300 TDi 1997 - Spares list for Africa trip

[langebaan sunset]

Hi folks,

Planning a 1.5 year trip Europe & Africa starting 2010.....got a 110 1997 300TDi with approx 138k miles on clock. Its already had a good check and work done by Foley.

Our landy is pretty much kitted out now, and we are now pondering the items we should take as spares etc.....

Anyone got a good recommendation for spares / parts list to take on trip? I am not the most mechanically minded person (although learning lots), really seeking the "essential" stuff that should be considered.

Look forward to hearing from you

Nick

[roamingyak]

My thoughts:

- Ask a landy mechanic to create you a list (Foley's have done this for others) as they know the likely bits.
- Parts are very expensive in Africa, but labour cheap. I travel with a huge box of spares.
- DHL is not 'everywhere' as you may hear. It will get to most capitals, but not areas like Western Sahara for example, or you could be 500 miles from the capital with little public transport. Who is going to travel to the capital and wait for it to clear customs etc? Who will stay with the vehicle whilst you do it etc? So take all sensible spares and don't believe that you can get what you need as you go - at least for small light weight and cheap items like seals, rubber hoses etc.
- Some places will do a sale and return for about a 15% restocking fee - but you need to keep it in good condition.

Then start with your tyres and work through all of the bits that would stop you driving 500 miles to a garage in the capital?
Tyres needs patches and a kit to put them on, spares tyres and gear to change them, then onto the axle ends (seals, oil etc), axle inside (oil, seals etc), what if somebody steals the axle plug? How much is a spare?

Then you have some things that join the two axles together - what could go wrong on them - prop shafts and joins.

Steering is important - joints and bushes are cheap and will wear out. Do you have a way of straightening the steering bars if they get bent?

And so on ;-) Others will have lists!

But remember it's often about having the right tool or thing to bodge a fix as well - there are lots of cool liquids things in tubes to patch up metal, leaking radiators and so on.

Gotta go, cricket on tv now ;-)

[monster]

Hi guys
we took
4x wheel bearings (plus wheel hub spanner)
radiator top hose
wading plugs (never used)
radseal (great stuff)
belts assorted
filters 2x fuel 1x air 1x oil
tyre plug kit
assorted screws nuts and bolts, jubilee clips
brake and clutch fluid (dot 4 as most countries outside europe only have dot 3)
cable ties
metal putty
fuses and make sure you get some maxi fuses as the can sometimes blow
tyre valves
thats about what we took and had no problems but its all down to the trip destination and what you are happy to do yourself
have a great adventure
david

NESSIESADVENTURES

[danward79]

Hi,

My advise would be to try as far as possible to ensure your vehicle is fairly standard. If you have no exotic parts, they should be easily replacable.

[roamingyak]

A good point Dan. Where you do upgrade/replace, try to supplement the original LR parts (ie: helper springs or airbags inside the original HD LR springs) rather than replacing the LR springs with a brand you can't get in Africa.

Then if the new add on bits fail, no problem, they can be removed and you still have a working solution, or the LR part may be able to be sourced or fixed locally.

[rclafton]

Only failure I had on my 300Tdi was the dip stick tube broke - I was told a common problem !

[danward79]

Originally Posted by rclafton

Only failure I had on my 300Tdi was the dip stick tube broke - I was told a common problem !

I just changed mine too, broke just above the retaining clip... Can make a but of a mess of the surrounding area. Easy fix thou.

I think I would definately carry one of those. They are light and easy to store.

I would also carry :-
an aux belt tensioner,
a full set of belts,
an o-ring kit,
full set of filters,
at least a full set of oils and about 2 x engine oil changes.
Lots of cable ties of various sizes.
selection of nuts bolts and screws,
a few crimps and connectors, heat shrink, tape.

Just a start

[SabreF86]

My spares box has a set of water hoses & a thermostat (including heater hoses) If you renew these before you leave, you might consider leaving the hoses (the top hose is awkward to pack), but do take a spare thermostat.

Also have all suspension bushes renewed before departure, and take one of each of the old ones (if they're OK) as a spare.

Also renew the serpentine belt tensioner and aircon guide pulley bearings (6203). And take spares. They do not last long in the dusty conditions.

An alternator and water pump.

Serpentine belt

Wheel bearings

Light bulbs, fuses, electrical wire and electrical connectors

Tie-straps

Duct tape

Fuel & air filters

Engine, Diff & Power steering oil (The ATF for the PS can be used in the gearbox in an emergency)

A fuel lift pump. These are not very reliable, and if they fail the resultant power loss can make driving in thick sand difficult

Hose clamps (various sizes)

Locktite (To fasten those nuts/bolts that will work loose on the corrugations)

If heavily loaded, a spare shock absorber

Assortment of nuts, bolts, washers & circlips.

A Haynes manual

Make sure that you have the tools to fit all the above. Some of the tools that you will find in the villages are very rude, and can sometimes do more damage than good

[eightpot]

In addition to the above, here are the things I have found most useful when on a trip (and had to replace):

whell bearings/seals/gaskets and a hub spanner (hub spanners cost about a fiver and make life much easier..) - if possible, before you go get an old wheel bearing and cut a slot through one side so it can be closed up a bit smaller, this makes fitting a new bearing much easier.

propshaft universal joints - I would take at least two, with some new nuts/bolts

Driveshaft hub flange - we have found that a front one will also fit the rear hub in an emergency.

shock absober bushes

panhard rod bushes

Gaffer tape

I would also pack a 3 notch head gasket - you can stow it above the headlining or somewhere it won't get damaged, and then if you have a problem you have the correct part with you rather than risk a 'bush repair' at a local garage.

Clutch plate - just the friction plate rather than the whole thing - I changed a clutch on top of a sand dune once and was eternally grateful I'd packed one.

Gaffer tape

a metre of fuel hose and a couple of other assorted bits of pipe/tube

Jubilee clips

Gaffer tape

Clutch master and slave cylinder

A couple of rubber hub endcaps (the black rubber bits in the middle of the wheel)

I also take as many various gaskets and oil seals as I can as they take up no room, don't weigh anything. Alo a tube of blue hylomar for any gaskets you didn't pack.

Hope that helps!

[Gipper]

Yes, very valid point made by Dan on keeping it standard....

Im running DeCarbon shocks and scrap-iron racing springs on the 90 in the UK so it handles better....than a 2cv (just).....would I use them overland ?.......nope....

Id replace the radiator and hoses (...I see you have already) as a matter of course with a 97 - corrogations will find any weak areas in the rad - and rover rads have a habit of rusting out around the bottom, where water/mud gets trapped around the crap drainage holes in the mounting frame.

Its all pretty much been covered by the guys.....water pump, alternator, wheel bearings/seals (and a few extra locking tabs), prop shaft UJs for sure, head gasket as eightpot mentions, plus all those 'lil bits n pieces.

pack in as many fuel/oil filters as you can cram in....they can be quite expensive....at one place in Accra they wanted £15 for one fuel filter (last time I was there)- plus if you have bought them and wrapped them in clingfilm in the UK, then you know they are not full of dust/sand !!!


* Looking at your website, seems everything has been covered - a couple of things I can think of after a few s are:

a fine mesh grill infront/behind the black plastic grill is good for keeping locusts/bugs and grass seeds out of rad, a swingaway pulley block will make the winch much more versatile - and take at least 1 inner tube with your puncture repair kit- just in case you lose a sidewall - get a local to patch/sew it up and put a tube in and at least you can use it as an emergency spare on the back end.

I also use the small black 5 litre diesel cans for my oils -2x Engine oil /EP90/ATF - they are very tough and dont leak, just mark them with tippex.

I do an oil change every 5000km, check wheel bearings and fresh grease in those UJs, if you go West Africa way, consider doing a couple of interim fuel filter changes.

...and if you go through Ghana, stop at Brenu Beach and enjoy a few 'Star' s !!!

Have a good one
Cheers

Gipper

[To Hel And Back]

Gipper,
I noticed you mentioned about fitting a fine mesh grill to help keep crap away from the radiator, don't suppose you have any pics of a finished one do you? We're about to do something similar on our 110 and are unsure how 'fine' to go!

[danward79]

Originally Posted by To Hel And Back

Gipper,
I noticed you mentioned about fitting a fine mesh grill to help keep crap away from the radiator, don't suppose you have any pics of a finished one do you? We're about to do something similar on our 110 and are unsure how 'fine' to go!

I'd like to see that too please, I am just back from 3 weeks in europe and my rad is full of beetles bugs and butterflies!

[Land Rover]

Hi ...Sounds like it's going to be a great trip....

This could be you!!!!!!

[IMG][/IMG]


I agree with what is written above.

A few tips would be to take a throttle cable. Just lie this along the front of the dash where the windscreen meets the plastic area...it'll in fact fit neatly in the gap between same.

On the idea of an auxiliary belt tensioner. Rather than take a new one,the bearing can be replaced. It's awkward to do but once done you'll be able to take a few bearings with you if it starts to squeal. When buying new bearings,if you don't already know, prise the plastic side seal off with a small fine screwdriver and re pack with good grease....pressing the seal back on. The grease that comes with bearings,in my experience,can only be described as minimal!

Lift pump for sure....

To carry a couple of shock absorbers...stash them along and inside the front bumper ensuring they're packed well....

As for spare hose clips...just double them up where they will be being needed...At present I have another around my top hose where it rubs against the side of the plastic radiator cover....check in case your hose is touching same too...

If not done already make sure that the radiator plastic plug along with the thermostat plastic plug have been replaced with brass before you leave. These are cheap as chips and saves the plastic ones getting hot brittle and braking up...a common fault in the 300tdi


Make sure there's no weeps at the oil cooler pipes..these are a common leak....maybe even go the extra and have proper banjo jointed ones made up by your local farm supply....

If possible maybe a PAS pump to bring along...small and easy to stash and can fail easily...dead easy to fit in the field with no special tools....


Throw in a spare P gasket...easy to store eg.in sun visor....another common fail...(Just had a wee peep at your website...take one anyway due to easy to store)


Make sure you have a Torx 55 bit to remove gearbox bung,remembering to loosen this off before you drain the oil


As an aside remember,when driving at all times,to let the turbo run down to prolong longevity...

Take a tube of silicone which can be used as a gasket and to repair other small stuff.

If I can think of more I'll post it up....

[danward79]

On Aux belt tensioners. It is worth remembering the quick fix of a small coin or washer at the 9 o'clock position for a squeel. This is a very quick, I'll fix it later solution.

[ghenk]

Nick!

Hope all is well buddy. My 2p worth:

Knowing your suspension set up with the twin shocks you don't need spare shocks (I still have the 2 spares I took - unused). If you do break a shock on the Moyale road ('cause you drove too fast) get one from Schumachers in Nairobi (probably the best Land Rover garage in Africa). They stock everything you'll need.

Take a handful of spare nuts and bolts, maybe a clutch master cylinder (although i'd get Paul to put a new one on before you leave) - don't take the repair kit is is a waste of time - , duck tape, cable ties, light bulbs, fuses, wire, more wire, a selection of hoses of various diameters, hose clips, liquid gasket, clutch & brake fluid, tyre repair kit, compressor, jack a not much else.

If you have taken the time to prepare your vehicle well upfront then that means you have to take less with you on the road. Trust me you don't want to weigh yourself down with a lot of redundant spares.

You are well set up so rather save on weight, that way you'll need fewer spares!

Happy planning!

Bruce