42110 - Land Rover Defender - MODs and Improvements

[Leewan]

I've recently built the pimped up version, but with a few changes. Using a 8T gear after the central diff makes all of the gears in the transmission spin really fast, and make the vehicle hard to push in 1st and reverse gears, because of the induced resistance. So I paired the central diff with a 16T gear instead (the change was made at step 24 of the rear block in the instructions), and geared up the engine with a 24T/8T pair (steps 3 and 4 of the DNR / Hi-Lo module).

[nerdsforprez]

On 1/8/2020 at 4:24 PM, Neil_Dalby said:

I've ordered a hybrid wheel option... tumbler rims and crawler crane tyres

Crawler crane tires?

[Neil_Dalby]

On 1/10/2020 at 3:19 AM, nerdsforprez said:

Crawler crane tires?

Yes and grey rims

[Pattspatt]

I’ve been kind of bothered by the stock crankshaft in the defender. 

There doesn’t seem to be much rhyme or reason to it - sometimes one piston is up, sometimes two. The pairs of pistons that exist don’t seem to have a pattern either. 

Compare to a common I-6 configuration: 

Always two pistons are up at a time, and each “piston pair” is separated by 120 degrees. 

But how to do this with our 90-degree axles?

The above crankshaft has a problem: the pistons will be stationary a quarter of the time (here’s a gif: https://m.imgur.com/FelGxtD)

 

So here’s my “cheat” solution. 

Now there are “piston pairs” throughout the entire rotation. However, the pistons pushed by the red pieces will pop up twice as often as they should. 

Still, I think it looks pretty good in motion! 
https://m.imgur.com/ArWlFJ0

 

Seems like the only way to get “perfect” I-6 movement would be 3D-printing a tri-axle, with a normal axle on the end to fit the gear. Until then, the cheat method is good enough for me. 

 

 

Edited January 23, 2020 by Pattspatt

[Vectormatic]

@Pattspatt Good work! Ive noticed the same problem with the V8 mini-engine in the corvette, and there the fix is absolutely trivial, as the 90 degree axles lend itself well to a proper crossplane V8 crank. It absolutely puzzles me that even when the parts allow for the proper configuration, lego will design a car with the wrong crank configuration (see also, 42037, and anything with a V8, a crossplane crank isnt doable there, but a proper flat plane would be)

Im trying to think of ways to do a proper 120 degree offset, but all those would need more then 1 stud width per axle, things like this part:https://www.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/catalogitem.page?P=4185  would allow for proper spacing, but would need more width

[Pattspatt]

Here’s an idea that’s not very elegant, but would allow the same cylinder width: 
 

If you stack the tri-axle connector (https://www.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/catalogitem.page?P=57585#T=C&C=86) onto the crankshaft in a neat row of six, and then add pairs of these (https://www.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/catalogitem.page?P=32013&name=Technic, Axle and Pin Connector Angled #T=C) 120 degrees out of phase, that’d work. You’d have to move the crankshaft down a stud, though (or you could move the piston assembly up).

[Vectormatic]

I thought about that connector, but not about extending it with the axle and pin, that would indeed give a proper 120 degree spacing, but the "pushes" would be relatively short relatively to the full revolution, making the behaviour even more camshaft like. You'd also need a lot more space in the "crank case"

 

Using this pieces:https://www.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/catalogitem.page?P=4273&idColor=9#T=C&C=9  combined with the half length tooth bushes would allow a 1 stud distance from the axle along with custom angles. I havent done the math to see if that allows for the proper 120 degree angles though, and i think the sharp edges of the connector wont work with the pushrods.

[pleegwat]

That only divides the circle in 16, so the best you'd do is 5/5/6 division.

[Pattspatt]

I like that idea, though - 5/5/6 is so far the most realistic case that doesn’t require a lot of non-crankshaft modding. 
 

Maybe the pistons themselves could instead be built out of https://www.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/catalogitem.page?P=18651&name=Technic, Axle Pin 3L with Friction Ridges Lengthwise and 2L Axle&category=[Technic, Axle]#T=C&C=11 with https://www.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/catalogitem.page?P=32184&name=Technic, Axle and Pin Connector Perpendicular 3L with Center Pin Hole&category=[Technic, Connector]#T=C as the crankshaft-contacting part? Most likely the 5/5/6 shaft could push the pistons up with this design, but it would probably introduce too much friction between the pistons. I’ll see if I can try something like this out tonight. 

[Pattspatt]

Well, I gave it a shot with the toothed connectors: 

The crankshaft looks pretty fantastic - very close to the real spacing. 

I modded the pistons in an attempt to keep the teeth from catching on the bottom of them: 

Unfortunately, (long story short), it didn’t work. There wasn’t enough room for the “teeth”, compared to the rounded edges of the stock crankshaft. So a 1L height for the bottom of the pistons was too high. 
 

I tried reversing the pistons, and giving them some extra length to give the crankshaft something to hit on. 

 

Nope, still no luck. I couldn’t think of a 3x1x1/2 piece that I could use as a “guide” for the crankshaft teeth, but at that point, you’d be looking at less than half a stud of displacement during piston movement in the best case scenario. 
 

So I guess the piston-contacting surfaces on the crankshaft have to be rounded - obvious in retrospect I guess, but sometimes you have to try it out!

[Vectormatic]

Yeah, i was expecting the teeth to be a problem, even a straight edge would give problems i suspect. Props for trying it out though!

Personally ill pobably mod in a regular fake-engine V8, not entirely sure which camshaft style LR usually uses, but at least a flat-plane crank can be accurately done in lego.

[Nazgarot]

Could anyone try this? It would need a little more clearing for the piston, but should work very smooth even though it doesn't have the correct firing order...

 

I have no idea if there is enough space for it, but it should not be much bigger than the original.

 

-ED-

Edited January 24, 2020 by Nazgarot
Corrected spelling

[pleegwat]

This is an I6 I've actually built quite a while ago for a MOC that never  really went anywhere. 1.5 studs per cylinder using the belt wheel:

Excluding mounting brackets it's 9.5 studs long. It runs about as well as the regular small fake engine, since the key parts are the same.

[Pattspatt]

2 hours ago, Nazgarot said:

Could anyone try this? It would need a little more clearing for the piston, but should work very smooth even though it doesn't have the correct firing order...

Good idea! I think that your image might be a real-life crankshaft configuration - if I’m not mistaken, it’d be a two-stroke I-6 instead of a four-stroke. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Straight-six_engine#Two-stroke

I bet it would work if you flipped the piston assembly upside-down to give the extra clearance. Wish I could try it, but I don’t have enough of those tri-axles!

Edited January 24, 2020 by Pattspatt

[Vectormatic]

Very cool @pleegwat, i hadnt considered that the belt wheel would work with 1.5 studs per cyl, i was expecting to need 2, but this is really nice!

[ifilin]

Hi guys.

I asked about correct default position of orange ring in Pimp up my Land Rover v.1.2.

Jens said, that correct position can be seen easily on step 32 on page 20 (like in original instruction on step 91 on page 61).

Edited January 26, 2020 by ifilin

[Flecktyphus]

I just put in an order for way too much stuff on BL to mod my 42110... :-) 

Lots of great changes in this thread, looking forward to share my mods when the parts arrive!

BTW: anyone had luck w 92912 tires?

Edited January 27, 2020 by Flecktyphus

[1gor]

14 hours ago, Flecktyphus said:

I just put in an order for way too much stuff on BL to mod my 42110... :-) 

Lots of great changes in this thread, looking forward to share my mods when the parts arrive!

BTW: anyone had luck w 92912 tires?

Welcome to eurobricks 

Unimog tires are to big and are rubbing fenders

[Vectormatic]

42 minutes ago, I_Igor said:

Welcome to eurobricks 

Unimog tires are to big and are rubbing fenders 

Time for a lift-kit? :P

[1gor]

31 minutes ago, vectormatic said:

Time for a lift-kit? :P

could be...or bigfoot Landy 

[Vectormatic]

Ooh, a minion landy. Now i want the mudguards/rims in blue

[Flecktyphus]

Thank you for the welcome @I_Igor :-)

I've been looking at ways to increase the ground clearance/ride height, by 1 or 2 studs. That, combined with replacing the front medium suspension springs with hard ones, should be enough to fix clearance between the upper part of the tire and the wheel well/fenders. Hoping to make it possible for the car to wear the 92912 tires then.

If not - at least cool for pictures, if it can't be played with.

Also got plans for some small typical "off road" details such as an antenna/sand flag, some rooftop accents (fuel canister, fire extinguisher, and some tools (one being a modified 42069 shovel!)). Will share pics once parts are here and everything is put on.

[jrx]

5 hours ago, vectormatic said:

Ooh, a minion landy. Now i want the mudguards/rims in blue

Unfortunately not, but now in yellow :) See 42114 thread 

[Pattspatt]

I’ve made a “Easy” Body-Removal mod for the Land Rover. Maybe it’s not quite easy, since there are some ~28 odd connections between the body and the chassis still. But they go pretty fast, and I’m happy with it. 

I was trying not to sacrifice sturdiness with this mod, and on that note at least, I think I succeeded! 
 

Here’s a look at the new cassis underside. The yellow highlighted areas are pins that need to be pulled out. 

Then there are pins beneath the seats, behind the front wheels, and in front near the engine. There’s a photo overview at https://imgur.com/gallery/8f9xc0A.

Once all the connection points are removed (and the winch is let out), the entire body lifts off the chassis intact, with seats still attached to the body. I’m thinking if anyone wants to do a “poor man’s lift” of a few studs, this mod could make it very easy. Of course, just reattaching the body to the chassis a few studs higher isn’t very realistic compared to a lift in real life, but hey, this is still an option!

If you want to do the mod yourself, I’ve made a more detailed how-to album at https://imgur.com/gallery/LNzFsq8. 

[Neil_Dalby]

On 10/8/2019 at 6:28 AM, twoofive said:

Thx, it fits without major rebuilding, a v8 would require more rebuilding, like the disposal of the winch for example.

I have fitted a piston v8 and kept the winch

On 11/4/2019 at 7:13 PM, twoofive said:

 

Did some work on the defender:-) first, replaced the v6 with a v8, without modifications to the frame.

Then got rid of the annoying and wrong gearbox, with its enormous friction. Rebuild the rear shock mounts so the floor could be lowered. Rear seat also made higher and longer, to match scale. 

It now has a 2 speed gear box through the shifters on the center console. 

Could you post pictures/instructions of the rear floor and gearbox mods please?