Defender servicing - What should be done?

It's not very PC in this group to say so, but get a Haynes manual - it has all the info you require to do either of these services, neither of which contain anything complex.

Richard

Er, why not? Have I missed something ;-)

All the best, David.

The problem with Haynes manuals is that they vary; the older ones are generally good. The manuals for the Series Land Rovers are good enough for most things, but some sections are short on detail (the carburretor, for instance).

But, as Richard says, they are a good source for routine servicing.

The only caution is that they have always tended to assume a degree of general knowledge and skill. Not quite "tricks of the trade", but they won't tell you to put a drip tray under before you take an oil filter off. And it can be easy to over-tighten some things.

On or around Mon, 8 Dec 2003 09:17:28 +0000 (UTC), David Sillitoe enlightened us thusly:

HBoL is no thus-named for nothing.

having said that, I've got the Range Rover one and the Disco one, and yesy, for normal stuff they're fine.

what annoys me is the amount of "you can't do this bit, you're an ignorant pleb" which has gotten into 'em. The old haynes books used to give you the info on how to strip and rebuild the gearbox, for example, and rely on the

new ones tend to say stuff like "rebuilding the gearbox is difficult, so get the main dealer to do it". The old ones also used to give work-arounds for bits that needed special tools, and instructions on how to make yer own special tools, and so on.

now in some cases, these comments are valid - some things *are* difficult to do, and beyond the scope of the typical home mechanic etc., but in a lot of cases this isn't so. I successfully rebuilt the gearbox in the Ford into a usable condition using some bits from a different sierra box, and it'd have been a damn' sight easier if the book had included instructions for dismantling it, rather than just "yer can't do it".

Twas Mon, 08 Dec 2003 09:43:21 +0000 when Austin Shackles put finger to keyboard producing:

If I buy a workshop manual i want to have instructions for doing anything that can be done in a workshop. Or have haynes changed the name from 'workshop' manual to 'idiot with a hammer and a spanner on his drive' manual?

-- Regards. Mark.(AKA, Mr.Nice.) ___________________________________________________________ "To know the character of a man, give him anonymity" - Mr.Nice.

Sounds like it's a very similar situation to Haynes motorcycle manuals... bikes being my background.

Take it easy,

David.

Haynes manuals = The Haynes Book of Lies

OK, so which manual (for routine servicing and maintenance type stuff rather than engine rebuilds etc.) would you recommend? I just want to do the simple stuff ;-)

On or around Mon, 8 Dec 2003 13:31:09 +0000 (UTC), David Sillitoe enlightened us thusly:

The HBoL will be fine for that, as someone said.

Should be able to get it from Halfords, if not WH Smiths or somewhere like Waterstones. Alternatively the the magazines seem to have bookshops where these can be bought.