Geobloke
Posting Guru
There did, some manufacturers used to have this as an option as well. Citroën or Volvo from memory. I have seen mechanical louvres on some classics as well.
MGA rad blind
This was what I did for my old 200tdi Defender
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General The workshop adventures of Miffy the 110
- Thread starter Geobloke
- Start date
MGA rad blind
This was what I did for my old 200tdi Defender
Ah yeah, I remember seeing your muff... 
I used to slip a thin sheet of semi-rigid plastic down between the front grill and slam panel to mask about half the rad. Not done that recently, but if it gets really cold...
I used to slip a thin sheet of semi-rigid plastic down between the front grill and slam panel to mask about half the rad. Not done that recently, but if it gets really cold...
Geobloke
Posting Guru
Well I couldn't say no to any offer sent over via eBay 
So Miffy now has a Far Corners rear recovery point. It needs a darned good clean and paint but it would look good in red on the rear crossmember.
The reason really for jumping on it is that whilst I have a 2" receiver I do not have a recovery adapter for it and I do not think you should recover off the internal pin. Although in a pinch you can do. I also do not have the traditional NAS rear step, but the Bowler style double rear step (with a gap above the hitch) although these pre-date the Bowler steps by years and I believe they were Dixon Fabrication items... Could be wrong there might be Whitbread fabrications...
Hear it is:
This will fit on top of the steps mounting plates, sandwiching them to the crossmember. It will also provide a middle step as it is a good boot toe deep.
I am just debating with myself whether I ditch the 2" receiver or is it one of those "just in case" things?!?! I suspect so, what would you do?
So Miffy now has a Far Corners rear recovery point. It needs a darned good clean and paint but it would look good in red on the rear crossmember.
The reason really for jumping on it is that whilst I have a 2" receiver I do not have a recovery adapter for it and I do not think you should recover off the internal pin. Although in a pinch you can do. I also do not have the traditional NAS rear step, but the Bowler style double rear step (with a gap above the hitch) although these pre-date the Bowler steps by years and I believe they were Dixon Fabrication items... Could be wrong there might be Whitbread fabrications...
Hear it is:
This will fit on top of the steps mounting plates, sandwiching them to the crossmember. It will also provide a middle step as it is a good boot toe deep.
I am just debating with myself whether I ditch the 2" receiver or is it one of those "just in case" things?!?! I suspect so, what would you do?
Personal choice. If its not functional and it doesnt look particularly good, then why keep it?
I took my Dixon-Bate off the rear a while ago as I only very rarely used it and it was potentially screwing up the departure angle and quite a bit of added weight..
Im going to mount the hilift jack across the cross-member and may add a recovery point or just a simple tow-hitch with a reinforcement plate on the back.
When I get a round tuit...
I took my Dixon-Bate off the rear a while ago as I only very rarely used it and it was potentially screwing up the departure angle and quite a bit of added weight..
Im going to mount the hilift jack across the cross-member and may add a recovery point or just a simple tow-hitch with a reinforcement plate on the back.
When I get a round tuit...
Geobloke
Posting Guru
Personal choice. If its not functional and it doesnt look particularly good, then why keep it?
I took my Dixon-Bate off the rear a while ago as I only very rarely used it and it was potentially screwing up the departure angle and quite a bit of added weight..
Im going to mount the hilift jack across the cross-member and may add a recovery point or just a simple tow-hitch with a reinforcement plate on the back.
When I get a round tuit...
All very true. Why indeed...
Can I just say that mounting the hi-lift to the rear crossmember is not a good idea. It gets absolutely filthy with road dirt/salt and rusts super quickly. It is why I no-longer mount the jack to the wheel carrier I have. Now stowed in pieces inside the drawers. Takes 2/3 minutes to re-assemble when needed.
No salt on the roads here and I probably wouldnt have it mounted permanently anyway as no need for local use.
Id just put it on when we go away next...
I just have it leaning against the garage wall atm and only carry a small bottle jack around with me...
Geobloke
Posting Guru
No salt on the roads here and I probably wouldnt have it mounted permanently anyway as no need for local use.
Id just put it on when we go away next...
I just have it leaning against the garage wall atm and only carry a small bottle jack around with me...
Bottle jack all the way if you have a hard base under the vehicle
Could I suggest something like this to just keep your jacks mech covered up??!!
Good shout.
I had a nice 10T bottle jack that wasnt too high, but it broke
Ive a crappy 2T one from a French supermarket and a scissor jack on board atm, but looking for a LR bottle jack at the right price...
I try to keep the hi-lift mech clean and rust-free (pressure wash it then spray with Krown40 occasionally) but it does collect dust!.
Ive been on the lookout for some kind of bag-thing at the charity shops! I have some old sports bags that I may cut up and use to make something...
Another thing on my to-do list
I had a nice 10T bottle jack that wasnt too high, but it broke
Ive a crappy 2T one from a French supermarket and a scissor jack on board atm, but looking for a LR bottle jack at the right price...
I try to keep the hi-lift mech clean and rust-free (pressure wash it then spray with Krown40 occasionally) but it does collect dust!.
Ive been on the lookout for some kind of bag-thing at the charity shops! I have some old sports bags that I may cut up and use to make something...
Another thing on my to-do list
Geobloke
Posting Guru
Yeah the LR jack is excellent, love the saddle as well. Super expensive second hand these days... Shockingly so.Good shout.
I had a nice 10T bottle jack that wasnt too high, but it broke
Ive a crappy 2T one from a French supermarket and a scissor jack on board atm, but looking for a LR bottle jack at the right price...
I try to keep the hi-lift mech clean and rust-free (pressure wash it then spray with Krown40 occasionally) but it does collect dust!.
Ive been on the lookout for some kind of bag-thing at the charity shops! I have some old sports bags that I may cut up and use to make something...
Another thing on my to-do list
Geobloke
Posting Guru
Good shout.
I had a nice 10T bottle jack that wasnt too high, but it broke
Ive a crappy 2T one from a French supermarket and a scissor jack on board atm, but looking for a LR bottle jack at the right price...
I try to keep the hi-lift mech clean and rust-free (pressure wash it then spray with Krown40 occasionally) but it does collect dust!.
Ive been on the lookout for some kind of bag-thing at the charity shops! I have some old sports bags that I may cut up and use to make something...
Another thing on my to-do list
Just a thought Mike. Check out Mercedes Sprinter bottle jacks, they also have an axle saddle. Might be that they are easier to source where you are.
The Merc ones look a bit taller though, which is a bit of an issue if you have a flat tyre (or the wheel falls off..!) and you cant get the jack under to lift it...
Geobloke
Posting Guru
True, true... I will just say that if you place the jack next to the diff pumpkin you can lift both wheels off the ground at the same time. It is not recommended but it is possible when in a tight spot. To be honest the pricing on eBay is quite optimistic to overly to very optimistic...
I'm carrying a scissor jack on board now so that I can get that underneath with very little clearance and lift it high enough to get a bottle jack under!
I fecked up the 10T bottle jack while refitting the wheel in France (no idea how) so dumped it there and bought a cheapo 2T one from a hyper for emergencies (was also carrying the hi-lift).
I wouldnt feel very safe lifting with a 2T though, so would prefer to get a 3T or 5T. I'll keep looking...
I fecked up the 10T bottle jack while refitting the wheel in France (no idea how) so dumped it there and bought a cheapo 2T one from a hyper for emergencies (was also carrying the hi-lift).
I wouldnt feel very safe lifting with a 2T though, so would prefer to get a 3T or 5T. I'll keep looking...
So, I 'made' a cover for my Hilift...I try to keep the hi-lift mech clean and rust-free (pressure wash it then spray with Krown40 occasionally) but it does collect dust!.
Ive been on the lookout for some kind of bag-thing at the charity shops! I have some old sports bags that I may cut up and use to make something...
Another thing on my to-do list
What did you do to your Defender today?
Found out my lift pump is leaking fuel(why it don't start to well I hope), job for next weekend.............. they can leak where the two halves of the pump join.
www.lrukforums.com
Geobloke
Posting Guru
Well it has been a while since my last Miffy update and to be honest not a great amount has been done due to the horrendous weather. Outdoors wrenching is not all sunshine and roses you know...
Miffy got a few christmas presents this year and they are excellent excellent gifts. The first is a pair of Gwyn Lewis' wheel arch guards to prevent too much crud building up on the rear cross member and the other ones were a trifecta of Mudstuff TD5 switches and switch panel. Oh and pair os Mechanix (yes that is spelt correctly) gloves to work in and perhaps reduce the amount of disposable gloves I go through in a year.
The plan is to replace the carling switches in the dash top gauge pod and re-situate them down to the centre dash where the bland off panel (below the stereo) is. Plus they are OE LR looking switches and it will look great.
The space in the dash top pod will be filled with a Roverdrive temperature gauge which I picked up before Christmas. It is used but in great shape, just needs a new reducer nut to fit into the extended LT230 sump drain hole. Need to source that.
Along with that I sourced a sight glass for the standard LT230 fill hole. With the overdrive fitted there is about 3 litres more oil in there so the fill plug is not required anymore and this will allow for quick sight checks whilst underneath.
Then there is the engine bay fuse and relay box, which will be hidden away. This was a big ticket item as it is a weather sealed unit, but will allow for the destroyed headlight loom to be re-installed and for the various other accessory relays and fuses to be collated together in one place, including the front spots, Optimill washer loom and leaving enough relays and fuses for the roof spots and seen lights. Going to be superb...
So far I have rewired the first and forth relay to be the dipped and main beam relays for the headlight looms. Next it will be getting this relay/fuse box into position and wired up to the battery. I do still need an earth bus bar to source mind you.
Exciting times. I am looking forward to having tidy and properly fused accessories and enough light to reverse without blindly guessing at what lurks in the darkness. Goodness the Wiper LED reverse light is weak.
There is more but I will add that in a little bit.
Miffy got a few christmas presents this year and they are excellent excellent gifts. The first is a pair of Gwyn Lewis' wheel arch guards to prevent too much crud building up on the rear cross member and the other ones were a trifecta of Mudstuff TD5 switches and switch panel. Oh and pair os Mechanix (yes that is spelt correctly) gloves to work in and perhaps reduce the amount of disposable gloves I go through in a year.
The plan is to replace the carling switches in the dash top gauge pod and re-situate them down to the centre dash where the bland off panel (below the stereo) is. Plus they are OE LR looking switches and it will look great.
The space in the dash top pod will be filled with a Roverdrive temperature gauge which I picked up before Christmas. It is used but in great shape, just needs a new reducer nut to fit into the extended LT230 sump drain hole. Need to source that.
Along with that I sourced a sight glass for the standard LT230 fill hole. With the overdrive fitted there is about 3 litres more oil in there so the fill plug is not required anymore and this will allow for quick sight checks whilst underneath.
Then there is the engine bay fuse and relay box, which will be hidden away. This was a big ticket item as it is a weather sealed unit, but will allow for the destroyed headlight loom to be re-installed and for the various other accessory relays and fuses to be collated together in one place, including the front spots, Optimill washer loom and leaving enough relays and fuses for the roof spots and seen lights. Going to be superb...
So far I have rewired the first and forth relay to be the dipped and main beam relays for the headlight looms. Next it will be getting this relay/fuse box into position and wired up to the battery. I do still need an earth bus bar to source mind you.
Exciting times. I am looking forward to having tidy and properly fused accessories and enough light to reverse without blindly guessing at what lurks in the darkness. Goodness the Wiper LED reverse light is weak.
There is more but I will add that in a little bit.
Geobloke
Posting Guru
Now on to the not so good bit about the holiday season...
Yup that's right... Balls... Car parks are bad places. Bad bad bad places. Looks like something just snagged on the seam popping the rivets and irritatingly shearing at the second rivet. So, I am going to need a replacement corner finisher, but it will have to wait until the weather improves as painting at the moment is just not going to happen. Way to cold.
Thankfully the larger panel was not damaged, just the corner piece. Oh and the reflector. One dead reflector. For now I will re-rivet the panel in place. But I am not a happy Defender owner.
Yup that's right... Balls... Car parks are bad places. Bad bad bad places. Looks like something just snagged on the seam popping the rivets and irritatingly shearing at the second rivet. So, I am going to need a replacement corner finisher, but it will have to wait until the weather improves as painting at the moment is just not going to happen. Way to cold.
Thankfully the larger panel was not damaged, just the corner piece. Oh and the reflector. One dead reflector. For now I will re-rivet the panel in place. But I am not a happy Defender owner.
Geobloke
Posting Guru
Well I think I have managed to source the correct 3/8NPT male to 3/8 BSP female adapter for the temperature probe... Possibly.
And Mudstuff are posting out a replacement MudPod plastic upper so I can re-jig that bit of the setup. I seem to remember that the pod is a right sod to cut though. I have a feeling it was drills and hole saws rather than stanley blades.
And Mudstuff are posting out a replacement MudPod plastic upper so I can re-jig that bit of the setup. I seem to remember that the pod is a right sod to cut though. I have a feeling it was drills and hole saws rather than stanley blades.
Geobloke
Posting Guru
But... something I should have done first is test the gauge... I have workman in the house banging and crashing around this morning so excuse the multiple posts...
This is a mechanical temperature gauge, not one with an electrical sensor so no battery required. Best way to test this is to dunk the probe into a pan of water and wait until it boils. So that is what I did.
Well that worked out for the best... and Phew...
This is a mechanical temperature gauge, not one with an electrical sensor so no battery required. Best way to test this is to dunk the probe into a pan of water and wait until it boils. So that is what I did.
Well that worked out for the best... and Phew...
Geobloke
Posting Guru
Well, it snowed... goodness I miss having a roof to work under.
Yesterday evening I wired up the headlight loom to the new relay/fuse box and I was well chuffed with myself. Popped out at lunchtime to have a trial fit and realised the relay box is just too big under the wing top vent. So a better place was found between the winch solenoid pack and the brake master cylinder. It fits really well here and the waterproofing will help a lot in this position. The upside is that wiring up the various relays and fuses will be fairly straight forward with the wing top vent removed. The downside is that all of my efforts yesterday needed to be adjusted as now the loom was just a smidge too short. Balls. Out with the soldering iron again. It will be a super modification when it is done and if Miffy has to move on to somewhere else it is all standalone and she can easily be returned to stock.
I am really hoping that this remote relay box sorts out the drop in voltage to the LED headlights and the flickering it causes. After the headlight loom it is on to the other accessories and the tidying up of the wiring in the engine bay.
Oh and the newly painted wing top chequer plates were put back on as well since I was in the region.
Yesterday evening I wired up the headlight loom to the new relay/fuse box and I was well chuffed with myself. Popped out at lunchtime to have a trial fit and realised the relay box is just too big under the wing top vent. So a better place was found between the winch solenoid pack and the brake master cylinder. It fits really well here and the waterproofing will help a lot in this position. The upside is that wiring up the various relays and fuses will be fairly straight forward with the wing top vent removed. The downside is that all of my efforts yesterday needed to be adjusted as now the loom was just a smidge too short. Balls. Out with the soldering iron again. It will be a super modification when it is done and if Miffy has to move on to somewhere else it is all standalone and she can easily be returned to stock.
I am really hoping that this remote relay box sorts out the drop in voltage to the LED headlights and the flickering it causes. After the headlight loom it is on to the other accessories and the tidying up of the wiring in the engine bay.
Oh and the newly painted wing top chequer plates were put back on as well since I was in the region.
Are the buildings around you not yours.. There looks to be shelter at least just behind you in that photo..
I can't bring myself to go out and work in this weather I'm afraid.. Just to cold..
I'll be asking my son for a bit more time in his unit if this keeps up.. Nice big space htr in there as well
