I have searched far and wide, and am unwilling to part with any of my personal metal gravel shields, but I have this customer...who seems to have a penchant for knocking off her plastic gravel shield, then the transmission vent screens and filling her bell housing with dirt, gravel, branches, dirt, leaves, dirt, and more dirt. She'll come in saying, it's making that pffft pffft pffft noise again; I thought you fixed that. Well, it's all the crap spinning around with her torque convertor in the bell housing, AGAIN. I can't seem to get through to her that if she wouldn't drive it through the fields this wouldn't happen. A 240 may be utilitarain, but Range Rover it is not. Any idea if these are available anywhere anymore?

I saw one once, sort of ugly and angular.

When I needed a new pan for the 1988 244 wifemobile. I have had poor luck with finding a pan in a boneyard, so I got one from fpcgroton. It is tougher by far than the original pan. Reinforced around the bolt holes, and seemed like heavier material.

The problem is usually not the pan strength, but the strength of the attachment.
On my older 240s I installed a 1" x 1/8" x 32 " steel flat across the rear of the pan, held on by the three bolts back there. Then big fender washers on all the other bolts.

But - like a determined burglar wanting in, a determined driver will smash it again.

Charge a lot for replacement, she'll wise up and/or you'll be richer.

Good Luck,

Bob

:>)

Raise the suspension? 264 Diesel springs in front. Wagon overload
springs in back. :) I'm not sure if she'd go for that. That being
said, 240s still have more ground clearance than some of the shite
that you see being flogged off as SUVs today (read: Honda CR-V,
Toyota RAV4, Mitsubishi Endeavor). My opinion on the matter is that,
if you need a truck, get something with a truck's frame and
construction, like a GMC Jimmy, Jeep Wrangler, or Yukon. If you
need something that goes in the snow, you'd be better off with
a Subaru or other AWD car. Leave the plasticky Tonka toys for your
kids to play with. (/rant)


Just someone who wishes that there were more fairly simple, RWD cars
out there. Also, what's up with the recent whinging of certain auto
"journalists" that anything with less than 200hp that does 0-60 in
more than 8.33 sec. is underpowered?


-b.

Funny you should mention that... I was in a parking-lot recently, and there were several different SUVs around- and also a vehicle that could arguably be called once of the first modern SUVs, an AMC Eagle wagon. A rugged straight-6, military-derived 4WD technology, and comparable or better clearance than the so-called "utility" vehicles surrounding it. Plus, this monster was still in service after 20 years and 250+K (of course, I checked the odo). How many of those dumb Jap-mobiles will be able to say the same?

How many of those dumb Jap-mobiles will be able to say the same?
Actually, there are decent Japanese small trucks:
* the Land Cruiser FJ40, which is basically a Jeep clone, but is
unfortunately no longer imported to the US
* I've heard that the Nissan X-terra and older Pathfinders are quite
good in rugged conditions
* Mitsubishi Pajeros (not imported) and Monteros (to a lesser extent)


There are probably a few other examples. US and European companies
are putting out their fair share of "soft" SUV's today as well,
some examples being the Volvo XC90, BMW X3/X5, Mercedes ML class
(not to be confused with the Gelendewagon G-class or Unimogs),
Ford Escape - you get the idea. I've heard that the VW Touareg and
Porsche Cayenne are actually surprisingly decent off-road, but who
wants to take a $50k+ machine with nice paint through the bush?


Speaking of Japanese SUV's, as I've said before, the Subaru line
of AWD station wagons is quite rugged, simple, and well thought out.
Not trucks, but something to consider for someone who needs a
slightly more rugged car and cares more about functionality than
about towering over other cars.


-b.

re: "..."soft" SUV's ... some examples being the ... Mercedes ML class (not to be confused with the Gelendewagon G-class or Unimogs),...."

As a Gelaendewagen owner (the original, spartan variety, W460), I appreciated your not lumping my 280GE in with the rest. This baby (it's a gray-market 1984 280GE with a custom rebuilt, high-compression engine) still turns heads. We park it on a street in a tourist town on vacation, and passers-by still drop their jaw when they walk by (they mutter things like, "this looks like it belongs on an african safari", or, "this looks like it served in WWII", etc.). The newer "officially sold in the USA" GWagens are too prissy, really!
Of course, my main use of it is for towing my sailboats -- the front and rear lockable diffs really work nicely on the slipperiest launch ramps!

Best regards,

Same thing with Land Rovers, incidentally. You have the Defender
series that's no longer sold in the USA because it lacks airbags
(that's the official reason, the reality is that airbags can be
added without extensive redesign). Then you have the Range Rover,
which is pretty decent off-road, but far too prissy, and the new
independent-suspension ones are probably less capable. The Discovery
is still good, but, again, the ones sold in the USA are far too
feature-loaded. We won't discuss (disgust) the Freelander station
wagon.


A true work truck should be simple enough to be able to be fixed out
in the bush with no more tools than a set of sockets/screwdrivers,
a jack, and a big hammer. Granted, complexity and computerization
are necessary in some things, like engine control systems which
reduce pollution, but stuff like the brakes, transmission, heater,
and 4wd system should be designed using the maxim KISS.


-b.

i've seen those metal ones tear off, also. i had 3 myself and used them on my cars only-too rare and durable. but, 1 customer did manage to tear his off a 76 1 night. i doubt yours might survive her driving, don't sacrifice 1. has she never poked the trans pan? got 1 of those last week. i like the hood solution, sounds like the kind of gravel sheild she needs. good luck, chuck.

Knocked off the fill tube once...ya know, I'm surprised she even still has a transmission.

man, she's good! my guy last week just stabbed a hole in the pan and dented the gas tank-no holes, just 3-4 gals less volume. of course, it's job security. so long as she lives through the next 1, you'll get to fix it again.

the fiat spiders were notorious for pulling the oil pan and breaking the oil pump off, we called them italian curb feelers. 1 fella had 3 of them and once a year, he had to get the job done. always happened in the same parking lot. never learned. good luck, chuck.

Why not just go to the junkyard, cut a chunk out of a hood or something, and slap it on there? She'll have a harder time "losing" it, and it shouldn't cost much of anything, other than time.

Or am I just a wingnut?

Hey! Some tin roofing from Lowes! Think she'd go for it?

Hey, I get the impression SHE'S not about to crawl under there, so what she doesn't know...

But seriously, is there any reason my idea wouldn't work?

IPDUSA.com sells an aluminum skid plate for $104

it only weighs 6lbs but ships at a 70lb weight cause of it's size. funny.

i hope this helps

Chris

1985. 244. 232k miles. RUSTY.

looking for a rust free '91-'93 244 manual

Isn't that one for an 850? I'll double check.