JB750

Well, after bruising/bashing/cutting etc. most of my anatomy getting the Disco back together after replacing the flex plate, the only thing between me and hopefully a running truck is one damn bolt!! :angry2: When I took the old flex plate off, I spent almost 1 1/2 hrs with the impact gun trying to free off one of the bolts holding the flex plate to the TC. The bolt finally lost, but it got mangled in the fight, so I now need a new one. Is there anywhere online I can get one or is it my local LR dealer? And before I get ripped for not getting one before now, I took it all apart about 3 weeks ago and having spent ages tonight looking for the fourth bolt, I remembered it was foobarred and I put it in my toolbox ...... DOH! The joys of not doing the job all at once I guess?

Thanks for the info guys Think I might get a couple of the mounts in DrRob's post, looks a bit easier than faffing around trying to get into the small corners. Now the whisky and beer has worn off I might be able to get out in the garage

Thanks for that. I was on the understanding that there were 5 each side so I've missed a couple then? That photo looks about the same as mine! Hope I can sort it out before too lng as I want to get it on the road soonest, we are moving down to Cornwall in the not too distant future so need it roadworthy.

While I'm waiting for the replacement Flexi plate for my 300Tdi, I have been looking into the front sill body mounts, they had an advisory last MOT for light corrosion. Well the nearside is a lot more than 'light corrosion'! Problem is, I have undone all 5 body mount bolts as advised on here and other sites, but when I try and lift the body using well-placed jacks and wood, the rear sill mount does not seem to want to move. I have freed all the bolts off, but I just cannot get the body mount lower bush to let go of the chassis! All the others seem ready to go, just the rear sill one giving me grief. Any ideas on how best to free it off? Also, once I manage to get the body high enough to get the rubbers etc. out, how best to replace the mount, as it's a real PITA to get at? Thanks for any help JB

I bl**dy hope so chap!

Yep, engine turns over fine. The original fault was a loud knock/clatter that I could not pinpoint, eventually the starter would spin up but not turn the engine. I took out the starter and checked it but it was fine. Then I realised I could turn the ring gear by hand! Not good! Hence the strip down to investigate, and my suspicions were right as yo can see

Well, after god knows how long sitting on the drive waiting to skin my knuckles and bruise my limbs, the Disco finally got pushed into the garage to find out what the issue is with no engine spinning with the starter. It's a long story, but after much head scratching as to what the noise was (rattle/squeak type racket) and then the starter spinning but not the engine, I managed to get to the bottom of it...... So, on to the Ashcroft site to order me a new Flex plate A relatively cheap fix but an absolute Bi**h to do!! Gerabox back 2", engine forward 3", just enough room to get my digits in there to undo the bolts. Torque converter is still in place so hopefully no nasty oil pump suprises Hope to have her running in the very near future. Just need to sort out plates for the front sill body mounts now Discos, just gotta love 'em!

That sounds like a better option to me

OK, after much deliberation on here and other forums, I have come to the conclusion that my 300TDi Disco has knacked Flex Plate I have not been able to check it, but seeing as the engine seems to have plenty of compression when I rotate the crank, and the ring gear can be turned easily by hand, it seems favourite! It seems I am looking at around £100 for a replacement plate so not the end of the world (quite!) My question is, do I remove the engine to replace the plate, or can it be done by pulling the gearbox back far enough to get at the plate? I know I have to be careful to make sure I leave the TC in place when seperating the engine and box, I already have the starter motor off so can get at the 4 bolts through to the TC. Any help/advice would be welcomed with open arms. Thanks guys. JB

OK thanks. So I understand that it is very important to keep the torque converter in the gearbox when seperating the engine/box? I assume it is a case of undoing the bolts from flywheel to driveplate via the starter motor apperture? Any ideas how long a job and roughly how many of my English pounds to get the parts? Thanks again guys

Hi all. I've had a problem on our 1975 300TDi Disco Auto for several months now and not really had a lot of time to look into it. When dropping the revs, there was a knocking from the engine area which I was assuming was possibly big ends or similar. Anyhow, when I finally got to do some work on it, the starter motor would spin but the engine didn't turn, so I assumed maybe the starter was sticking or something. So I removed it and checked on the bench. It was fine. Whilst I had the starter out, I thought I would check the flywheel to see if there was any damage to teeth etc. When I turned the nose of the crank, the flywheel only turned slowly with resepct to the speed I was turning the crank . So my guess now is that I probably have a broken crankshaft or at least the connection to the flywheel? The engine seems to have good compression when I turn the crank so I am assuming it is not the woodruff or something stupid like that. At least a broken crank would explain the nasty noise from the engine! John

I'm in Burton, not far from Castle Combe, Chippenham in Wiltshire. JB

Bump! Any ideas fellas? I'm stumped here Don't want to start stripping stuff down unecessarily 'cos I ain't got the time or the money! I can try and make another recording if that will help, but not sure about how long to run it in case it's Uber expensive!

Nope, just checked that but it's waaaay too heavy for that! I've managed to record it: Most obvious around 10 to 20 secs then 1:10 to 1:40

Hi all. I have a wierd fault just appeared on the Disco. She is a 300Tdi auto (but I have replaced the EDC pump and throttle with mechanical). Truck has been running fine since last summer when I did the modification, but yesterday when I started it up after a week of not driving, there was a horrible knocking noise from somewhere in the engine area. A neighbour had a peek and suggested we take the belt off to check that it wasn't one of the aux illiary bits. removed the belt and hey presto! the noise dissappeared. Put the belt back on and it seemed to have gone still, but after a few minutes it came back but more intermittent. So I assumed that we had disturbed something and it was to do with either the water pump, power steering pump or alternator. I would not expect a water pump to make a noise that loud so started thinking that the steering pump or alternator were at fault. However, when I took the belt off again to check for play in the components, the noise is still there It seems to come and go but more often than not it happens on the overrun. It is a really loud knock and sound pretty expensive!! I was going to try and replace the injectors with some spare ones I have to see if maybe one of them is at fault but not really sure if that would be the cause? Any help or ideas would be great as I am worried now that it may be something more terminal :( I just tried uploading a .wav file I recorded but the site won't let me! John

After around 14 months of on-off working on our TDi300 Auto, and far too much money and bruised knuckles, she finally lives. I have put a couple of threads on here over the past months, but the basis of the issues are that the engine ran very rough, engine light on all the time, HUGE amounts of white unburnt diesel smoke from the tail pipe, and we (myself and uncle Les )had many happy hours and discussions as to the cause. The list of things done is: Cambelt checked and changed, timing set to factory. Compression check done Head checked for leaks and eventually skimmed Computer indicated several faults, all cleared bar one - Engine Speed Sensor, so sensor changed - evetually! just ask Les Tried new EDC njector pump All failed to cure anything except put out the engine light below 1800rpm. Finally tried a non-EDC pump as per the thread in the archives by Pete Attryde (very helpful ) Started OK, no white smoke, but it ran straight up to around 4000rpm and thankfully it shut down after around 4-5 seconds as soon as I pulled the 12v off the stop solenoid! Thought it was going to self-destruct on turbo oil Anyhow, got hold of another pump, fitted it today and it finally runs, like a dream too, next to no smoke and ticks over at around 800 and smooth as a kitten All I've got to do now is try and suss out how to keep the existing throttle-to-bracket and bracket-to-kickdown mechanism and still have a linkage to the manual throttle control. I think I might try and connect another cable from the pedal to the pump lever and make up a new bracket to support it and the adjuster. If anyone has any ideas I am all ears Finally, a BIG thanks to Les for his patience with all my questions and his help with the work done. John

That sounds like a plan, but do you think I will have done any damage on the first try, and also, will it do any if I try again now? I know the questions are a bit 'wooly' but I really don't want to see another version of that video on you tube of the Defender going doolally on it's sump oil I have already disconnected the pipes from the turbo to the inter-cooler, and will try as you suggested with the short hose from the intercooler to the inlet manifold removed too. I assume, if there is oil getting past the seals in the turbo that I will see it coming out of the turbo where it would normally connect to the long pipe to the inter-cooler? Thanks, John

Here you go: http://forums.lr4x4.com/uploads/1293385451/gallery_22202_1127_94285.jpg I think the middle one is wrong (should be a breather apparently?) Top one for the boost connection. As an add-on to the thread, I took all the intercooler pipes etc off the turbo today, and there was a good smearing of black oily stuff in the pipe (especially at the turbo end) and when I checked the turbo bearings I detected a small amount of play in the shaft so I am now guessing that it may have been turbo oil after all that caused the running on and the bearings are probably about to give up the ghost. I guess if it is, I was just lucky that there wasn't too much oil in there to feed the combustion. Thoughts please? JB

I don't have a cable fitted at the moment but as far as I can tell the mechanism seems to work fine. The throttle snaps back (quite a strong spring!) JB

Hi all, hope your XMAS went OK (can't be worse than mine is at this moment in time ) I have had major issues over the past year (don't ask why so long) with our 300TDi Auto Disco. The basic fault was very rough running and tons of white smoke (unburnt diesel) out of the tail pipe, enough to get me instantly arrested if I were to take it on the road Done loads of stuff to try and cure it and in the end gave up chucking money at it and decided to change from the EDC system to a normal a cable controlled throttle Injector Pump. Spent the last couple of days replacing the EDC pump with a non-EDC one along with the injectors and feed pipes. I need to extend the boost pipe from the turbo take-off to make it reach the IP but this will not give me the issue I have at present (if I am correct). I eventually got the engine to start, I have no throttle cable at the minute as I have got to get one but I wanted to see if the original fault had been sorted (no advance of the IP basically so fueling at the wrong time). The other thing I am missing is something that should fit into the top threaded hole of the pressure compensator in the top of the IP. There are 3 connections as you look at it from the rear of the pump: Bottom one goes from the leak-off on #1 injector, middle one is the connection that will go to the take-off on the turbo, and the one at the top which at the minute has nothing in the threaded hole. I do not know what should fit in there so am not sure if it is causing my issue. The problem I have is that although I got the engine to start after much turning (no fuel in lines so took a little while) the engine started fine but then the revs rose and kept on until they hit the max with the engine revving it's ar$e of My first thought was the turbo feeding oil into the inlet and I wa waiting for the engine to destroy itself!! But I disconnected the lead I had runnig from the battery to the stop solenoid, (just a temp measure until I can find the right cable in the loom), and thankfully about 5 seconds or so the engine stopped. It still turns over OK but I am not going to try and start it again until I get some more info. I am assuming it is not the turbo causing the engine to run away as it stopped shortly after taking off the stop solenoid feed wire. I would really appreciate any help or advice here, either on a possible cause, or what should be connected to the top hole on the compensator on the top of the IP. Thanks in advance. John

Hi, A bit late in the thread I know, but is there any way I can get the pictures from the thread? They are no longer in Photo Bucket according to the text above so I assume they are gone or moved. I have already brought the issues I am having up on this threaad but am still none the wiser. I have had several people say to check the fuek filter or supply etc. but surely my problem is not 'am I getting enough fuel' but I am getting fuel but it is not being burned correctly. If I drove it now I would get arrested for polution!! I have got another EDC pump to try, but knowing the luck I have hasd o far it will not cure it But I have to get it sorted soon as I know it is an 'off-road' vehicle, but this is getting ridiculous!! It's been almost a year now . My problem is that I travel ahell of a lot with work so when I am at home I do not have a great deal of time to do things so cannot afford to be spending half my life sorting the Disco. Any advice please? John

Well, the issue rolls on (which is more than can be said of the truck! Gave Les a hand to get the gearbox out enough to remove the offending article (took all damn day!). Replaced the crank sensor, and after all put back together, fired her up and...... .....Bloody fault is still there, the only thing that had changed is the engine check light had gone out. The engine will now start fairly well, tickover OK with a small amount of smoke, then when I press the throttle pedal, the revs rise and so does the level of white smoke. The engine lumps as if it's not firing on one most of the time, then after about 1600rpm the engine check light comes on again. It goes out wheh I release the pedal. I now have the head off, it has been checked and the rear core plug is leaking (explains the fluid loss) and it also needs a skim. I've had the injectors checked and they are all fine. I have been told by more than one source that it has been known for a conrod to bend slightly if water gets into the bores, this would cause incorrect burn in the offending cylinder. I would have expected a fair amount of water to cause this, but not sure I lost enough (if any) into the bores, I think mine was from the failing core plug. A colleague at work also said he would have expected to see a rather clean piston crown if water was present in the combustion chamber and they all look identical to me (black!). My next step is to measure the protrusion of each crown and hopefully they are all the same, a low one will indicate more grief Any comments or observations are more than welcome. JB

Hi all, new to the forum and have a major problem so thought I'd ask here. To cut a long story short, I have a 300TDi Auto with EDC/EGR. Running rough and white smoke (unburnt diesel) every time I press the throttle. Things done so far: Compression test Timing belt changed and timing checked Injectors checked (Thanks Les) Diagnostic run and gave 4 codes - all related, 3 cleared but the fourth (code 9) pointed to the crank speed sensor. Apparently this is used to advance the IP timing as the revs rise. Tried to get the old one out (real pig on the auto as it's right next to the engine bulkhead). Problem is it's left the main part of the magnet/sensor in the casing. It's too close to really get in to drill it out and I have a nasty feeling that I could be looking at a gearbox out job Any help/ideas would be gratefully received. John (JB)