Im envious of your skills Cliff. Fine job! 
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Cliff - 1981 Series 3 109 V8 Stage 1
- Thread starter Cliff4WD
- Start date
What a palavar. Getting the inner cable attached to the flaps and the outer cable to anchor tight in the cover. The tubular clip that holds it in place was slipping and wouldn't stay tight, the hole in the cover was worn loose, and it was driving me potty messing with it. I kept dropping the clip and losing it and then I did really start to "lose it"; Enough! I cut a thread in the end of the cable end fixing, used a couple of washers and a nylock nut; sorted.
Fitting the lower fascia to the bulkhead was the next problem as I needed to drill holes in the bulkhead where I'd lost the originals during welding repairs. Holding it in place and marking the holes positions was "awkward". Anyway, all in place now.
Fitting the lower fascia to the bulkhead was the next problem as I needed to drill holes in the bulkhead where I'd lost the originals during welding repairs. Holding it in place and marking the holes positions was "awkward". Anyway, all in place now.
I got back onto wiring as fitting the lower fascia, etc. back in place, so making sure I have loom and option wiring all running in the right place. It should all be straightforward really, but it's a bit confusing here and there since I've also replaced the loom, so identifying each lamp, and instrument switch connector has caused some head scratching. Of course, the circuit diagram for the 109V8 doesn't include the hazard switch; I've been working out how it all works with my multimeter. My confusion is due to a couple of colour code discrepancies, a new Lucas indicator stalk, 40 year old switch contacts, an aftermarket hazard flasher unit, and my ignorance of auto electrics. It's taken far more head scratching than it ever should have.
I think I finally sussed it out. Just had to take time, sit down, and think about which wires were going where. I think I have it correct.
Of course, I don't have any lights installed yet, so just relying on multimeter for now.
It's taken far more head scratching than it ever should have.I think I finally sussed it out. Just had to take time, sit down, and think about which wires were going where. I think I have it correct.
Of course, I don't have any lights installed yet, so just relying on multimeter for now.
Those switches can be looked at from the rear, IIRC and you can easily see which terminals are connected with the position of the plunger part. All you then have to do is make sure when the switch is down, the green goes on the same continuity position as the green/yellow off to the normal flasher, then the others go on the rest of the terminals in the out position.
I know you have it figured out now, but sometime in the future someone may google this and I prefer to think of things mechanically rather than as a diagram, so maybe someone else out there is as weird as me and this helps them
One other thing but I think the 12v to the hazard flasher should be brown (or I guess purple, though it should have its own fuse...) and not green so that it is always live rather than relying on the ignition to be on. You might know this already, but your diagram shows as common connection in the feeds and it really shouldn't be for safetys sake rather than anything else.
I know you have it figured out now, but sometime in the future someone may google this and I prefer to think of things mechanically rather than as a diagram, so maybe someone else out there is as weird as me and this helps them
One other thing but I think the 12v to the hazard flasher should be brown (or I guess purple, though it should have its own fuse...) and not green so that it is always live rather than relying on the ignition to be on. You might know this already, but your diagram shows as common connection in the feeds and it really shouldn't be for safetys sake rather than anything else.
The common live feed is Green because that is the method and colour in the factory supplied loom (there is a male spade on a green wire to connect to the green that was on the flasher) and is fed from the fusebox. I did think that it was odd that it wasn't supplied direct and always live. I might make some alterations now that I understand the wiring scheme I have inherited.Those switches can be looked at from the rear, IIRC and you can easily see which terminals are connected with the position of the plunger part. All you then have to do is make sure when the switch is down, the green goes on the same continuity position as the green/yellow off to the normal flasher, then the others go on the rest of the terminals in the out position.
I know you have it figured out now, but sometime in the future someone may google this and I prefer to think of things mechanically rather than as a diagram, so maybe someone else out there is as weird as me and this helps them
One other thing but I think the 12v to the hazard flasher should be brown (or I guess purple, though it should have its own fuse...) and not green so that it is always live rather than relying on the ignition to be on. You might know this already, but your diagram shows as common connection in the feeds and it really shouldn't be for safetys sake rather than anything else.
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I'm not overly familiar with stage 1 wiring as such, but on pretty much every other British vehicle i've had the pleasure of rewiring the flashers for hazards are usually fed via brown then their own inline fuse. Strange Land Rover would do things differently, but then green and yellow is usually the heater circuit and not a flasher feed, so anything is possible lol
Yeah, thats never happened previously...
It should be a permeant live as the hazards are required to work without the ignition being on. Mine has an in-line fuse. I do remember struggling to find an official wiring diagram with the hazard light switch shown, eventually finding one on a wiring diagram for a 1/2 ton Series III which had the supply as a permanent live supply, from the fuse box on a green with brown trace wire.
Yes, I've been thinking, and of course the hazards need to function independent of the ignition. I'll be disconnecting the linked green supply and putting a fused brown direct from permanent live to the hazard flasher and the indicator can stay on the ignition switched supply. I was confused by the male spade to female spade on the green wires. I now realise that the male spade on the green wire from the hazard switch loom goes to the ignition controlled supply, i.e., the green from fusebox that was previously connected to indicator flasher. The supply to the indicator flasher now comes via the green and yellow from the hazard switch loom.
Revised diagram
Carrying on with repairs. Next on the list is the upper dash crash padding. Like so many, mine has cracked and has damage to the foam padding. A previous owner had made an extremely poor attempt at a repair with some god awful silicone. I pulled that off and cleared the damage so that I could better see what needs to be done.
I'll be patching up the foam and replacing the covering. Next step is to strip the heavy vinyl covering off and see what's underneath.
Not too bad, lost the smooth finish and of course, there's the damage. I cut the damaged sections out to give a clean shape for patching.
I didn't have any expanding foam to fill the holes and I wanted to get on with the job, so I managed to find some HD foam from some left over packaging. It should do the job well enough for this small area of damage. I cut some to size and glued in place.
I'd ordered up some 4 -way stretch vinyl ready for recovering, so measured out what I needed and cut it to size.
Now, this is the point where I made a right mess of it. I laid the pad onto the vinyl and glued and clipped it in place. All was going well until I realised that the surface of the foam having been roughed up removing the old covering, was now showing through the vinyl and looking absolutely awful! We learn by our mistakes. After scratching my head for a while and wondering how I was ever going to sort this mess, I opted to strip the vinyl off again (discard it now ruined) and to start again with another piece. First though, what to do about the surface of the foam? It needed to have a good smooth surface and to continue to serve its purpose as crash padding. I'd seen various YouTube videos of people doing this repair using expanded foam, but they invariably end up with quite an untidy looking result since achieving that smooth surface is difficult without some kind of mould. I decided that a skin of fine surface filler would do the job, as it would give the surface I needed and can be sanded smooth, so that's what I did, I skimmed it over and rubbed it down until I had a nice smooth surface with no holes. It retained its flexibility and mimicked the original surface quite nicely. I was concerned that the surface might not accept the spray contact adhesive so I sealed it first with a PVA wash. This stops the filler if porous from sucking up the adhesive solvent and causing yet more problems.
This time, I was able to lay the pad on the vinyl and glue and clip it in place and achieve a decent flat smooth surface.
Being an absolute amateur car upholsterer, I was pretty pleased with the result as it looks halfway decent to my eyes.
One interesting thing I hadn't realised; the demister vent covers are not the originals that went with this dash. I assume that they are the later type (or maybe 110, Defender?) as the screw holes don't line up. On closer inspection I see that they have been filed away so that they fit in the gap and mate with the demisters. Actually, thinking about it as I write this, the holes in the crash pad don't align with the screw fixings in the bulkhead, which further confirms that the bulkhead was replaced before and isn't an original Stage One although a Series 3. The previous restoration by whoever did it keeps catching me out.
I'll be patching up the foam and replacing the covering. Next step is to strip the heavy vinyl covering off and see what's underneath.
Not too bad, lost the smooth finish and of course, there's the damage. I cut the damaged sections out to give a clean shape for patching.
I didn't have any expanding foam to fill the holes and I wanted to get on with the job, so I managed to find some HD foam from some left over packaging. It should do the job well enough for this small area of damage. I cut some to size and glued in place.
I'd ordered up some 4 -way stretch vinyl ready for recovering, so measured out what I needed and cut it to size.
Now, this is the point where I made a right mess of it. I laid the pad onto the vinyl and glued and clipped it in place. All was going well until I realised that the surface of the foam having been roughed up removing the old covering, was now showing through the vinyl and looking absolutely awful! We learn by our mistakes. After scratching my head for a while and wondering how I was ever going to sort this mess, I opted to strip the vinyl off again (discard it now ruined) and to start again with another piece. First though, what to do about the surface of the foam? It needed to have a good smooth surface and to continue to serve its purpose as crash padding. I'd seen various YouTube videos of people doing this repair using expanded foam, but they invariably end up with quite an untidy looking result since achieving that smooth surface is difficult without some kind of mould. I decided that a skin of fine surface filler would do the job, as it would give the surface I needed and can be sanded smooth, so that's what I did, I skimmed it over and rubbed it down until I had a nice smooth surface with no holes. It retained its flexibility and mimicked the original surface quite nicely. I was concerned that the surface might not accept the spray contact adhesive so I sealed it first with a PVA wash. This stops the filler if porous from sucking up the adhesive solvent and causing yet more problems.
This time, I was able to lay the pad on the vinyl and glue and clip it in place and achieve a decent flat smooth surface.
Being an absolute amateur car upholsterer, I was pretty pleased with the result as it looks halfway decent to my eyes.
One interesting thing I hadn't realised; the demister vent covers are not the originals that went with this dash. I assume that they are the later type (or maybe 110, Defender?) as the screw holes don't line up. On closer inspection I see that they have been filed away so that they fit in the gap and mate with the demisters. Actually, thinking about it as I write this, the holes in the crash pad don't align with the screw fixings in the bulkhead, which further confirms that the bulkhead was replaced before and isn't an original Stage One although a Series 3. The previous restoration by whoever did it keeps catching me out.
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That’s more than an amateur job. Bloody good job Cliff .
Heater Blower
The last part that had been sitting in the pile with the dash parts was the heater blower. I made a start on this while I was doing the crash pad repair. I stripped it down and put the snail and some brackets, etc., in the electrolysis bath to de-rust. Not sure what happened, but I can't find all the photos. Maybe I thought it was all a bit too boring to take pics, I don't remember now. Anyway, stripped and cleaned. I also took the motor apart and inspected. Ah, found some pics.
The snail is in poor shape but not too far gone.
I drilled or chiseled the spot welds and removed the rotten flange and nozzle piece.
I let all this stew and de-rust and turned my attention to the motor. The motor itself is fine, just a bit old and dirty. The motor brushes were worn, not too far, but enough to warrant replacing them.
Now, finding the correct size to fit the old Smith's motor was like everything else, not available. Fortunately, carbon brushes are made from soft graphite (like pencil lead) and can easily be filed and ground to size, so I ordered a pair that were close to the 1/4" square originals and set to work with my files. Soon had a pair to fit (and some very black hands!)
A bit of work with the soldering iron and it was out with the old...
... and in with the new
I had to adjust for length, but all soon back in place, cleaned and electrical contact all made good.
Put it back together and tested 2 speeds through that old resistor.
Next job, a bit of metalwork and welding and I'll have the snail sorted.
The last part that had been sitting in the pile with the dash parts was the heater blower. I made a start on this while I was doing the crash pad repair. I stripped it down and put the snail and some brackets, etc., in the electrolysis bath to de-rust. Not sure what happened, but I can't find all the photos. Maybe I thought it was all a bit too boring to take pics, I don't remember now. Anyway, stripped and cleaned. I also took the motor apart and inspected. Ah, found some pics.
The snail is in poor shape but not too far gone.
I drilled or chiseled the spot welds and removed the rotten flange and nozzle piece.
I let all this stew and de-rust and turned my attention to the motor. The motor itself is fine, just a bit old and dirty. The motor brushes were worn, not too far, but enough to warrant replacing them.
Now, finding the correct size to fit the old Smith's motor was like everything else, not available. Fortunately, carbon brushes are made from soft graphite (like pencil lead) and can easily be filed and ground to size, so I ordered a pair that were close to the 1/4" square originals and set to work with my files. Soon had a pair to fit (and some very black hands!)
A bit of work with the soldering iron and it was out with the old...
... and in with the new
I had to adjust for length, but all soon back in place, cleaned and electrical contact all made good.
Put it back together and tested 2 speeds through that old resistor.
Next job, a bit of metalwork and welding and I'll have the snail sorted.
Great job Cliff
The heater blower is not really a priority right now and I want to push on, so turned my attention to the seat box. It's in good condition apart from one end panel that has some corrosion damage, and a lot of surface rust on the outside of the battery and tool boxes.
Set about stripping it down; unbolting the seat runners
It was then the end panel's turn to come off, so drilled out the rivets ...
... and off it came
But why stop there, soon had the battery box out
Looking at it, the steel is still pretty solid, I was thinking to replace it altogether and might do yet. YRM make a replacement in 2mm aluminium but of course, the Series 3 has the toolbox under the RH seat (in UK at least). The YRM replacement Series 3 toolbox is the same as the Stage One apart from the battery well that sits in it; however, they also do a separate well for the battery that will fit in and thus be a direct replacement for what is in the Stage One. In fact the box is a tad bigger so will be ideal for a larger battery than standard. The cost of it all though is significant and I will very likely want to go for a split charged second battery setup, so maybe I'd be better off biting the bullet now and replacing with YRM's extra deep toolbox section. They also do a double battery box for under the LH seat and that would be the other option, but I do have in mind that I should fit an auxiliary fuel tank there. Decisions, decisions,
While I ponder, I've put the steel battery box in the electrolysis bath to de-rust, well half of it anyway, other half when I turn it over (it's not that big a bath!). If it still looks solid after cleaning, I can make a new bigger well myself and save the expense of replacing everything new.
Set about stripping it down; unbolting the seat runners
It was then the end panel's turn to come off, so drilled out the rivets ...
... and off it came
But why stop there, soon had the battery box out
Looking at it, the steel is still pretty solid, I was thinking to replace it altogether and might do yet. YRM make a replacement in 2mm aluminium but of course, the Series 3 has the toolbox under the RH seat (in UK at least). The YRM replacement Series 3 toolbox is the same as the Stage One apart from the battery well that sits in it; however, they also do a separate well for the battery that will fit in and thus be a direct replacement for what is in the Stage One. In fact the box is a tad bigger so will be ideal for a larger battery than standard. The cost of it all though is significant and I will very likely want to go for a split charged second battery setup, so maybe I'd be better off biting the bullet now and replacing with YRM's extra deep toolbox section. They also do a double battery box for under the LH seat and that would be the other option, but I do have in mind that I should fit an auxiliary fuel tank there. Decisions, decisions,
While I ponder, I've put the steel battery box in the electrolysis bath to de-rust, well half of it anyway, other half when I turn it over (it's not that big a bath!). If it still looks solid after cleaning, I can make a new bigger well myself and save the expense of replacing everything new.
After mulling over what to do with the seat box I decided it would be a whole lot easier to just replace the rusting boxes. I didn't feel motivated enough to remove rust, modify to take a bigger or duel battery setup, and try to make good, so opted to order new aluminium boxes from YRM. I would have been interested in the Emberton boxes had I known about them sooner, but c'est la vie.
First job then, remove the tool box
Next, after taking delivery of the new box sections (they come flat-packed ), I assembled the new battery box and checked for fit
I'd opted for deep boxes both sides so that I have the option of RH or LH battery placement, and it won't hurt to have extra stowage space available. I'll worry about extra fuel tanks when I need to.
It very quickly became apparent that my hand held rivet gun was inadequate for the job in hand, as I struggled to close the first few pop rivets, so another purchase! I ordered up a HD riveter. While I was waiting for that to be delivered, I got to work cleaning and stripping off the old paint. It had been over-painted in the past so wouldn't provide a decent surface to paint over again.
I opted for my trusty paint stripper
Soon had it nice and clean
It was then back to fitting it all back together
Same was done to other side and both battery box and toolbox fitted
I thought I'd best check it was going to fit back in the vehicle so did a quick check
Can't imagine why it wouldn't have really. Next up, remove the protective film and key the surface ready for paint
I'm sticking with epoxy primer for this as I know it will stick well and not interact with the top coat. Etch primer would be easier but I'd have to buy some and already have the epoxy. Also, etch primer can and does cause problems with filler if it's needed, and top coat too unless correctly matched. I'm not sure how the paint man enamel will react, so the epoxy is safe.
It didn't take too long to spray it ...
... and had enough paint to spray a couple of the wheels as well
At this point, the hot sun and paint fumes really got the better of me, so enough of that for now, and I'll have a lie down!
First job then, remove the tool box
Next, after taking delivery of the new box sections (they come flat-packed
), I assembled the new battery box and checked for fitI'd opted for deep boxes both sides so that I have the option of RH or LH battery placement, and it won't hurt to have extra stowage space available. I'll worry about extra fuel tanks when I need to.
It very quickly became apparent that my hand held rivet gun was inadequate for the job in hand, as I struggled to close the first few pop rivets, so another purchase! I ordered up a HD riveter. While I was waiting for that to be delivered, I got to work cleaning and stripping off the old paint. It had been over-painted in the past so wouldn't provide a decent surface to paint over again.
I opted for my trusty paint stripper
Soon had it nice and clean
It was then back to fitting it all back together
Same was done to other side and both battery box and toolbox fitted
I thought I'd best check it was going to fit back in the vehicle so did a quick check
Can't imagine why it wouldn't have really. Next up, remove the protective film and key the surface ready for paint
I'm sticking with epoxy primer for this as I know it will stick well and not interact with the top coat. Etch primer would be easier but I'd have to buy some and already have the epoxy. Also, etch primer can and does cause problems with filler if it's needed, and top coat too unless correctly matched. I'm not sure how the paint man enamel will react, so the epoxy is safe.
It didn't take too long to spray it ...
... and had enough paint to spray a couple of the wheels as well
At this point, the hot sun and paint fumes really got the better of me, so enough of that for now, and I'll have a lie down!
Nice job!
I have removed the drivers side under seat storage in advance of fitting a fuel tank under there, but Im no longer sure I need it, and I might change my mind and fit one of those deeper storage boxes... Im thinking I could fit an on-board compressor into that...
I have removed the drivers side under seat storage in advance of fitting a fuel tank under there, but Im no longer sure I need it, and I might change my mind and fit one of those deeper storage boxes... Im thinking I could fit an on-board compressor into that...
Lovely work as always Cliff, I am envious of your progress and achievement since you returned to it! I have been sunning myself and exploring the deepest gorges of the Ardeche for the past couple of weeks but am itching to get back and start work again. Just trying not to make it that obvious to the long suffering other half!After mulling over what to do with the seat box I decided it would be a whole lot easier to just replace the rusting boxes. I didn't feel motivated enough to remove rust, modify to take a bigger or duel battery setup, and try to make good, so opted to order new aluminium boxes from YRM. I would have been interested in the Emberton boxes had I known about them sooner, but c'est la vie.
First job then, remove the tool box
View attachment 420956
Next, after taking delivery of the new box sections (they come flat-packed
View attachment 420957
View attachment 420958
I'd opted for deep boxes both sides so that I have the option of RH or LH battery placement, and it won't hurt to have extra stowage space available. I'll worry about extra fuel tanks when I need to.
View attachment 420959
It very quickly became apparent that my hand held rivet gun was inadequate for the job in hand, as I struggled to close the first few pop rivets, so another purchase! I ordered up a HD riveter. While I was waiting for that to be delivered, I got to work cleaning and stripping off the old paint. It had been over-painted in the past so wouldn't provide a decent surface to paint over again.
I opted for my trusty paint stripper
View attachment 420960
Soon had it nice and clean
View attachment 420961
It was then back to fitting it all back together
View attachment 420962
View attachment 420963
Same was done to other side and both battery box and toolbox fitted
View attachment 420964
I thought I'd best check it was going to fit back in the vehicle so did a quick check
View attachment 420965
Can't imagine why it wouldn't have really. Next up, remove the protective film and key the surface ready for paint
View attachment 420966
I'm sticking with epoxy primer for this as I know it will stick well and not interact with the top coat. Etch primer would be easier but I'd have to buy some and already have the epoxy. Also, etch primer can and does cause problems with filler if it's needed, and top coat too unless correctly matched. I'm not sure how the paint man enamel will react, so the epoxy is safe.
It didn't take too long to spray it ...
View attachment 420967
... and had enough paint to spray a couple of the wheels as well
View attachment 420968
At this point, the hot sun and paint fumes really got the better of me, so enough of that for now, and I'll have a lie down!
Thanks for the compliment. The reality is, my health issues keep me from making the progress that I should be making; I'm "pacing".Lovely work as always Cliff, I am envious of your progress and achievement since you returned to it! I have been sunning myself and exploring the deepest gorges of the Ardeche for the past couple of weeks but am itching to get back and start work again. Just trying not to make it that obvious to the long suffering other half!
I have a to-do list as long as your arm, slowly getting through it; the main work now is bodywork prep and painting. Both doors need the rusted steel frames sorting and maybe the tub floor supports will need replacing (not sure). Mechanically I still have the rear axle to cleanup and maybe springs to refurb or replace. Rear brakes, etc. I have an Fairy Overdrive to fit at some point too. All gets a bit frustrating being close to getting it back on the road yet still having so much to do and yet not having the strength or energy to crack on with it. Mind you, finding the money to keep going is another holdup!
I feel your pain Cliff on all fronts having similar issues where the mind is willing but sometimes the body won't push on at the pace I want to, coupled with the money available to throw at a project, or lack of, particularly in the current climate....Thanks for the compliment. The reality is, my health issues keep me from making the progress that I should be making; I'm "pacing".
I have a to-do list as long as your arm, slowly getting through it; the main work now is bodywork prep and painting. Both doors need the rusted steel frames sorting and maybe the tub floor supports will need replacing (not sure). Mechanically I still have the rear axle to cleanup and maybe springs to refurb or replace. Rear brakes, etc. I have an Fairy Overdrive to fit at some point too. All gets a bit frustrating being close to getting it back on the road yet still having so much to do and yet not having the strength or energy to cgreat rack on with it. Mind you, finding the money to keep going is another holdup!
My to do list seems similar too and I find that I am chastising myself for letting the summer slip by when this current spell of decent weather should be more proactively used for painting bodywork. Hey ho, the trials and tribulations of life!
Anyway, still a bloody good effort in my book Cliff and a great standard of work.