Land Rover Tool kit?

[McQ01]

Ok, forgive me if this has been asked already-

What tools are NEED, Want and, its kinda cool??

Is there really a difference in american n british?
Would a metric set n standard set get everything done?
Thanks,
McQ

[badvibes]

I'd put this under needed.....

What tools are NEED, Want and, its kinda cool?

Do you run a points set distributor? Then a small feeler gauge and a screwdriver for setting your points. I've been told a matchbook cover will suffice but I haven't tried it myself.

Jeff

Oh an under-hood welder would be cool.

[stomper]

Lubricants!

Lots of EP90, and motor oil!

Use the search tool, this was just recently discussed, and some good suggestions were made. The one I think in the most relavant, is to carry out all your repairs with your on board tool box. if you are missing a tool to carry out the job at hand, get it out of your master toolbox, and add it to your on board toolbox for next time.

[scott]

tow bar and cell phone

[LaneRover]

a matchbook cover does work for setting the points - have done it many times.

[Andrew IIA]

Ok, forgive me if this has been asked already-

What tools are NEED, Want and, its kinda cool??

Is there really a difference in american n british?
Would a metric set n standard set get everything done?
Thanks,
McQ

I know I've said it before but...... Don't leave home in the Series without your AAA Card (gold membership preferred) and a least one roll of paper towels

[TeriAnn]

What tools are NEED, Want and, its kinda cool??

After wading through a bunch of silly answers, I have a question, Are you referring to which tools to take along on a trip or is this a new to you truck and you are wondering which tools you need to own to maintain the beastie?

Also what year & model is it and was it built for the North American Market or for a different market (makes a difference as to what parts were used).

I'm no expert in fixing sizes but near as I can tell the primary differences between BSF (British Standard Fine) and SAE fine threads is thread pitch. You really don't want to mix the fixings but both can use the same tools. Neither American nor Metric wrenches quite fit Whitworth fixings but a lot of people think it is close enough and rely upon the fixings being hardened to come apart & go back on without rounding.

What tools you will need depends upon what work you do yourself vs what gets farmed out and what you have on your individual truck. Which is why I thought it would be a good idea to ask.

In general Rover axle assemblies, gearbox and transfercase uses whitworth unless you have a Salisbury. Salisbury axle assemblies were introduced with the SIII 109 and were all Metric from day one. I think the Solex carb is whitworth but it has been a few decades since I've put wrench to one.

The rest of the truck is pretty much BSF with means your US wrenches will fit. When North Americans rebuild trucks we will often replace old grungy bolts & nuts with new ones purchased locally, so you will see a lot of 7/16ths SAE fine bolts throughout North American trucks.

To complicate things, Land Rover converted Series production to metric around Summer of 1981 and had been slipping in some metric parts into SIII production before then. What this means is that replacement parts you buy for your truck are metric.

Confused yet? Me too.

Personally I have a full set of inch compatible tools, the two most common whitworth size wrenches and a 10mm through 14mm wrenches for those odd ball newer assemblies.

If your question is what to take along instead of what to own I'm afraid that you have opened yourself up to a slew of silly answers from a lot of people who think a towing card and a cell phone is the solution to everything. These folks likely don't know that most tow trucks don't go off road or that there are a lot of rural areas that don't get cell phone reception. Their solutions are fine if your Land Rover doesn't go off road or deep into the back country.

If you travel off road much tools come in handy on occasion. How often depends upon your trucks state of maintenance, where and HOW you drive.

[stomper]

very good points Terri Ann. This is why my comment above of using the on board tool set for all repairs is important, but could be lacking if it is the maiden voyage. I've seen tool rolls that are very simple, and VERY complex. it all depends on how much you are looking to repair on your own in the bush, or if you plan on having a shop perform the work.

That being said, I would never leave home without:
a full set of SAE and metric wrenches
two screwdrivers each of both flat head and phillips
an adjustable wrench
a set of feeler guages
a wire stripper/crimping tool
an assortment of wire connectors
a roll of electrical tape
wire ties
needle nose pliers
a full set of 3/8 inch sockets, metric and SAE
rachet, extensions etc for said sockets
a 4-5 foot length of electrical wire
one quart each of motor oil and EP90

Multi meters, vacuum guages, spare axles, extra points, etc are all important, but again, this is about tools, not spares, and you have to be comfortable using what you choose to bring. If you can't use a multimeter, it is useless on the trail!

[amcordo]

I know I've said it before but...... Don't leave home in the Series without your AAA Card (gold membership preferred) and a least one roll of paper towels

I don't think this suggestion was "silly" at all. Seriously. Get a AAA, CAA, or some other contract towing service. Mine hasn't broken down yet on a highway 100 miles from home. But it will. And I'll be prepared to get it home where I can work on it at my own leisure.

[bmohan55]

My list is similar to the above. Also a fan belt, fuel filter and extra line w/hose clamps For fluids I also carry jug of pre-mixed antifreeze, brake fluid and a gallon of water to pour over the carb for vapor-lock. A magnet is VERY helpful when you drop that nut somewhere under the truck in a field.

[Terrys]

Given that many of the problems you'll encounter will be electrical, carry a 10' piece of 12 ga. wire with alligator clips on both ends. Lost key, broken ign switch, harness fault? Connect one to the + battery terminal, and the other end to the hot side of the coil. Headlight switch crap out? One clip to battery, other to headlights at junction, UW or UR (blue/white or blue/red) If it's a 2A or older, to the center terminal of your floor mounted dip switch, then you have both High & Low beams. Get to know your schematic.

[McQ01]

Thanks everyone...even the silly answers are great
I have:
Full set, SAE wrenches
SAE and Metric 3/8" drive sockets
screwdrivers
strap wrench
prybars
wire cutters/strippers, wire, fittings,tape, test light
2quarts gear oil,
5 quarts motor oil
5 gal water
1 gal antifreeze

I think i'll add
whitworth wrenches
whitworth sockets
Trunk Monkey.

[Andrew IIA]

Silly answers my aS$ !
Skip the AAA card if you want, but the Paper Towels are the single best thing you can have (aside from a cell phone and a nearby cell).
Uses:
Blow your nose paper
Clean the outside of the windscreen
Napkins
Lumbar support roll
Clean the inside of the windscreen
Coffee Filters
Use Roll as pillow for nap
Clean the dip sick (and other oily stuff)
Potty Paper
Use Roll as pillow while waiting for help/parts/rescue
Pretend telescope
Wipe the slimy film off an old Banjo steering wheel after a damp night
Flag of truce
Wipe away your tears as the tow truck pulls way........................
and so much more

[TeriAnn]

I don't think this suggestion was "silly" at all. Seriously. Get a AAA, CAA, or some other contract towing service. Mine hasn't broken down yet on a highway 100 miles from home. But it will. And I'll be prepared to get it home where I can work on it at my own leisure.

Really good advice if both U bolts & bottom plate fall off 3/4 up a steep desert canyon near death valley, 40 or so miles from the nearest maintained road in an area with no cell service. Happened to me once. Thankfully I had more than a CAA card on me.

Or if you find yourself up in the white mountains with a spring leaf pack disassembling itself as you drive. Yeah, that too.

If you are a month into a couple month trip and your front axle snaps, do you go home or order in some parts & replace the axle so you can finish the trip (did that one in Moab).

A towing card is great to have when you are driving your car on the road and something breaks that stops the car. I guess. But in 32 years of driving my truck, I have always been able to fix whatever on the trail or keep her going enough for her to limp home under her own power. Sometimes it included stopping and levering a loose engine back into a place where the fan would not hit something. Sometimes it included stopping frequently for a couple hours to allow the engine to cool down then adding additional water to a system with a badly cracked cylinder head. Once it meant stopping 3 or 4 times a day to put a charger on the battery so there would be enough electricity to run the electric fuel pump. Often it included getting home with a prop shaft sitting in the back of the truck and once feathering the clutch when I only had fourth gear after breaking a lay shaft 500 miles or so from home. But we were always able to limp home. And many times I just fixed whatever went wrong and go on with my trip. And I am proud to be able to say that.

I guess the right thing to do depends a lot on where you drive and how tenacious you can be when things go snap. I often start my repair assessment by brewing and consuming a nice cuppa tea. It gives me an opportunity to access the situation and come up with a plan. I have a little sign in my truck that reads "While there is tea there is still hope"

[ignotus]

Validation

MQ01,

Very good thoughts by all I thought. As Stomper stated it depends on what you want to do yourself and where you are. Time is also a factor, got he wife and newborn in the rig, on a paved road, use the AAA card.

Then as Teriann describes you better be ready to fix something off road. Depending on time and what you bring a lot of things on a Rover can be fixed in a couple of hours with the aformentioned common hand tools.

Then there is the fun tools, high lift jack, winch, gloves, straps, good LED flashlight, off road lights, citizen band or ham radio(the off roaders cell phones), cooler full of beer.

gene