BigSi110

Aah! That's sense for you. Now all I gotta do is remember it.

Well, I must be even thicker then. Haven't a clue what IIRC stands for. Been trying to work that one out for 2 months. Anyone intelligent able to tell me?

Landrover secirity and the propensity for them to go walkabout has me worried. My insurance company (Sureterm) wasn't worried about an alarm, but it's worrying me now. I've just bought a battery isolation switch with a removable key. That should stop most from taking the 110 away. Locking wheel nuts, removable-face stereo and plain common sense as to where I park, wherever possible. Oh, and leaving absolutely NOTHING on show. I know that's difficult.

Colin, I honestly don't know as I didn't look. I will tonight and let you know. It may help that VDO supply most gauges for LR anyway, so this matches with the graphics very well. The only detail anomalie is that the needle is red, whereas all the others are white. The gauge comes with either red or green illumination. Check with John at Croytec. You can email him at john@croytec.co.uk. Regards, Simon

Gents, Thanks SO much!!!! I really wasn't expecting such a high level of responses. I'm very much in debt to you all!! I've looked at the back of my alternator and, yes, it does have the black cover at 7 o'clock, so I'll take that off and have a peek. The gauge comes from Croytec (www.croytec.co.uk) and costs £95 including full wiring harness. It's a VDO unit and has the same graphics as the other gauges in the dash. Inclidentally, John at Croytec was telling me a few days ago that he's going to be issuing a non-digital EGT gauge very soon. Nice dial with a needle and numbers. He's also got a gauge hood which can be fitted in place of the ashtray. Takes 3 gauges or nine switches. Once again, many, many thanks to you all!!

Gents, I need your help. I've just been bought a VDO rev counter for my 1994 110 300 Tdi CSW. The alternator doesn't have the required 'W' terminal to connect the gauge to the alternator. Croytec's instructions say that a 'W' terminal can be created by removing the alternator and soldering in a wire off any one of the three windings. I've never removed an alternator before (yes, I've seen the thread and have a Haynes manual, so that's easy enough, I hope), but has anyone done this before and could you pass on any more help than simply taking the alternator apart and wiring in a new connection? I'll have an electrically-competent person with me but if anyone has done this before, I'd be grateful for more detailed instruction. Is it really this straightforward? Recommended alternator stripdown instructions? Job starts Sunday morning. Any replies before then would be much appreciated. Otherwise, I'll leave wiring it up until next weekend.

The best option is for a larger intercooler and fuel pump tweak. One won't work as effectively without the other. I was given a very good bit of advice by a well-known specialist recently. ALWAYS ask how the intercooler is made. Some cheaper models are glued together, which dramatically reduces their ability to extract heat. So, always check to see if it's been brazed and welded. Allisport and Jeremy Fearn's are about the best on the market and their pump mods are highly reliable. I have also been told that the genuine Landrover intercooler is of VERY high quality and was advised (again!!) to retain it over buying something larger if the quality wasn't there. The decent suppliers will give you time to talk. My experience, although limited, is that J. Fearn and Allisport are highy professional. I bent Allisport's and Jeremy's ears something rotten and they gave me very good advice. Van Aaken told me that they recntly had a guy who had installed a large intercooler, but couldn't get the extra power as the pump had ben adjusted VERY badly. He left with a big smile on his face... Once again, before you consider any mods like this, ensure you've got a good base to work on first. A healthy engine and drivetrain will respnd FAR better to these mods than an unhealthy one. There are excellent tech archives here to do the pump mods yourself and it's not that difficult to install a new intercooler, even the larger ones, if you can make brackets and re-route the pipework. I'm a lousy mechanic and elected to let someone who knows what they're doing loose on my 110. The intercooler is still on the wish-list though....

Paul, I asked the same question, but all I can add is that Tdi's are relatively old technology these days and 'modern' engines do use swirl effects in them for better efciciency. You're missing the point with the Hiclone's. Whilst not giving you any EXTRA power, they assist by bringing the turbo in SOONER. This should enable you to use a higher gear up hills. It's also quietened my 300Tdi and I swear made it smoother. I've been told they're especially useful if you tow, which I don't (much to the disappointment of my 4 year-old...). You'll also find Paddocks, Scorpion Racing etc selling them. Without trying to sound like a salesperson, they don't go into these things lightly. I strongly urge you to try them. If you REALLY doubt them, keep the packaging immaculate and clean them up IF you remove them. Them sell 'em on. Regards, Simon

This topic started off with the idea of a free-flow air filter to improve performance. Now we've got on to pump mods etc. Get back to basics first. Make sure that whatever you've got under the bonnet is good to begin with. Good oil, filters, no loss of compression, nothing is binding or restricting the engine. Next, check all drivetrain components. Bearings, oils, hubs etc to ensure they all work as they should. Once that's been done, you've then got a good baseline for any improvements. Again, why put money into mods if you're being let down elsewhere with things that have to be done anyway? Red 90 is right. The K&N doesn't make much difference to a Tdi (well, not that much to mine, but it's still staying there as I'm never going to get a refund on it now...) and pump mods work very well. Landrover set things up to cope with ALL conditions. Hot or cold, the engines have got to be 100% reliable which is why they're relatively undertuned. Our climate is pretty kind to engines (as opposed to the chassis....) as we tend not to suffer extremes of temperatures. Do a pump mod for somewhere like the Sahara, and problems with high temps are far more likely. If you're not gonna do the K&N, then put in Hiclone's metal discs into the inlet pipes. They're £70 or so. Fit them with your eyes closed. Won't give you extra power, but they do bring the turbo in about 600rpm sooner.

If you look on Hiclone's website (www.hiclone.co.uk) you'll find their own air filter which, according to those who've used them, works way better than a K&N. The price is better too. I went for the K&N, mainly because I wanted a free-flow filter and because they are very well known and respected. The gains aren't huge, but what do you expect for £50? The Hiclone version clearly has less filter density to allow a larger airflow. If you're worried about dirt ingress, stick to the OE Landrover filter or equivalent. Get in contact with K&N / Hiclone and see if they can offer you some comfort on longevity, if that's a concern. Also, bear in mind that regular oil changes also dramatically improve engine wear / dirt eradication and help performance. No point doing the air filter if the oil's old and manky.

Alex at Van Aaken told me to expect payback through increased fuel economy, (as long as we don't exploit the full performamce...) if we drive normally, within one year. I can't comment either. A week before the optimisation was done the 110's fuel tank started to leak, which meant a nice bill for a replacement tank as well!! I've had a re-map done to my other car (Merc E240 Estate) which got me an extra 20bhp and there's been no extra fuel usage on that in nearly 2 years. Going up a tyre size (height, not width) will increase your gearing slightly and, in theory, will improve your fuel economy. Speak to Sean and Alex. They're very good. I gave both of them a bit of a hard time, but they've proven to me they know what they're talking about. There's loadsa magazine articles too. Ask them to dig some out for you. I was a right pest. Mark Saville at Land Rover Owner International Magazine has had his done. Try emailing him as his 90 covers HUGE mileages. There is the DIY route also, but you need knackers of steel to do it and be confident it'll be 100%. I take my hat off to those who've done it themselves. I just chickened out.

Gents, Many, many thanks for your kind help. My swivel pns are completely un-pitted and very shiny. I understand the seals a fair bit - I designed similar ones for many different applications a few lives ago. The one-shot grease is a good suggestion. The EP90 is leaking from the bottom of the seal - it's clearly showing after a drive and definitely on the seal face. Ok, that's clear. Anyone know of a good specialist / mechanic in my area? I've tried one locally and have another in mind, but would really value your opinion.

Don't know. I spoke with Sean and Alex in the office. I live less than a mile away, so went home while they did the work. They found it hard to believe that a 12 year old 110 had only one tiny dent in the bodywork. They're hot on emissions and said that they'd re-do things if there was any problem. To be honest, I ddin't check mine.

Gents, This is my first-ish post. Be kind and don't laugh at an amateur's mistakes, please. I've got a 1994 110 CSW 300Tdi. Lovely!! Had it / him / her (?) for 3 months after buying from a well-known specialist. Perfectly happy!! I did a 3 month / 3,000 mile oil change last week. I can be rather fanatical over these things. The 110 has a relatively easy life driving 30 miles per day up the M4 to work. I checked the swivel pin oil level. Top nut and poured in the EP90. Driver's side took quite a bit - quarter of a litre - passenger's side less so. I've now noticed a dribble of EP90 down my driver's side tyre after every journey - only noticed it yesterday. Ironically, yesterday was the 110's first trip off-road at a wood in Speen, near High Wycombe. Nothing heavy and only got the tyres muddy. Without sounding feeble, what's the likely solution here? I guess it's a new seal. Do I get this repaired immediately? I'm not that competent a mechanic, but do want to learn. I've seen the tech-archive thread. Can anyone recommend a good specialist in the Reading / Camberley area? Yes, I know there's a few, but word-of-mouth counts for a lot. By the way, I've been looking at this site for 2 months now. Seriously, seriously good.

Gents, 'Gawd!! This is my first post EVER on one of these things. Feels weird. Guess I'll get used to it. Just read Yostumpy's post. I had Van Aaken's optimisation done to my 300Tdi 110 a few weeks ago. I did LOTS of research on this and took my time deciding what to do. Couldn't decide between BIG intercooler or this. Spoke to Jeremy Fearn, amongst others, and weighed up the cost. There seems to be a lot of emissions concerns over these fuel pump conversions, at least from the specialists I spoke to. The thread elsewhere on this forum was excellent, but I don't have the guts to do it myself. My 110 already has a K&N and Hiclones, which I swear by. The larger intercooler needs fuel pump mods (as we all know) and the additional gains of the larger intercooler PLUS the pump mods couldn't justify the extra cost. The optimisation feels like someone has unstuck a binding brake. There's more flexibility and the speedo needle certainly seems to move quicker but, for me, it wasn't quite as much urge as I thought it would be. Don't disagree with the performance though. My 110 keeps up with most traffic now and can move away mid-range smartly. Quite fun watching 'normal' cars disappear in the rear-view. Now, if I can find a scrapped Supra, or similar, with a big intercooler for £30 or so...