Maintenance

ihana.com - big trip - the landy - maintenance

Below is a table of 'extra' maintenance work done on the landy. Regular stuff includes the following:-

engine oil and filter, a good quality oil, suitable filters readily available from other models of cars 10000kms
replace diesel filter and clean out sedimenter 10000kms
grease propshafts, always after wet off roading and river crossings or every 3000kms
check gearbox, transfer box, swivels and axle oils 3000kms
balance wheels after punctures!

Fanbelt tightness, engine oil and water levels are checked daily and the underside is regularly looked at for signs of leaks and things coming loose. Stuff done as a result of fixing a broken part is listed here.

date what kms since last time where fixed notes
08/2003 welded up leaking fuel tank 142000 peru leaking a fair bit on the very last day of the trip
05/2003 replaced glow plugs 130000 peru cold starts were getting dodgy
05/2003 replaced steering universal joints 130000 peru bottom one very wobbly, steering feels good as new now. previous temp fix of wrapping with rubber worked well
05/2003 replaced front brake pads 40000 peru still had plenty of life on them but done anyway
05/2003 replaced rear brake shoes 40000 peru the time had come
05/2003 replace main gearbox oil 45000 bolivia a bit late but no worries
05/2003 replace one set rear hub seals 35000 bolivia rear shoes oily, replaced with half used old ones we kept
04/2003 engine valve clearances 18000 argentina routine stuff
02/2003 re-tightened rear hub 15000 argentina tightened up after a wobbly balancing
11/2002 engine valve clearances 9000 brazil needed doing after head rebuild in guyana
10/2002 regreased front hub 5000 brazil didn't do the lockwasher properly in guyana so eventually leaked grease onto the disk and caliper
09/2002 replaced rear brake shoes 3000 guyana hub inner seals had leaked and ruined them
09/2002 replaced front brake pads 12000 guyana wore very fast while in jungle mud
09/2002 replaced rear hub seals dunno guyana allowed oil to damage brake shoes
09/2002 replaced two wheel bearing sets dunno guyana bearing races not looking too perfect
09/2002 replaced headlight bulbs and fixed wiring 28000 guyana high power ones never worked properly
08/2002 clean out handbrake mechanism 50000 venezuela minged up off roading in Canaima, shoes worn out so still doesn't work
08/2002 replace rear brake shoes 50000 venezuela brakes work now
08/2002 replace main gearbox oil 20000 venezuela done a bit early as oil is well cheap
08/2002 changed transfer box oil again 3000 venezuela water in it during off roading in Canaima
07/2002 replace swivel oil 45000 venezuela did when removing the broken axle
07/2002 changed fan belt 40000 venezuela Just in time, had a big split in it
07/2002 changed front and rear diff oil 40000 venezuela Accidentally bought half 85W-140 and half 80W-90. Spilt most of the old oil on the ground too.
07/2002 replace brake master cylinder seals dunno venezuela brakes have got pretty spongey and bleeding them didn't help. New kit makes a difference. Should have had one in our spares inventory.
07/2002 panhard rod bushes dunno venezuela replaced to eliminate more clunking noises from underneath during axle articulation
07/2002 replace tyres 40000 venezuela Michelin XZLs lost all their grip and most of their tread. Replaced with massive BF Goodrich 285/75 mud terrains ready for the Amazon
07/2002 changed transfer box oil 40000 venezuela done while changing the seal
06/2002 check and top up batteries 40000 venezuela main battery ok, 2nd battery dry and dead - replaced
06/2002 engine valve clearances 24000 venezuela needed doing, started smoother afterwards
4/2002 replace steering damper dunno colombia stopped working in honduras. got a landy one in colombia
3/2002 apply loctite to rear radius arm mountings never panama stopped them vibrating loose on very rough roads and then rattling
2/2002 refill radiator with antifreeze 30000 costa rica once the leak was fixed needed to add antifreeze, cooling improved afterwards
2/2002 front brake pads 35000 costa rica done just in the nick of time, rears still ok
1/2002 replaced abysmal 45w front headlight bulbs with 90/100 watt types dunno honduras seriously screwed up the wiring, had to add a relay for dip and for main beam. one headlamp connector melted due to rubber seal not allowing cool air in, since removed
12/2001 change brake fluid dunno guatemala old fluid boiled in mexico, replaced with DOT4 type after unsuccessfully bleeding the brakes various times
12/2001 radius arm bushes dunno belize replaced due to lots of clunking noises from underneath during axle articulation.
12/2001 engine valve clearances 24000 belize needed doing, started smoother afterwards
12/2001 replace main gearbox oil 24000 belize not too many bits of metal in there

Thousands of kms of dirt tracks don't do any vehicle many favours. Other vehicles we encounter have broken shocks, shot bushes, broken springs, rattly steering, bald tyres after years of hard use. We've found that bolts come loose after long periods of vibration and chassis bushes, particularly, suffer. Fitting a new set of bushes before the trip would have been prudent. Loctiting the chassis bolts stops them coming loose and causing more rattles.