--- Robert Palmer <rbpalmer_nrt@hotmail.com> wrote:
>
> How about for someone who's never gone further than
> rebuilding a carb and
> swapping around ancilliaries? I do have the workshop
> manual as well as the
> Haynes book.
Read the manual, Luke...do not fall prey to the Dark
Side....8*)
Seriously, if there is any vehicle in the world easier to
learn not-so-basic mechanics on than a Land-Rover I've yet
to run into it. It had been a LOT of years for me when I
yanked my first LR head and went into the engine, so I
wasn't all that far off where you are now.
You can do it. There are some basics to remember, though,
when opening an engine.
1. Cleanliness is paramount - making sure all the mating
surfaces where gaskets go are clean, and keep ing oil and
water apart and out of each others' passages and the like
is very important. Otherwise inoccuous things - like
coolant in bolt holes for the head - can ruin an engine.
Keep it clean, keep it dry, and keep it organized!
2. Organization is key. When taking out pushrods keep them
numbered as to which cylinder they came out of. Ditto
washers, bolts and hardware - ZIploc bags and an indelible
marker are invaluable for keeping the thermostat bolts
apart from the valve cover bolts apart from the...you get
the picture.
Masking tape with the aforementioned marker is a Godsend
for things like wires, hoses and the like - labeling the
end of the removed item with where it needs to go will save
you no end of time in the long run.
3. RTFM and follow it! They do things for a reason. WHen
you get your feet wetter then you can start to take
liberties with the procedures - but not now. There is one
among us here who is a pathologist - never had gone into a
transmission. He did a complete rebuild simply with good
tools, commonsense - and the manual.(Hi, Nate!)
4. Take your time and pay attention to the details. THis is
self-explanatory, but attention to detail is the key to
successful work. Do it right the first time and you won't
have to do it over - or replace ruined parts.
5. Use the right tool - if you don't buy it rent it. Using
the right tool can save you no end of time and sanity -
also save you from ruined parts. Torque specs are given for
a reason for things like head bolts - you don't want to
overtorque or undertorque those.
And above all relax - it ain't rocket science. Any truck
that can be maintained in a jungle clearing with a hammer
and a King Dick spanner is pretty forgiving.
aj"How many times have I given this bloody speech..."r
=====
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This archive was generated by hypermail 2b30 : Thu Apr 10 2003 - 17:50:42 EDT