macspite

I was working at a station today that allowed me a drive back past Dropzone in Bury, near Pulborough, West Sussex. Also known as Colonel Chimps. Its a barn down an unmarked track with a collection of guys who between them sell military surplus, landy parts (mainly military), military comms, vehicles and also do servicing. Dropped off 1000 leaflets for our show (yes, sorry blatant advertising - link below ) and had a chat with a couple of the guys. Talked about my dealer experiences, immediately shown a P gasket, guy running the stores ha 20 odd years of landy parts experience and, more importantly is a landrover enthusiast himself, currently adding finishing details to immaculate restoration of military 90. Serpentine belt was no problem, identified correct fitment from VIN prefix and even allowed a little seasonal discount on the price. He has got a great collection of microfiches including all the military ones. That's the kind of partsman I respect!

Indeed I did - though I couldn't see any difference in the new and the old, I think the gasket may have ben replaced once already. I didn't really check the old one apart from noting the large bit missing that had let the water out. The poor old vehicle seems to have been fairly badly abused in the past - the exhaust manifold came away from the head, setting the oil soaked sound insulation smouldering, shortly after I bough it. Close investigation revealed a couple of missing studs and a couple of others put into the head the wrong way round. These problems are what led me to finding this forum and registering!

I was wondering whether I could run my Disco 300TDi on this: Lipodiesel without damaging anything in the fuel supply line and pump. Thinking that it might be a good time just ater Christmas to try when I and my friends may have put on a few pounds. Anyone with any experience of this?

Good idea, think I must have had my brain in neutral, especially as I went into Colonel Chimps on my way home today to drop off 1000 leaflets for our show. Though I must say that most of the recovery kit I've seen in recent years tends to come as a package with a Foden or an AEC Militant attached! Best wishes for Christmas

I think that the scaffold pole was probably very second hand, perhaps even thrown out as unsafe by the scaffolders. Hence very thin in the middle due to corrosion and easy to snap. I have access to new steel stock so shouldn't have same problem. I'm just being lazy and hoping that someone had already put together a design! Best regards for Chrsitmas

Thanks for that! I may well do so but I also now have Microcat working on my laptop which means I can create and print out a shopping list with descriptions and part numbers.to speed up the buying process I used the two parts suppliers detailed above purely as they were adjacent to or on the route to one or other of the places I work.

Does anyone have any plans / recommendations for a rigid tow bar for use with a NATO hitched vehicle. I can get stuff fabricated by a proper engineering firm with decent MIG, arc and gas welding facilities. Use will be on a Disco and also 3 and 5 ton trucks (as detailed in my sig.) So maybe two designs, one scaled up from the other to cope with the additional forces. I remember when I were a lad (Hovis theme, rosetinted glasses, vaseline filter on lens) and working part time in a garage that one of the mechanics made up a tow pole using a scaffold tube and some scrap. He invited me to join in on a breakdown so that he could try it out. Hitched it to the Series 1 we were using, to the broken motor and set off. Pole immediately snapped in the middle. Hence my request for a proper and safe design.

I've got a friend who works with me occasionally who used to be in the trade. He moved away from parts a few years ago and helped run a breakers yard. His practical knowledge is extensive but due to the yard closing he is now both casual labour and looking to get back into the parts trade. Whilst he is ideal for knowing where "that funny shaped gasket which sits behind the casting that holds the water pump" is located on the shelves he has no computer skills. Hence he is unemployable

I've downloaded Microcat - I had a copy of Rave bought off eBay several years ago but hadn't transferred it to my current PC and can't find the CD. I can appreciate the problem these guys face the picture shows only one core plug going into the side of the block so there must be only one needed. Having said that I'm slightly surprised that knowledge gained over the years isn't applied in conjunction with the computer's findings. Maybe the main dealer (I was trying to avoid naming names!) doesn't see that many P reg 300TDi owners any more so the knowledge has been lost but it amused me that the parts guy would prefer the evidence of the computer screen rather than the physical engine block sitting outside. "It's no good you screaming and shouting and pointing at them on the shelf, computer says we haven't got any"

I came to this forum by serendipity - trying to find information via google about 300TDi + core plug + leak I cam across Les Henson's article about changing the p gasket Photos of the problems caused by a leaking gasket matched the water seepage on my Disco so, armed with the knowledge of what was required, I went in search of parts. First stop was a unit just around the corner from one of my workplaces, near Guildford. These guys sell a lot of Landy kit on the net and via their walk-in counter. So I asked for water pump gasket, p gasket, core plug, oil air and fuel filters and sump plug washer (oil service in a couple of thousand miles, 3 weeks given the mileage I do). What surprises me is that they don't do an oil service kit but have to look up the part numbers each time for each item on their slow computer system. No p gasket, no core plug (the two vital components of the repair) and no sump plug washer. Never having taken a 300TDi front end apart before I wasn't fully equipped to counter his assertion that there was no core plug behind the p gasket. "So sell me a core plug anyway, they are all the same - 2inch/52mm" But he wouldn't! Finished doing what I was doing at workplace #1 and headed toward workplace #2 on an estate below Guildford Cathedral. THere is a Landrover main dealer on the way. Disco looked well out of place amongst the 2007 and 2008 models in the car park. Edging down the narrow path past the workshops to the parts department I almost tripped over a rusting 300TDi block without front covers. Checked it and guess what - core plug just where expected. Saw the partsman, requested p gasket, sump plug washers and core plug. He went away, footsteps echoing and fading into the distance and then, after a 5 minute pause, returning with the gasket and a print out from microcat of the cylinder hea,d so I could identify the core plug. Explained again it was a cylinder block core plug. He went away, footsteps echoing and fading into the distance and then, after a 5 minute pause, returning with a print out of the cylinder block. It shows one core plug though obviously more are used. Tried explaining that although no plug was shown for the hole at the front of the block something had to fill it and I was willing to buy a plug just in case that was what was needed and anyway let's go and look at the rusting unit outside. He looked both shocked and bemused, whether unable to comprehend the concept of "outside" or appalled by the idea of looking at a physical object and not a representation on a computer screen. But, give him his due, he went away, footsteps echoing and fading into the distance and then, after a 5 minute pause, returning with both the information that, although only one core plug was shown on screen, computer said six were needed to fully satisfy the block and, god bless him, with the core plug itself. That just left the question of sump plug washers. Faced with the difficult choice of copper or aluminium and knowing that what was on the plug at the moment was neither, I elected for both. He went away, footsteps echoing and fading into the distance and then, after a 5 minute pause, returning with the washers. Total time near on half an hour. Total cost less than five quid. The 300TDi isn't an obscure engine. Les's article suggests a leaky P gasket is quite common. Yet two partsmen deny the existence of a core plug behind it, one to the point of refusing to sell me one. Anyway, with the help of the article, brute force, ignorance and native cunning my water leak is solved. Now for the dodgy earth on the lights.