robin craig

So, I was sorting out a parts order today and ran into a brick wall. Land Rover part 599488 is the ball joint. It is no longer available. There are however a host of options if you dig deeper. They are all based around a repair kit in differing qualities. An OEM kit is AEU 2761 which is quite pricey, my local dealer quotes me over $130 for it and 3 days away. Curiously good old Rovers North have RBG 000010 at $109.95 or non genuine PLS 084 at $22.95 so I opted for four non genuine ones and will do both sides at once and have spares. I love chasing parts down, real satisfaction. Parts should be here Monday. R

We tried fitting the electronic ignition kit but it was a no go. Further it was found that the gear at the bottom of the dizzy was knackered. We have elected to go with non shielded wiring and a civvy dizzy and plugs to get it running on the understanding that the knackered dizzy will be replaced by a proper one later down the line. If the vehicle runs and drives and is useable it will improve in condition is my main direction. The knackered exhaust was then removed and Gerry started making a new one from stainless. Again originality is not compromised and after a few runnings this one will loose its nice bright colour. Going to get ownership transfer sorted next week. Getting closer to having it on the road with some reliability and safety. R

If he doesn't respond then email me and I will send you the files he sent me Robin

Considering the wires are available now that you have gone this far and no joy I would seriously consider cutting the fitting that is between 1 and 2 and making way for a good deep socket of an impact not chrome type and put some real beef to it with some penetrant. Focus on the real target which is the plug, sacrifice the wiring. It may also scare the plug as to the lengths you are prepared to go to and it may give up and come out, just like lighting a ciggy to make a bus arrive. R

Nick, I'm more of a Lambretta kind of guy or a BSA with Sturmey Archer 3 speed. R

Call sign 31 came home last week on the CVR(T) holleybones behind a tractor all on my own. I have been so happy with this fabricated piece of kit and have ideas for the improved Mk2 version. The Cranberry coloured shed is called the Daimler building here at home, it house our Ferret parts, not the gardening tools! I now have to prep where it is going to sit and cover it, still have to build a garage this summer, little does my sister and her man know but when they visit from the UK they will be handed a hammer each! I think it will be called the Ashchurch building. R

Nick, Thanks for the suggestions, i also have news. The kits were the right ones and the engine runs like a dream now although as I am doing spring (yes I know its June) tillage and am about to start planting spy beans. There is infact a conversion done by RPI engineering from the UK that allows the shift linkage mount to be moved and a two barrel webber to go in in place, or something like that. I am prepared to go that route if all else fails but frankly they were designed to run properly as designed and did that, the curse we are enduring is lack of usage. The fuel pump is electrical. Robin

The other way perhaps? A classic case of "no Wiggins, your Army left". I think you just may have a massive build up of crud which is stopping you. R

Perhaps this is the appropriate time to mention something. Recently I was in the presence of a number of ex service members who had all been Drivers and instructors in doing that on CVR(T)s. It was very interesting that after getting the vehicles running all of them, before moving the vehicle forward, did what I now call the CVR(T) wiggle. They did a quick small neutral turn effort left and then right just to prove the steering works. I know I will be adding that to my start up procedure R

Dear All, thank you for your replies, much as I had suspected. Will report back more later R

So, one can run up an FV430 family power pack external to the vehicle. A few questions on doing this. If you wanted to test a spare 432 pack could you do it without removing the one that is in the vehicle? If you can not, why? Can you run a 432 pack external to an Abbot? Can you run an Abbot pack external to a 432? How can you test the function of the gearbox when doing this with any confidence? I know that is a load of questions. Regards Robin

Gently warm the steel item and then push an ordinary white candle at it, keeping your head away as it may spontaneously combust. Extinguish flame, warm steel item again, repeat candle application. As it cools give the steel item a sharp direct hit with a hammer. Grip with a pair of mole / vice grips and tighten before loosening. What happens is the wax gets drawn down the rust and crud between the two and then the blow disturbs it. Had a lot of success with this method, especially useful after building up the stud by welding. R

Welcome along, I am sure you will get tuned in very quickly, a sound grounding in radios is always an asset. . .. I could go on but I don't want to whip up too much static. R

Frankly while FB is a place to connect it is useless as far as a searchable tool with a clear well laid out format such as the threads here. Maybe I am not hip to the FB world. As far as I am concerned this is the perfect medium for me and I will continue to use and support it. FB is a social thing this is more of a technical thing. My opinion, don't expect anyone else to agree. Robin

The now spare Ferret hull has been tentatively traded for a two wheeled device, closure of the deal is next spring unless I get a sudden batch of spare time R

The carbs are knackered and need rebuilding, beyond me for skill and time right now. Called down to Rovers North who says kits are no longer available, it was suggested we source from the UK. My mate Gerry has found a local (within Canada) company who is sending him a kit based on his identification of the carbs on SU's website. They arrive today hopefully. R

Chris, not an easy decision to make but one you will likely have lots of satisfaction and usage out of. Once you have pulled the pack out you should verify the rear bevel boxes at the same time and do yourself a favour and renew the brake lines with something worth while. Watch out for the breather on the bevel boxes, often as not the enthusiasts end up paint over the darn thing and they get blocked and blow seals and ruin the bevel box. Pictures would be nice, you wont regret doing it. When it all goes back together clean it is a nice feeling. Robin

Dear David, don't lurk around, we are fairly friendly here, welcome. Where in Belgium to you live? Anywhere near the Tank Museum, do you have a rapport with them? Being a model maker is no crime, it is a grand hobby. Regards Robin

Number one is the correct place. Use a flare nut spanner for the job but only after making a dam out of plasticine aka modeling clay and flooding the resevoir formed with diesel fuel to act as a penetrant. Think about it, the water has corroded the threads and the same will have happened on the spark plug itself. Use the ponding effect on the top of the engine to now retain the diesel. Hurry up and slow down and use a healthy dose of patience also. R

Things have gone a bit quiet haven't they, combine that with a few people hanging out on FB with their interest group all the time now instead of here and it does seem a bit lonely I do agree. R

Leah, yours should look like this R

Leah, could I suggest you start a new thread so we can properly document and find it later on, something like Alvis Salamander as the title would be best. Your profile needs adding to with where you live ie Canada on it, that will help you. It would seem that you would like to sell it, is that correct? I do not know of any others that have survived despite asking on this and other (Maple Leaf Up) forums for a while. Please post some pictures. I am also in Canada and the picture that Richard posted is from me. Regards Robin

Dear Tom, Congratulations on the project and your English. Wonderful project. Do you know the army number for your vehicle? There are many pictures of the Minerva in service. Robin

Dear Adrian, Welcome along, judging by your Army number I would guess a late 1970s entrant into service with Her Majesty. Please share your experience and especially photos of vehicles and people in service, we all can not get enough of those. As I said, welcome. Robin

Pursuant to the last post I did take the trailer tailgate apart but the welding did not go too well, so we will not show that until I get that sorted out and respectable. So, the frost has gone and we are suffering with daily rain showers, so as a farmer on clay ground we can't do any spring tillage or planting, we are a good month behind. So, with longer days I have been tinkering with the Land Rover again. A quick trip down the island on the end of the straight bar to the shop the other night with my mate Gerry driving the Dodge 5500. We have had issues getting her running, the truck is full of bodges which we are slowly hunting down, they range from mickey mouse 24 to 12 volt trickery and a bodged fuel system. We have proven the fuel system with the aid of a nice shop tool Gerry has which has a resevoir and a regulator so you can play with fuel pressure to ensure the rough running is not related to that. The smoking gun is the twin SU carbs Gerry says, so they have to come off and be gone through. The exhaust also has to be rebuilt, so that means a trip to his shop off island and being outside for about a week or so. The old storage place was very musty so as it wont be going back there that was the trigger to take off the old canvas and put the new one on. As always we are always under the gun for time. I think for the next Olympics we need a demonstration sport of fast new canvas installation on a vehicle. Thank goodness I have done one before. I skipped doing the fiddly bits over the doors as the sky was ominous and more rain was on the way. Troubling was the missing draw string at the rear, thankfully I have saved the old canvas and can reclaim the string from that one. If it clears up today maybe I will go finish that. In the meantime I have inside plasterboard / drywall to work at in our house. R