CHRISTOPHER A LONG - Land Rover Defender 110

Land Rover – Defender 110
1991/92 (1993)

General information and conversion diagram.

Land Rover Defender 110 Tdi

Model/type: Defender 110 Tdi County Station Wagon
Engine/capacity: 2.5 litre Turbo Diesel Injection
Colour: Red with White roof
Chassis number: SALLDHMF 7 HA 904198
Engine number: 11 L 110171 A
Registration number: J 472 LOW
Registration Certificate: AJ 0116638 (7227 903 1182)
Modifications: Tow bar, 6th wheel bonnet fitment, split-charge twin-battery system, alarm system.

Checklist:
Fan belt (ETC7939); PAS belt (ETC5815); Mirror glass (RTC 4341); 2 x Red lens (RTC 210); 2 x White lens (589284); 2 x Amber lens (589285); 2 x Headlamp bulb (589783); 4 x Side bulbs (264590); 4 x Stop tail bulbs (264591); 4 x Plain bulbs (575312); 4 x Bulbs (570822); De-greasing fluid; Top hose (NTC 4895); Bottom hose (ESR 536); Heater hose (ERR 1436); Heater hose (BTR 1130); Heater hose (BTR 1132); Wiper blades (PRC 4278); 2 x Oil filters (ERR 1168); 2 x Fuel filters (AEU 2147); 1 x Wiper arm (PRC 4276); 2 x Air filters (??? ????); Selection of hose clips; Wiper adaptor (RTC 4480); Selection of fuses; Differentials oil; Prop-shaft universal joint; 5 litres 15/40 engine oil; Gearbox oil; Steering/transmission fluid; 45 litres spare diesel; Diesel anti-freeze; Spare inner tubes/valves; Set of engine gaskets; Transmission box oil; Set of vehicle bushes; Hydraulic/brake/clutch fluid; 10-litres water-can; Heavy-duty jump leads; Tool-kit & socket-set; Rachet-jack; Fire extinguisher; Ropes; Spade; Hatchet; Long-blade knife; Torches/batteries; Emergency chemical lights (red/orange/white); Warning triangle; Additional VHF/SW aerial; Multiple-output 12v. transformer; First Aid bags (large & small); 4-season sleeping-bag/duvet/blankets/futon; Water-proof jacket/trousers; Map bag; Compass; Heavy chain & padlock; Spare rubber & leather boots; Box of non-perishable food & drinking water; Workshop manual; Night visibility vest; Gas cooker/burner.

Land Rover Defender 110 Tdi Conversion

Land Rover General History

Design work on the Land Rover started in 1947 to provide the Rover Car Company with a stop-gap model to fill their post-war production vacuum. It was inspired by the US Jeep, which was proving popular with farmers after the war.

The Land Rover was launched at the Amsterdam Motor Show in 1948, priced at 450 pounds sterling. The engine and transmission, taken from Rover's saloon cars, were fitted to a sturdy box-section chassis. The body, with its simple, flat, aluminium panels, made few concessions to creature comfort: the early models had only a canvas cab roof, and a cab heater was not available until 1950. The new model proved an instant success.

In 1954 a 107-inch long-wheelbase version was introduced to give greater load space and the power unit was upgraded; three years later came the first diesel versions. Many variants had emerged by the mid-1950s, including a Station Wagon and Fire Engine, while the armed forces quickly appreciated the Land Rover's versatility.

By 1958 production had topped 200,000 units, with over 70% going for export. Rover was taken over by British Leyland in 1967, but the company's plans for a luxurious up-market stable-mate for the Land Rover were unaffected, and the Range Rover was launched in 1970.

During the 1970s and 1980s the Land Rover faced stiff competition from Japanese manufacturers, so that by the mid-1980s the Land Rover 90 and 110 series offered such options as turbo-charged engines and stereo radio-cassette players -- a far cry from the original spartan vehicles.

Remarkably, it is believed that between two-thirds and three-quarters of all Land Rovers ever made since 1948 are still on the road.

In 1988 Land Rover was acquired by British Aerospace, as part of the Rover Group. [BAe sold the Rover Group to BMW in 1994]

Author's Comments

I have had remarkably few serious problems with the Land Rover 110 but those I've encountered have been irritating and expensive:

1. Frequent problems with the power-steering box (Gemma): the lower seals fail and all fluid and power is lost. This unit may be simply not robust enough for the work it is required to do (and may not been specifically designed for Land Rovers). The expensive, conventional solution is to replace the power-steering box. A laborious but equally effective solution (costing very little) is to replace the seals from below, leaving the unit in position. This will probably last as long as a new/renovated unit.

2. In temperatures below around -18 degrees (common in Scandinavia, Eastern Europe, Canada, etc.) door-locks freeze solid and many rubber components solidify and fail. The rubber items include the seals around the doors (which then cannot be properly closed); engine mountings and other bushes. This is unforgivable in a vehicle supposedly designed for rugged all-weather conditions. However, these problems disappear in warmer temperatures and seem to cause no long-term damage.

3. A design flaw can make it impossible to fully close the driver's or passenger's windows when the wind is blowing in certain directions! The solution is to try again while opening the opposite window briefly.

4. A frequent cause of problems is the rear A-frame ball joint (situated behind and above the rear differential box). This ball joint is particularly susceptible to wear if the vehicle is much used for towing. When worn it causes 'lurching' and 'knocking' in the suspension. It needs to be kept well-greased and replaced as soon as a problem is detected. It is advisable to check on the condition of this joint when buying second-hand. It may indicate how much heavy-duty work the vehicle has experienced.

5. The heating system in many models (e.g. 1991/92) is infuriating. Frequently the heater produces about twice as much hot air on the passenger's side (right-hand drive models), making it impossible to achieve a satisfactory balance for both driver and passenger. One solution is partially to block the heater inlet on the passenger's side!

6. When Land Rover introduced the 'prettification' of its models in the 1980/1990s (lots of fancy plastic on the doors, saloon-car style interior panels and flimsy dashboard controls – all designed to make Land Rovers look more like 'cars') it stupidly introduced an indicator system whose audible warning sounds cannot be heard above the sound of the engine. This accounts for the number of Land Rovers driving around with their indicator lights flashing unnecessarily. To make matters worse, the visual warning signal can be difficult to spot in bright daylight.

7. One of the most irritating and thoughtless design flaws in the Defender range of Land Rovers is the positioning of the hydraulic brake fluid reservoir in the engine compartment (at the back of the engine compartment, just behind the dashboard). Bearing in mind that the good condition of the hydraulic braking system is the single most important contribution to road safety it seems extraordinary that the cap on the reservoir (which needs to be checked every 1,000-5,000 miles) is surrounded by other components, almost impossible to reach and then frequently impossible to unscrew. I've watched British army mechanics who've been defeated by this problem.

8. Beware of inviting elegantly-dressed female passengers to sit in the front seats. Land Rover has thoughtfully provided a locking clasp to the under-seat storage compartments that is guaranteed to catch and wreck expensive stockings or tights.

9. Another irritation is the protruding door-handles (again introduced in the 1980/90s). For decades Land Rover had sensibly produced vehicles with robust, recessed door-handles. Eventually the entire motor industry followed suit – recognising the advantages in terms aerodynamics, safety and reduced risk of damage. This of course was precisely when Land Rover decided to introduce old-fashioned protruding door-handles with a flimsy mechanism.

10. A word of warning! Land Rovers are supremely well-designed for all-terrain, all-weather conditions (despite the remarks above). They seem to keep going under almost any conditions. But because they take remarkably steep gradients in their stride many drivers expect too much of them on bends and lateral slopes. Land Rovers are not as stable laterally as many drivers imagine and can roll easily. Although massively powerful and very effective on sand, snow and mud, they can also be lethal on ice: the combination of massive weight, very powerful brakes and high-pressure tyres makes them liable to skidding. Sadly I've seen too many of my colleagues injured in roll-overs and skids – often because they believed Land Rovers were capable of almost anything under all circumstances.

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