Pre trip maintenance

[Vleis]

Any advice on “preventative maintenance” on a Landy (110, TD5) before setting off from UK to South Africa? Obviously I have to consider what my technical skills/tools and budget would allow...

I will do an oil/filters service shortly before departing and have already changed the diff oil. Next on my list is Gearbox/Transfer case oil. Any tips on what else I should consider?

Wheel bearings, UJ’s, suspension bushes, etc ? – or is it a case of cary some spares and hope for the best. Spare list is a whole different story, but I am using previous post to pull that together.


As always thank you for any help/advice


Cheers
h

[roamingyak]

Being in the UK now you will never again have it so good for quality of parts, ease of ordering, knowledge of mechanics and so forth, so without writing this in massive letters:

Do everything you can think of in the UK regardless of the costs. Do not have any concerns about anything when you leave, fix it now!!!!

Advice that will save you money in the long run and many hot sweaty days in African cities ;-)

[Huskynose]

How about a good shakedowntrip to , say, Morocco ?
Availability of parts is not a problem there, and the roads and non-roads are a good test for the rest of Africa....
Trust me, one drive across Jbel Sarhro and anything that is about to break , will do so without hesitation !

[langebaan sunset]

We just completed UK to Cape Town in a Defender and a lot of what you are asking about and our own experience is listed on our website at Preparations - Langebaan Sunset - Stonehenge UK to Cape Town SA - 2010/11

Basics are:

1. Get as much of the heavy mechanical stuff sorted before you go - Cam Belt, leaks, seals, water pump, fuel pump etc... - get this done by professionals!
2. Get vehicle prepared and go on a shake down trip - we did 3 weeks in Europe, helped iron out lots of small but important issues
3. Go off-road and practice, get a feel for things and improve your recovery skills (mud and sand if poss)
4. Make sure your battery system / aux power is working well and try and fit a solar panel with regulator - great if you want cool drinks / fresh food in remoter locations
5. Pack basic spare parts - we posted a list on our website. We found spare parts for Land Rovers in Africa are very limited. Key places you can stop at (depending on route) are Western Sahara (Dhakla), Nigeria (Abuja) and Namibia (Swakupmund). We found good service and parts available in these countries and are also good places to get things checked out. The main Land Rover dealer in Accra Ghana didnt even have an oil or fuel filter to sell us so be warned!
6. Manage tyre pressures - keeps wear on suspension and rubber to a minimum and helps with traction and ride comfort when off road.
7. Do the oil change every 6000 miles and carry 1 oil change worth if you crack sump.
8. Fit a fuel pre-filter for crud and water removal - really helps. Fuel in Nigeria is cheap but VERY dirty!

Again, all of the above is listed on our website

Hope that helps

Nick

[mossproof]

Sorry I didn't spot this thread earlier.
Nick, the fuel prefilter idea is tricky on a td5 as the pump's in the tank and the system is quite high pressure. Not sure how you can get round that except by having a second tank and filling the main only from this one with a 12v pump via a filter. Anyone else found a better idea?
Roamingyak's right to get all the big stuff done before you leave. If the car's nearing 90,000miles/140,000km(?) and still on it's first dual mass flywheel I'd definitely get it changed - often the cause of multiple "mystery clutch failures" - one couple I met in Livingstone had changed their clutch 3 times in a month at different bush mechanics, when the actual problem was excessive play in the flywheel.
Change the fuel injector harness (inside the rocker cover) and carry a spare to avoid oil contamination of the loom and eventually the ecu. (Check the ecu red plug for oil as well) If the fuel pressure regulator above the starter motor is dripping fuel, change it, and if the starter is VERY wet with diesel, change this too. Note: you can get oil coming down from the rear camshaft hole plug in the head, which is not to be confused with diesel, and is less of a problem (also easily remedied by cleaning the area round the top gasket thoroughly and smearing Loctite flange sealant around the whole area, but if you're changing the wiring harness, the lid's off anyway so flange seal it all around the back including the halfmoon)
Good luck and safe travels,
Simon.

[Vleis]

Thanks all appreciate the advice, I will definitely include that on my ever growing “to do” list.



I was also wondering about the fuel sedimentor/pre filter on the TD5. From my research it looks like the high pressure system it’s probably better left alone unless broken, so was think of just carrying a spare. Simon the flywheel comes as a bit surprise.... and the price of a new one makes this a bad surprise . My TD5 is on 84k miles so could be a candidate for this. Is this something I can test myself or do I have this have this checked out by professionals?



I thought that maybe I should not go and change parts that are not giving and problems currently but rather carry spares. Some of the non service items on the list I thought of were:


Fuel pump & filter and seal, Water pump, Wheel bearing kit X2, couple of suspension bushes, starter motor (but might change this beforehand), collection of pipes/hoses. Full set of belts, spare shock absorber & spring.


Now that I am think about this, maybe do change to some of new parts and carry the current working ones as spares e.g. water/fuel pump ....





h

[Niva Say Never]

Originally Posted by Vleis

Now that I am think about this, maybe do change to some of new parts and carry the current working ones as spares e.g. water/fuel pump ....
h

That'd be my advice for sure.
Doesn't matter what the vehicle or part in question, better to carry a known good spare rather than something that 'should' fit/work.

Sam

[Toyark]

Originally Posted by mossproof

Not sure how you can get round that except by having a second tank and filling the main only from this one with a 12v pump via a filter. Anyone else found a better idea?
Simon.

simple work around
Hand held funnel filter called.... Mr Funnel (google it)
removes crud AND water
cheapest way of doing it
Take the large size for a 4x4 and the small size for a bike

[mossproof]

Doh! Why didn't I think of that? Actually, filling from a pump via a funnel can be a slow and filthy messy business if it's got a fine enough filter to take out the water, but I accept the suggestion
The flywheel's a tricky one. If the car's done plenty of heavy towing, 90,000 is a good point to think about renewal. If it's done nothing, then another 40G might be possible. It is hard to diagnose without the gearbox out to feel the play, but pulsing on the pedal when depressed, or having to pump the pedal a couple of times to get "bite" after driving in one gear for a while would be a giveaway. Also rough or erratic running on tickover, or excessive noise while driving (I know, it's a Land Rover!) Sorry, didn't mean to sow the seeds of doubt, which often happens on internet forums. Just know it can be a problem on any car with a dual mass flywheel and have come across it several times in the workshop and on the road. There is a company called Rakeway (.co.uk) who make a solid flywheel, which is cheaper and removes the problem altogether, but the engine will feel harsher and there'll be more vibration. I suppose if the car's not had a hard life, the clutch is not giving any problems as it is, and the budget is getting tight, it's something to gamble on. I'll google DMF fault diagnosis now and see if there's something simple I've missed
Other stuff: Td5 wheelbearings are not adjustable - might pay to carry some old style locknuts and lock washers - just remove the outer race and the spacer then replace the outer and adjust as you would on an older model. Make sure suspension bushes are either genuine LR, or polybushes if you prefer. Hub seals, transfer box output seals and diff pinion seals are vulnerable to heat and dust, and light and small enough to carry as spares. Other than that there's plenty of generalised spares lists on the hubb.
Oh, and if you change the water pump, I recommend you remove the whole housing from the engine block (makes it easier anyway) and change the O ring seal between block and housing, with a good coating of flange sealant. If you don't change it but carry a spare, get the O ring as well.
Best of luck,
Simon.

[Vleis]

Thank you Simon and the rest, I think the Mr Funnel option is a worthwhile investment even it is a messy, at least it is cheap, simple to use and anything to prevent me from having to remove the tank to replace a pump...

[Griffdowg]

Originally Posted by Huskynose

Trust me, one drive across Jbel Sarhro and anything that is about to break , will do so without hesitation !

I second that!

There is a reason not to use self tapper screws.

G

[Vleis]

I need to figure out what to do about carrying extra diesel in Landy. I am heading down the East Africa route and can carry up to 100 ltr's in the tanks. I was thinking of taking to 2 Jerry cans for emergency use and more specifically if we do the Omo Valey/Lake Turkana route. Research has shown this stretch is slow going and at least 600km's between reliable fuel. I am concerned that because of the slow going I will need to carry more. One of the replies on a previous thread mentioned that 140 ltr's is not much anyway. Anybody else taken on this route with only 100ltr's of diesel or should i stop wasting my time and get 2 jerry cans? (even though the extra weight and the fact storage will have to be roof mounted which I don’t like)

Thanks for advice in advance

Vleis

[adritay]

Hi reading all this about bad fuel has reminded me one good tip

Dont just rush in a fuel stop and go to any pump stop watch the locals
use the pumps they are using don't get redirected .
saw a bloke filled up his forward control unit big tanks got 2 miles down the road, they had filled up with old engine oil ,took us all day to clean the system (Mautainia)

HAPPY TRAVELS (adritay)