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Basic Maintenance Hints for a Series Land Rover

Maintenance often requires the complete or partial removal of parts. Always clean components whilst on the vehicle initially and then final careful cleaning on the bench before work on the part begins. Dirt causes serious wear and causes seals to leak. DON'T regard this as a cosmetic jesture that can be skimped. It is equally important to have a clean working area to prevent dirt entering the parts you have exposed.

Stubborn nuts and bolts are best soaked with WD40 or similar prior to attempting to remove them. An impact driver is often useful in breaking the resistance of a nut. Carefull appication of heat to the nut may work but sometimes it is easier and quicker to cut it off or split it off.
If dismantling a large component don't rely on memory for reassembly. Lay parts out in the order of assembly, make sketches, mark items in contact and label disconnected wires. When dismantling always be observent towards rusted marks that may indicate failed lubrication; bright areas may indicate heavy contact where there should not be any - maybe something is bent or ceased.

In determining the amount of free play present, a set of feeler gauges is important but where the movement is larger then a set of fine drill bits of known diameter can often be used as a guide.

Uncertainty as to which thread is on a bolt that needs replacing is quite common. This is where a set of thread gauges is useful.

If you've worked on the brake hydraulics then don't assume that if the brakes work OK when the vehicle is tested that all is well. Check again after a few miles for leaks as an unnoticed leak can cause complete brake failure.

Don't try tuning the engine until the coolant temperature is at the normal operating figure. Similarly don't expect to tune the engine accurately if the engine has been re-bored and had a complete overhaul. It will need tuning again after some wear has loosened the moving parts
As a general rule, when investigation the cause of a problem only make one ajustment at a time else you won't discover the true cause easily. It's a sad fact that when something goes wrong it tends to knock something else out of sync also. So suprisingly often a problem then actually has two causes and you need to find both. This is often the case with electrical faults.