Marks 110

Although mines not a conversion I wouldn't hesitate to set off for france tomorrow in my 200tdi 110! As long as the're well maintained these engines rarely suffer from sudden failures. Most likely problem is head gasket failure often due to overheating so make sure radiator and rest of cooling system is in good order. I'm a big fan of these uncomplicated engines.

Just fitted some on my 110 when I changed to a galvanised chassis. Do the job fine and certainly stronger than the corroded ones I took off. Seem to remember the holes didn't quite align perfectly but could also be to do with chassis and excess galv. etc. Anyway the turret rings fitted with nothing more than a little persuasion with land rover tool no.1!

Glad you sorted the overheating problem. May be worth sending your old head to turners for reconditioning I've used them a couple of times and would certainly recommend them. Cheers Mark

Oh dear sorry to hear that. Had the problem with a broken glow plug myself but as the head was going to turner engineering for reconditioning they managed to remove it. I believe there is a special/technique but thats no help now! Just a thought could the head be repaired by a skilled aluminium welder and then skimmed? If not I believe there are new 300tdi heads still available which may be a better bet for long term reliability, that should be good for 250,000 miles or so. When I had similar symptoms on my 200tdi I found the head was slightly corroded around one of the coolant passageways this was causing the system to pressurise and the head gasket to blow. Even a re-skim didn't remove enough material to cure the problem so I had to source a good second hand head and have had no problems since. Would also recommend an elring head gasket and new head bolts. Maybe worth getting new/recon injectors at the very least have yours tested. I know this is going to be a relatively expensive job but done properly should last for years. Good luck and keep us posted.

What engine is it by the way?

Can't pretend there's a lot of legroom for second row passengers but I've always managed and I'm 6'2", just make sure I stop every couple of hours on a long journey for a leg stretch. As said above its one of those compromises thats worth putting up with in my opinion. Exmoor Trim manufacture a kit which allows the seat backs to positioned further back which allows a slightly more comfortable seating position although not sure if this can be used on newer vehicles.

One thing to try is to go on a run then leave the engine to cool completely (eg. overnight). Then slowly release the expansion tank cap in the morning. If there is a large hiss of air I would say the cooling system is over pressurising and the most likely cause is a faulty head gasket. You also mention your top hose split, another sign of excessive pressure? Another thought, can you actually feel the top and bottom radiator pipes are warm when the temp is showing 120 (proving there is actually flow through the rad). I wouldn't expect you'd be able to hold a rubber hose for long with 120 degree coolant flowing through it! I'll test the resistance of my gauge next time I go for a run. Mark

Surely if the temp was really 120 the coolant would be boiling? Sounds like a wiring issue to me. Can you see the point when the stat opens? On my 200tdi the gauge (vdo also) gradually rises to about 85 then suddenly drops back about 5 degrees as the stat opens and cool water is allowed to flow through the radiator. It will then gradually rise again and settle between 85-90 depending on how hard the engines working. Hope you sort it. Mark

Will be interested to see the results as had similar problems and have also installed a vdo gauge

Well just been out christmas shopping today with a different but still 88 degree stat in and its running noticeably cooler. Success! Highest temp I achieved was about 88 so much happier with this. Can't wait to test it in warmer conditions but more confident the cooling system is working ok and it was just the stat which was creating a higher operating temp. Another thing did become apparent though. When I switch the blower on full the temp gauge instantly rises about 2 degrees suggesting an electrical fault somewhere. Only seemed to be the temp gauge affected. Poor earth? Thanks for your help everyone will keep you updated. Cheers Mark

Funnily enough the one I've been running is a Waxstat bought from a land rover dealer! It too didin't start to open until 92/93 degrees and wasn't fully open until 95 . If the genuine stat isn't reliable then where do you get one? Mark

Sounds like a similar problem. Doesn't leave much margin for error if the needle is just hovering below the red! Must be that thermostats are pretty variable. Will let you how I get on tomorrow with a different stat.

Sits well past the middle almost into the red, well it did until I installed a VDO gauge, now runs at 90-95 but not had the chance to work it hard in hot weather yet. Have just fitted a different 88 degree stat to see if it makes any difference.

Ok then maybe just me clutching at straws. Have fitted a VDO gauge but recently temperature rose to 95/96 this whilst steady motorway driving in winter. Suspect that working hard in summer it would significantly exceed this. Just tested the three 88 degree stats in my possession and the one I'm currently using (genuine item) does seem to open a touch later than the others. Although I'm not sure its enough to make any difference I may as well give one of the others ago. Only other thought is that the britpart radiator I fitted doesn't seem any where near as heavy duty as the original item although had the same overheating issue with the old rad? Failing that might try a new genuine water pump although they seem a bit pricey. Mark

Does anybody have a defender 200tdi with a factory fitted 82 degree stat then? Mine was first registered overseas if that makes any difference?

Well it came from a 200tdi head which I'd bought off ebay and still had what looked like a disco thermostat housing attached? Unless it was off a range rover?

Had a long standing cooling issue with the 110 and now believe it may have originally been fitted with an 82 degree stat? (Heard rumours this was once an option on some 200tdis). When I changed the original a few years ago I never checked the rating and threw it away so will never know! As it was in the depths of winter it seemed fine and the engine warmed up much quicker. However in the warmer months it transpired that the gauge was reading almost into the red. I am now thinking this could be because the gauge was originally matched to an 82 degree stat. Decided to fit an 82 degree stat from a disco which i had lying around in the shed just to see if the reading on the gauge returned to normal. Just noticed the disco stat doesn't have the toggle through it which I assume is there to assist filling the system and avoiding airlocks. Anyone know why the disco doesn't have it and whether I should modify it before fitting or will it be ok as long as I fill up carefully. Cheers Mark

Having had a few temperature gauge issues with my 200tdi 110 I swapped the original gauge for a VDO gauge and sender. Engine now runs between 88 and 90 deg, rising to maybe 92 when working hard eg. towing uphill. It generally takes about 5 mins driving to reach operating temperature although I did notice in the extreme cold this winter (below -10) it struggled to get over 60.

New genuine switch fitted and problem solved. Thanks Mark

VDO gauge and sender on order, will keep you posted. Mark

Just been out for a drive with the standard landy gauge fitted. After 10 mins temp is past halfway on the gauge - the same reading as it was submerged in boiling water! I'm sure there must be a problem with the cooling but the system has been replaced (rad, pump, thermostat, gauge and sender) which makes me think the engine might be generating too much heat for some reason?? Any ideas? Might get the injectors/pump reconditioned but as engine runs very well (a touch of black smoke when accelerating hard but will do 80mph) this is probably money down the drain. Suggestions welcome. Cheers Mark

There is continuity between the spade connector on the switch to the the warning light on dash. Guess its new switch then. Thanks Mark

Oil warning light came on the other day for first time in 10 years (except when ignition first turned on). Saw it flicker a few times and then it stayed on. When I stopped and restarted it was off again but reappeared after 5 mins. Engine running fine no oil loss or strange noises. Have tested the oil pressure by removing switch and screwing in pressure gauge. Getting a reading between 25 and 55psi (manufacturers recommendation) so pretty sure its either the switch or wiring. Just wondered if there's an easy way to test the wiring before I splash out on a new genuine switch. Cheers Mark

Will probably go for that option. What running temp would you expect? Mark

So best stick with original gauge and not be worried by fluctuations in temp? I guess by the time it hit the red it would be to late to worry as the engine would be cooked! I'm only worried as vehicle has blown two head gaskets although since changing to elring gaskets on this and a mates vehicle we've not had a failure. Cheers mark