Hi Folks, I just bought this Series 3 1985 and I am trying to do basic maintenance. The water pump is leaking so I am going to replace this and the thermostat. Next I am filling oil in the gearbox because it makes noise in the 5th gear.
Can someone help me understand what the orange cap before the cooler is for? Also, what can I do to the brakes so it actually stops when I need it to?
I love the land rover series 3 and defender's immortal design but they aren't bulletproof, so I'm thinking of swapping in a 3L hilux engine. I need your help because ive never done anything like this before + im running on a VERY tight budget. My question is, should i keep the original gearbox for less modificatios ? And do i need to modify besides the engine mounts if im keeping the landy gearbox (if you say it's reliable).
Note: this is going to be a daily + overlander.
I need the easiest reliable engine swap idea.
Please help.
Re-uploading the ’67 SA2 with a few extra photos.
This is my first diesel, and possibly one of my favourite Land Rovers I’ve owned. “Fast” was clearly never part of the design brief — overtaking requires prayer, commitment, and sometimes a downhill. But the torque on these little diesels is ridiculously good fun.
And that idle… honestly sounds like agricultural machinery achieving inner peace. It belongs in the Smithsonian.
Also the only Series I’ve ever managed to keep clean, because it was completely refurbished and I was emotionally afraid of scratching it.
No engine. No papers.
Oh well we'll learn.
Brand new to land rovers, bought a 80 series 3 with the 4cyl diesel as a project, cranks good but no start, kicks a little with starting fluid but seems like no fuel is getting to the injection pump, any ideas? Thx for the help
At the foot of the dune was a sneaky little bump before the climb. With a mighty 2.25l petrol under the bonnet — producing somewhere between “enthusiastic lawnmower” and “angry sewing machine” levels of power — a flat-foot run-up was required. This is a Series 3, not an FJ Cruiser or a Raptor with launch control and emotional support electronics.
As the S3 hit the bump, it politely exited its own tracks, climbed the shoulder of the dune like it had other plans for the afternoon, and gracefully rolled onto its side.
A little fuel spilled. Pride took a mild knock. Otherwise, surprisingly little damage.
We flipped it back onto its wheels, checked if everyone was alive, and carried on like this was all part of the recovery procedure.
Great success (Borat voice)
The serial number of the chasis is painted and is hard to read the
I need to change the clutch kit, is the same for the series 3? Santana? Or I need for the 2a ?
Thanks for the help!
I need some help from you experts. I saw this car locally but can't figure out exactly what I'm looking at. The front grille and fenders make me think it's parts of both a late series 2 and also maybe a series 3? I talked to the owner, apparently he got it from someone else who had the rovah farm in Maine overhaul it. Also I'm not sure what the quality is here. I've got a 96' 110 I love, and I'm looking to possibly make an offer on this, but I'm not sure what Frankenstein I'm looking at 😂
I just ran a compression test across the four cylinders on a 1971 Series IIa 2.25 petrol with an 8:1 head. Results: ranging between 100 - 105 psi, negligible change when I added a little oil. My sense: at a minimum I have a very tired cylinder head, and likely a tired engine period. Anyone here with experience rebuilding these? It seems like a VERY simple engine to rebuild, is there something unusual I need to think about?
'62 SA2 88' P & '72 S3 88' P surviving a week up the coast.
I have a question for those of you that use grease in your Rovers swivel balls. How do you know when you should add more grease?
I use a hybrid in mine ('63 SIIa 88 SW), corn head grease. Here's some general info about it from the net.
"Corn head grease is a specialized, NLGI #0 semi-fluid, lithium or polyurea-based lubricant designed for agricultural corn head row-unit gear cases. It flows like thick oil when in use, preventing cavitation, but stays in place with leaky seals, making it an excellent solution for older equipment and high-moisture conditions."
Here's a great video on it:
https://youtu.be/7zNhli-J0Gk?si=aGZkIorSltGEnDo3
I've had no sign of leakage in almost 10 years, but I'm now wondering if I need to add any to it.
Anyone who has ever repaired something on a Land Rover, can now write a guide on the repair or fix. Almost like a workshop manual entry, but done by the community, for the community. As repair knowledge evolves — new parts, superseded numbers, better methods — the protocol updates. Contributors propose changes. The community reviews them. The best answer wins. We all win.
My 72 has the “heavy duty” wheels. I need to find the nut size so I can confirm the 120 lb torque prior to a long trip in a few weeks. Need to redo the witness marks because the shop who worked on the hub did not redo them.
A while back. Flat foot up a dune, the S3 stepped out of the track, and climbed the shoulder. Nothing but some petrol got spilled. Who ever now owns "Spies" , you have an absolute weapon of a 88".
While the family camping across the bay is having egg and bacon rolls, you sit with a broken starter, broken roof rack and a broken hub on your lap for breakfast. Broke plenty on this trip, but made it home regardless.