http://www.britpart.com LANDROVERMONTHLY^125How to... Projects, repairs, modifi cations and advice guide
CONTENTS126 On-boardaircompressor
What’s the pr os and howto install one132 Secure yourDefender
A simple buteffective security device136 Tested: Pressurewashers
Eight cleanersto blast away grime138 Tested: Gadgetchargers
Eight po wer banks to juice your kit140 SeriesI rebuild
Panels arefi tted as ittakes shape146 A-Frameballjointswap
Why it ’s there and howto replace itMONTHLYTECHNICALBeattheDefenderthievesOWNING a good Defend-
er is not ju stabout the
fun of driving it and the
rewards of maintainin g
it. A signifi cant and on-
going part of ownership
can be simply trying to
hang on to it.
There are people around whoare un-
able to understand the concep t of having
a job and being part of society. They fi nd
it more wi thin their moral and ment al
capabilitiesto si mply steal stuff that oth-
ers have worked for, and Defenders, being
relative ly simple to break into, are high on
their list. Nor are these people ment ally
challenged by the comp lications of selling-
on a stolen Defender. Instead, they strip
it down andfl og the partsthrough the
usua l dodgy channels. Anyone can strip
a Defender (it’s putting it toge ther again
that demands brainwork) and it doesn’t
matter if a few partsare dama ged during
the strip down because they’re going to
be sold on to someone else anyway.
So for us gu ys, it’s not only a matter of
ensuri ng our Defenders are thief-proof, we
also ne ed to ex ercise a bit of discret ion
when buying used partsin order to avo id
getting done for handling stolen goods,
and to avo id buying sub-standard or dam-
aged partswhen the vendor, for obviousWORKSAFELY
•Wearthi ckprotective gloveswhenwork-
ingwithsharpedges,grinding,cuttingand
whenusingananglegrinder
•Holdtheanglegrinderwithtwohandsto
controltorquetwistandkick-back
•Weareyeprotectionwhengrinding,
cutting,wirebrushing,sanding,releasing
springsandclips, whenopeningfl uidlines
and work ing onoverheadparts
•Wearaparticlefi lterwhenremovingrust
and cleaningbrakeparts
•Wearsteeltoe-cappedworkshoesthatwill
protectagainst fallingobjectsandensure
bettergriponslipperyfl oors
•Whenwelding, wearspecialistwelding
protective gloves,clothingandmask.
Ensure appropriatefi re fi ghtingequipment
isavailableclo seby
•Neverworkonacooling system,nor
remove the fi ller cap,untiltheengineand
coolantarefullycooled;andthenalways
remove the fi ller capslowlyin caseof
residualpressureTECHNICAL
EDITOR
ED EVANSCONTACT: [email protected]reasons, will be suddenly untraceab le. If
we buy from these questionable sources,
we are simply encouraging more theft,
and thus higher insurance premiums.
I know of a Defender stolen by craning
it over a fe nce and onto a truck,another
was driven through a wall to ge t it away.
Any cla ssic Land Rover is bestparked
out of sight and locked in by gates,
folding steel posts or other vehicle s.
Visible securitycameras are a good
deterrent, too. Also, be alert for vehicle s
followin g you home to see where your
Land Rover lives.
In this month’s technical pages, Dave
Barker shows a simple device that he lps
prevent thieves getting into your Land
Rover, and this is another concern.
Many partsare removable wi thout
stealing the comp lete ve hicle. I’m
obviously not going to say which partsor
how in these pages, but any extra
securitythat prevents ingressvia the
doors and bonnet is wo rth fi tting.
We should also be vigilant, noting or
taking a dis creet photo of su spicio us
people or vehicles near a Land Rover,
especially if a car transporter or trailer
is involved or any dis mantling is taking
place. Never assume it’s justa break-
down call-out. Together, we can make
things difficult for these people.p138 Door security p140 Series I rebuild