Have to say as you get older , is it worth the agro of DIY if you can find a good local garage setup . I have one and it’s just not worth the bother. For instance I’ve just had the rear discs changed, Pagid pads fitted and a bill for £142-60 inc VAT. It’s a no brainer as far as I am concerned.

Last edited by CED on 20th Nov 2021 10:24 pm. Edited 1 time in total

PRadd wrote:

A thin smear of copper grease on the threads will make the undertray bolts forever easy

CED wrote:

Have to say as you get older , is it worth the agro of DIY if you can find a good local garage setup

I would have, but the pipes had split hence no fluid at all, so I didn't want to burn the pump out driving the four miles to my usual garage - who couldn't take it for fourteen days anyhow. I've never had so much bother in my life - just back from A&E with metal splinters from grinding that got round my goggles. This bolt just will not shift - hammering, chiselling, prising, penetrating oil, nothing is working. That's three days now. I'm wary that if I take too much off I'll have nothing to work with at all.

Working on a Freeloader is never easy. Grown men would rather bite their own heads off.

Drill it then try easy outs

or drill and put a helicoil in.


I have a set of reverse drills somewhere, Supposed to be good for this kind of problem. Never had to use them.

CED wrote:

Have to say as you get older , is it worth the agro of DIY if you can find a good local garage setup . I have one and it’s just not worth the bother. For instance I’ve just had the rear discs changed, Pagid pads fitted and a bill for £142-60 inc VAT. It’s a no brainer as far as I am concerned.

Dare I also mention the pleasure and knowledge of a job done properly to be had from DIY. It can be a pain but perseverance furthers said the sage.

Very true. I do all of my own mechanic work but out of all my own classics, and the other family cars - Mondeo and Fiesta - the Freelander has caused the most grief. I still feel the pride of being told by a local Landrover specialist that the rumbling from the rear of our 2011 Freelander was the diff - in fact he told me he'd stake his career on it - then I determined by the noise that it was merely a rear bearing. One up for me and £1300 cheaper! I have rebuilt cars from a bare chassis on up but this vehicle is totally user-unfriendly. That bolt still has not shifted despite another three hours yesterday, cutting, hammering and DeBlock oil, nor has the end come out of that pipe despite the pushing, raising collars, pulling, twisting and swearing. The logical thing is to remove the entire long pipe, but it's also held on by a torx screw with half an inch free access at the front of the engine, and clipped to the rear of the engine by a bracket that can just about be felt let alone disengaged. I'm not going to risk breaking something else. Roll on Monday.

Have a look at this movie the chap has made a release tool out of a bottle top. Try that, the plastic ring needs to go all round and under the collar. Honestly it's so easy with the right tools

&ab_channel=LeeHayes

Love it - a brilliant hack - well done that man Jules

I Like Chips wrote:

Have a look at this movie the chap has made a release tool out of a bottle top. Try that, the plastic ring needs to go all round and under the collar. Honestly it's so easy with the right tools

&ab_channel=LeeHayes

Excellent!

[quote="I Like Chips"]Have a look at this movie the chap has made a release tool out of a bottle top. Try that, the plastic ring needs to go all round and under the collar. Honestly it's so easy with the right tools

I remove the black collar first? Don't want to to that then have someone ask: what on earth did you do that for???

No not at all, leave the collar in place it is part of upper pipe and you need it to connect the new WWP to.

Put the cut to size bottle top around and under the black collar and push up it up with the pliers. If you can pull on the lower pipe at the same time so much the better.

Got there in the end, another three hours today. I did cut the collar off, there was one on the new pipe. Vehicle now back on the road with a proper M8 bolt instead of the torx screw.
Thanks for not only your help but your understanding when I couldn't get the theory of how the pipe disconnected.

Glad you got there Tenacity pays off  2014 Freelander 2 TD4 Manual Dynamic
1956/7 88" Series One Land Rover
1956/7 88" Series One Land Rover - undergoing restoration