My Aluminum Friend

2010-02-14T21:22:00.000-08:00

Wow.. I haven't updated this blog in almost three years! In the meantime I've taken ownership of two more Land Rovers (and a new house). One is a 1968 Series IIA 88 Station Wagon, and the other is a 1960 Series II 109" Station Wagon. I will have to update things with photos of both trucks.

The 88 is an ongoing project rig, which is getting a sympathetic partial restoration. The goal is to end up with a very clean daily driver. It is really sound to begin with, which helps. It basically needs lots of cosmetic detail work and some minor metal work. Oh yeah, and a full hydraulic rebuild and new wiring. No problem!

The 109 Wagon has been fully restored. I have wanted one for many years, but I didn't want to restore it myself. I just wanted a turn-key truck I could enjoy. I bought it in Seattle last year after wating a long time for the right example to come along. It runs, drives and looks like brand-new.

In the meantime, my 109 pickup, which I've owned for almost 15 years, continues to be a workhorse earning its keep. Here are some recent photos of the pickup hauling gravel and lumber for a shed I'm building.

Installing a Molded Rubber Floor Mat

2007-05-01T15:00:00.000-07:00

Exmoor Trim in the UK manufactures a heavy duty half inch thick molded rubber floor mat for Series Land Rovers. It covers the floor, seatbox and the bellhousing surround on the firewall. Recently I bought the mat from British Pacific of Valencia, California. here's how I installed it.

I had to get this mat in quick, since I was due to go camping in just a few days. First task was pulling the seats, seat rails, and access panels. The seatbox section of the mat has no bolt holes in it and is designed to locate under the seat rails.

I got some measurements of the Overdrive lever location from the gearbox tunnel cover and marked the mat with pencil. I used a 2 inch hole saw to cut the hole. It's a little off- I forgot to account for the thickness of the mat- but that's okay because it ended up cutting down on lever vibration and the shifting now has a dampened feel.

Putting the return spring and knob back on the 4WD Lever required some cribbing against the linkage from underneath.

That way the lever was at its full height as I pushed the spring and knob back on.

I wore thick leather gloves to get the spring and knob located. It took many tries and my fingers were throbbing but the glove did the trick.

Next, I laid the seatbox mat in place and located the bolt holes one by one. I put the bolts in their holes, felt for their heads, then drilled through the mat. There is a better way to do this- by taking the seatbox out- but I was pressed for time.

Anyway, it worked out fine. On final assembly there were only two holes that were out of alignment, but I just re-drilled.

Here is the worst part of installing the mat over the seatbox: the clearances between the box and the gas tank are minimal. Too tight to drop a bolt through and get a nut on the end.

Where that was the case, I ended up installing some of the bolts upside down.

I used needlenose pliers to get some bolts in place.

Once I had all the bolt holes drilled, I began cutting the access panel holes out of the mat. Cuts were also made around the handbrake lever.

I used an X-Acto knife and number 11 blade to cut the mat. I drew the line in pencil using a straightedge, then scored it, then flexed the mat along thew score line and carefully cut it down. Kind of like doing surgery.

Once all the access panel cutouts were made I got the seat rails bolted in, along with my Tuffy Box (which by the way is a great comfort upgrade for Series rigs).

Here's the seat rails in place. Whenever I install new components, I decide whether I should use new fasteners. When I first rebuilt the truck I got a lot of genuine British fasteners from a source in Canada, but not a complete vehicle kit. For this project I got all new hardware to for the seat rails.

All in all, the mat went in without much trouble and it looks great.

In these shots you'll notice a Hardura covered horsehair pad on the gearbox tunnel, an old piece of trim I'd been using. Unfortunately due to the thickness of the new mat, it fouls the Transfer case lever, so out it came after this photo was taken.

All and all I'm pleased with this upgrade. It's cut down on road noise and rattles and I can hose out the floors. Best of all, no more curled up floor mats under my feet!

Mendo Recce 2007

2007-04-30T14:49:00.000-07:00

April 26, 2007: Turning 93,017 miles at over 70 MPH, heading for Northern California and the annual Mendo Recce weekend.

In 1994 a few Northern California Land Rover nuts took a reconnoitering trip to the Mendocino National Forest in preparation for a group trailing weekend. To keep everyone informed, Ben Smith created a list server and called it "Mendo Recce". Thirteen years later, the Mendo Recce list is still going strong, and so is the annual Mendo Weekend Rallye. What follows are some pics of the weekend. Some of the pictures are crap, because my camera is crap. Enjoy.

One approach to the National Forest takes you through an amazing hidden valley, past ranches and across cattle guards, then past a reservoir and finally to a number of trailheads.

Below: taking a quick break at a cross roads.

Above: Travis charges up the first trail in his '71 Series IIA. Travis was a little nervous about his rear parabolics, which are two-leafers, and got tippy last year. This year he ran a soft top and the truck didn't get tippy at all.

First mechanical glitch, four hundred yards in: Greg's 88 lost power on this steep hillclimb attempt. After three tries we decided to take another trail. The next morning we found goop in his fuel sediment bowl, which may have been sloshing back and clogging the line. It was cleaned out and the symptoms disappeared. (By the way, the lack of depth of field in this shot is misleading- Travis was safely back on a rise, out of danger in case Greg's truck had rolled back.)

Here I am crossing the North Fork of Cache Creek. The water was way down this year, so no wet floorboards.

Next three shots: Settling in at Cedar Camp.

In the past, Cedar Camp has been under lots of snow. In fact, in 2003 we made camp at dusk in a blizzard. This year the conditions were perfect.

That's Eric Wilcox's super clean 109 wagon with the rooftop tent.

The creek bisecting the campground was bone dry. No fun!

Teri Ann Wakeman showed up with her "Green Rover", maybe the most well-known series rig on the West Coast. Three door with Dormobile conversion by Teri Ann, Ford 302 EFI V8 and T-18 gearbox mated to a Rover transfer case (Timm Cooper conversion), Rocky Mountain front discs, and numerous expedition minded mods. You would never know it used to be a hack for smelly goats.

On Saturday we hit a trail above camp. It was pretty steep with some tight switchbacks and ruts. Here's my 109 at the first step on the run.

Here's Travis powering up the first section (next three pics).

No problem with those two leafers here.

The first run of the day was a short one, leading back to the main road up the mountain, where we stopped to enjoy the view.

A California King snake on the side of the road.

Here's Joe in his sharp 109 wagon crossing a log.

Joe got high-centered by the next log when it fouled his gearbox cross member.

The ground under the right side of the truck was much softer than the right and he dug in a little.

Travis pulled him over the log without any trouble.

Greg's 88 in the lead. He volunteered to soften things up for us since his Land Rover is a little rough. The next day it got a little rougher, but more about that later.

Once back in camp we worked on our merit badges. First, the campfire...

...then some banjo, courtesy of Linus...

...and then a little harmonica, thanks to Gran.

About Linus' 109: It is likely the only Park Ranger camper conversion in North America. There may have only been 15 of these campers ever built. As you can see, it has a vertical pop-top. Linus imported it from Blighty and has plans to correct the dreaded bulkhead rot common to home market Land Rovers.

Saturday night at Mendo is all about the potluck. I counted at least five varieties of sausage on the buffet table. Everyone traded trail stories and caught up with old friends, and the buffet was pretty much demolished by hungry, dusty campers.

...Then a few cigars and some single malt around the campfire, and it was off to bed.

Sunday morning saw everyone pulling up tent stakes and saying good-byes. A few of us had all day to get down the mountain so we had a quick driver's meeting and decided on the trails we'd take. Greg, Travis and I were joined by Greg's dad Ted in his '65 88 soft top, and by Paul in his Series III soft top.

Greg takes the steepest climb he'd made since the sediment bowl was cleaned. No trouble this time.

Ted and Greg scout ahead on a twisty sidehill climb. A few narrow spots between trees called for caution.

Second low, lumbering forward. My rebuilt gearbox and transfer case pulled flawlessly.

Ted's spartan 88 looking like a Land Rover should.

Paul's tough looking Series III underway. It is a civilian model but looks very military. Some mild body damage, olive green paint, a custom tire carrier, soft top- actually kind of menacing for a Land Rover. Paul drives it with gusto.

Another shot of Ted's 88.

It was about here that Greg stopped the group to tell us his gearbox cross member was coming off!

On inspection we found the non-factory welds had cracked. We lifted it with a bottle jack, strapped the gearbox around the frame rails, then strapped the cross member on both sides. Cletus engineering at its finest.

Paul takes the last section of canopied trail up to the saddle. The next section proved slower going when we encountered heavy manzanita growth and fallen timber. We figured this trail had not seen a full size vehicle in a good ten years.

My 109 takes a break while waiting for its turn up to the saddle.

Paul takes a bypass. By this time we were on the saddle and I was up front, but a huge fallen tree at a hairpin turn made it impossible to move ahead. The manzanita was so thick we had to climb over our rigs to scout the bypass.

Here's the last section. With frequent hazards and overgrowth, and Greg's cross member failure, It had taken several hours to go two miles or so. Good times.

At last, a clearing. Now we had to find the fire road down the mountain.

We soon realized we were not where we thought we were. In others words, lost.

Paul's GPS was down, and it took some time to interpret the map since the trail markers were spotty. After scouting a few routes we found the way down.

The view was great.

About two hours later, I stopped on a grade on Bartlett Springs Road to wait for stragglers. You can just see Paul kicking up the dust far down in the valley.

Almost fifteen miles later, we got a nice view of Clear Lake from the descent of Bartlett Springs Road.

Travis and me, dusty and tired but having a ball.

Back on pavement, motoring around Clear Lake. We gassed up, aired up, and said our good-byes. Travis and I drove into the night through Napa and Sonoma, then over the Golden Gate Bridge at 10:30 and finally pulled into Travis' driveway an hour later. I drove another 300 home miles the next day.

Turning 94,001 miles at 60 MPH, somewhere near home.

Another great trip in the best 4x4xfar.

Chores Are More Fun With a Land Rover

2007-04-07T11:48:00.000-07:00

My Land Rover is not pampered. I take care of it, but it is still a work truck. It hauls lumber, manure, trash, plants and sod, stone and brick, other peoples' Land Rover motors and gearboxes, surfboards and beach gear, and three to four times a year
it gets the privilege of hauling all my camping gear to the desert or the mountains.

Went over to our local masonry supply company the other day to get a load of flagstone. I am paving an area that needs weed control because I can't put down mulch or gravel. The surrounding trees shed, and the area needs frequent raking so I would just rake up the mulch and gravel all the time. Anyway, I got the first load of flagstone, only about 200 pounds. I'm paving the area a little at a time.

Here's the first batch laid in around my landscaping. So far, so good. Another 600 pounds ought to do it.

Photo Essay

2007-02-19T10:41:00.000-08:00

109 pickups are relatively uncommon compared to station wagons, and I have had a number of requests for photos of my Land Rover, for reference and such. Here you go.

Power Brake Upgrade for pre-1968 Series II and Early IIA Land Rovers

2007-01-02T20:41:00.001-08:00

This 1964 Land Rover 109 Regular came from the factory with single-circuit, non-power drum brakes. This system is notorious for retaining air, resulting in poor brake action. When these vehicles were new, the brakes worked fine. But over the years it seems people have assumed that the system never worked right. Not the whole truth, but in fact, it has some design flaws that make bleeding the system very difficult. I have spoken to longtime Land Rover mechanics who remember that even when new, the system was problematic for professionals to bleed. You will see why in a moment. The following details an upgrade to the later model power assisted brake system, which will solve all the problems inherent in the original setup.

To accomplish this conversion, you'll need new brake pipes, new clutch and brake master cylinders, a brake servo, a late Series IIA or Series III pedal and tower, new brake pedal return springs, and some vacuum fittings. I won't go into part numbers here, since various suppliers have their own part numbering systems. You can do some research and source all this stuff easily.

DISCLAIMER:This conversion requires a basic understanding of mechanical principles and some skill to perform properly. Your brakes are a vital safety system in your vehicle and you should not attempt the following operations without careful planning and postconversion testing. YOU are responsible for the safe operation of your Land Rover. If you have any doubts, go to a professional.

In the above shot you can see the angle of the bulkhead where the pedal boxes mount up. The compression barrel master cylinder in the single circuit system sits at the same angle, keeping air bubbles trapped in the rear of the bore. The output port is lower than the rear of the bore. The other problem is that the 109 has two wheel cylinders on each front wheel, but the bleed screw is at the bottom, so the top cylinder can trap air, too.

Here is the early style pedal box. You can see the compression barrel master cylinder mounted in the box.

The later pedal box eliminates the angle, keeping the master cylinder level. The later master also has a larger capacity bore and a fluid reservoir independent of the clutch master cylinder. It is a snap to bleed.

The rectangular hole in the bulkhead need to be enlarged for the new pedal box. The new box is longer and requires two retrun springs, so the hole must also be wider to keep the springs from fouling on the edge of the hole. I used a jigsaw to cut the hole.

The edges are not arrow straight, since I had no desire to pull the steering box, which makes for tight cutting quarters. Anyway, the hole was cut big enough to work and in the end you won't see the edges.

The bulkhead has a bracket for a stiffening rod, but this bracket is in the way of the new pedal box. It had to go. You also will need to trim the fender bolt bracket where it angles down on the inside of the bulkhead (the third bolt hole is deleted to clear the pedal box).

A three-inch grinding wheel did the job quick.

Here's the bracket removed. Into the trash bin it goes.

After filing sharp edges of the new cut, spraying a coat of cold galvanizing primer and a couple topcoats of Marine Blue, the pedal box assemblies were mounted up to the bulkhead. You can see how the master cylinder is level and the masters have independent fluid reservoirs. The old system relied on a single steel can reservoir that is prone to vibration, leaks, and peeling paint that will promote rust in the footwells. But note also that you will now need to cut an access panel in the top surface of your fender to check and fill your clutch master cylinder fluid reservoir. (I don't have a good pic of this right now- honestly, it's because I made the cut and then taped the cut out panel in place with aluminum tape due to time constraints. When I get a chance I'll install a piano hinge with a couple pop rivets.)

This is the original brass manifold junction on the front right frame rail. The later brake system used a five-way junction which is no longer available. That manifold was the key to making the brakes failsafe, since the rear and front circuits could be isolated to prevent fluid loss in the event of a brake pipe rupture. However, you can retain the original junction by running the front lines to the proper connection, the rear downpipe directly to the rear feeder line, and capping the remaining port with a spare brake light switch. No need to use the later brake light switch for the power brake system (mounted on the pedal box), since the original switch will still be functional.

The next task is to make a vacuum fitting for the brake servo. The new power assist brakes will take suction off the intake manifold and use it to decrease your effort when the brake pedal is applied. This shot shows the tapped hole for the vacuum fitting. This engine is not original to the truck, so if your truck doesn't have this later manifold you will need to tap a hole or find a later manifold. This is a 3/8 pipe thread tap.

Here's the double male fitting that goes into the manifold. I found this in the plumbing section of the hardware store.

You will also need a female sleeve to mate to the male fitting and a piece of copper pipe about 4 inches long. Bend the pipe at a 90 degree angle and put a double flare on the end so it seals to the fitting on the manifold. You can rent a flare tool at any auto parts store. (As an aside, double flares can take practice to form perfectly, but copper is a good metal to start with because it is so soft. Maybe get yourself some extra length in case you screw it up the first try).

Here's the double flare. Ready to go.

Once you are done fitting the brass and copper, just run some automotive fuel/vacuum line from the copper pipe to the barb on the booster. Make sure all your brake pipes are routed well and clamped to the bulkhead and frame at least every 18 inches. Vibration will otherwise cause stress cracks to form and you have a brake failure.

Finally, cut your fender top to accomodate the new brake booster and cylinder. I did some quick measurements, pencilled in the cut line, then hit it with a Sharpie marker and made the cut with a jigsaw. This cut is not perfectly matched to the later fender but it's close. Before you install the fender, bleed the system. I use a power bleeder which is just a pressurized bottle containing brake fluid that puts 15 psi into the system and all you need to do is open your bleed screws. Don't forget to back off the snail cams at all wheels for maximum flow, then adjust brakes per the factory manuals. The systems should bleed easily. With the engine off, your pedal will be firm when pushed. With the engine on, the booster will do its job and give an easier pedal push due to the vacuum assist.

This conversion is simple, requires only a few special tools, and will give your early 109 far better braking and most importantly, ease of service.