Builds My LC 80 thread. (2 Viewers)

[Dave 2000]

@ 263,923 miles, today I changed the oil and filter, again I used the Millard brand of filter, the number is ML- 5123. It appears (I hope) the failed anti drain valve I found on a 'Millard' a couple of filters back was an isolated incident. So a little over 2,000 miles since the last oil change but a lot of stop/starts and a few short runs over around eight months. A few weeks back on one of the trips the engine was left idling for ages keeping the occupants cool between moving a few yards and stopping again, so whilst the trip meter might not have a lot of miles, the engine has a lot of hours running.

A further mention of the coolant issue, there has been no further problems since the radiator cap has been replaced, so that has been put to bed, now looking forward to a trip up to Portugal next month to meet some UK club members from the UK and France.

Thanks for following.

Regards

Dave

 

[Dave 2000]

The trip to Portugal went well, it was cut a little short due to customer demand but hey, they pay the bills right?

Nothing to report on the 80 other than she ran really well, as did the other Toyota's in the group, around 1,500 miles in five days for me, apart from some motorway duty there was a couple of days of mixed forest and sand trails, plenty of work for the 80, I travelled with my full compliment of kit and have added a little since the last weigh in, so now running trails at an all up weight of around 3,000kg! Midday temps of around 30 - 32 and running in sand saw the electtic engine cooling fan take it in it's stride.......with AC permanently on.

The carpenter should complete the final two 'modules' before Christmas, and I need to organise my kit a little better, simple things like my bow shackle count came in at eight FFS! So now reduced that to four, I did add some extra chain though so no weight saving there.

I still have lots to do, so will update as and when.

Many thanks,

Regards

Dave

 

[kevsta]

Hi Dave. Hope all is well over there.

I'm thinking seriously about starting to run an SVO / diesel mix on her. Just 10-20% SVO to start, mixed straight into the tank. apart from the cost saving they also run a little cleaner I gather, producing less of all the N-type gases the emissions people are looking for. thoughts?

 

[Dave 2000]

@kevsta, hi Kev, and yes all good here, at your end of the country? Sorry for the slow reply not been on here since the Portugal trip.

Re svo/diesel mix, I have very little experience with doing this so will speak from customers using the mix and their post adding experience. The owners of cars using pure veg oil and or mix note some loss of power but essentially minimal, the main problem is in the initial days of use. Most complain about the loss of power which eventually becomes a complete engine shutdown. Replacing the fuel filter and bleeding the system clears the problem only for it to return a few thousand kms later. It seems the change of oil has a severe cleansing effect of the fuel system. Good or bad depends on where you are, or how bad you need your car if the cleaning blocks the filter. To date I have not seen any damage you could attribute to non pump fuel, I would however keep a spare fuel filter handy.


Update on my 80, after the Portugal trip I had done fairly local trip on my own, and another with a UK forum member from Almeria. November saw me in the mountains of Anderax in the remainders of snow after the heavy rains. Cold weather and views were minimal as we were surrounded by thick low cloud. Peter who does the woodwork on my drawer/storage system, just before leaving for Anderax he completed another module. This is the module that occupies the seat in the middle row left hand side. This is box that has multi levels, the lowest level houses the original viscous fan, whilst I am happy both electrical fan setups have proved to work perfectly (including deep sand dunes in Portugal) if I do the Morocco trip next year, I do not want to take the chance of a fan failure or it's inability to cope with the temperatures there to delay me or fellow travellers. The fan complete with viscous fits on a spigot to stop it moving about, there is some other space in there but I have not found anything to put in there yet........but I will . Then a lid goes on top the level set so it just touches the fan blades, this holds the fan central within the box to prevent any damage to either it or the viscous unit. On top of the lid lies things related to a possible stopover on a camps site, for example 35 metres of yellow 'artic roll' electric cable, a hook up adaptor and a battery charger, another lid and this leaves a recess for my little dogs bed, and of course 'Cookie' the dog, she now has a great viewing platform .

Those following will know that on the floor in front of this area was a box that carries 3 x 8 litres of water, this used to be held in place by brackets bolted to the original seat mounts, the brackets have been removed and this box has now been mounted to the front of the above unit, this now allows the passenger front seat to recline some distance, something that along with the drivers seat have not been able to do. Peter will finish the final module after Christmas, this will hold oils and other miscellaneous spares/provisions.

On another note, as trips will be limited to the odd day/night out I will be sorting minor mods, you know the odd things you have been meaning to do, today for example the dual jerry can holder (IIRC Front runner 4x4?) that was welded to the roof rack earlier this year had an issue after bouncing through the dunes in Portugal, the sand was very deep so speed was essential but there were deep ruts which beat the cars up pretty good, one fellow traveller hurt his neck/back after hitting one anyway, the locking latches on the carrier had come adrift, whilst I did not lose any cans it was a bit worrying all the same, to complete the journey I secured the cans with a spare ratchet strap. The catches that the over centre latches hook onto were quite shallow, and despite the latches being adjustable and the padlocks firmly in place they came unhooked. So whilst staying at a friends house for a few days I borrowed his MIG and welded on extended catches, easy peasy fix even with my rubbish welding skills, but it does get rid of one of those annoying jobs. Thursday will see me cut out the tailgate to create more storage area, not a posh job, a simple sheet of chequered steel that has been sitting in the hall of six months, a couple of latches and job done, this will store a few tools and spares on a permanent basis. I also have new straps to hold the RTT in a closed position, that will be it's lot for this year.

Thanks for following.

regards

Dave

 

[Dave 2000]

Update:

So today at 267,172 miles I did a sacrificial engine oil and filter change, something I do every couple of years or so.

Drained and changed the oil filter, I used a Millard brand to sacrifice, and then filled with 10 litres of Repsol fully synthetic 5/30. Run motor for 15 minutes at fast idle. Then drained and changed oil filter for a new Bosch unit, refilled with ANAD 10 litres of Repsol 10/40 mineral, oil is now as clean as it went in so a happy bunny now.

A couple of weeks back I replaced the old solar panels that no longer fitted the replacement roof rack. These fit absolutely perfect, the one at the front stows under the front of the rack, it will slide out over the bonnet much as the other did, I like that location as it means no one will walk into it. The second slides in sideways from the drivers side (RHD), this sits neatly under the sand ladders, again high up out of the way. They will only move and stay horizontal in use. My previous setup was one fiitted as per the front is now, the other was on a wandering lead. I found I hardly used the non fixed panel, TBH it was more of a pain to store it and then keep moving it to keep up with the orange ball. The change of roof rack forced my hand and the decision was made. I have always had a PWM or 'pulse width modululator' solar controller which met my needs however, these replacement panels have a little less amperage due to their smaller dimensions. Having gleaned some knowledge from the 'power' forum on 'Mud I am going to try a MPPT or 'maximum power point tracking' controller.

As my replacement panels have a 21 volt capacity, and as I understand it, the MPPT controller will convert excess voltage into amperage, this hopefully will offset any loss from the wandering panel.

Tests so far with the low winter sun and the original PWM controller I am seeing an early morning amperage of around .5 and a couple of hours later I get a solid 2 + amps from each horizontal panel, obviously tipping either panel towards the sun and the amps can more than double. Calculations offered by forum members indicate a possible 33% increase in amperage if I use the MPPT, I will let readers know when it arrives. Presently the cabling is setup temporary, I plan to drill a couple of holes in the roof and fit a couple of sockets from Blue Seas, this allows me to retain the ability to unplug the roof rack and winch it to the garage ceiling, the future looks bleak for keeping the garage as a home move is on the cards, the new drum has a garage but it is a little on the small size.

Anyway, back to the 80, I only want to keep my fridge happy when off road and there is no hook up available, and it takes around 4.5 amps IIRC? Of course it is only on for a few minutes each hour depending on how often the lid is opened. The other obvious advantage of solar is any parasitic draw (radio memory and alarm for example), from the batteries will be countered when the 80 is parked up, this can often be 2 weeks or more.

Other stuff, the awning was removed and cleaned up as some idiot left it rolled up but the casing not closed, I wonder who that was?

Now the awning is back on and and an extra fixing bolt has been fitted, after a recent trip I wanted some extra security.

The tailgate cut did not get done yet, time is valuable and finding some away from work is hard.

Thanks for reading and keeping up.

Regards

Dave

 

[Dave 2000]

The Blue sea 12v power connectors arrived this week, these will allow a quick disconnect of the roof rack holding the solar panels before winching the whole caboodle including the RTT up to the garage ceiling.

To all intents and purposes the socket is a heavy duty version of your cigar lighter socket in the dashboard. The plug is also of a pretty good construction although IMO with a minor flaw which I will come to. Both the socket and plug come with rubber gaskets to keep out the elements, the plug has good strong provision for fitting the cables along with a waterproof gland, it also comes with an led that indicates voltage, for my use the led or resistor will need to be changed as the open circuit panel voltage will exceed their capacity and fry them, no big deal, the flaw that does bother me is the led does not have a seal where it enters into the plug body, water or at minimum moisture can enter the plug and find it's way into the car via the socket, a minor irritation but worth noting all the same, a dab of silicone will sort that.

Something else to be prepared for is the sheer size of the socket. At almost 29mm the hole needed to be drilled is huge, but this reflects the sturdy construction, the size also allows for a twist lock fitment, so the plug is held secure, there is a 10 amp fuse supplied and fitted.

Having now fitted the first socket forward and slightly to the right of the sun roof, there is enough depth there where the headlining starts down towards the A pillar. I then ran a length of flexible conduit under the headlining to accept the cables which connect to the solar controller at the rear, FWIW it is much easier to run the conduit from the rear of the car towards the front, this makes it easier to manoeuvre the tubing around the roof sound deadening felt. I tried for over half an hour front to rear, I then tried the other way and less than 2 minutes it was done! Now struggling with the next socket location for the second panel, these sockets are quite deep and similar to the old style cigarette lighter housings. Having a cable through a grommet with a socket or plug rattling around the roof when the rack is not on is not quite my idea of neat and tidy.

I will report back when the aforementioned MPPT solar controller is fitted.

Many thanks.

Regards

Dave

 

[kevsta]

Hi Dave.

Hope all well amigo.

So she passed ITV again yesterday, but I have no idea about whether my eco mode would have made any difference to the emissions test, as the exact same guy who failed it last year, and made me change all 4 285/75/16 s just didn't even do the emissions test this time!! He did the lights wipers etc then just waved me straight down to the braking section. unbelievable, possibly good luck, so not moaning too much, but the inconsistency is just staggering.

He didn't look under the bonnet either, 4th year in a row. I could literally have fitted an intercooler to it 4 years ago and they would not yet have noticed.

Out of 50+ visits it was also the fastest by far, from arriving at 1.50pm (test booked at 2) we were at the gates awaiting the 2020 sticker at 2.12pm.

I think I might even have got it through with the drawers still in the back he paid that little attention lol, although obviously I took them out, reinstated the 3rd row seats, removed the roof rack, and pressed her down a bit with 3 lorry batteries, all my tools and 2 technics decks with flight cases in the back, 140kg of fitness weights hidden around elsewhere inside, mainly under floormats a full tank and a 100kg front passenger.

was also happy with the stance and particularly the ride under fairly heavy loading.

so with probably another 18 months until the next one, it must be nearly time to fit the new shocks, stainless brake lines and US spec towbar soon..

 

[Dave 2000]

Hi Kev good news on the ITV, yep inconsistance is the norm here too.

I have been up to my arse in matriculations as the non residents here panic over brexit, this along with a house and garage move means the 80 has been parked up for awhile, I will post an update in awhile.

Take it easy mate.

Regards

Dave

 

[Dave 2000]

So too an update and apologies for a few months no show, I promise to respond to messages/threads asap.

As per my earlier post work has been frantic, the usual garage work had been added to due to last minute brexit panics to get cars matriculated (registered and imported) so busy busy.

Now to the 80, the MPPT solar controller works great but there is a caveat. When looking at the various models I noticed there was a version that had a Bluetooth facility, lauded as a great option I mean you can check the charge rate and battery volts from your phone! Yeh great from the 'pub talk' point of view but not needed given the range of Bluetooth, you can do other trick stuff but certainly not for me. When the unit arrived the first thing you notice is the weight and quality feel of its construction, I had to build a replacement electric control panel as the unit was deeper than my previous controller, that done I wasted no time fitting it and connecting to the slide out solar panel on the front of the roof rack. After fitting I noticed that the charge voltage was certainly better but there were some anomolies. First the controller has two LED's indicating functionality however, the LED's respond to different functions.

For example there is 'battery life' function, a self adapting algorithm that aids battery life, but it is defaulted to work in one of many settings, no way of telling what it is actually doing. The same LED would act weird as the unit would also get confused when disconnected from the panel in readiness to stow it and drive to my next destination. The result was the controller did not reset correctly, after checking out on the Victron forum it seems I would need to purchase the plug in Bluetooth module!

Having shelled out more money and plugged in the 'extra' component I connected to my mobile and a few presses of a few buttons and all was well. The unit should have had a simple reset button and I would not be looking at a lighter wallet!

I can see why this was done and it is in fact a bit of a scam, I will explain in my next post, off too bed.

Many thanks

Regards

Dave

 

[Dave 2000]

OK back to the Victron MPPT.

First I would like to say this a quality piece of kit, it is heavy and well built, the connection screws are a good fit in their sockets and once the weird behaviour had been sorted it worked great, so why the desparaging remarks in the previous post?

Their are many different solar controllers on the market and quality undoubtedly varies from one to the other, and the saying 'you get what you pay for' seems to apply in this particular area. It is given that suppliers need to pitch the price of products to cover production overheads and of course make a profit, what happens if your excellent product cannot compete with other offerings being sold at a price significantly lower than yours? The competition may have a product that is not of the same quality, or perhaps not as many features ect, and it is often the norm that potential customers will opt for the cheaper product I mean, as long as it works right? I am of the opinion that Victron pitched the price just right, true a little higher than I would like but it had good reviews albeit for the more expensive Bluetooth version, and as mentioned earlier this additional feature was of no use to me.......how wrong was I!

To make even the most basic alteration to the unit you need to purchase the Bluetooth add on, the resultant price of the combined units was now quite high and put it way above the competition, I felt I had been 'had over', had I missed something in the marketing blurb no, everything it said it would do it did but, whilst the default features may suit some they were no good for my install, I did put up my concerns to the forum run by Victron, however no reply was offered.

So in effect you see a great car at the dealership, purchase it and find all the features work however, when you wish to go over 60 MPH the car does not respond, you return to the dealership to get the opinion of the salesperson I mean, you expect to reach the legal speed limit right? The reply is simple, "no problem sir, you just need to purchase this additional box to switch off the speed limiter".

So a great solar controller and once fitted and once set to my needs works perfectly, my next post will tell of my 80's VSR failure.

regards

Dave

 

[Dave 2000]

IIRC my Blue Seas 7622 VSR was fitted around 6 or 7 years ago and recently it failed to engage. I checked the usual wiring/connections/fuses ect to no avail, the remote overide switch also showed no joy, fortunately the 7622 has a genuine manual overide fitted on the actual unit, remember this is a electromechanical switch, so regardless of either battery's condition the button locks down with a simple press of the button, you have to twist a rotating lever to release the connection.

An email to Blue Seas support gave me a quick reply from someone whose name was strangely identical to a well known MUD member to carry out further tests, and TBH I had already come to the conclusion the unit had failed, these further tests confirmed it had failed. A second email told me a new unit would be sent from their European supplier, unfortunately it might have been better to send direct from the manufacturer as there was none available over here, I will advise as soon as it arrives, the lifetime warranty should hold good.

Next update coming in the next couple of days.

Regards

Dave

 

[Dave 2000]

Further work on the 80 has been to repair the right rear wheel arch, both inner and outer had fallen to the ravages of the tin worm, the rust has been cut out and new metal welded in, plenty of POR15 was used by a club member to hopefully delay the return of rust, just some paint and lacquer to be added to finish the job, the left hand arch where it meets the sill also needs attention, that can wait for the moment.

So waiting in the 7622 VSR, some non setting mastic for the rear light buckets, and more metres of fabric to cover the wooden camping modules.

Whilst under there I noted the rear suspension bushes were way past their best.

Get back to you, thanks for reading.

Regards

Dave

 

[Dave 2000]

Today @271,071 miles I have just replaced the Blue Seas 7622 VSR that has finally arrived. The previous unit had given unerring reliability for IIRC around 6 or 7 years when it finally died? When I contacted Blue Seas support, the technician (you may recall he has the same name as a prominent MUD member?) simply sent me test sheet which confirmed my findings the unit had failed, I was told a new one would be sent from their Europe support team in Holland, as I am in Spain this was an obvious choice. I had contacted the Holland support staff a couple of times and was told that they were out of stock, further contact told me there had been a fire at I assume a warehouse? A further email was sent but this time I requested a reply with the email of a senior member of support staff. I received a quick reply, it seems that as I purchased the original unit packaged with the remote switch, they were waiting for that particular package, however as they do have in stock the VSR unit without the switch, and as the switch is rarely an issue would I accept the VSR on it's own? Of course I accepted and the unit was here in a couple of days, it is now fitted and works perfect. The question has to be, why not offer that in the first place? FTR there have been a couple of changes, the fitting nuts are now 14mm heads as opposed to the previous 17mm but the new nuts do have a wide serrated flange, and I am unsure if the 'MADE IN MEXICO' sticker is a good or bad thing, I thought the originals were built in MX, so I will keep an eye on it, on the plus side Blue Seas stood by their warranty and that has to be applauded.

So what else has happened/ The non setting mastic was found for the rear light buckets, the light units were cleaned and new bulbs fitted whilst in there, so that's sorted. The continued fight with getting the two solar panels on the roof rack has been lost. I have always had one that slid out from under the front of the rack, that is there and plugs in the roof socket fine. The centre are of the rack was to support the second SP however, after cutting and re-welding the sand ladders and hi lift support higher on the rack I had the space, unfortunately the second spare wheel fouled the panel unless I moved the wheel further forward, this meant there would be less metal for the wheel to bear against in the event of an accident, the same would be true if I lifted the wheel clear of the SP. The decision was made to make the second SP a 'roaming' one, that is I have fitted a socket in the rear bumper and the SP slides neatly under the narrow space under the fridge. There is a slight issue here as the panel is fouled by the centre camping 'modules', carpenter will be around to sort this, so pretty much that is nothing to worry about.

The awning has had additional mounting bolts fitted so that is going nowhere, I am still looking for the same material used to cover the previous camping boxes, no joy there yet, the same as the trim between the body and wheel arch.


Thanks for reading and keeping up with me.

regards

Dave

 

[Dave 2000]

Quick update, off out tomorrow for a few days to do a some tracks with a couple of buddies in their 40, the weather looks like it will be crap but hey. I have been fighting with workload/health/moving home and time issues so the 80 has not had as much attention as I would like to give it.

I had a bit of a nightmare with the exhaust system, when under there getting the welding done I could see the rear silencer had small perforations where the rust was winning the battle, but it has been under there 25 years. The rear pipe was pretty much knackered and the weaving on the front flex was starting to break up so I ordered all three pieces. The cost from Toyota was ridiculous so I hunted around the net and found a couple of suppliers for the parts. The front pipe from France and the centre and rear box from Germany. All went well with the fitting of the first two parts but the rear silencer was way out and no way fitted. Although it resembled my old unit there was what looked like a bad bend and the support was at the opposite end of the silencer? I contacted the supplier and their response was that I should contact a professional to fit it! Of course, why didn't I think of that?

So after some back and forth emails they realised it was the wrong one and designed for another model, I got my money back and ended up getting one from Euro 4X4, yes it was more expensive but bolted straight in, Nikolai and the team at Euro 4X4 must be applauded for getting it to me super rapid! Following getting it fitted I presented her for the yearly inspection and got a 'Favorable'! Something I would note here, I had need to move the car without any exhaust system fitted, and due to the turbo the noise was not obtrusive, I reckon you could run a diesel turbo 80 with just the one silencer, it really was that quiet.

So she is back on the road and some pre off road testing found the USB power supply in the dashboard has disappeared which means I have no supply for the mapping tablet or mobile phone, the front diff lock has decided to go on holiday although that may come back to life with some cycling? And the AC has lost pressure, and I do like my AC, with current temperatures still hitting 30c I re-gassed it and all is well.

The revamped control panel for the camping/solar/fridge etc at the back is looking good and was reinstalled yesterday, this has the Victron MMPT solar charger as opposed to the basic version I had, it is a taller unit so the gauges, switch gear etc had to be moved up an inch or so to make it all look right. A new overhead tailgate light was installed and wired, this is one of those very thin LED units and the output is pretty impressive for it's size. The solar panel wiring had to be changed to suit the Victron unit, whilst this may be considered a 'proper MPPT' solar charger as I mentioned earlier unfortunately the default settings did not suit my install. I was a tad annoyed that to make it work correctly and get access to all of it's functions you have to purchase a Bluetooth dongle. On purpose I had not chosen the unit with the Bluetooth function, the ability to show your buddies your charge and useage rate via your mobile phone may be a good from a 'pub talk' point of view but I really did not need it. On the plus side it was possible to purchase the Bluetooth dongle and plug it in which turns out to have a great range and apparently reading the Victron forums actually works better than the unit with the Bluetooth built in? Once fitted it does show usage and charge rate etc on my mobile as advertised, but IMO I would rather a unit with a simple press button method to set your charge parameters, I just see it as something else to go wrong.

The wiring changes I mentioned are to do with the way the Victron handles the solar panels being disconnected and reconnected. I found if the panels were connected and I started the engine say to move the car a few feet then the charger would detect the higher voltage and shut off charging until the batteries had lost some charge, the amount of time before restarting the charge 'float' varied from a few minutes up to about 45 minutes. So now whenever the engine is started a relay is used to isolate the Victron. Thus far this seems to be working, and I will give feedback over the next few weeks to confirm all is still good, when the car is parked for extended periods the single solar panel on the roof rack is slid out and maintains the batteries, the second 'roaming' panel is only taken with me when off roading with a view to keep the batteries charged when parked up and using the fridge which is a must have in my case, so with occasional use the engine running isolation should be seen to be working.

Other improvements are to the roof rack, the bar which held the sand ladders and Hi Lift was cut off and re-welded further forward, this makes it easier to get the cover in place on the RTT. The awning has also had an extra bolt fitted so that is going nowhere. I cannot remember if it was mentioned earlier but the front wind deflector was extended to protect the awning from low branches? Anyway, it does.

My carpenter friend has finished the 'modules' I use when off roading, so now everything (food, spares, dog) has a place.......well sort of. I need to use the car fully kitted out a few times to adjust what goes where, but it is looking good, I still need to cover some parts with fabric but that is a winter job to be done in the new annexe/workshop.

Other than a soft bush on one of the lower rear arms the 80 continues to stay as solid as a rock, what great machines these are.

Thanks for taking the time to read.

regards

Dave

 

[Dave 2000]

Quick update. Well the rain did give us some stick on the first day out but we were big and brave.

I made good use of the awning for the first time, and a groundsheet tied to one end took care of the wind, we were all a bit damp and cold but by the morning all was good as the sun warmed us up. As there was no sun the first day I plugged into the site electric, and noticed in the morning the battery charger had stopped charging. Both batteries were still in good shape but it was noted. We went out on a couple of known trails and we got through but they had changed dramatically, I crept through a couple of side slopes that had become rather 'iffy' sphincter clenching was the order of the day. Plenty of mud about and I was extra careful knowing I was missing a locker. We got back to the site, and given the changeable weather it was a good call, hot showers etc. The following day the battery charger had again uncoupled, I thought it was a problem with the charger so decided on a test when I got home, the replacement Blue Seas 7622 performed as it should. So today we went to a known river bed and due to the 'Gota Fria' and the storms it brought with it the landscape had changed dramatically. What were flat and dry river beds had now been washed so extensively they exposed rocks of different sizes, blocking what was a path up to one of the film locations for the Clint Eastwood movies from way back when....no it is true I really am that old, anyway, we went for some rock climbing, nothing major but it really does expose how a front locker that I did not have would have helped, without it the wheels spinning and pulling the car off the chosen line, and of course a spinning wheel allows tyres to get cut on the slippery and very sharp rocks, my companions who had not done rocks before found them easy in their well prepared 40, it's short wheelbase helping it bridge gaps that the 80 bottomed out on.

There was also a rattle on the roof rack even with the chains and padlocks removed, it was more of a click than a rattle, it only happened when on the move and never whilst stationary, with the engine running, I need to look into that. Anyway, after the rock climbs we headed off to a favourite lunch spot and whilst still on a dry river bed I heard a noise coming from somewhere outside, I stopped and opened the door looking to see if I had a puncture, I then found we had company, it was the Guardia Civil above us in a helicopter, they moved in front of us and landed so they could have a chat with us. Unbeknown to us the government had changed the rules about 4X4's were no longer allowed in the river beds, the wreckage we saw earlier of a car caught in a flood had to be part of the reason. He did not read us the riot act but did take details of our vehicles and personal papers, he then asked we leave the river at the next exit which was about 4km away. We did as we told, at this time it is unknown whether we will be fined but hey it was different. I had to get back to work the following day and my friends had a social event they had to attend so at the end of the day we headed in opposite directions to our respective homes.

So what did I find after the long break with the 80 off the road? Well the relocation of the support bar that carried the sand ladders and Hi Lift jack has made getting the weather proof cover over the RTT and strapped tight a lot easier. Re the battery charger, since testing the charger it is fine, it simply does not like the fridge coming on and disturbing it's bulk/slow and then float charge routine. With the fridge off it does as it should normally, this is the second 'modern' charger I have seen with this facility and it causes the same problems, perhaps an older 'normal' charger may be in order? The final module of the camping gear inside was for various odds and ends and included food storage. As pretty much every form of canned food/soup comes in tins of the same size, I decided to capitalise on this by having the lower section sized to suit cans that can be inserted the right way up, they would have minimal movement to bounce around, and with bagged products (pasta for example) tucked in there all should be safe and sound. So with various cans the access was tested before the install........but did not work when the module was installed which I did not find until I was on the way to meet Rodger and Corrine with the 40. It is daft that when tested the module was on a workbench and the drop down flap opened a full 180 degrees, but when installed in the car the hatch did not open fully as it stopped against the carpet, this was enough to prevent cans being inserted unless on their sides, the complete opposite of what I wanted, anyway that will be address asap, it was one of those moments,

Next on the list is the rack mounted solar panel, by design the sliding rails have a brake that prevents the panel coming out without a good 'tug', this had worked fine for the last few years on and off road but, the other day a dick pulled out in front of me and I had to use the brakes on the 80 in anger for the first time in many years, (and no I am not going to discuss the merits or demerits of the 80 ABS system, I already know how good the system is, trust me they worked brilliant), there was no accident but the solar panel came out of it's parking place and was fortunately stopped by the limiters on the rails. Even if the limiters failed it would have been stopped by the cable but all the same I do not want it to happen again, today I purchased some simple bolts that will go through the front rail on the roof rack, these will hold a couple of small plates that will drop down in front of the panel, a couple of wing nuts will stop them rattling or moving. I still need to find out why the phone and phablet USB chargers are not working, may simply be a fuse, get back to you on that. I also heard on occasions the left front CV or 'Birf' clicking when I was using the centre differential lock, I need the car for some taxi runs and whatnots over the next few weeks so may leave until after Christmas, this will need to be a full on axle overhaul, IIRC it was last done about 8 -9 years ago, it will be the perfect time to find out why the front diff lock is still refusing to play ball.

I needed the break and even those few days helped my head, I even turned off my mobile but kept the phablet (different number) on, this was for a few special people who may need to get to me urgently, but they would certainly not ring me up at 02.30 in the morning to discuss their car insurance..............no honestly. These little shake down runs are good to find out what does and does not need fixing/modifying before doing longer trips.

EDIT: The petrol cooker whilst lighting OK it was temperamental in getting a decent clean flame, I will order a new generator, the old one probably blocked by stale fuel?

Also this week the right rear light cluster was replaced with a new unit, I parked outside the garage and found I had not parked clear, gave the car a shove to move it a few inches, and when the door came up it clipped the lens. Nothing major, basic stupidity on my part.

As usual the 80 did it's job without fuss.

Thanks for reading.

Regards

Dave

 

[Dave 2000]

Well first a Happy New Year to one and all.

This is your first update post of 2020.

Following on from the post about the last trip of the year in November 2019.

The rattle on the roof rack was nothing more than one of the three large wing nuts coming loose. It was tightened OK but the sand ladders being aluminium tend to flex and allowed the wing nut to loosen, ideally the wings on the nuts need to be bigger so I can get a better purchase on them, they are for 12mm studs but could be extended I guess? From a safety point of view they cannot come off completely as they will loosen so far and are then stopped by an 'R' clip, so remain safe, when travelling to and from the venue on public roads there is also a chain at each side through the sand ladders and over the HiLift and around the rack bars, the same as the spare wheel on top has an additional chain. Once off road the chains come off and I can have the HiLift off in about two minutes, the three upright studs keep the sand ladders in place, so if need be the HiLift can be stored later.

The CB was not in use, you may recall the Albrecht unit fits in the place of the ashtray mount? I had done some changes and never had the time to get the new whip on the roof rack and cabling done, I had trouble with a mag mount I bought to get me by, of course some dick decided you should use single core copper wire on something that gets moved about, of course hidden breakages in the coax was the reason that did not work too well! There is now a new Sirio mounted up on the rack in the same place as before. The new cable runs to a bulkhead mount in the roof a few inches back from the screen, removing the cover and switch panel for the electric roof gave access to the rear of this area. Then from the bulkhead mount under the headlining and down the left A pillar, across under the dash and then under the centre console to the antenna changeover switch fitted to the left of the centre glove box. The cable from the ashtray mounted CB also comes under the centre console to the input side of the CO switch. A note here about the switch, it was purchased new from a well known outlet in the UK, when it arrived I naturally tested the mechanisms by switching it from 'A' to 'B' and found a problem. If you turned it one way the action felt positive, if you turned it the other way the action seemed to stop short, and sure enough if you just tapped the knob (ooooer) then it would drop back to the centre. If this happened during use your could find yourself keying the mike and destroying your radio! I emailed the supplier and they were happy to replace, I asked if OK to take apart and see what the issue is, it is only three screws? They were good with that. The long and the short is it had, a, not had the spring loaded ball bearing detent drilled deep enough to hold the switch in position, and b, the spigot needed an extra washer to make it rotate without tipping and adding to the detent spring problem. A combination of poor manufacturing and assembly, a drill and washer and it now works perfect. I had some SWR issues after the install, getting the bulkhead connector in I managed to pull the cable and break the inner core connection. I did check everything as I went but reckon during tightening it got rotated and busted, so re-soldered and all is good. The changeover switch now enables me to switch from the rack antenna to a roof mounted one when the rack is off without worrying about recalibrating for SWR etc.

The USB connectors in the dashboard. When I purchased these it was one converter 12v in and 2 x USB connectors out. After checking cabling fuses and so forth it was a bad converter. During my searches for replacements I come across the identical device but with it feeding just one USB outlet, I wondered if having two on at the same time perhaps loaded it up (mapping tablet and S8 mobile) but being cheap I guess I could not expect too much? So, I purchased three of the single outlet versions and without disturbing my USB sockets cut and soldered one of the new converters to each socket, I am hoping the reduced load will extend their life. I have a spare as well as they are cheap enough, I put it all back together and found only one working, yeh hands up I fitted two red wires to the fused connector, but one was for the CB! So when I finally fitted the THIRD wire all is good.

I went out today and done a local trail making sure the antenna install got a good shaking up and SWR stayed steady, incidentally with the small and angled ground plain the best I could manage was 2.1 - 2.2 across all channels, certainly good enough for convoy use but could be better, but I am happy with that for the moment, maybe additional earthing will help from rack to body? I put it on the list but it is a long way down there at the moment.

As an asides whilst faffing around on the trail I engaged the front diff lock switch a few times, the locker did finally engage but the dashboard warning telling me it had not was still flashing, I tried switching it off and on, it engages/disengages very easily now but the warning is still there, it can wait for now until I overhaul the front axle.

The tinned food storage locker is to have the door modified.

Other than that, on the 14th of December last year my 80 became 25 years old, so for this and future years no road tax here in Spain!

Thanks again for reading.

Regards

Dave

 

[Dave 2000]

Service update:

Change the oil and filter on the 80 @ 274,750 miles

Usual procedure. Returned from a drive for about forty minutes, switched off and immediate removal of oil filter and oil. Fitted new oil filter and refilled with Repsol Fully Synthetic 5/30 circa nine litres.

Engine set to run for ten minutes @1,500 rpm and then shut down.

Oil drained out and with a second new oil filter fitted I refilled with Repsol mineral come 'synthetic blend' 10/40, the can always said 'Mineral' but now it is 'synthetic blend'. Not at all bothered, I have always run 10/40 as opposed to the recommended 5/30 as the temps here can be 40+ degrees C, so happy to be a little on the heavier side.

Planned new birf's and trunnion bearings going ahead end of this month, this will be ten years since it was last done.

The 80 despite the increased daily use is continuing to give admiral service and of course now with free road tax!

Many thanks for reading.

Regards

Dave

 

[Dave 2000]

As things are in this world some things don't go as smooth as you expect. After carrying out the engine oil service yesterday as per the previous post in this thread, I wanted to go and jet wash off the engine. I have had to do some occasional wading to get to my house, not that deep around a couple of feet or less, so there was some mud around the engine bay.

After jetting the engine off and giving the 80 a good wash I drove her home, as I slowed down to enter the 'rambla' that I cross to get to the access track to my home the low oil pressure light started flashing and the buzzer started sounding! I immediately dipped the clutch and shut down the engine. I had already started the diagnosis before the engine had stopped rotating, burst oil filter, perhaps I forgot to tighten the sump plug? Jumping out I looked under the car and all was bone dry, the five or six mile drive form the car wash had dried the engine bay.

Behind the car there was no trail of oil and a careful check on the dipstick was carried out, the oil in my engine is as clear as it goes in and virtually invisible on the stick, all perfect. So a restart and the oil light and buzzer were still doing their thing but the oil pressure gauge was going up in the normal way, my gauge has been calibrated in the past and sits at 3/4 with hot idle, an increase in revolutions from idle and the light and buzzer stopped, I continued up the track the last few hundred yards and switched off.

I removed the oil light switch and fitted a master oil pressure gauge, yep all good pressures and way above book minimum. So it seems I may have managed to get water in the oil pressure switch, or it failed purely by coincidence? It might not sound plausible but this switch is adjustable, and is (was?) set at 20psi, anything less and I get the warning.

I had to pull the switch to get a port for the external gauge and I cannot see anything amiss, I used the car today and the same issue and again only at hot idle, increase the RPM by say 20 RPM and the warning goes out, as a 'just in case' move I fitted another oil filter (so three in two days), this made no difference.

Get back to you on this.

Regards

Dave

 

[Lumpskie]

I noticed your oil changed from your normal oil to your current oil... different hot viscosity causing low pressure at idle? Maybe chsnge oil again and see if that makes a difference?

 

[Dave 2000]

I noticed your oil changed from your normal oil to your current oil... different hot viscosity causing low pressure at idle? Maybe change oil again and see if that makes a difference?

In theory there should be no difference, both are 10/40 viscosity, it is possible that perhaps this new 'synthetic blend' lowers the pressure a little? Anyway, over the last couple of weeks (well thirteen days) I have driven the 80 most days and probably nine of those no pressure warning, and the times it has given the occasional flash/buzz is if I have eased in the clutch to pull away with no throttle and the revs have dropped a hundred or so. I also wondered if the filter medium on the new filters is a little on the fine side, as I understand it the filter is before the pressure switch, perhaps this different brand is a tad finer, dropping pressure by 5 or 6 psi at idle?

Today I was out in 26c and driving for around three hours, no buzzer at idle at any of the stops I made, and yet yesterday even a ten minute drive in 18c had it warning at idle, so I am a little on the fence with this.

The 'new' oil blend? The different filter brand? A faulty pressure switch? Water under pressure getting into the switch workings? Take your pick!

I have watched the gauge like a hawk since this issue reared it's head and it has not deviated from it's normal indication, just in case I have ordered a new adjustable switch which should have been here a few days ago, but hey it is carnival season so deliveries are bound to be delayed. Once here I will fit and calibrate and see what is what.

As an aside I have a rear lower trailing arm to chassis bush showing a lot of wear, I am replacing both lower arms with Pedders heavy duty reinforced arms and bushes, they should arrive next week sometime.

Get back to you.