Category: repairs

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Prep, Plan, Re-organize Range Rover Classic, Floor Bed Repair (Post #674) 10/4/2024

This post and video are ALL OVER THE PLACE.

I got so distracted when I went out into the shop this weekend. My frustration with the disorganization finally got to me. I reorganized the workbench. I moved the screws and bolts. I re-ordered some shelves. Reorganized the yard tools. It was a busy weekend.

I also talk about a new project to built a jerry can holder for two jerry cans. I have most of a 4×8 sheet of 16gauge sheet just taking up room. I think I can make a template and cut out a jerry can holder from the sheet. This would accomplish two things:

  1. Take care of a need to store stuff on the Range Rover Classic when I’m out.
  2. Get most of the sheet steel cut down to a manageable size.

It’s a win win for me.

I also want to make something from the two ancient jerry cans I found in the old shed before I tore it down. They are pretty crusty inside so they are only going to be good for a project like one of these….

I actually want to make a storage for my recovery gear. So that will be awesome if I can make that be as cool as it sounds.

The Big White Bus showed me it still has an issue with either/and/or the battery and alternator. While running her to prevent the varnishing issues she just died. Turned out to be a dead battery. So either the alternator is not charging the battery, or the battery won’t hold a charge. I’m pretty sure its the first. I will be getting a new alternator via warranty. It will be my 7th replacement from NAPA. I think I’ll also look for a NEW alternator with a similar lifetime warranty.

That’s about it. Told ya this post was all over the place.

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https://youtu.be/JxiPtaaCecc
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Upper Tailgate Repair on a Range Rover Classic, Part 3 (Post #673) 9/29/2024

In this post I finish up the upper tailgate repair. I finished up all the rust removal and put the frame back on.

This went “good”, I guess. I broke one bolt on the passenger side latch mechanism. I didn’t finish the seal. There were two holes that the rivets would not work in. I tried to tap them for a 10/32 bolt. I need to but the bolts and see if my tapping worked.

I tested the latch but it didn’t work super great. So I have some more work to do to get that adjusted again. It was working perfectly before I took it apart. So it may need more adjusting.

I took a few minutes to investigate where my backup camera will need to be mounted. I’ll have to experiment more once the head unit is installed. I only get one shot at drilling and installing. I gotta make it count.

I didn’t get to finish the job this weekend. One, the tapped screws did not get bought. Two, we had torrential rains happen today. At one point the rain was falling at 2 inches an hour. It slowed down some and in the end we got 5 inches of rain in 6 hours. It’s still sprinkling. This will break the drought we were under.

Next week I’ll wrap up the tailgate probably off camera. Next project is the rear floor. I still haven’t sorted out how I’ll get the rust off. So that’s the research I need to do this week.

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Thanks for reading, and watching, and Happy Rovering.

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Upper Tailgate Repair on a Range Rover Classic, Part 1 (Post #671) 9/15/2024

Yeah, yeah, I know, “I thought you were working on the floor bed?!?”

I was, but I looked at the upper tailgate and I know it’s gonna be hard to believe, but I found RUST! Shocking! Anyway, I thought I’d investigate and my OCD took over and then I was halfway through with taking it apart.

So what’s wrong? The inner tube of the lower frame is rusting BADLY from the inside out. Lots of surface rust on the outside but also rust has eaten through the steel inside out.

Do I have any hope at all that I can save it? A little, at least I’m gonna slow it down. This is one of those parts on a Range Rover Classic that rusts. Check the message boards…everyone has rust on their tailgate.

IF you buy a new upper tailgate protect it from rust immediately, do not pass Go, do not collect $200. If you don’t you will lose it to rust.

So the plan now is to paint it, I already have two coats of primer on it. The second is a daffy plan to pour rust preventative paint down the tube. Yeah, you read that correctly. I found a place to buy steel tube brushes. Justman Brush Company. I ordered the minimum of 6 brushes.

I’m going to run the brush through the tube until it stops the rust bits stop coming out. I’ve already poured “kitty litter”, you know the stuff that you use to soak up oil spills, down it until I was sure it wasn’t doing anything.

Once that job is done, I’ll reassemble. I’ve already bought all stainless steel hardware. I’ll protect the threads with copper anti-seize. This will hopefully limit the corrosion on the hardware.

That’s about it. If the brushes arrive by next weekend I’ll be finishing the tailgate and reassembling. If no, I’ll be working on the floor again. I forgot to disconnect the battery last weekend so this weekend I was reminded I have a slow drain somewhere in the wiring OR the alternator diodes have failed again. I’ll test next week by just disconnecting the alternator.

Upper Tailgate Repair, Part Two

Upper Tailgate Repair, Part Three

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Thanks for reading and Happy Rovering.

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Draining the Fuel Tank on a Range Rover Classic (Post #668) 8/25/2024

In this video, I rid the Big Broken Bus, Mrs. Okierover’s new name for the Range Rover Classic, of the crappy fuel in the gas tank. It was not a terribly difficult job, but it was annoying due to the cheap Chinese pump I bought to do the job.

I tried initially to go through the fill tube. That didn’t produce any results worth mentioning. I then decided I could pull the damn fuel pump assembly AGAIN and that would provide the access I needed. It did.

I got nearly all the gas out. It was about 15 gallons. 15 gallons of bad fuel. I took that fuel and added it to the F-150s gas tank. The F-150 has a 30 gallon tank. So adding 12 gallons of questionable fuel to her probably won’t make any difference. I also treated it with Stabil. It won’t take long to burn it up. I go through 15 gallons a week getting to work.

I added 5 gallons of new fuel to the Range Rover and treated it with Sea Foam Fuel Treatment. The label and the interwebs say this will remove varnish. I’m skeptical. I read a bunch of sites and there were lots of proposed solutions. One even said if you use E85 fuel it would eventually break down the varnish. As a rule, I don’t use ethanol in the Range Rover. I know there are times when you must, but generally I avoid it. Ethanol also doesn’t hold up as well as 100% when stored, or so I am told.

The old girl loved the new gas and purred happily after all the bad gas was pulled through the gas lines. I’ll start her up every week and run her to temperature. Hopefully this will minimize the varnishing. Time will tell.

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Fuel Pump Failure: Part Duex (Post #667) 8/19/2024

Well here we go again. I decided this weekend I was going to get the Big White Bus started and move her out of the shoppe. I tried to get her started and nothing. I didn’t hear the fuel pump kick on. That’s…a bad sign.

So I asked my son to help me test. I had him turn the ignition on while I checked the voltage at the fuel pump. I had voltage.

That eliminated a LOT of testing of other components. I had a bad feeling the fuel pump was crapped out again. Turns out I was right. It was completely varnished.

What the hell right? I put 5 gallons of fresh gas in it back in December after I replaced the rubber filler hoses. I guess that wasn’t enough fresh gas. I called my friend JagGuy and asked some “chemistry” questions regarding gasoline.

Is it possible that the gas in the tank is so far gone that it varnishes? Its possible was his reply. We came to the same conclusion that all the gas needs to be removed and fresh gas added. We also talked about fuel stabilizer. I’ve never used fuel stabilizer. I guess I’m going to use it going forward.

Who knows how long the Big White Bus is going to be laid up until I can get her running regularly? Not me and I’m the project manager! So fuel stabilizer is going to be all the rage. And I’ll start running her on a regular basis.

What is odd are all these “This [insert vehicle type here] has been sitting in this field for 30 years!!! Will it start?!?!” videos on Youtube. JagGuy surmised, probably accurately that most of the truly ancient stuff has mechanical fuel pumps. Throw in a fresh battery, hope the rats haven’t eaten the wires, and if they drain the tank and use fresh gas…maybe that’s how they get them started.

Otherwise I’m calling bullshit on all these videos. There’s no way 30 year old gas is any good. My gas is five years, old give or take a year, and it’s crap.

Now I’m going to be tasked with trying to drain the tank. And then what do I do with it. Do I dare trying to mix it with good gas and burning it in my cars? What do you think?

If you watch the video you’ll see a demonstration on how simple it is to fix the fuel pump.

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Thanks for reading and Happy Rovering.

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Footwell Repair Part 7: Floor Panel Repair, Final Assembly (Post #666) 8/12/2024

Post #666!!!! Not today Satan, I finally wrap this fender up. Maybe a proper Devil Dog would have made a more creative 666 post. You’ll just have to settle for one of my old tags.

Mrs. Okierover made me get a new tag…she’s religious that way.

Anyway, I got this beast reassembled. Mostly reassembled…okay I got the fender on and the wiring loom back in place. It’s significant okay!? Dang!

My grand son Grady came over (mostly because he was bored at home) to help. And help he did! A lot of what I filmed before he got there was lost. I truly hate this GoPro, if its not overheating halfway through a shot, it’s dropping files, or losing the sound track off a segment. Trash. I’ve read a bunch of complaints about this GoPro 11. Several telling everyone they’ve fixed a bunch of the overheating in the GoPro12!! Now it overheats 1/3 less! Nope. Not gonna fall for it. GoPro, if you want to redeem yourself you can send me a 12 for free and I’ll give it a review. You probably won’t like the review, but I’ll give one an honest one.

Back to the assembly, I got the wiring loom put back in place. It went surprisingly well. The fender went on pretty easy. I did make one mistake in the building of the side bulkhead. I should have made it longer. The result was I didn’t have one of the two fender mounting places. I also lost some hardware. So I went to the hardware store to get replacements. Met a fellow Marine building a Skoolie camper for his family to travel in. Sounded like a fun project.

When I got back and Grady and I had wrapped up the video I was finishing the assembly and guess what I found?? Yeah, the missing screws and bolts I stopped looking for 3 hours earlier. Isn’t that just typical.

On an annoying note… the damn Big Whit Bus wouldn’t start. So I get to deal with that issue again. YAY! /sarcasm font.

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Thanks for reading and Happy Rovering.

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