to agree this "modification" beforehand, as you'll need to discuss it is a factory-fitted option (ex military would have originally been a rag-top) and you can explain it should be considered to be a "restoration" to how it left the Solihull...

You might consider switching to a canvas rag-top, as these condensation problems are native to the metal hard tops. A rag-top is much drier. It's also fun to roll back the rag-top in summer weather and, considering the very poor door locks on Defender type Land Rovers, there's no real loss of...

Try using a can of polyurethane expanding foam insulation. The reason why metal a hard top roof drips water, while canvas rag-tops doesn't, is that it's a condensation problem caused by the passengers' warm moist breath contacting the cold outer metal skin. Using expanding foam removes the...

I've got the same problem. Genuine locking wheel nuts on my Defender. These are steel wheels, so the keys are the 4 pin type. It's claimed that the keys should be stamped with a number, indicating what replacement key I need. But I can't see anything stamped on the broken keys. Questions: where...

SAFETY WARNING ! Do NOT modify the mounting bracket, as that annoying spring-loaded spigot is a Safety quick release mechanism. Routine maintenance is also a Safety requirement. As someone suggested, Land Rover probably used a spring fastening mechanism, as opposed to a solid screw up...

Hi Mick, Just hope you can get it back on again ok . I did wonder whether OEM and Genuine Land Rover ones were different (which is why I asked), but thinking about it, having the spring-loading at the bottom would make it almost impossible to compress the spring. Pushing upwards is far easier...

Don't you mean the top tang is spring-loaded? It's the bottom lug that is fixed, and the top one that's sprung, at least on mine. -- Cheers, Rick

REMOVAL Grasp the arm and push it (firmly) upwards-and-forwards, towards the roof and windscreen. There's a spring-loaded lug at the top, and a fixed lug at the bottom. If it doesn't come easily, that spring-loaded lug has probably frozen. So spray plenty of penetrating oil (WD-40) at top...

You'll notice that the heat appears to have been generated where the female spade connectors touch the male connectors of the spade fuse, rather than within the fuse itself. I'd guess that the contact points were making a poor connection -- creating electronic resistance -- but it does nicely...

No disrespect to the electronics experts on this forum. But here's a great example of the kind of thing that a rookie like me might think is a clever way to save money in wiring in a blade fuse without the expense of purchasing a properly designed fuse holder. [Source: warning from mjlorton on...

No, I'm not "making a mountain out of a mole hill", Mick. I'm simply saying that not everything in electronics is plain and simple. Your average Joe (someone like me) has no idea about "diversity factors" -- is that something to do with cables of colour or male vs female connectors ? YES, "if...

Mostly agreed, Mick, But the crucial question is, why do you care about "ease of replacement" and whether "blade fuses ... are easy to get hold of"? Surely replacement of a blown fuse should be such an infrequent occurrence that any inconvenience is as nothing compared with major rewiring. As...

Here's a similar thread on the classic Mini forum. http://www.theminiforum.co.uk/forums/topic/223427-glass-to-blade-fuses/ Their experts raise the same points: • Never simply replace a blown fuse, but establish and rectify what caused it to blow; • Be aware of the difference between today's...

Here's a question: WHY would anyone go to the tremendous trouble and cost of replacing the factory-fitted main fuse box, just so they can use spade fuses in place of traditional glass fuses? Would I be correct in thinking that people are getting a lot of blown fuses? And that the faffing about...

CAUTION on Land Rover fuses, as you need to differentiate between "continuous" Amps, shown on the fuse box lid, and the "blow" ratings shown on the fuses. For example: the cover on my 1987 Ninety's fuse box says the front side lights are 2.5A. That is they draw a continuous current of 2.5A...