TheRecklessEngineer

The date is set...I'm off next sunday (20th), and back some time late october... Any spares I haven't thought of? I'm taking: Spare tyre, Wheel bearings and associated nuts/gaskets etc..., Water pump, Fan belt, Fuel filter, Spare bulbs, Fuses, Bits of wire/tape/cable ties etc, Fluids/Lubricants etc, Plethora of tools. I've got a spare starter and alternator knocking around too...if I can find them, do I take them, or is this overkill?

Did the internet sneeze in that post?

Not sure why it has taken me so long to reply to this...but here we go: I have successfully converted 2.25, 2.5TD and 300 TDi engines to run on neat veg oil. I have also transesterified vegetable oil into biodiesel and run this in a 300TDi. In the short term, you will not break a 200TDi by throwing oil in the tank. The injection pump (rotary bosch type) has proven to be very reliable on vegetable oil, even when cold. This is unlike the lucas injection pump fitted to everything pre tdi - these are fragile and WILL fail on veg if unheated (I've seen this first hand...in short, the rotor head siezed up due to lack of sufficient lubrication and then shears the drive shaft off) - This is where the stories of "Ive got a mate who put veg in his tank and blew up his engine" come from. For a 200TDi long term, you will need a twin tank system - this starts and stops on diesel allowing the engine to warm up before switching over to veg. This isn't to protect the injection pump by heating the veg (no heat exchanger necessary on a TDi), but to ensure a good combustion within the engine, reducing any veg that might coke up the piston rings, and make it into the engine oil resulting in polymerisation and eventual engine destruction. (TBH, if you change your engine oil anywhere near as much as you are supposed to on a TDi you will probably avoid this fate, but you still may end up with a piston ring problem) This is an excellent forum (but then I would say that...i'm the admin) for good, non snake oil discussion and information on veggy and biodiesel, including the legal bits as well : Goatindustries forum In particular, have a read of this post: How to run your land rover on vegetable oil and this one: Direct injection engines and vegetable oil

Here it is in pdf to save you scanning it: http://www.stopurban4x4s.org.uk/Manchester07.pdf

Hmmm...I may just use a ratchet strap to tie it to the chassis - getting exhaust bolts undone is one of my least favourite things...

None at all - should work straight out of the box. My mum got one for Christmas - fantastic machines. You may need to enter the network key though...

Ive had something resonating for a while now, but it has now become quite a lot worse to the point where I can't live with it. It is engine speed related and only ever below 2k rpm in several places - annoyingly both in 4th and 5th at 30mph amongst others. It also only occurs under load. It's quite violent (pedestrians look concerned) and has recently taken on what I can only describe as a 'rasping' quality. I can only imagine two things that would make this noise - the springs resonating to the point where they rub/leave the seat, or the exhaust rattling around - although ive got one of these flexible joint thingies in the downpipe that is supposed to stop the transmission of vibration. As I can't duplicate the noise when stationary I'm a bit stumped as to which one it is, or what I can do about it. Wondering if anyone has had something similar, what it was, and what the remedy was... Oh yeah...300 TDi Disco. Don't say fit a v8, much as I would like to, they don't like chip fat too much.

Should be possible...if my A-level chemistry serves me correctly... Once rendered down, the fat is transesterified into it's component esters (as per normal biodiesel). This can then be split into shorter molecules to approximate petrol rather than diesel. I think it is some specialist catlyst that will split esters, but not sure

I bet John Prescott would fuel a few cars

How about we swap the pigs for chavs, illegal immigrants, and inland revenue employees?

Wow! I want that job!

Just been fiddling with my disco (300, '96) There is some play in the alternator shaft. I'm guessing this means the bearings are worn. How urgently should I consider a replacement? Given that im going to be in greece for 6 months shortly, and won't have brilliant access to spare parts? Is it possible to replace the bearings? Im not afraid to go delving inside it...

Yup, it's a rebate system. Everyone pays the full rate for diesel, then those entitled to running tax-exempt (construction, agriculture, boats etc..) can then apply for a refund at the end of the year. Bloody ludicrous...

I can confirm this - I used a series speedo and cable with a rangie transmission on my hybrid. Not sure what the drive gear was, but it read bang on with 33" tyres. (well, as bang on as a series speedo will read....)

Wimps the lot of you! Ive had a topless series III all year round!

I love my headlight washers. You can soak anyone who walks past the front of your vehicle...

As above - check the camera can replay the video - then you know it's not corrupted. Try using various other card readers. Some are better than others. Some will even recover data from corrupted cards.

After seeing exactly how much the two systems differ (everything....) I don't think I could fit a rangie system very easily - it would be a major challenge just making the pump work, and then i've got all the behind dash issues to deal with. You can't even mix and match bits of systems as all the pipe fittings are different. Sorry...

Pondering fitting aircon into my disco...I can get the bits fairly readily (300 disco in the scrappy down the road from me, with all the bits ) The question is this....do I need the air mixer thingy as well? Or does my non-air con version have the holes for the evaporator to fit? The donor disco has already had this swiped...although the evaporator is left.

I have a friend who did his 109 with a roller. To quote the MOT chap "What did you use to paint that? A mop?". Looking good fridge!

That is so fantastically heath robinson...I love it

Take it for an 'Italian Tune up'. Basically rag the nuts off it just before the test. Try some injector cleaner too (or the old type 'A' ATF fluid into the fuel filter.)

Nah - it was 70 all the way. Filled up in England...left at 1am for dover - no traffic. That tank got 28mpg. The next tank got 35. Maybe my maths is out...but I did wonder at one point if the fuel gauge had jammed...

Just been out to france and back and noticed something weird going on with my fuel consumption. 300 TDi disco - in England I get about 28mpg cruising at 70mph Filled up with french diesel and suddenly I'm getting 35mpg - still at 70mph. Didn't notice any difference in power though. Any suggestions?

I wouldnt have thought it would make a difference....