General Reference Sources
General Overview:
This page contains links to some good sources of general reference data for those who wish to learn little more about, or work on, their own Land Rovers.
AllData Technical Service and Safety Bullitins
Start by selecting your model year, then the make and model on subsequent pages. It's a good idea to review this list if you're going to a mechanic for a problem. If something's wrong, be sure any related TSBs are cleared up at the same time. Or, for some real clout, bring the list along and ask them to explain to you which ones might need to be addressed!
http://www.mansfield-motors.com/techinfo/recall.htm#defender
List of Defender recalls, maintained by a UK site, so may be different from NAS TSBs above........
CarFax.com
At this site you can type in the VIN number of a car and see if has had a lemon recall, odometer roll-back, salvaged title, etc. The quick lemon check is free, but a full report is like $15, or you can subscribe to make unlimited enquiries for around $25. Great service when you're considering investing the kind of $ that late model Land Rovers are commanding these days.
Engineering Zone Reference Tables
The direct link is to torque values by bolt size. Even the Land Rover Worksop Manuals aren't overly complete with regard to specifying bolt torques. This site gives recommended torques for any size bolt under a variety of material and joint-type conditions. The site also contains other helpful tables like tap drill sizes and sheet metal and wire guages.
Maryland Metric
A source of many tools, fasteners, and fittings. Of particular use on this site are the many excellent reference tables for thread forms and tap drill sizes, including SAE, Metric, and British thread forms for bolts and pipe fittings. Of particular interest are these two tables:
- Thread Identification Charts
- Thread Data Charts
Metric Conversion Tables
Pretty self explanatory...... :^)
Kelly Blue Book of Automotive Values
Of course, nobody would ever sell their Defender 90 (if you believe that, check out:The Land Rover Exchange). But, if you're looking to buy one, Kelly Blue Book is a good start for what you should be prepared to pay. Asking (and selling) prices vary widely with geographic area, though, so KBB will only be a rough guide.
How Things Work
This site is full of general descriptions of all kinds of things from diesel engines, to jet engines, to web servers. When you're wondering "How it Works" try and find it here..... They also have some descriptions of general concepts like horsepower and torque.