Back in Sheffield

Andy fitting free-wheeling hubs

Left Penarth last night and got as far as the motorway before the Landrover gave up the ghost. It looked like the same old problem with the fuel pump diaphragm.  Tom needed to be back in Sheffield for a first aid course, so he hitch-hiked. Andy and I returned to his parents to investigate the problem. We found the trapped fuel line, and by 22:50 were ready to leave. Arrived by in Sheffield at 3am to find my car had been broken into again. At least my trick of bolting the stereo to the dashboard had prevented it getting nicked. 

Andy, Tom and Rob ready to leave Penarth

At least we have a bit more confidence in the Landrover now, fuel lines aside. We have new cross-ply tyres, free-wheeling hubs at the front, hot and cold running water. The hot water tank is heated with a heat exchanger plumbing into the engine cooling system. The Landrover (Series IIA) has extra in-out ports on the engine casing for extra cab heating and we have used that. We have lagged a beer barrel as a hot water tank and just used a coil of copper pipe as a heat exchanger. This is similar to the system we fitted for the 1989 trip, but we have gone for a bigger tank with a better lid. There is loads of free heating from the engine, so we think we can go for the largest tank we can. In 1989 we had problems with leakages, so this time we have made sure we can properly secure the lid.

Tom, ready to hitch back to Sheffield, plumbing for the hotwater tank visible below the passenger door