Hello Hubbsters,

We are travelling to Africa (East and South) for one year in a 1995, 300 TDI Defender. Expedition equipped (roof tent, long range tank, split charge) etc.

Can anyone offer a solid spares list for the trip? I have limited tech knowledge but have done a bush mechanics course. Any service intervals / maintenance schedules would also be appreciated. Any tips or advice would also be welcomed from experienced overlanders to us newbies!

Thanks,
JS

Hey guys,

I have exactly the same car to you... but 1996. Spent a long time in central and south america, and heading back in 6 months or so again for 2 years.

For the defender, get to know your lube points! Prevention is better than cure.

This includes
Gearbox, Transfer box, pivot hubs, UJs, Axles. Try and find a cheap and portable grease gun for your Union joints.

Dust and river crossing will destroy your Union joints (UJs) . I would take 4 union joints as spares (they are cheap and small). Try and get a good heavy duty brand and they will last a bit longer. Make sure they come with replacement cir clips. To fit you will need a decent pair of cir clip pliers and a G-Clamp and a hammer. A propshaft socket will speed things up for you also.

Other spares I would take.
2x Oil, 2xair 2xfuel filters. When you do your first change you will have a backup, then you have another 8-10,000 miles to find another. Takes some stress out. Remember to pack a filter removal tool

Waterpump. That squealing you probably get from the alternator belt... more than likely will result in your water pump bearing going, or it is the bearing thats squealing. Again a cheap part to carry

Wheel bearings x4. Do not buy low quality bearings (britpart).. they won't last. You will need a hub removal socket for this job, and plenty of grease

Serpentine belt x2 - Continental or bear mach do good kits

P-Gasket & Waterpump gasket for when you change the water pump

Has your cam belt been done recently? If not, take a cam belt kit including belt, gasket and tensioners

Spare wheel nuts - it will only take one enthusiastic bush mechanic mending a flat to destroy a couple (happened to us)

A LOT of electrical spade fuses, length of electrical wire and some additional switches.

Brake pads front & rear. Check the condition of your discs, may be worth replacing before you go.

Engine Core plugs - either check the condition of the ones in the engine now, or take a set if you think they are questionable (300 Tdi = 53mm)

Haynes Manuel or similar. For all of the errors in them, they are a good start to figuring a job out.



Also before you go, I would change all your bushes. A damaged bush is easy to fix, but when it wears away a joint then you get some problems.

Check the bleed nipples on your brake callipers. A lot of defenders have had enthusiastic wax-oiling so the bleed nipples become seized. Nothing will cripple you more than a broken nipple when you need to bleed your brakes

When you arrive pick up Oils, coolant, grease, brake fluid (Dot 4).

In your tool box

Spanners - Bi-Hex 6mm - 24mm
Socket set (bi- hex) 6mm - 24mm & big enough for wheel nuts 1/4 inch drive is best as it fits the oil points on the axles, gearboxs
Socket extenders
Propshaft socket
Wheel Hub socket
Circlip pliers
Monkey wrench
Voltmeter
Rubber mallet
Metal hammer
G-Clamp = 150mm
Breaker bar
Screwdriver set
Crimpers
T45 (i think - double check this) torque key for gearbox fill plug
Oil filter removal tool
A decent Jack (hi lifts can be unstable and I won't work underneath when its up on one. I use a 4 ton bottle jack also.

If you have space.. some 2 axle stands. We didnt have space tho. Made do with wood and briks along the way.


Biggest advice. If you feel something is going wrong... stop and sort it. The longer you leave it, the bigger the problem gets.


Things that have happened to us along the way..

Turbo seals broke resulting in a blown turbo. You can carry a turbo cartridge (the working bits) and its easy enough to swap should you have a problem, but a pricey bit to carry as a spare (175GBP)

Union Joints x2

In our old landy, we had to change the gearbox as I didnt sort a problem out when it was small. 2 weeks down and 1200USD!


Find all the Land Rover clubs along your route. (this sounds super geeky) BUT, I have nothing but great things to say for the Land Rover clubs we have come across. When we needed parts, they would pick us up in their landy and take us to the shop and even help us fit it afterwards. I dont know what the landy club scene is like in Africa, but it seems to be pretty similar globally. Facebook is the best place to engage with these folks.. Maybe put a message up giving your plans, and when approx you will be in the countries and people will start following you. I have made some great friends this way. And its a good way to meet the locals.


If you have any other questions give us a shout.

You can find us on
The Overlanders
www.facebook.com/theoverlanderspage

Safe Travels
Gwyn & Linzi

TX55 for the gearbox filler.

Pretty much as said above for the parts list.


Also, make sure the timing belt is in good condition... make sure the latest version of the kit is fitted (should be by now, on all 300's, but wouldn't hurt to check)

nah, shurly not!

top answer from The Overlanders and Cleland

I would say change your waterpump before you go, they are cheap but failure can be catastrophic! Also then you'll be sure it fits, then get a spare from the same company! I change mine routinely now after a couple of catastrophic failures.

Take a good bodging kit, radweld, blockweld, threaded rods etc etc

The very best manual you can get is landrovers own workshop manual. It's so comprehensive some chapters start 'lift and prop the bonnet'! Not the cheapest, but well worth the money. also, the landrover parts book is very useful as it has lots of exploded piccies to show you how to put that bit back together again you just took apart!! and of course, for ordering parts! Landrover also do a handy little book called 'working in the wild'

As above, change your bushes before you go, but don't be tempted to go polybush. When they fail they go suddenly and fall out, leaving nothing, whereas a rubber bush (preferably genuine) fails gradually so gives you some advanced warning. I would also be inclined to change your springs, but beware of cheap after market ones, they won't stay the distance.

replace the rear door seal and don't hang the spare wheel there, it's too heavy. All landy rear doors let in dust but hanging the spare wheel there makes it flex even more, letting in more dust. It can also cause the hinges to fail and the skin to start coming off. Don't be tempted to put the spare on the bonnet either. On the 300tdi there isn't enough clearance to the injectors so the wheel will bounce on them causing them to crack. that's why the military wolfs, although they have a spare wheel mount on the bonnet, carry their spare elsewhere, they found out the hard way!

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1990 Landcruiser H60. Full rebuild completed 2014

Thank you very much to TheOverlanders, Cleland and the others posters who replied. We very much appreciate the responses. It is a big help knowing advice is coming from a solid, tried and tested place. We will make a start on the advice and begin stock piling equipment in low cost approach but get quality gear. Thanks again and no doubt more questions will follow. Thanks again, JS.

Many thanks. printed for bed time reading.

Did anybody also mention a spare fuel lift pump?

I hink some of these posts are taking the P*$ , why carry dog food, you can just as easily carry tinned ham ? A washer bottle full of water isnt going to last you very long! Dust will get into practically every 4 wd , that I have come across , even to the point that gets into lights . The only way I solved it on my 110 was fitting a commercial vehicle aircon unit that filters the fresh air thru a donaldson aircleaner , this allows you to pressurise the interior of the vehicle . Landrover do an optional extra bug guard for the rad, that fits just behind the grill of the defender, they work very well. The earlier 110/90 doors and bonnets will carry a spare for 1000,s of miles without problems (even on very baddly corrugated roads), but I have seen later defenders having split problems . Good pre trip maintenance , and usage, so you get to know your vehicle is the biggest safety factor, particularly if the vehicle is a recent aquistion , as you will not know its maintenance regime, they can be extremely reliable , from my decades of experience with landrover products. HTSH

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Current : 2007 Mowag Bucher Duro 6x6 Motorhome , 2006 Sedici 4x4, 2007 Range Rover supercharged

no, not taking the piss, but thanks for the endorsement!
landrover rear doors are notorious for leaking dust, yes, all vehicles do to a greater or lesser degree, but landrovers are firmly in the greater camp. rear door flex, worstened by carrying a spare is one culprit. Also, it is well known and extensively documented that the rear door can't take the weight of a spare wheel for extended periods off road without breaking up. Positive pressure venitlation would be nice! that how UEV keep dust out of their off road caravans!


If you read the OP we are talking about 300tdis here (which I wouldn't class as an earlier 90/110 so I presume you don't) and as I stated, it is only 300tdi's, not earlier models, that you can't put the spare on the bonnet. The military ones are heavy duty, reinforced, specifically for carrying a spare, and they still cracked the injectors.

Thats my experience of decades of landrover products,, and why I don't have one anymore!

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1990 Landcruiser H60. Full rebuild completed 2014

Never

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Current : 2007 Mowag Bucher Duro 6x6 Motorhome , 2006 Sedici 4x4, 2007 Range Rover supercharged

So how did it go? What did you need/not need?

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1990 Landcruiser H60. Full rebuild completed 2014