'Fred' Thread

[wrinklearthur]

For those who know 'Fred', this thread is going to be on-going saga of owning a well used Discovery 1.

From the other thread.
http://www.aulro.com/afvb/newreply.php'do=newreply&p=1913624


Yuck! I tried some automotive paint stripper, now I have to rub all 'Fred's' bonnet down to the undercoat, as the stripper made a real slimy mess of things, I spent 3 hours straight rubbing back today, until my arm started to complain and I had only done about an eight of the bonnets area.

Stop press ! I am going to start a 'Fred' thread.

Would a orbital sander be the way to go at cutting the clear coat and the colour coat back to where the undercoat just starts to appear?

The right arm method of water, 400 grit paper and rubbing block does work, but I would really like to finish this work before the end of my first life time.

Is there anyone that has had a go at completely stripping back a bonnet, that would like to let me in on a few tricks of the trade?

[sheerluck]

Air orbital sander will do the job Arthur, if you've got a compressor, a cheapie would cost you $30 on eBay. It'd Stop your arms aching! I think the preference for using wet and dry type paper would mean it's best not to use an electric one, unless you like curly hair.

Are you just taking the clear coat off, or heading back to bare metal?

[wrinklearthur]

Air orbital sander will do the job Arthur, if you've got a compressor, a cheapie would cost you $30 on eBay. It'd Stop your arms aching! I think the preference for using wet and dry type paper would mean it's best not to use an electric one, unless you like curly hair.

I am thinking about one of those eBay sanders and do I have curly hair already, both of them !
Not sure if plugging into my old TV servicing isolation transformer would be the thing to do, so I will get a air driven sander.


Are you just taking the clear coat off, or heading back to bare metal?
The clear coat was the problem and is lifting badly, the colour base coat is very thin and luckily the undercoat is a lot thicker and easily seen as it is white and the colour of the paint is blue.

Apart from a couple of stone chips that are through to the aluminium, I am hoping to get away with rubbing down to the under coat, I am under the impression that all of the clear must be removed to prevent the new paint also from lifting .
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[sheerluck]

Yep, all the clear must definitely come off. Start off with 240 grit wet and dry to get through the clear quickly, then switch to 400 to get through the colour coat, then 800 to flatten the primer.

Will take you a couple of hours still.

[Blknight.aus]

If you're going wet and dry youve no real choice but to get a good aircompressor and a decent air sander.

[123rover50]

Where are the pictures Arthur?:cool:

Also how do you do that neat trick of copying a thumbnail and bringing it up full size in the reply post?

I know what your arm feels like. I should have bought an air sander too:(

[wrinklearthur]

Where are the pictures Arthur?
Also how do you do that neat trick of copying a thumbnail and bringing it up full size in the reply post?

1. I'll do a photo and walk you through it, first I'll put up a picture of our 'Ted's Chev', the file size is way too large ( 3.41 MB ) .
Using 'Manage Attachment' it ends up as IMG_2716.jpg, with a file size of (74.9 KB) and took over three minutes to do this, the web address then shown is "http://www.aulro.com/afvb/attachment.php?attachmentid=60716&d=1369001523".

2. Next left click on the resultant thumbnail, it will come up as a 'attachment.php', ( but some times there is no increase in size over the size of the thumbnail, my computer must have learnt that I want the larger size now ).

3. now the image is shown is larger, right click on it and chose 'copy image URL'.

4. In the body of the text of your reply, make a space and type https://www.aulro.com/afvb/,

5. Now insert by right click and post image URL in between, ^

6. Use Preview Post to check it has all gone right and Submit Reply.

7. The result.

http://www.aulro.com/afvb/attachment.php?attachmentid=60716&d=1369001523


I know what your arm feels like. I should have bought an air sander too:(

That Macca fellow on the ABC radio, must have done some paint removal as well, He goes on about "more strength to your right arm", so I reckon he's done a bit of that work as well.

[wrinklearthur]

I have one of these high pressure washers ( 2,200 PSI ) with an attachment that has a bottle for holding truck wash and wax.

I need to clean a grimy tractor block inside and out, to get rid of 60 years of neglect, I don't want to have the hassle of the machined surfaces rusting straight away, would cutting oil be ok to use in that bottle, what do you think?

The fluids are added to the washing lance and only the water passes through the pump.
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[wrinklearthur]

If you're going wet and dry youve no real choice but to get a good aircompressor and a decent air sander.

I have a large 3 phase compressor with stacks of capacity, thanks to a insurance payout.
I ended up with this after a fire in the motor windings of the original compressor, the whole workshop was about only a couple of minutes away from going up, I had come back from lunch to find the power was out, then I smelt something burning, the flames had caught a plastic bag and the burning bag was dripping molten plastic down the front of wooden shelving, shelving that had plastic cans of oil sitting on it. :eek:

I won't be doing too many cars with the sander, so I will be looking around for a inexpensive, but effective orbital sander.
I wouldn't want to tie up too much money in something that's mostly going to sit on the shelf .
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[wrinklearthur]

Stripped a bit more paint off 'Fred' today, but haven't reached the quarter way mark yet.

Won't be doing any paint removal tomorrow, Mumsy and me have got the car trailer hooked up on 'Fred' and are off to Bruny Island in the morning.
I needed a series two 2.25 bell housing, if I go ahead and fit a 2.25 diesel into the 80".

I was asking Tony ( who lives on Bruny ) what was about in the way of these housings and he said "leave it with me".
Well now I have a very rusty but complete 2A Land Rover to pick up.

I always look forward to the trip over on the ferry, the load comes off my shoulders halfway across the channel and the smile gets set instead.
As Bruny Island is the most delightful place to visit with plenty to see and do, if your are in Tassie having a visit, make time to go and have a sticky beak .
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[wrinklearthur]

Lovely day for going sailing, So off the Wife, Lillee and I went with 'Fred' and the car trailer in tow, down to Kettering catching the ferry to Bruny Island.

Kettering

http://www.aulro.com/afvb/attachment.php?attachmentid=60796&stc=1&d=1369140411

We arrived making good time from home and caught the 9.30 AM sailing, onto the deck we drove with the young lass directing the traffic showing me the way to go.

She had a broad accent and I misunderstood her directions, carefully parking the rather wide trailer perfectly in the left hand lane and not the second across lane. :bangin:
The trailer's ramps are held up in a vertical plane on the back of the tray, then wont fit under the dingy stored up in the air at the far end of the deck. :oops2:

Trailer tale

http://www.aulro.com/afvb/attachment.php?attachmentid=60797&stc=1&d=1369140542

So I was last off the ferry, after having to reverse back along to deck so to get around the dingy.

Arrived at Bobs place at Alonnah with Tony arriving there as well just before me, lots of goodies hidden in the yard there and the 2A Land Rover that was looking for a new home.

Bob's goodies

http://www.aulro.com/afvb/attachment.php?attachmentid=60799&stc=1&d=1369140724

Looked at the 1/3rd scale field cannon that fires golf balls as projectiles driven by black powder.

Field Cannon

http://www.aulro.com/afvb/attachment.php?attachmentid=60802&stc=1&d=1369141167

After a careful extraction the 2A is now behind 'Fred' and ready for home.

Loaded at Alonnah

http://www.aulro.com/afvb/attachment.php?attachmentid=60803&stc=1&d=1369141283

Thanks for looking, catch you all tomorrow.

[123rover50]

I like the cannon. I turned up a barrel about the same size for one a mate and I built a few years ago.
Lots of fun but powder is getting a bit dear unless you can get cracker powder from a fireworks bloke.:(

[wrinklearthur]

Speedo died on 'Fred' coming home from Bruny. Didn't have time today to look for the trouble, as finding a position in the collection yard for 'Rusty Bob' was the first to do on the prioritised list today.

I will be looking at the transducer on the tailshaft first, but if that is good then will need to look for dry joints in the circuit board at the back of the speedo.
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[wrinklearthur]

'Fred' is still getting his nose rubbed. Still not halfway yet.
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[sheerluck]

Still going with the manual labour version Arthur? :D

[wrinklearthur]

Still going with the manual labour version Arthur? :D

I don't know why? The Daughters little dog keep coming up to me and looking at me and it doesn't know why either.

I work away humming the tune to "Around and round the Mulberry bush".

Exercise and meditation, Wrinklearthur style.
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[sheerluck]

........Exercise and meditation, Wrinklearthur style.
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So long as it is contributing feathers and not removing them Arthur, keep going. The satisfaction of a job well done lives on long after the arm and shoulder aches have gone!

[wrinklearthur]

So long as it is contributing feathers and not removing them Arthur, keep going. The satisfaction of a job well done lives on long after the arm and shoulder aches have gone!

The addition of another feather is a bit of a step, but I do think today I may be back to an eight.

I will take you to the point of, a job well done, on the rubbing back of the paint. Am I, doing this right, or am I digging a hole to China ? :confused:

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[sheerluck]

I'm in no way an expert, but I'm sure that you already know that 75% of a good paint job is in the preparation. Get that wrong and you will regret it every time you look at something as prominent as a bonnet. Taking it back to primer all over will ensure that it is flat, and that significant defects have been removed. The human eye is a marvellous thing, and can detect a flaw easily.

I remember back when I worked for a company who were a supplier of bumpers and other external plastic parts to a number of car manufacturers, our paint quality inspectors could call out a defect in a 10 second glance at a 170cm bumper.

[wrinklearthur]

Drove 'Fred' with the box trailer attached up to Beaconsfield, to pickup some furniture.
Hmmm! the steering didn't feel right as I went to take off, the fluid was down in the power steering reservoir, so I topped it up and there was a few spots of oil over the back of 'Fred' after we returned home. The steering box and link arm look dry, --- joy's of owning a seventeen year old Disco.

The good points and bad points, the speedo is still needing some more investigation as it stopped then ran again without any more problems for the rest of the trip. Anyway, the speedo reading matched exactly the online trip calculator = 424 kilometres for trip.

I haven't filled up again yet but the fuel gauge shows that between one third and almost a half of the tank has been used, about 30 to 40 litres.
I'm quite keen to fill up at the bowser to get an accurate reading.

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[wrinklearthur]

Hmmm! the steering didn't feel right as I went to take off, the fluid was down in the power steering reservoir, so I topped it up and there was a few spots of oil over the back of 'Fred' after we returned home. The steering box and link arm look dry, --- joy's of owning a seventeen year old Disco.

'Fred' is out of action until I can get into town and get a O-ring for the outlet adaptor on the power steering pump.
This O-ring is a thin section ( about 1.25 mm x 17 mm approximately ) and I don't have that size in my O-ring box.
There is a seal and gasket kit available from the USA to refurbish the whole pump, but 'Fred' only needs that one O-ring.

To get at the underneath of the pump I removed the aircleaner box and used a mechanics mirror and a strong torch to have a good look, found the spot where the leak was coming from and then pulled a old pump out of the spares bin to see what was involved in fixing the leak.

As the leaking adaptor holds parts to the pressure relief valve in place, they would have slipped out onto the ground if I just unscrewed it without holding the inside bits back, as it was pointing down.
So, just as well I did look at the spare pump first.

Tomorrow I will get the vernier calipers out and get a more accurate measurement, then see if I can get that size posted out, it will save a trip into town by doing that way instead.

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[Judo]

At the risk of jinx'ing myself here, I feel like you're having some bad luck with Fred. My Disco had some issues upon purchase (lack of maintenance I think), which took me 12 months to iron out, but since then I've had pretty smooth sailing. I do very little now and it just always goes. Hopefully you'll hit some smooth sailing soon! :)

[wrinklearthur]

'Fred' is out of action until I can get into town and get a O-ring for the outlet adaptor on the power steering pump.
This O-ring is a thin section ( about 1.25 mm x 17 mm approximately ) and I don't have that size in my O-ring box.

I have been using the power of the internet and found this one of three sites, a really useful reference for the selection of O-rings.

http://www.transeals.com.au/catalogues/files/Transeals_O-Ring_Handbook.pdf

It looks like that the O-ring required to seal the power steering pump adapter, is a "017" .
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[wrinklearthur]

Came home with three O-rings for 'Fred' today, the size I now know is a 016, not 017.

It fits nicely and I will be installing the power steering pump back in tomorrow.
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[sheerluck]

Have you finished the sanding yet Arthur?

[wrinklearthur]

Have you finished the sanding yet Arthur?

Two sides and a good potion of the front of the bonnet done and just under half of the centre .

picture removed
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[sheerluck]

Two sides and a good potion of the front of the bonnet done and just under half of the centre .

Picture of the good looking fella himself removed from here, no matter how much he protests it wasn't him.
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That picture could be misconstrued Arthur!

Are you spraying it yourself?

[wrinklearthur]

That picture could be misconstrued Arthur!
Are you spraying it yourself?

That's not me in the picture! :eek:

The paint will be applied by Graham of The tumbling tucker truck fame.

http://www.aulro.com/afvb/attachments/technical-chatter/47408d1338378864-what-did-you-do-your-landy-today-img_1455.jpghttp://www.aulro.com/afvb/attachment.php?attachmentid=61452&stc=1&d=1370521254

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[wrinklearthur]

Came home with three O-rings for 'Fred' today, the size I now know is a 016, not 017.
It fits nicely and I will be installing the power steering pump back in tomorrow.
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Fitted the O-ring ( a 016 size ) on the adapter and installed it back into the steering pump today, as yesterday the weather was :censored:.

The hose O-ring size is a 010, this is the one which is on the fitting of the hose that fit's into the end of that adaptor.

I didn't pull the pump off, but I did move the air cleaner and the alternator out of the way, made it a lot easier to work on.

Topped up the PS fluid with some Castrol transmission fluid 'M'.

And rubbed a bit more of the bonnet down.
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[sheerluck]

.......And rubbed a bit more of the bonnet down.
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If it makes you feel any better Arthur, I was having to do a bit of that on the lower tailgate of my D3 today.

Where the upper tailgate has been slammed to often, there's a bit of a divot in the aluminium. That was an entertaining couple of hours. :(

[wrinklearthur]

Washed 'Fred' and rubbed a little more of the bonnet down, It's good therapy for body and mind.
Looked under the bonnet as well, that was a waste of time as nothing was needed to be done, at least the power steering pump isn't leaking fluid anymore.

Washed underneath and then inspected for any problems caused by a rock last weekend, everything looked fine, no dents and not one oil leak ( don't tell anyone that some Land Rovers do retain their fluids sometimes ).
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[libertyts]

Washed 'Fred' and rubbed a little more of the bonnet down, It's good therapy for body and mind.
Looked under the bonnet as well, that was a waste of time as nothing was needed to be done, at least the power steering pump isn't leaking fluid anymore.

Washed underneath and then inspected for any problems caused by a rock last weekend, everything looked fine, no dents and not one oil leak ( don't tell anyone that some Land Rovers do retain their fluids sometimes ).
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Well, the other explanation is you have just plain run out! :p

Chris

[wrinklearthur]

That's been done before today, dump all the diff and gearbox oils prior to going in for a rego check. :p
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[gazby]

Arthur, I like the way you think, I have used that same trick.
I've had lots of "Pommy" machines over the past 48 years, and usually the only time they stop leaking oil is if there is none left in the Sump/diffs/gearbox etc. But ahhhhhh...............they got so much character, ya gotta love 'em.

[wrinklearthur]

Drove 'Fred' down town yesterday and came back missing a tooth.

Had two others fixed and ground into place so they can bite better.

:D

'Fred' as always ---- sometimes ---- almost all the time ----- ran reliably .
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[Judo]

As long as those teeth aren't made from rubber, all is good. :p

[wrinklearthur]

As long as those teeth aren't made from rubber, all is good. :p

I was in the Dentist chair when the tooth went missing. :(

[wrinklearthur]

There is a trip organised by Me for the Land rovers Owners Club of Tasmania for this Sunday coming, it is a visit to the Pinnacle of Mount Dromedary and is open to visitors who are slightly disabled and unable to bushwalk any distance.

My good lady and myself took 'Fred' for a recce today to see what is involved in getting the group to a point about 100 metres below the summit. After poking about on various side tracks we arrived at the desired location, then getting out to check about and stretch our legs.

we didn't try to climb as time was getting on and the sun was about to set, so we decided to head for home and turned the key on 'Fred'. It didn't happen! :confused: 'Fred''s starter motor didn't make the slightest sound. :(

Turned the headlights on to see if it was a recurrence of the battery and alternator not getting on together or was it a crook current part?
The headlights stayed bright while I tried the key so that told me the problem was most likely between the starter solenoid and the key switch, but what and SWMBO was laying the law down, " get this thing going - your got to be joking " and other words to that effect.

I could hear the fuel cutout solenoid on the injector pump working so thought if I could bump start it 'Fred' should run. Lucky me, I had brought along a handful of recovery gear which included a old one ton ratchet hand winch and a length of tie down chain. The gradient wasn't too bad and I soon had 'Fred' in a position to run start him. A burst of black smoke issued from the exhaust and 'Fred' was ready for action.

We heading for home down the track that took a couple of hours to get in on, wasting no time we were driving along in the dark and a hole in the road I couldn't avoid loomed out of the gloom, bang! We hit it rather solidly and straight away the RHS headlight went dark. But! that's not all, we didn't get steak knives, we got Hazard flashers. So I reasoned that I could still see and the engine was running I kept 'Fred' going, down the track to the bitumen road and back to our place, SWMBO was so pleased to be home.

Meanwhile the hazard flashers are still going brightly, so parked in the yard I shut 'Fred's' engine off and the hazard flashers were still working !!! What to do??? maybe should disconnect the battery I thought, but as one does something in the grey matter stirred. Could there be a fault in the inner workings of 'Fred', inside the 'immobilizer' ? I tried the starter and away 'Fred' went and the hazard flashers stopped. :o

After trying the starter a few more times without any problems, I got out to do something about the headlamp, ---- well :oops2: here was the headlight unclipped at the top and looking at the ground, a bit of a thump and all was fixed. :D

The question now is, do I leave well alone or do I pull 'Fred' apart looking for a fault that may not reoccur ?

.

[gazby]

Is "Fred" auto or manual trannny? If it's an auto could be the neutral/park switch is out of adjustment, if not it looks like you may have a fault in the immobiliser Arthur, you should be able to bypass that unnecessary bit of technology without too much trouble, fit a "hot wire" starter switch bypass device for such emergencies, just in case you are unable to repair the immobiliser.
This will avoid further possibility of coming under the wrath of "the good lady" on a future occasion and could maybe save your reputation along with that of the "venerable Fred"!
That's why I like my Disco "S", the only concession to electronics is the power windows and Central locking (when it all works!). Gaz :D

[wrinklearthur]

Is "Fred" auto or manual trannny? If it's an auto could be the neutral/park switch is out of adjustment, if not it looks like you may have a fault in the immobiliser Arthur, you should be able to bypass that unnecessary bit of technology without too much trouble, fit a "hot wire" starter switch bypass device for such emergencies, just in case you are unable to repair the immobiliser.
This will avoid further possibility of coming under the wrath of "the good lady" on a future occasion and could maybe save your reputation along with that of the "venerable Fred"!
That's why I like my Disco "S", the only concession to electronics is the power windows and Central locking (when it all works!). Gaz :D

Hi Gaz

'Fred' is a manual and hasn't put a foot wrong the whole time since that incident . I would say that you are right and the immobiliser has developed a dry solder joint, it's a bit of a pain to get out but I will be doing that soon.

Spent a bit of time on 'Fred' washing, polishing the pin strips out, then using a bit of tyre black around the tyres, trim and bumpers. It came up pretty nice except for the bonnet that I needed to finish rubbing down, the bonnet really did spoil the look of the car so I did a naughty, grabbed a spray tin of hammertone blue and gave the bonnet a quick coat. 'Fred' looks quite smart now.
https://fbcdn-sphotos-h-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xpf1/t1.0-9/10488139_1477424312496415_1598375852088324876_n.jp g
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