Freelander

[Robotstar5]

Check your radiator(s) while the front end's off as it's the best way to change them...

 

[slim_boy_fat]

then try and restore some colour to it with the heat gun

That'll work, but only for a while then the faded colour will come back. Smooth peanut butter rubbed in will work too....... , or look at the GTecniq stuff - pricey but good.

 

[Kayos]

Rads all looking good
I've heard of the peanut butter trick but never tried it, got to be worth a shot for the price?

 

[slim_boy_fat]

I used it as a trial on my last car - restored colour and shed/beaded water, but I can't remember what durability was like [it was c. 4 years ago..... ]

Lots of tips like that over on DW - http://www.detailingworld.com , but have a cuppa and plenty of time before you go there

 

[HughF]

Good truck, nice project, good price...

 

[Kayos]

I used it as a trial on my last car - restored colour and shed/beaded water, but I can't remember what durability was like [it was c. 4 years ago..... ]

Lots of tips like that over on DW - http://www.detailingworld.com , but have a cuppa and plenty of time before you go there

Used to be a regular on DW, my last Vectra Saloon was polished more than it was driven, tbh I wil give it a go as the alternative is a new scuttle, my wallet doesn't like that

Good truck, nice project, good price...

Many thanks

I want it nice and useable, once it's services and nailed back together next week I'm concentrating on making it 4wd again

 

[HughF]

We put a recon vcu on my sisters, was exchange for £300 or something.

 

[Kayos]

Can get a well regarded one from bell for £200 exchange

My plan is to go to U pull it on wheelbarrow weekend (£60 for as much as you can squeeze into a barrow, I've done well out of it in the past) maybe grab a couple and some other bits as the prop I have needs other stuff and it may not be worth it if I can get one for practically nothing

 

[HughF]

I quite like them as a 4x4 actually, better on Tarmac than the offerings from Suzuki, not sure how they compare to a crv, which I understand was developed alongside th freelander.

 

[normspanners]

it seems it was a bit of a pain as it took them over 3 hours......

???? looks like the apprentice did it 3hrs !! i had one freelander that had a bad alternator at some point and boiled the battery which put battery acid in the grommet ( forms a little cup) for the nsf brake pipe, just under the battery impossible to see, but rotted the pipe through in one precise spot, the pipe was perfect every where else, bar for the 10mm in the grommet and it burst!!

 

[Kayos]

I told them I wasn't happy about it, but that I would just swap it with the rest before the next MOT

I think when they saw an 02 Freelander come in they were expecting it to fail on loads, a bulb and a brake light bulb was all that was wrong, they quoted £66 for the pipe, £6 materials and the rest labour but phoned me 3 hours later to tell me they were just road testing so I could go get it. I bet they charge more than £20 per hour.....

 

[Kayos]

Minor update, front end all nailed back together and just waiting for some bolts as the under tray was held on mostly with optimism, i've put more bolts in but I want matching

Also this

Freelander-9 by Stuart Burrows, on Flickr

I know its not important to some, but i've had this head unit from new in 2010, its fantastic.
Digitally connects to iPod and uses its on board DAC's
The standard speakers are rubbish but if the car behaves over christmas it will be getting a full SQ Alpine and DLS install

 

[Wendelspanswick]

Minor update, front end all nailed back together and just waiting for some bolts as the under tray was held on mostly with optimism, i've put more bolts in but I want matching

Also this

Freelander-9 by Stuart Burrows, on Flickr

I know its not important to some, but i've had this head unit from new in 2010, its fantastic.
Digitally connects to iPod and uses its on board DAC's
The standard speakers are rubbish but if the car behaves over christmas it will be getting a full SQ Alpine and DLS install

No DAB?

 

[Kayos]

No DAB?

Radio 2, CD or iPod, I've never felt the need for DAB

I have a 160gb ipod full of lossless rips, plus the HU does lots of other stuff like time correction and disabling the onboard amps etc. SQ is the main thing for me

 

[Kayos]

150 miles of trouble free usage until today. Driving up the M62 towards Huddersfield (long incline) car was fine, pulled off and headed up towards Sowood and the thing overheats! Pulled over sharpish and most of the coolant is gone and the fans are both going like the clappers (112 deg)

Leave it to cool down and carry on going, temp never moved over half. When i finished I topped up coolant, bled heater pipe and drove home without an issue

Main suspect is water pump, as even under load uphill with good airflow it was fine, but slower speeds there wasn't enough flow around the coolant circuit

Sadly it's not that simple as there is an oily scum in the header tank and i noticed a lot of white smoke from the exhaust when I pulled over

New decent head set and bolts (Payen) water pump and belt (Gates) and associated bits are about £200, and are also on order
I have some time off work soon so will get it sorted by the end of the month

The inlet manifold (or gasket) is also suspect, I will change the O ring gasket when I do the head but plan to replace with a metal one from an MG, this uses more fixings and has a proper gasket so should never leak

 

[HughF]

Easy job, did my sisters r reg.... check the liner protrusion when the head is off.

 

[Kayos]

I've never done a K series but done plenty of other OHC engines.

If the liners have dropped I will nail it back together and sell it

 

[HughF]

External TX needed for the head bolts...

 

[Kayos]

External TX needed for the head bolts...

Got them, same on modern Vauxhall engines

 

[Robotstar5]

External TX needed for the head bolts...

I remember watching the guy doing the headbolts on the K series line, just dropped a multi-spindle tool on that torqued all the bolts up in one hit.