Builds My LC 80 thread. (1 Viewer)

[Dave 2000]

Worth noting this one, long winded but relevant to all 80 owners with a stock oil pressure gauge.

Yesterday evening I was taking friends to the airport, typical toll road speed of around 80-90 MPH, all was well until about halfway there I noted the oil pressure gauge starting to fall? I had checked the oil before leaving and it was good, I had also only changed it a couple of weeks back and nothing was amiss. Not wanting to alarm my five female passengers I eased off down to 70 and just watched the gauge, slow but sure it started to climb again?

For reference I will refer to the gauge as having four markers, the lowest being #1 (L) and the highest #4 (H), so we know where we are. Regular readers will know my oil pressure gauge is correctly calibrated as are the rest of the gauges (yes sad.......I know), normally at motorway speeds the oil pressure gauge needle sits just above centre between #3 and #4, but I had already noted at the high speed of around 90 it was down to #3? dropping to 70 mph the needle climbed back up to a little under midway between #'s 3 and 4. Whilst the girls did what girls do gassing away, I started going through the possible causes, I had only last week fitted a new starter and that is just below the oil pressure sensor, perhaps I had disturbed a wire? Arrived at the airport and parked up, went in and see all but one of the girls off. On returning to the car I glanced underneath, no puddles. Started up and the oil pressure indication was more or less right again.

On the way home everything seemed normal, so I put it down to another faulty sender. Not far from home I noted the needle falling even further, all other gauges were fine, engine was not hot, just the AC and lights on as it was getting dark, I also checked the NL volt meter, sitting at it's usual '3 greens' (4 when first starting then drops back after a few miles) so 13.7 plus, by the time we had arrived home the gauge needle was down to #2 on the gauge, as I have an oil pressure light as well I watched for that, it is set at 21psi so a little warning if things got too 'iffy'.

This morning I opened the bonnet and checked the wiring to sender all good, as were all levels, and then I noticed one of the dual fan belts missing! I did point out earlier in this thread, that when calibrating the oil pressure gauge a steady voltage must be maintained, the sender is particularly sensitive to voltage highs and lows, and this was the problem. At higher engine speeds the single remaining belt was slipping, the voltage to the gauge slowly falling but, NOT enough to show on the other gauges, not even enough to show on the National Luna battery monitor LED's, the voltage was being held above 13.7 volts. By switching on the headlights the amount of drive left to the alternator was enough to just maintain the required volts/amps, no doubt the continual slipping would have seen the remaining belt fail as well, which incidentally was in in very good condition. What caused the other belt to fail/disappear is a mystery, the pulleys all appear to be running true as is the harmonic balancer, I purchased four belts, two fitted and my 'cruiser world' was all good again, the other two belts in the boot, it is that time of year when hot and fast runs to the airport are many, forewarned is forearmed.

If I had remembered my own words about the gauge sensitivity , then I might have slept easier!

regards

Dave

 

[Dave 2000]

Update on the last post. After fitting the two new belts, I was watching the oil pressure gauge like a hawk, and I mean as in more gauge than road!

I still had a small variation in the oil pressure gauge when the AC was switched on? First let me say, this may have been happening for years and only the recent events posted above has actually brought it to my attention.

So, what is happening?

Using the numbering system as per above I will explain. When at normal operating temperature, anything more than around 1,200 rpm puts my oil pressure gauge midway between #3 and #4 on the gauge. Cold puts it right on the #4 line (H), it stays there for around three miles....ish?

Setting the scenario, I am on the motorway, the two new alternator belts in place everything is fine, by coincidence this is the second airport run in a week, this one early am so no AC. On the way back the sun was up and I switched on the AC, all is working fine. Given I had noticed the low oil pressure a few days earlier, I was paying extra attention. After around 3 - 4 minutes, the oil pressure gauge dropped around one needle width, so it is now hovering over the top of line #3. Switch off the AC, and around a similar time the gauge goes back to the pre AC on position, intriguing eh?.

I gets back to the workshop and check the new alternator belts, one is tight and the other a little less tight. Subjective description but put another way, the tight one is how I prefer the tension, the other is IMO too loose, they were both OK but one seems to have stretched a little? Aha! I hear you say, the loose belt is allowing the voltage drop discovered in the post above, and this was my thinking as well. I had purchased four belts in total, but two are a different brand. So I removed the two belts and replace them with the other spares from the boot, these belts tension up the same as the first pair. Go for a run and the same weird OP gauge readings!

This is not to be confused with the drop in voltage noted in the previous post, this is something different, and both belts are tensioned fine.

It is not voltage drop.
It is not due to lower revolutions of the engine.
It is not a wiring fault.

Given the flaky action of other members gauges, then they may or may not have noticed this weird action?

At the moment I am stuck with idea that heat is being shed from the AC condenser into the main radiator, this is entering the engine and perhaps adding enough heat to the cooling system and lowering the oil pressure, i.e as per a normal engine warming up? I have not fitted the master gauge yet to prove it but, unless someone can offer an alternative idea.............

regards

Dave

 

[Dave 2000]

Update time.

A couple of posts back I mentioned I would be applying for a tyre size increase, that application has now been withdrawn.......and why?

Before anyone asks the answer is yes it can be done.

So I apply to an engineer from Spain's engineering college base. He sends the documentation via email attachments. The first was he wanted a detailed specification of the proposed tyre. No problem. And then the workshop that fits them has to sign an indemnity form. This assures them that I will not hold them responsible for any 'event' that befalls the car that may be attributed to the tyres.

But the problem is getting a 'H' rated AT tyre for the 80 in the size that I want. The next hurdle is the insurance, I requested a written document stating they would keep my cover with the larger tyre. Loads of time passes and I press again but a little harder. I eventually get their guidance plan. Go through the engineering steps, then take the vehicle for inspection, and assuming it passes, I then send the altered inspection document to the underwriters. They then make the decision as to whether they will insure me or not. If not then I need to fit the original size tyres, then go back to the inspection station and have the documents altered again. And then send the docs to the insurance company to prove I have reverted back to the OE size.

This leaves me substantially out of pocket, forget the cost of the tyres, the engineers report and the two inspections will cost me around 350 euros ($280...ish), for that money I could buy another two tyres!! I would also lose money on now being stuck with four no longer new tyres that will need to be sold. I love Spain, I have thrown my everything into moving and living here but, I just cannot get my head around bureaucracy for bureaucracy's sake.

Given I cannot afford to throw money away, and having tried as hard as hell to get an insurance approval prior to fitting with no joy, I have given in. I am now going home to lick my wounds, and kick that damned cat when I see him!

If anything good has come out of this, I did manage to get my insurance premium down to the lowest it has ever been in about six years, this was because the broker understood my frustration with the underwriters and was worried I would go elsewhere with the 80 and my work van business.

So, just ordered four new Yokohama Geolander AT's in the stock 275/70/16 size, they should be here at the end of next week, so I will see how they go, I loved the Toyo 'Open Country' tyres, but continual punctures despite plenty of wear left has forced me to abandon the brand.

And in case you are wondering, yes it is the same engineer procedure for a snorkel fitment I mean, the way they affect the road holding, and even upset braking dynamics along with the ability to swerve around an obstacle has to be taken into account, FFS!!

Other than that for the record, I fitted a replacement drivers seat belt, (original had started to fray), the negative terminal I crimped on without shrink tube last month (blonde moment), has been cut off and a replacement crimped on WITH the heat shrink, and I also replaced the RH rear door switch that stopped the interior light coming on. And that's it, as it is so bloody hot here by 13.00 at this time of the year, I go and hide indoors and chill

regards

Dave

 

[mechanist]

God bless you my brother! I think I'd lose my mind dealing with that kind of bull****. I can't believe the hurdles you guys in Europe and the U.K. Go through just to drive a car!

I love reading your posts. Great info and useful for trouble shooting! I'm looking for an electric fan to give my AC and cooling systems some assistance. Would you mind posting that wiring diagram you drew up a while back?

On an unrelated note - does the recent vote impact your ability to live and work in Spain? Will you keep your British passport?

 

[Dave 2000]

God bless you my brother! I think I'd lose my mind dealing with that kind of bull****. I can't believe the hurdles you guys in Europe and the U.K. Go through just to drive a car!

The UK is nothing like this. Of course there are rules and regs and stupid ones are plentiful but, more often than not there is normally an element of common sense. Don't get me wrong, if the rule was perhaps 'anything over 20% tyre size increase' or' the fitment may cause serious control issues with the vehicle', I would go with it but for a f*cking snorkel!

I love reading your posts. Great info and useful for trouble shooting! I'm looking for an electric fan to give my AC and cooling systems some assistance. Would you mind posting that wiring diagram you drew up a while back?

Thanks for that. The wiring depends what you want the fan to do and when, pm me some more details?

On an unrelated note - does the recent vote impact your ability to live and work in Spain? Will you keep your British passport?

My British passport stays with me, AFAIK once you have been granted a passport in your country of birth, then it cannot be rescinded unless you commit some serious crimes? As I am an official resident of Spain, live here more than 186 days of the year this becomes my fiscal country. So I work and pay taxes here and have pretty much all the rights of a Spaniard, although there are some exceptions. I do not expect much to change and certainly nothing for the next couple of years. Given that the 'remain' camp are talking about having a second referendum then I doubt much will happen for awhile. I hate the idea but, if I need to go back to the UK then no big deal, I am a qualified teacher, hold a truck licence, I could even upgrade my scuba licence and become an instructor, but it is a bit cold in the UK for that so...........?

Rather stay where I am TBH.

regards

Dave

 

[Dave 2000]

Today @ 247, 690 miles. Fitted anti rattle clips to the brake callipers, followers may recall I had purchased a new anti rattle kit and the clips were too narrow? I gave up looking for the correct size, it seems there is a huge batch of copies out there that are not the correct width? As the pads have bedded in, I noticed they rattled more when going over rough surfaces. This morning I dug out the old ones, gave them a good clean and clipped them in, so that sorts that. Whiles the wheels were off, I removed the plug in the top of the hub and pumped in some Moly. Checked wheel bearing play and a general look under there, all good. Also greased both prop shafts. Not a lot done, but too bloody hot to work at the moment.

Also, I have finally taken delivery of the dashboard insert. This is the piece that holds the gear selected indicator found on automatics. After having stripped it down, I had a stateside company etch in the icons. The icons are self explanatory but feel free to post up any questions. This insert will replace the 'el cheapo' version I constructed and fitted last year. This new one mimics the 'dead fronted' material used in the original dashboard, no icons show unless illuminated from the rear.

Very professional IMO, and beats having a handful of lights cluttering the dashboard. Just waiting for a multiplug, then I can remove in the same way as the OE plugs if need be. Should be in place around the end of next week?

regards

Dave

 

[Dave 2000]

Good to be back in civilisation, been house sitting in the 'campo' so no net access. Done me a favour really I needed a break.

So, what did I do to the car? Not a lot really, 42c outside which is waaaaay to hot to work on the car. A couple of things got sorted, one of the most annoying for ages has been the rattle from the sun roof. It was there when I first got the car, but a quick push to close the blind tighter stopped the noise. The rattle was only there when the roof was closed, I had got in the habit of tilting the roof just a tad to stop the rattle, of course you then get the bleeper when you switch off. Slow but sure the rattle got worse, I was forever pushing at the blind until it no longer worked. To add to this, I noticed quite awhile back that when the roof was fully open that the wind noise was quite high. I found that by pulling down on the deflector just a couple of millimetres the wind noise disappeared, the deflector seemed to be sitting higher than it should be? I finally decided to sort this once and for all!

With the roof opened I went around every screw I could get to and doubt I got a half turn on each of them? I pushed the deflector arms up and down and straight away saw the problem causing the rattle. On each side under the deflector arms are small rubber pad, it was obvious they were worn. I got some fuel hose and cut off a couple of small pieces. They were the same length as the pads, I then cut the pieces lengthways, added some Araldite rapid and placed them on the worn pads. Closed the roof a little at a time, I made sure the pads were pushed down by the arms and closed the roof the rest of the way.

Left it a couple of hours and went out later and found the rattle was almost silenced, there is the odd tap when running over rough ground but you have to be looking for it. There is another pad in the centre under the deflector and that will no doubt be the culprit.

This of course did not cure the wind noise when the roof is open. The deflector travel is limited in the arms by a stainless screw inside a plastic guide at each end of the deflector, this runs in the elongated hole in the deflector arms. I found the plastic tubes have disintegrated, this allows the screw to travel further in the elongated hole, and this in turn allows the deflector to open too far.

The tube is designed like a top hat, it can go in so far and then not travel any further, the only way back is via the screw head, the 'rim' of the top hat runs against the arm side. I think I have found something almost identical but have not actually tested it yet. The secondary needle guard caps on insulin syringes look like they will do the job, they have the same top hat design and are made of a hard plastic.

Get back to you on that one when I get five minutes to try them.

And as if some witch craft is at work, and after giving some MUD members some stick during a debate about AC effectiveness idle, the voltage regulator on my alternator has started to show signs of going out. Everything is still working fine including the electric cooling fan. but the volts are not holding a 14+ when the fan engages on full speed. I do have an old 80 amp unit in the garage if need be, but with two batteries and the ability to parallel at the press of a button I doubt it will be an issue. These old style diesel engines can run with no electric whatsoever if need be. I have ordered a new regulator, they can be fitted in situ if your a bit deft with a soldering iron.

On a more positive note, the four new Yokohama tyres have arrived at the workshop today, I shall fit them Saturday am if I get the time. I went for these:

Yokohama Geolandar A/T-S G012 | Autorno (UK)

Thread followers will recall the grief I got trying to go up a size, absolute nightmare. So with the Yokohama AT-S G012 I get the speed rating requested by the insurer, and which matches the vehicle OE spec, these will replace the puncture prone Toyo AT 'Open Country', which I think are a great tyre until they have around 3-4mm of tread left, then they are simply marsh mellows.

Regards

Dave

 

[Dave 2000]

So, uber busy but keeping ahead of things. I had no time to carry out the testing I wanted to do on the brake compensator. This was discussed on another forum as well as on MUD. It seems many have removed it, or adjusted it 'by feel'. The results have been posted up and vary from better to worse, no real meaningful data. As my tyres were being replaced on the Saturday I decided it would do no harm to the tyres being replaced. Alas I too am unable to offer anything concrete. A nice link there, I had some bags of cement in the garage and was going to switch off the ABS however, a friends Discovery TD5 decided to dump it's power steering fluid all over the floor.! What wanker designed the 'U' pipe to be wedged between the block and the steering box? The pipe had rubbed through against the block, if it had not worn through there it would have failed where it was also rubbing on the steering. So, I run my friends wife to the airport, and then spent a day on repairing that, so the compensator tests did not get done....sorry an all that.

The new voltage stabiliser has not arrived yet but I can see the NL battery indicator is showing that the alternator is not quite losing the battle yet. It is still managing to keep the cooling fan/AC going in 40 degree C temps, the batteries are just getting enough charge to keep them happy. The old unit I kept in the garage will not rotate, sitting there for a few years has seen it seize. Now, with the TD5 still on temporary piping I collected my friends wife from the airport yesterday and then returned to pick up a family friend. Thursday will see me doing another run to a more distant airport, four long runs in six days, if the alternator does decide to give up I will switch over to the other battery. If the parts do not arrive, it looks like I will have to cough up for a new alternator until I can get the time to repair the 150 amp unit.
To finish on a positive note, the new Yokohama tyres have been fitted , first impressions are not bad, a tad difficult to balance up, I will not have weights on the outer rim, so the guys in the shop have to faff around with the 'stick on' type on the inside. The new dashboard clock with the interior/exterior temp indication is ready to fit, had to spend some time getting one that was accurate, and also the new 'under bonnet status' indicator is ready to go in as well. Just need some more 'cruiser time', and the dashboard will be finished.

Thanks for your interest,

regards

Dave

 

[Dave 2000]

Despite the 40 degrees C here the 'iffy' alternator more or less kept up with AC and engine cooling fan demands. I was sure it was the regulator as the NL battery monitor showed that the charge rate was good until the engine got hot and the AC was on. Bridge rectifiers are also known to show similar symptoms, the diodes tend to heat up and allow leakage. The monitor would show 13.2 at idle and 13.7 at speed. In the real world this is not as bad as it seems, at least nothing is coming out of the batteries, and the cold running gave the batteries a good boost when cold, the problems only showing when the engine got hot. I found if I charged the batteries with a 'house' charger for a few hours and then switched it off, the batteries would still be paralleled the following morning, the poor output of the VR was not bringing the batteries to their full potential, as the problem only showed when the alternator was hot and the batteries were not going flat overnight meant the diodes (electrical version of a one way street) were good.

So the parts finally arrived, the guy at the spares shop in the UK had never heard of the 'Sequoia' model from the American market, this is where my 150 amp alternator came from, bar a small adjustment to the adjuster bracket, it bolts straight in. I had to rely on pictures on the website to identify the parts needed. I managed a 50% success rate though and the regulator is spot on but the brush box was wrong, the securing connectors were offset as opposed to 'level', unfortunately the pictures did not show this, and with five similar pictures I had to make a choice, but it was the wrong one. I have emailed the supplier and hopefully a new one should be on it's way soon. In the meantime I fitted the new VR, this is not a five minute job on Denso alternators, unlike the Bosch units they do not simply screw in. You need a decent soldering iron and some patience to get the VR connection apart without doing damage to the alternator connection, it is a lot easier with the alternator removed and on the bench.........oh alright, my coffee table in front of the TV with a brew. I can remove the alternator in under 10 minutes, the electric fan and shroud leaves plenty of room to work in this area.

So, all refitted and straight away the charge rate is back up in the 14+ volts, with everything switched on, of course this needs to be verified when the engine is nice and hot, it will be 40+ degrees inland so will check it out probably Thursday? When the new brush box arrives I will drop that in, this is a two minute job and done easily with the alternator in situ, so till Thursday and some heat.

regards

Dave

 

[Dave 2000]

Success....well sort of! The alternator regulator used to hold 14+ volts for about 10 minutes driving, then slowly drop down to 13.7 plus before it started acting up. This was enough to light up 4 of the NL battery monitor LED's during the 14+ time and then dropping to three LED's, this was regardless of loads whether hot or cold, the 3 LED's would be there whether idling with all loads or on the motorway with virtually none, a rock solid steady voltage. The new regulator seems to have a different (for want of better word) 'mode' of charging. Start up and initial charge is the same as usual, the VR holds the volts at 14.3 regardless of what I switch on, all available lighting, AC, HRW, and then allow the electric cooling fan to come on in response to the AC demand switch. A few miles down the road and the voltage drops back (three LED's), again normal but, the charge climbs again around every 10 minutes (4 LED's) of steady motorway driving?

Now, once the battery is charged then the alternator maintains a steady 'float' charge, just keeping it topped off, from then onwards all other additional loads should be picked up by the alternator, sooooooo.....not sure what is going on here? The amperage drawn by a running (old style) diesel engine is around 5-6 amps for the stop solenoid, and perhaps a couple for the gauges and blower motor on slow speed, but I doubt it is more than 15 - 20 amps when running down the motorway circa 70 MPH. At no time should the battery require extra 'topping up', when I hit town on comes the cooling fan for the AC and of course you have along with lower rpm's brake lights, indicators, but again the alternator should simply respond to the demand, and yet the 'up/down' of the VR is exaggerated more. The multimeter indicates the NL monitor is responding accurately so no red herring there. There is at no time any over voltage, and the highest I saw on the MM was 14.4 besides, the NL monitor has an over charge alarm, and this never sounded, and as a backup (I am a little OCD), the Blue Seas VCR would disengage to protect the starter battery and again this did not happen. All cables clean and tight and thread followers will know they were all recently replaced and are waaaay over spec.

Tomorrow morning I expect to see the two batteries have remained in parallel overnight, this will at least tell me the batteries are being fully charged, the normal process being the batteries will separate after around 40 odd hours, this is due to the parasitic draw of the alarm ect. I am never comfortable with processes that elude me, a second faulty regulator, my dodgy soldering, both possible but then you would not expect to be able to more or less time when the weird behaviour would manifest itself, which I can. I have checked the three pin plug and all is good there, but I have a spare in the box if need be, we are now entering the hottest time of the year now so we shall see.

Get back to you.

regards

Dave

 

[Douglas S]

Did you happen to take a picture of your modified alternator bracket?

 

[Dave 2000]

Did you happen to take a picture of your modified alternator bracket?

No sorry but can when back in there but it is very simple. If you take the adjuster part out (threaded bolt and block) and then open up and lengthen the slot in the curved bracket, then you are done in circa 5 minutes, the only reason the slot needs opening/lengthening is so you can use the stock size belts, having said that they are still a bit tight to get them over the pulleys, I purchased a pair of 1000 x 10 and they fit and adjust up perfect. You do lose the ease of adjustment but a short lever behind the alternator case and block while you tighten the bolt in the adjuster slot and you are done. I did plan to make up something to make the process easier, but as it needed to be done perhaps once a year so I never got around to it.

regards

Dave

 

[Dave 2000]

New alternator installed!!

Friday morning showed the batteries were indeed still in parallel indicating the batteries were getting a good charge. Started up and drove some local stuff and the up/down charge mode was not enough to show on the NL monitor but, was enough that I could actually hear it from the engine tone. The engine was not surging up and down, but as the volts rose the engine note changed, whatever was happening it was not right. I went over every connection I could, checking continuity, voltage drop, tightness, added temporary extra earth cables and so forth, I could find nothing wrong with the wiring, the fluctuation was definitely coming from the alternator, perhaps up and down by around 1 volt. I cannot be any more specific than that as the multimeter would drop for a few seconds and go back up again without stabilising. After awhile you start doubting yourself, so off I go and check everything again but no joy, it did all point at a second faulty regulator. I did not know getting spares here for the Sequoia alternator was going to be so bloody hard, it is a Toyota alternator after all! As I need the car for some airport runs coming up, I went to the local spares shop and went through his online catalogue, and the best I could get delivered on the same day was a stock but brand new 80 amp unit.

It arrived around 20.00 Friday evening and I fitted it outside the shop there and then, started up and Dave's LC world was all good again. Rock steady volts regardless of demand so super happy. Having such a powerful electric engine cooling fan, which ironically is rarely needed to cool the engine but does give incredibly low AC temps at idle means I need to supply it the amps it needs. The 80 amp is doing the job, but it means if going very slowly or stationary then the fan will be pulling somewhere in the region of 35 amps, (over about 25 MPH the fan goes off), add in another 20 for system electrics, and if it was at night perhaps another 20 for night lighting, you can see the reason I fitted the 150 amp unit. I am making enquiries as to having the Sequoia unit completely rebuilt, or perhaps order another new OE unit, or go for one of the specialised units out there?

I left home this morning around 06.30 and put a few miles (120...ish) on the new alternator, other than getting breathalysed by the just as early Guardia Civil nothing happened out of the ordinary, later in the pm temps climbed to 35 C, and the alternator coped without issue and maintained 13.8 with both internal and external fans being flat out at idle, as soon as the rpm's rose we had 14.4 volts. Other than getting the 150 amp overhauled, at least I can put the problem down to the original AND the replacement VR's being bad, and now can put this issue to bed.

regards

Dave

 

[kevsta]

Update time.

A couple of posts back I mentioned I would be applying for a tyre size increase, that application has now been withdrawn.......and why?

Before anyone asks the answer is yes it can be done.

So I apply to an engineer from Spain's engineering college base. He sends the documentation via email attachments. The first was he wanted a detailed specification of the proposed tyre. No problem. And then the workshop that fits them has to sign an indemnity form. This assures them that I will not hold them responsible for any 'event' that befalls the car that may be attributed to the tyres.

But the problem is getting a 'H' rated AT tyre for the 80 in the size that I want. The next hurdle is the insurance, I requested a written document stating they would keep my cover with the larger tyre. Loads of time passes and I press again but a little harder. I eventually get their guidance plan. Go through the engineering steps, then take the vehicle for inspection, and assuming it passes, I then send the altered inspection document to the underwriters. They then make the decision as to whether they will insure me or not. If not then I need to fit the original size tyres, then go back to the inspection station and have the documents altered again. And then send the docs to the insurance company to prove I have reverted back to the OE size.

This leaves me substantially out of pocket, forget the cost of the tyres, the engineers report and the two inspections will cost me around 350 euros ($280...ish), for that money I could buy another two tyres!! I would also lose money on now being stuck with four no longer new tyres that will need to be sold. I love Spain, I have thrown my everything into moving and living here but, I just cannot get my head around bureaucracy for bureaucracy's sake.

Given I cannot afford to throw money away, and having tried as hard as hell to get an insurance approval prior to fitting with no joy, I have given in. I am now going home to lick my wounds, and kick that damned cat when I see him!

If anything good has come out of this, I did manage to get my insurance premium down to the lowest it has ever been in about six years, this was because the broker understood my frustration with the underwriters and was worried I would go elsewhere with the 80 and my work van business.

So, just ordered four new Yokohama Geolander AT's in the stock 275/70/16 size, they should be here at the end of next week, so I will see how they go, I loved the Toyo 'Open Country' tyres, but continual punctures despite plenty of wear left has forced me to abandon the brand.

And in case you are wondering, yes it is the same engineer procedure for a snorkel fitment I mean, the way they affect the road holding, and even upset braking dynamics along with the ability to swerve around an obstacle has to be taken into account, FFS!!

Other than that for the record, I fitted a replacement drivers seat belt, (original had started to fray), the negative terminal I crimped on without shrink tube last month (blonde moment), has been cut off and a replacement crimped on WITH the heat shrink, and I also replaced the RH rear door switch that stopped the interior light coming on. And that's it, as it is so bloody hot here by 13.00 at this time of the year, I go and hide indoors and chill

regards

Dave

Hi Dave.. long time.. how's tricks? all good this end. dude, Im curious why you're having these issues with the tyres but my PO-Dave changed them to BFGs ok? or were they pre-fitted to the car when it originally came down from the UK and it was first ITV'd like that?

the "approved" tyre sizes are stamped on the Ficha Technica and 285/75 x 16 is listed there, no mention of H ratings that I can see.

2016's cruiser news my end, it just sailed through the ITV again the other day, she now has a new Pedders steering damper fitted, and a really nice roofrack from eBay just arrived, as soon as I've sorted the various rusty bits on the roof out, thats going on..

Plus Ive gone a bit mad at Milners and Roughtrax and have new front Cvs, flanges and full Hub rebuild kits, plus new discs and pads ready to go on as time allows, need to get August out of the way first..

Plus a complete oil change for it, (next 2 engine changes) both diffs and transfer case, AT fluid, and Toyota red coolant.. I suspect I probably have more Toyota oil in stock in my spare room, than our local dealer has currently

Plus I have one of those optional transmission coolers they fit in the US sometimes in the post at the moment..

Ive still got loads I want to do to it, lightbars on the rack, onboard air, a big inverter, bodywork makeover, a lift it up, bumpers etc..

good job I am planning on keeping it forever really, as thats about how long it's gonna take..

 

[Dave 2000]

Hey good to hear from you! How are you and the family, I trust all are well?

Yes the BFG's were on there when he first registered it, so the documentation tends to follow the car 'as is', although the tow bar had to be removed, unsure if Dave refitted it? I was also told that being an automatic had a bearing on it as well, why I have no idea. I think you will find that Dave had his car matriculated in a place called 'Cartagena', this is miles from me so unsure how they think. Now it is on your papers it can stay, fingers crossed I hope they are as good when you fit a new bumper!

I picked up my late friends roof rack and RTT but have not used them in anger yet. The roof and bonnet lacquer has been eaten by the salt air here, so mine too needs some tidying. The rear drivers side sill also has tin worm, I am going to have it done properly as I too want to keep the car until doomsday, problem is my 'wish list' never seems to shrink!

As we 'speak' right now there is a carpenter in my garage building me a drawer system and fridge slide. I cannot afford to plonk a grand on one of those all singing all dancing kits nice as they are. I am trying to limit my 80's budget to about a grand a year over and above normal running costs. Well 2,000+ last December threw this years right out of the window. This year already I have paid out for the starter from Oz, the dead front panel for the dashboard (under bonnet status), four new tyres and 200 euros last week for a new 'temporary' alternator, I 'may' have gone for a manufactured one if I had not already dome so much cash? The alternator I needed as I am doing a lot of airport runs, so until I can replace/rebuild the Sequoia unit it is a good substitute. So going by that I am thinking I am already two years out on my budget sums!! Fortunately the drawer system is a labour swap, I just pay for the materials and 'Peter' works out a bill, I then work it off by keeping his Land Rover TD5 on the road. The on board air is high on the list, I have removed the rear heater under the drivers seat to make space for it.

Keep with the oil changes Kev, the diesels seem to love it. Try to keep an eye on the mileage/date when doing the change though, I made a cock up, and managed two changes in under three thousand miles, you could lick the dipstick.........well if your that way inclined?

The coolers are a great idea for the transmission IMO, the auto's do get hot when worked hard. Re Milners, I too have spent money in the past there. It is in My LC 80 thread. somewhere, around 4 years...ish back? IIRC, I replaced the passenger side CV joint with a Milner's unit, plus other bits and pieces. The only thing I was disappointed with was the oil seal that goes on the axle behind the CV, it is a 'normal' style seal but is no good at following the axle movement when steering. I would get a pair of OE seals from Toyota, they are better but only if the axle has no wear line on them. I plan to try the Marlin Crawler seals on new shafts and CV's later this year, or early next.......there I go again, spending money two years ahead of budget. The Milners CV is still in there and only recently started to click when the diff locks were being exercised on the beach before the tourists got here, if they are still using the same supplier/manufacturer then I would call them good. I think if you do not go OTT with your driving style they should be fine.

Roughtrax products I have not sampled, I nearly did when I needed a new jack handle, their 'FREE DELIVERY TO THE UK' advert caught my eye, I arranged for it to be sent to my sisters. Only after 'adding to cart', and entering all my details did it come up that I had to spend some additional and somewhat ludicrous amount on other products of theirs to qualify for the delivery offer. This happens a lot these days and is known in the IT trade as 'data harvesting'. Straight after they have your details, whether you cancelled or not, you start getting the adverts from them, I blocked their emails. Some companies treat you like your a thicko, and it pissed me right off so I cancelled the order!! I mentioned this on a UK forum, and it seems others have had similar experiences. A shame really, they have quite a few parts I would like to purchase from them at pretty good price, but alas I often will cut my nose off to spite my face and pay elsewhere a bit extra rather than give them the money. Fingers crossed for you with them, and hope you have no issues.

Keep in touch mate and keep out of the sun, remember 'mad dogs and Englishmen'.

regards

Dave

 

[Dave 2000]

Another milestone, 250,000 miles clicked up this weekend! I knew it was coming and wanted to get a picture for reference, then went out over the weekend and completely forgot about it. By chance I had left the motorway yesterday morning and something made me check, I was four miles short. A short run down the road and took the snap.

Other 'stuff'.

The replacement alternator is doing itself proud, it is up against the workload that had previously been looked after by the 150 amp alternator that started to go bad right in the middle of summer. With parts for the 150 amp being scarce, and multiple airport runs over summer, I had no choice but to purchase a new stock unit. I think I mentioned earlier, I ensured that the connections were kept stock so a quick and straightforward swap was possible. Many modifications are made without thinking 'what if this goes wrong?' This can make the road back to stock a pain with parts not fitting etc. On something as important as this I made sure a stock unit could be slipped in place with minimum effort, and it paid off. The electric cooling fan modification done around two years back now is fitted in the same way, the stock fan can be fitted in minutes if need be if the electric unit fails.

The alternator supplier is on holiday now as is much of Spain, well except the bars and restaurants. So the little 80 amp will have to keep up the good work until the other is repaired or replaced. The effect of only having the smaller unit working is actually quite minimal.

If you assume the car has been sitting in the sun all day, the first start of the engine will still bring in the glow plugs, and on my car the AC button is permanently on at this time of the year, so the electric cooling fan starts sucking air in over the condenser immediately. The viscous unit (mine is in the garage) on the stock fan will draw for a few seconds but quickly slows down and begins freewheeling, it is during this time the electric fan is cooling the condenser, the result is instant stone cold AC!

So, back to the amps draw. I did check and list the data for glow plug draw a few months back, and I think it is around 8 amps per plug? So six means around 48 amps of draw, add in the draw of the engine cooling fan being on (responding to AC pressure), and the fan is reckoned to draw around 25-30 amps, so we are already very close to the alternators maximum output, and the maximum is not supplied at idle, it is nearer 2000 (engine) rpm. The NL battery monitor showing the alternator barely having enough output at idle to maintain the battery, and certainly is not charging it. During this time the AC output is not as cold as it would normally be, the drop of around 1 volt has a marked affect on the fans power. So, from a testing point of view and of course I NEED to know, I started the engine but did not drive the car straightaway, I watched to see what would happen to battery voltage. The glow plug timer switches off the power to the plugs after around 20 seconds, and with the engine still idling but, with AC on, and the inside blower on full and the engine cooling fan on, the alternator still manages to start charging the battery, and within around a minute the battery charge is sufficient to activate the voltage sensitive relay and start charging the second battery. Looking at the draw and the alternators ability to charge the batteries at idle, I would think it is a fair guess that the stock unit can put out around 40 amps at idle and the other 40 all in by around 2,000 rpm? This why I wanted an alternator with a higher capacity, I would have maximum cooling of the AC condenser, and the alternator would not be working so hard.

Today also saw me give the handbrake a little tweak, the hold not being so good the last couple of weeks, I am going to have to replace the dog bones and the bell cranks, the movement at the hand brake lever not being truly reflected at the brake shoes.

Nothing else to report, the 80 continuing to give mega reliable transport, mega hot and sitting around 34 - 36 C (93.2 - 96.8), and with it mega sticky...ugh, roll on September!

regards

Dave

 

[kevsta]

Hey good to hear from you! How are you and the family, I trust all are well?

Yes the BFG's were on there when he first registered it, so the documentation tends to follow the car 'as is', although the tow bar had to be removed, unsure if Dave refitted it? I was also told that being an automatic had a bearing on it as well, why I have no idea. I think you will find that Dave had his car matriculated in a place called 'Cartagena', this is miles from me so unsure how they think. Now it is on your papers it can stay, fingers crossed. I hope they are as good when you fit a new bumper!

haha. obviously, it will not be that easy. I have been corresponding with these guys Homologación de vehículos y componentes - MC Ingeniería who will eventually be handling my "project" and have advice from them about what can and can't be done, and they sent me pics of 80's theyve legalized with similar stuff on them.

(btw have you seen the prices these things fetch in Spain? check.. Toyota HDJ HDJ80 de segunda mano, Diésel, € 16.000,- en Tona

I picked up my late friends roof rack and RTT but have not used them in anger yet. The roof and bonnet lacquer has been eaten by the salt air here, so mine too needs some tidying. The rear drivers side sill also has tin worm, I am going to have it done properly as I too want to keep the car until doomsday, problem is my 'wish list' never seems to shrink!

lol, my wishlist is a permanently expanding thing. "mission creep" some call it

the roof is done, well (lol) I rollered the paint on using a standard gloss paint in a slightly lighter shade of grey in the end, but at least all the scabby bits round the windscreen and the hole in the roof at the back are all history, and nice n watertight now. there was already an arial fitted just in front of the sunroof, which I have removed and ordered (several) marine quality waterproof 12v power socket(s) to go in the hole, and allow fast unplugging of the LED bar and spots etc which will be going onto the rack.

the roofrack had already arrived and it then took me what seemed like a lifetime of sanding down in the heat, to get to the point I could put it on, without having to take it off again any time soon. I'm pleased with it, it seems very strong (took 3 of us strong lads to get it in place) nb, behind her here you can see my other love who has been in restoration mode since 2010, and is now finsihed "enough" to finally switch main focus to cruiser..

As we 'speak' right now there is a carpenter in my garage building me a drawer system and fridge slide. I cannot afford to plonk a grand on one of those all singing all dancing kits nice as they are. I am trying to limit my 80's budget to about a grand a year over and above normal running costs. Well 2,000+ last December threw this years right out of the window. This year already I have paid out for the starter from Oz, the dead front panel for the dashboard (under bonnet status), four new tyres and 200 euros last week for a new 'temporary' alternator, I 'may' have gone for a manufactured one if I had not already dome so much cash? The alternator I needed as I am doing a lot of airport runs, so until I can replace/rebuild the Sequoia unit it is a good substitute. So going by that I am thinking I am already two years out on my budget sums!! Fortunately the drawer system is a labour swap, I just pay for the materials and 'Peter' works out a bill, I then work it off by keeping his Land Rover TD5 on the road. The on board air is high on the list, I have removed the rear heater under the drivers seat to make space for it.

I have to say, the amount of high quality customization on your truck is amazing. Im also considering some of the things you have already done, in particular a split charging system, but I will stay 24v and just add another 120A extra battery. to which I want to connect a large (5000W 20,000W surge) inverter, and I am now considering the best way of getting solar panels installed under/on the rack. Im currently trying to work out exactly how I want it working, I like the idea of being able to re-charge either the engine batteries, or battery 3, or both by solar, continually.

I have also identified available space, power panels etc on/under the centre console and removal of rear heater gubbins, allowing a rear-heater bypass under the bonnet, so removing the risk of cooling system failure due to water pipe damage, or matrix failure at some point.

I have actually abandoned the idea of car-driven air now and gone with a 12v portable, which I will install semi-permanently, and will at some point fix the air-con riding around in a friend's newish HiLux in completely cool at 40plus outside finally persuaded me, maybe Im just getting old lol.

that aluminium rad I fitted last year is excellent, that rough idle missing it had before has just not really been a factor at all this year, either after ragging it up rough mountain tracks at 3pm, or 20min idling and slow crawling sessions in heavy traffic, I'm now pretty certain the extra cooling capacity must be dissipating heat away from the suspect injector (or whatever) better, and we are just not reaching the temperature where it misfires. literally just once the whole summer so far, it just kind of started to miss once or twice, and then we were moving again and it never returned. I have also got the toyota 78degree stat for it too, which hopefully will mean that fault is masked for good

The coolers are a great idea for the transmission IMO, the auto's do get hot when worked hard.

Im thinking a cooler, and the extra oil capacity it gives should make the 442's twilight years a little more comfortable. I fear auto trans problems on this car probably more than anything else, given my location and lack of expertise on the island.

Re Milners, I too have spent money in the past there. It is in My LC 80 thread. somewhere, around 4 years...ish back? IIRC, I replaced the passenger side CV joint with a Milner's unit, plus other bits and pieces. The only thing I was disappointed with was the oil seal that goes on the axle behind the CV, it is a 'normal' style seal but is no good at following the axle movement when steering. I would get a pair of OE seals from Toyota, they are better but only if the axle has no wear line on them. I plan to try the Marlin Crawler seals on new shafts and CV's later this year, or early next.......there I go again, spending money two years ahead of budget. The Milners CV is still in there and only recently started to click when the diff locks were being exercised on the beach before the tourists got here, if they are still using the same supplier/manufacturer then I would call them good. I think if you do not go OTT with your driving style they should be fine.

which seals do you mean Dave? Having not taken one apart yet, Im a bit confused looking at the diagrams and the bits I have, about exactly what is inside there. if you have the Toyota part numbers easily to hand that would be very helpful, and I'll get some.

Roughtrax products I have not sampled, I nearly did when I needed a new jack handle, their 'FREE DELIVERY TO THE UK' advert caught my eye, I arranged for it to be sent to my sisters. Only after 'adding to cart', and entering all my details did it come up that I had to spend some additional and somewhat ludicrous amount on other products of theirs to qualify for the delivery offer. This happens a lot these days and is known in the IT trade as 'data harvesting'. Straight after they have your details, whether you cancelled or not, you start getting the adverts from them, I blocked their emails. Some companies treat you like your a thicko, and it pissed me right off so I cancelled the order!! I mentioned this on a UK forum, and it seems others have had similar experiences. A shame really, they have quite a few parts I would like to purchase from them at pretty good price, but alas I often will cut my nose off to spite my face and pay elsewhere a bit extra rather than give them the money. Fingers crossed for you with them, and hope you have no issues.

Roughtrax do decent quality stuff from what I see. they are stocking Pedders lift kits, who seem well respected, in fact I am considering the 45mm one they do, I already fitted their uprated steering danper. In fact I wouldnt mind betting that if I sprayed the lift kit all Toyo matt black, and loaded her up with everything she will be carrying, they wouldn't even notice the extra height

but unfortunately all the loading up (bumpers winch, tow bar, sliders etc) would all need homologation too anyway, so I may as well get the lift legal at the same time. If I were still in the UK, without the stupid legalities to deal with, this would have been all done a year ago now. ..frustrating, but also gives you some long term goals to plan for lol.

before I do any more of the good stuff now though, I need to implement this lot..

Keep in touch mate and keep out of the sun, remember 'mad dogs and Englishmen'.

regards

Dave

and you amigo. always interested to hear about far out engineering mods

 

[Dave 2000]

Hey Kev good to hear from you, all good here thanks.

The 'homogalodo' engineers are not very helpful here when it comes to modifications, they are great when it comes to 'matriculation' but not much else. This along with the non committal and vague attitude of the insurance company, you can see why I am wary.

Re the values, your spot on! The 80 was a very expensive vehicle compared with say the Land Rover, and so it was relatively rare. I think the Land Rover was built in Santander for awhile hence the price difference. I see a ratio of perhaps 40 to 1 of Land Rovers versus 80? They are now falling within reach of the average guy and they are being seen more often away from the bigger cities, and expect the ratios to change.

Where I live there were three 80's, one at the 4x4 workshop (the owner), another Spanish guy a few clicks up the road, and my late friend 'Wim' lovely 1990, now sold and out of the country. There are now around five or six around here now, an early 1991 mode is near me for 12,000 euros!

I went with 'Hammerite' gloss black for the rack, it is a full length similar to yours so has room for the RTT, a spare wheel, and a couple of jerry cans if need be. Agree with the sanding, TBH mine did not look too bad when I got it but, now I have painted it I realise I could have done a better job with the preparation.

Re the mods, thanks for the comments, I try to document them as carefully as possible. Non are radical but all are functional and have an end goal that suit me and the use I have for the 80, the instant AC for example, if the car is in town and parked in the open it is red hot inside, I can jump in and start the car and the AC is full on freezing cold immediately, instead of waiting for the VC of the stock fan to make an appearance. It can spark heated debate but hey, I have the numbers, and the data to prove it, so I say to them don't knock it until you have tried it.

Back to your mods, re the water proof gland on the roof for lighting etc. I have not looked into it yet but want one that simply connects and disconnects, sounds like you have the right one, so let me know what you went with I may need to copy your purchase

Re the batteries, the only problem with the 24v system is the inability to test the batteries, if you are not far from a jump start no problem. The split system I have did indicate a problem last year, something the 24v system would not have shown up...well until it did not start!

The third battery is good, if you did have a battery problem with the 24v system you could use a set of jump cables and use the third battery to get you going.

The trans cooler is essential in our climate when the car is being worked hard. You can go different ways with this, i.e. keep the OE cooler through the rad and then fit an additional one, this would preferably be before the OE unit, or bypass the OE unit all together. This would allow the radiator to be used solely for cooling the engine. The extra cooling capacity will definitely help, the amount of oil they carry though is less than a pint on a typical cooler. I would go with a trans flush as well if it has not already been done?

The axle seals I am talking about are the ones mounted in the front axle tube, one at each end where the axle shafts enter. The standard seal from Toyota works great if there is no scoring on your axles, it is the machined area just before the axle enters the CV joint. Every replacement aftermarket kit I have seen use a standard seal and is quite frankly crap, whether your axles are scored or not. The Marlin crawler seal 'should' offer extra protection, whether the shafts are scored or not? There is plenty of debate about which seal to use, I have yet to fit them on my 80 so cannot comment on how they will perform.

Kesta said: but unfortunately all the loading up (bumpers winch, tow bar, sliders etc) would all need homologation too anyway, so I may as well get the lift legal at the same time. If I were still in the UK, without the stupid legalities to deal with, this would have been all done a year ago now. ..frustrating, but also gives you some long term goals to plan for lol.


I so feel that frustration! I have mentioned it numerous times on other forums and you get the feeling that people think you are exaggerating. Don't get me wrong, the tow bar for example I can understand, this was mentioned when discussing it with a Spanish guy the other day. He thought it was good to make sure it was fitted correctly, so it comes under safety, I pointed out the same rules applied to a snorkel, he smiled and rubbed his index finger and thumb together DINERO!!!

I have spent a couple of days on the 80 in the underground garage, well a few hours each day down there, the heat soon gets to you even there. So will update what I have been doing pretty soon, the carpenter is making a truly lovely job of the drawer system, I told him it had to be strong and he has really taken that to heart, just hope I can lift it into the car!

Take it easy Kev,

regards

Dave

 

[Dave 2000]

So I spent most of this week finishing up the dashboard mods. It did not go as well as I thought it would, everything from the wrong relays being delivered to me putting the wrong male/female pins in the connector blocks, honest I do know about the birds and the bees!

The modifications were to monitor with visual warning about:

Which fan speed was being called for slow or fast.

Then to add to the visual warning with an audible buzzer to show:

If there was oil pressure.
If the coolant level was correct.
If the engine was overheating.

I also wanted to disable the buzzer for ignition on/engine off scenarios, and also disable the electric cooling fan if need be for wading, when either of these functions were being used they too would have a visual indication.

I also wanted to remove the standard digital clock and fit an aftermarket inside/outside temperature indication into the same place as the OE clock.

First the dashboard indication about what is going on under the bonnet.

My early attempts whilst working ok, they looked pretty poor. I eventually had a US company laser etch the symbols into some 'dead fronted' material for me. This is the same method as per OE, you cannot see the icons until they are lit up. I was surprised to find that this was not as hard to get done as I thought it would be, the issue is finding someone who is as OCD with his thinking as I am! I eventually got the goods and am pretty made up with the way it looks.

So I had used the area between the speedo and rev counter, normally used by auto's to indicate the gear selected. I had sent this to the guy doing the laser etching and it all came back ok, it was then up to me to illuminate the icons. My original plan was to simply fit the holder and bulbs and just solder wires on to the piece of printed circuit as per OE. Then I realised the insert with the bulbs dos not fit in the standard dashboard meant for the manual version, it looks right but it does not clip in as I had hoped for. So I went for LED's, they can be glued in place and rarely fail, I also get the flashing RED versions to go with the buzzer. Sounds great until you fit them, the LED's seem to have a focal point polished into the plastic, this means the LED is brighter when viewed 'straight on'. The problem with this is the small LED's have too narrow a beam, this makes the icons appear distorted, and the larger LED's do not fit in the holes of the dash insert. This pushed me back to small bulbs, the problem with this is that they do not have enough power to illuminate the icon bright enough. The larger bulbs are so bright the light from one icon 'bleeds' over to the neighbouring one, this makes it glow enough to be bloody irritating.

I took some pictures with my phone but they look absolute rubbish, I will try again tomorrow when I have better light, the flash bouncing all over the image can then be switched off.

Overall I am pretty pleased with the result, I did have some 'blonde' moments that's for sure. Instead of faffing around with terminal blocks for the various connections from the centre console and dashboard, I went for the connector blocks that you have to assemble. This was great but I could only get two 'nines' and one 'eight' set. The 'eight' used male and female spades and went according to plan but as I needed eleven wires I need to pull the centre console again as that has eleven connections on it.

When it came to the two nine pin plugs these had very small male and female connections, each one had to be painstakingly crimped and inserted into the block, the two blocks being identical I coloured one blue and one red. I though I had covered all the bases until I went to fit the plugs together, somehow I managed to fit one or two male/females connections into the wrong holes, and the plugs are designed that you cannot use a terminal pick to get the pins back out. All of a sudden my nice neat wiring was no longer nice and neat. The other error I made was with the wiring to the bulbs in the dashboard indicator, despite all working ok, and it looked very neat, I had made the wires too short, this made connecting them up behind the dash with the cluster in place bloody awkward.

Another thing I am not happy about is the buzzers, although the only one that buzzes when the ignition is switched on is the one for lack of oil pressure. When tested at home I selected the three loudest, I guessed that behind the dashboard they would be a little more muted, unfortunately the sound which was fine at home is more of a shrill tone when in the car! I am not so sure I will tolerate that every time I start the engine. Something else as well, I have not checked the oil yet but do not normally lose/use any, I took the car for a run over some very rough ground, and when descending a very steep hill I instinctively braked hard to miss a couple of rabbits and one of the buzzers sounded! I managed to repeat this and it was the low oil pressure warning? I am unsure how much of the 10 litres is held up in the engine when it is running but will need to check the level tomorrow, if the level is good then that was some serious surge (unlikely) or a bad connection somewhere? BTW the rabbits were fine.

The digital clock and inside/outside temp indication went really well, the clock is bright enough to see during the day and does not seem to be too bright at night but I will need to check that on a few journeys to be happy. This concludes my dashboard addition and I will just try some different LEDs, and the buzzers may be 'toned' down a little. It was a worthwhile mod and looks OE.

I will post up some pictures asap when I get ten minutes.

regards

Dave

 

[Dave 2000]

So to the dashboard update.

All is working as expected and in fact better than expected. I was concerned the 'dead face' material would have a different texture to the OE offering but is identical, non see through when nothing is lit up behind and the same nice matt finish when not illuminated.

The icons you can see illuminated are buzzer disabled, fan disabled, and low oil pressure (under 21psi). The other icons would illuminate if need be, the next one down would be red and indicating engine overheating, the next down would be low engine coolant. Next would be another amber light, this would indicate second speed or fan, this is seen quite a lot in summer as it is controlled not only by engine heat, but also is activated when the car is moving under around 30 MPH, at this speed and lower AC system pressures rise, and the fan comes on to maintain effective AC condenser cooling. The final light to come on would be green, this would show the fan has come on at is first or lowest speed. This is rarely seen though, outside of summer the roads are quite clear here, and the car would have to be stationary for at least 5 - 10 minutes and possibly longer before the fan comes on. During the warmer months the AC is always on, this means the higher or second speed of the fan is on as soon as the vehicle slows, this action never allows the engine to get warm enough to trigger the first fan speed, in other words the fan's second speed airflow is so high, it is the thermostat doing the cooling control, and in fact doing what is was designed for.

I also removed the dashboard digital clock, the OE unit was great for time keeping but the alarm, and stopwatch facility were (to me) of little use. So I purchased a unit that displayed not only the time, but also inside and outside temperatures. As is always the case when you want a specific item for a custom project, it will rarely just bolt in, this unit was no different. It had a volt meter in addition to the aforementioned features. As followers will know by now I am a little....well alright well over the top with my OCD. Tests showed the volt meter to me quite a way off from being accurate. With the OE volt meter and the two I have in the centre console (courtesy of National Luna) would have meant having no less than FOUR volt meters! If I could get rid of the OE unit in the dashboard and replace it with something else I would, and yes it is on the drawing board but may not come to fruition. So back to the clock, this is a typical unit from China, mass made and indication accuracy can be poor however, the volt meter aside I found this unit quite accurate but not 'spot on', more of this later. The first limitation I found is the body size, so I stripped out the insides and found a way of gluing them to the inside of the dashboard. But not before making some other modifications.

The sensor for the outside temperature is on a long lead and is mounted towards the front of the vehicle, it must be out of the airflow of the radiator for obvious reasons. Now to the interior sensor, it is a small thermistor mounted on the PCB inside the unit housing. The problem with this is that it takes quite awhile for it to react to temperature changes, my experiments showed it could take as long as fifteen minutes to display real world temperatures. So the thermistor must be unsoldered and put on a cable so it could be placed in a more realistic position within the car. Given my OCD way of thinking I needed to ensure that this sensor would remain as accurate when placed in a remote location. s mentioned earlier I found the sensors quite close, I also discovered the resistance of the interior thermistor was the same as the exterior one, so I purchased some more units.......well.....er.......five more to be more precise! I soldered one of the extra external sensors to the inside sensor contacts, and laid them side by side, i.e. looking for exactly the same temperatures. This would make inside/outside comparison more accurate and meaningful. I also employed my home AC and 'weather station' features for comparison to ensure the readings are now as accurate as possible. The volt meter is covered by one of the plastic panels in the clock housing, if I had tried to cut the LED panel I may have lost functionality of the rest of the display.

Now this brings us to the clock. The clocks on all of the units are very accurate indeed however, the clock 'memory' would be lost when you switch off the ignition, this also turns of the Green LED backlight. The unit designers combat this with the usual use of a couple of 'button' cells, these are fitted under a cover on the back of the unit, the cell life put at about eighteen months. When the ignition is switched on the cells are disabled and all power comes rom the cars own battery, the cells come into use when the engine is switched off. I did not use the body of the unit so that facility was lost, I also did not fancy taking out the dashboard every time the batteries went flat. So delving in a little further, I found the two button cells are in fact in series, so three volts. I then looked for a single cell battery of three volts most are one and a half volts. Eventually I found a good quality (Varta) three volt battery that is designed for camera's, this with the correct holder was soldered in place of the button cells, the wires long enough to clip the unit just under the dashboard, easily accessed. I guess if the vehicle is used on a daily basis the cell life would be quite long, if in my case where the car often is not used for a week at a time, I might get three or four years out of the Varta?

The appearance of 7's in each of the displays is purely coincidental, it also shows how accurate I have the sensors set, doors are open and they both display the same in/out temperature. To get the accuracy I needed, I cannibalised three out of the six units I purchased, so I have three left for spares etc. I apologise for the dust, I will blame the carpenter for that when he was fitting one of the side panels covering the shower water bladder in the rear wing.

The centre console now sports two additional switches, the first disables the electric fan and the second the buzzer. The switches have red covers over them, this prevents accidental activation by the driver. I doubt I would ever do this but perhaps another driver who does not know the vehicle might? I have found just one thing I did not think about during the design stage, the fan can be disabled for wading but, the switch does not disable the fan from activation by the AC if the condenser pressure calls for it. The design idea was to use a relay inside the vehicle to disable the earth return on the switch tube, this is in the bottom hose of the radiator. Only the overheat warning switch has an independent earth that cannot be disabled. With hindsight I could have disabled the power supply to the relays and this would have accomplished the same objective, so I may revisit that very soon.

The little 80 amp alternator fitted a few weeks back has not even blinked keeping both batteries charged up, it is not getting any help with the box in the rear with other 'electrickery' bits (fridge, shower pump, camp lights, and other stuff) as it has not been connected to the solar panels means it has had to do all the work, mega pleased and impressed with that.

Further update as and when.

regards

Dave