Over the course of a couple of days the tailgate button became 'crunchy'. Then I could only open the upper half of the tailgate. I also frequently on switching on getting the message that the tailgate was open & had to slam it shut hard each time. The button didn't spring out like it used to do.

The problem was the switch of course. The spring was rusty & the o ring the consistency of dry pasta in several pieces. I have ordered the service kit with the stainless steel spring but in the meantime cleaning the spring & applying loads of WD40 revived the spring & switch enough that I can now open the lower tailgate with the button.

Replaced the subwoofer with a more compact and less broken replacement. Audio sounds superb again.

Spent time at work rebuilding diesel pumps for 300 TDIs --- getting a p38 rolling chassis tomorrow so can fit Cummings 6bt and focus or Mondeo body c

Wow that sub idea is slick! Saves space and tidies up the entire setup! Me like! Compliments!

Me I've done nothing lately ... lingering towards the inevitable, replace spark plugs, try another MAF as it is intermittely cutting out, replace the LPG injectors and recalibrate the system, and take out the valve head covers and address the oil leaks in there.
Other than that, I made almost 1000 km during the festivities and the machine held up to the job admirabily, except the bothering intermittent cutting out referenced above. Great car, will miss it as this year I move to another job which will need me more long distance travel, hence something faster and more economical ... oh well

leolito wrote:

Wow that sub idea is slick! Saves space and tidies up the entire setup! Me like! Compliments!

I've got a very similar sub only mine sits on top of the BeCM under the driver's seat......

On my way to the ferry at Saint-Malo yesterday I was travelling along at 50mph (80kph) on a single carriageway road. It was still dark just before 08:00 when a full grown fallow deer shot out from the roadside straight into my path. I braked hard which must have surprised the car on my tail but there was no way to avoid hitting the deer. Luckily it wasn't thrown in the air to land on my windscreen but went under the car after a resounding thump as I caught it with the middle of the bumper. I stopped a couple of miles on when I was able to pull off the road to inspect the car. There was no evidence of any damage.

In over fifty years of motoring I have struck several varieties of wildlife but nothing as big as this deer. I'm grateful that we were in the Range Rover as I suspect a less robust vehicle would have sustained quite a bit of damage. I recall running over a rabbit in my Audi A6 Quattro. The animal went through the front grill & snapped the serpentine belt leaving a not so lucky rabbit's foot stuck on one of the pulleys.

You were lucky with that Nigel. I went through 3 front number plates in a year on one of my company vehicles due to pheasants that didn't know the green cross code. Although I've just realised the French plates are aluminium so a bit stronger than our plastic ones.

As for what have you done today, it's more a case of what am I about to do. Noticed a ticking noise under acceleration a couple of days ago. Initially thought it was a cracked RH exhaust manifold so been outside this morning and pulled the heatshield away from it (an advantage of only putting 3 bolts in to hold it in place last time it was off). No sign of any cracks in the manifold but by using a bit of tube to identify where it is going chuff, chuff, chuff from and pulling the plug lead off to confirm it, number 4 is blowing out the side of the block from the head gasket. Replacement gasket, valley gasket and seals ordered on next day delivery so as soon as I've had some lunch, I'll be out there pulling the RH cylinder head off.

Never a dull moment, it seems!
Richard today I had an item drop on the passenger side ("my" passenger side lol) and while I was fishing it out I noticed the very limited area between the seat and the BeCM ... how did you manage? Or is it b/c yours got no elec/mem seats?

Probably. As the seats are manual there's no motors under there so that gives a bit more space. The seat is height adjustable with a lever at the side and I have it quite high so that gives me a bit more space too.

On other matters, decided to have both heads off so now they are off, they've been dropped off to be skimmed and should be ready to pick up lunchtime tomorrow. LH head gasket (and head) was fine but there were some marks on the RH one where the fire rings sit even after I'd cleaned it up with 800 grit so figured that for £35 a head I may as well get them done. Next day delivery on the gaskets turned out to not be next day but the day after so I couldn't start putting it back together anyway. RH exhaust manifold put up a fight so decided to take the head off with it still attached which makes it a bit awkward (but not as awkward as getting to that lower right manifold bolt!) as it is heavier and not balanced.

When replacing the NSR half shaft oil seal back in August I noticed the bracket for the mud/dust shield had rotted through and the OSR bracket had done the same in exactly the same way. In addition the OSR shield looked decidedly worse for wear as well. Time to change the brackets and shields on both sides so having acquired new brackets and shields I set to work.

Firstly the OEM brackets are a bit pricey and the OEM shields are a bit eye watering from what are essentially pressed steel plates. However, I obtained a couple of OEM brackets and aftermarket (Britpart) shields which were still massively expensive for what they are.

I won't bore you with the struggle of the bolts being stuck (pretty much welded with corrosion) in the hub so had to be drilled out which I expected. I had toyed with the idea of drilling them out and re-tapping but there is plenty of space behind the hub so just resorted to drilling them all out and using through bolts with washers and locknuts on the back side of the hub - easier to implement and easier to cut off if they prove 'difficult' in the future! Not concerned with the bolts in the shield captive nuts as they were being junked anyway.

The real surprise is that the aftermarket shields initially seemed good quality and of pretty thick steel but didn't fit! Firstly they wouldn't go over the hub without some significant 'panel beating' and then the locating holes didn't line up requiring the bracket holes to be opened out somewhat to line up with the shield captive nuts and the non captive locating hole on the shield to be extensively 'modified' to fit! What should have been a reasonably quick and painless job was anything but. However, all is now back together and calm has been restored.

Both of mine on the rear are scrap. The nearside one came adrift, caught on the inside of the wheel and folded itself almost in half. Offside one brackets had broken too so for the time being, I've taken them both off. My old Classic didn't have either of them there all the time I owned it. They don't do that much anyway and at £100+ each I intend using the remaining one as a pattern to make a couple in aluminium. I did think about cleaning it up and taking a mould so I could make a batch in fibreglass but figured I'd never get it clean and shiny enough to be able to pull a mould off. If I had a brand new one that might be a possibility but for now I'm going to go down the alloy route.

I've seen a post somewhere where someone has found a stainless steel pie dish from ikea (iirc) that was near as dammit identical.
Bit of cutting, bit of drilling and was perfect.
I found that out after I had sand blasted mine and cut out the rot/welded in new sections. The brace is easy to knock up, fitted it all in with ss button head bolts.
Possibly landyzone? For the ikea dish mod?

Hmm, interesting. I once made a steering wheel for a go-kart from the lid of a pressure cooker and a length of heater hose......

Can't find anything with Google but a good starting point would be to measure the shield and look for pie dishes of the right diameter.

Chrisp38 wrote:

I've seen a post somewhere where someone has found a stainless steel pie dish from ikea (iirc) that was near as dammit identical.
Bit of cutting, bit of drilling and was perfect.
I found that out after I had sand blasted mine and cut out the rot/welded in new sections. The brace is easy to knock up, fitted it all in with ss button head bolts.
Possibly landyzone? For the ikea dish mod?

Ikea Dust Shield

That's it Pete.

Bugger, Ikea don't do postal delivery and my nearest store is in Milton Keynes, over an hour each way.....

40cm one from Amazon ? Best check the inside wheel measurements first !!

Probably too big as I have 16" wheels but I'll have a measure up.

JLImmelman wrote:

Replaced the subwoofer with a more compact and less broken replacement. Audio sounds superb again.

That looks amazing! Would you care to share any details please? I've got two subs with totally knackered cones :(

Yes, no problem, I'll start a thread for it and post some more pictures and info there.

I'm quite happy with it!

edit:
https://rangerovers.pub/topic/3523