streaky

I think you'll find that the valley gasket has lost some of it's rubber coating. This has happened recently to three engines here in Dubai that were all fitted with the same brand of valley gasket. The best thing is to flush the engine through a couple of times and then remove the sump again since alot of the gasket remnants are too big to go through the sump drain plug. I pulled a peice off from my oil strainer that was a few inches across. It's always a worry though since you hope that none of the old gasket will get stuck in the oil pressure release valve. This exact same issue happened to me and two mates last year. The culpret was traced to poor quality gasket sets from China. Regards. S

It's not the same as the Southdown... but you don't really need the template anyway. I did mine without it. The template just saves a bit of time.

I do alot of travelling with my job back and forth to China. Whilst there last week I came across the new China branded version of the Land Rover SONIM. At 26 quid I just had to buy the black one and see how it compared to my original one. I have to say I was very impressed at the features..... it every thing that my Sonim has apart from the GPS doesn't work. Interestingly the battery compartment is very well sealed against dust and water but the buttons and speaker are not..... Oh, and did I mention it's quite bouncy! The weight and build are surprisingly good for a 26 quid phone and it has two SIM card slots which is handy. It has video camera, MP3, Bluetooth streaming for music, predictive texting which is something SONIM don't have yet! The screen savers are better than the Land Rover version too! Here's a few pictures of what they had on offer in the local knock off market. If you get offered a cheap Land Rover phone down the pub it would be very hard to distinguish it from the original....apart from the spelling on the box and sometimes the battery!

I don't think they are metric. When I fitted some stainless headers to my 4.6 they came with some American made studs which looked like a coarse 3/8 UNC thread. (Yanks don't make anything in Metric!) Be 100% sure before you try forcing a bolt into the aluminium block.

I've decided to bite the bullet and get a second hand Range Rover Sport petrol. I had a brand new HSE Range Rover for the weekend and was rather inpressed with the 5.0 engine...but I prefer the appeal of the Sport compared to the Rangie HSE. My price range is for a 2006-2007 vehicle. I'm not bothered if it's supercharged or not since I am looking for a reliable weekend cruiser and not a daily driver. What problems should I be looking for when going for test drives, crawling around etc? Have they had any major recalls etc? Whats their biggest cause of breakdowns and are the gremlins in the electrics/software etc all surfaced now? Thx.

If you are serious about having a new map then you should also be prepared to get the car on a rolling road dyno. I've had a few of my ECU's mapped by the Master himself Mr Mark Adams...but it was only when he came to Dubai recently and had the Disco on a rolling road that he released the full potencial of the new map. The car is just much more tractable across the entire rev range, the torque figures are up, the HP numbers are up and to top it all the fuel economy is also better.

The spec sheet doesn't mention the weight. I have same type of ARB bumper on my Disco and it weighs a ton! Solid bit of kit though! I heard that the front eyes on these ARB's shouldn't be used for recovery points. I wonder how many people knew that?

When you think about it....that has to be one of the easiest stretched vehicles to make. Hardly a luxury Limo like most of the others you see though is it!

I got sent this a few days ago. Long winded but worth reading. S. Field Bulletin 22nd Dec. 2009 DON’T GET BURNT! Copies of Safari Snorkel Systems Manufactured in China People place a great deal of trust in a snorkel system and over the years, Safari snorkels have built a reputation as the ultimate insurance against engine damage from dust and water. Consumers have never experienced poor quality copy snorkels from China Unfortunately, during 2009, a veritable flood of low cost snorkels began appearing on the market. Whilst they appear to be exact copies of Safari snorkels, there are a number of issues that must be exposed in order to educate the consumer who may have never experienced poor quality copy products manufactured from inferior materials in China. S afari snorkel systems are manufactured from Australian plastics with special additives Safari snorkel systems are manufactured in Australia from Australian plastic materials that contain special additives. The base polymer and additives are compounded under precise conditions through exacting chemical reactions to create a homogeneous material that has exceptional resistance to the sun’s damaging rays, strong physical properties and tough impact resistance. Under the microscope, it is clearly evident that there is no graininess. The result is strong bonding down to the molecular level and consistent distribution and performance of all the additives throughout the entire component. Safari Snorkel material - No graininess and strong bonding down to the molecular level Cheap Chinese copies use poorly compounded and inferior materials The cheap Chinese copies however are a minefield of problems and a real trap for the unwary consumer who would understandably expect the same level of product performance. Whilst the copy components look very similar to the genuine Safari snorkel and are promoted as using a similar base polyethylene material, the key points of difference are what ADDITIVES are then mixed with the base material and the MANNER in which the (correct) additives are MIXED or COMPOUNDED with the base material. Under the microscope, the cheap Chinese snorkel material displays a distinctly grainy or crystal like structure where the additive/colouring agents simply coat the base material – rather than combining in a homogeneous structure. Chinese Copy Snorkel Material - distinctly grainy or crystal like structure where additive and colouring agents simply coat the base material. Consistency varies markedly throughout the part. Poor level of material consistency throughout the component To make matters worse, when sampled from different areas, the consistency of the material and mix of the Chinese copy snorkel varies markedly depending upon what part of the component is analysed. This has a huge impact upon the level of UV and structural performance of the component and even if some areas could be considered satisfactory, others are not. Poor UV resistance to the Sun's rays and brittle when cold This means that UV resistance becomes a serious problem and that these components will degrade markedly under prolonged exposure to the sun. Moreover, the physical properties are again markedly different to the genuine Safari component – particularly at cold ambient temperatures where a knock from a passing branch can crack the snorkel body – rendering it useless and dangerous at the next water crossing. Put simply, the inferior Chinese manufactured copy product cannot be relied upon to deliver the level of component performance and durability that Safari customers have enjoyed for over three decades. Regardless of cost, there is no peace of mind with inferior products. Impact Damage - Cracked snorkel body from a blow that barely marks the surface of a genuine Safari snorkel. S ame problem with cheap Chinese outdoor equipment To draw a parallel, professionally molded Australian recreational outdoor equipment such as children’s playgrounds have been used by schools and councils for years. These products are manufactured from the correctly compounded materials and enjoy many years of durable service life out under the harsh Australian sun. Contrast this with inferior home use playground equipment from China that is sold through large discount chains. As many parents would know, it would be unusual for the product to last one Australian summer without discolouring and cracking. H ardware corrosion that spreads to the vehicle Whilst the mounting hardware and brackets may look the same, there are huge discrepancies in the material quality. For example, hose clamps that have a stainless steel band are often constructed with a plain steel screw. Brackets are often mild steel and then painted or even worse, studs in the wrong grade of stainless steel or plated mild steel. Inserts in the snorkel body are often made of aluminium or plated steel. The list goes on and unfortunately for the consumer, the problems don’t appear for some time - but when they do, it will be too late. The corrosion will most likely have fused components together and rust spread to vehicle panels. All genuine Safari snorkel fasteners, clamps and brackets are 100% stainless steel, of the correct grade for the job and the stud inserts formed inside the snorkel body are high quality brass for a lifetime of component serviceability and zero corrosion. Consumers must have total trust in a snorkel system It is our strong belief at Safari that inferior materials and manufacturing techniques have no place on vital components such as snorkels. As 4WD enthusiasts, we rely on our snorkels for total peace of mind to protect the engine against harmful water and dust. That can only be achieved with a snorkel you can trust – the genuine Australian made Safari snorkel system. Safari Automotive Pty. Ltd. 73 Merrindale Drive, South Croydon 3136 Australia. http://www.safarisnorkel.com Tel: +61 3 9761 7244 Fax: +61 3 9761 7665

White spirit left to soak will do the job. As will copius ammounts of WD40.

Thanks guys...some worthy tips there. S.

Thx for the comments. I couldn't agree more about the Troopy...the guy I race with owns the UN Vehicles preperation workshop here where they bring in all the new Land Cruiser LJ70's for modification before being deployed to Africa and the Middle East. It's a very good contract for him since he builds special bumpers, cages, fuel carriers etc for every vehicle in the MENA (Middle East & North Africa) organsation. I'm just chuffed that I got those ramps for free....& the Brand New Karcher pressure washer came from work too! I just forgot to return it but since we have four others they havn't missed this one. Funny enough we've had a very wet winter here this year and the tracks around twon have been very muddy. I couldn't imagine everyone in the UK NOT having ramps and a pressure washer!

Look what they were going to throw away at work! A pair of robust ramps that come in really usefull at home! The sun was out at the weekend so it was out with the flip flops and pressure washer.

Thx Les. The mounts I picked up are only the rubbers....and I don't expect to find any rust on mine when I remove them. Will let folk know how I got on! Thx. S.

Sheltie. One of the pressed steel mounting points has cracked from hard driving (not corrosion), this is the bit that I will get welded. Les. I didn't see anything about a kit at the parts place so I just bought a couple of the rubber mounts. I'm not doing the job myself but I don't think the workshop doing this has done them before either. I spoke to the guy yesterday and he seemed to think that a slight body lift was needed to get the new rubbers in. Are we way off target with that train of thought then? May be I can undo/remove the bolt going through the center of the mounts so I can slide them into the gap? Is that teh right way of doing it then? Thx. S.

There are four rubber Hocky Puk type body mounts at the front end of the 300 V8 Discovery. Two are in line with the bulkhead and two are further forward near the radiator. One of the steel mounts on mine has cracked and I'll have to get it welded but what are the best tricks to replace these mounts? Do I simply have to undo the nuts and lift the body? Whats the best way of replacing them and what else would I have to undo before I can raiser the body a few inches? Whats the most common way of lifting the body? Thx. S.

Fusioncar is not a brand that I am familiar with...and I've come across quite a few in my time. My first venture into the best sounding 4" speaker was SONY. They were rubbish, Sony should stick to making head units. Then Alpine....more tat in a box, Alpine make superb Head units and Amps. Kenwood...same rubbish...they should stick to blenders. Then I tried the JL Audi brand. For a straight forward drop in replacement you will not find a better sounding 4" speaker...period. If you're going to start cutting metal and making spacer rings etc...then take a look at the Rockford Fosgate range. After numerous swaps I have them in my Discovery and simply love every crotchet and quaver that they replicate! Rockford have to be paired with the right amp to get best results though...they aren't so good straight from the head set. I run a dedicated amps for all of my speakers and subs. Before I started cutting out my door cards I got hold of a second hand one from the scrap yard. This really helped determining the depth of speaker I could fit.

I don't know how long you've been in the middle east Nodwas but I can tell you that in my 19 years to date.... Land Rovers don't hold their money out here. With the exception of the Range Rover Sport you'll lose money hand over fist with just about every model that they have ever sold in the UAE. Unless you are a die hard fan of the Green Oval...sell it and get your self a trouble free Nissan Patrol Long Wheel Base. They are the most boringly reliable 4x4's available and absolutly no charactor what so ever. No one will take a second glimpse as you park outside the Golf club or mal of the Emirates but other tha changing the oil, brake pads, spark plugs and air filters it will give you years of good trouble free motoring and you'll get the best ever resale value for it when you want to get rid of it. Where did you uy it from? Private dealer or Spinny's notice board? I bought my Discovery brand new in 1998 and wouldn't part with it for all the tea in Sharjah...but then I'm a Die Hard Land Rover fanatic and didn't buy it because of it's reliability, style,ease of customisation etc. Good luck. S.

Thx guys. I ordered a couple of sets from X-Eng yesterday. I'll also be sure to instruct my workshop guy not to play around with the settings if he doesn't understand what the disc brake is all about. Chris. Simon said the same thing and maybe next time i will give JCB a try. Thx for the info all the same. S.

Do you mean this article? That was my Discovery that Bob Morrison covered when he came over for the Desert Challenge. I fitted the WOLF rims a few years ago and haven't had any issues. My arches are flared which allowed me to fit 265/75-R16's though.

I have an X Eng Disc brake on my 300 Disco and until recently is has been working just fine. That is untill the car went in to my mates new workshop for a service. When I got the car back he said they'd made a slight adjustment to the hand brake and i though nothing else of it. Two days later I was doing a desert recovery which mean't driving alot harder than normal through the dunes to reach the stricken vehicle. After a while I could smell what I thought was a burning clutch kind of smell so I stopped and looked underneath...the X Brake was smoking like hell and the the brake pad had pretty much worn down to nothing. What pads will fit the X Brake? Living out here in teh Middle East we don't have access to many of the more common car parts found on the UK's roads. Will there be pads from a more common vehicle available? If so what have pads can I use? Failing this I will order some from Simon but would like to source something locally if I can. Thx & regards. S.

Nigel. I had a similar question some time ago and got this reply from JW Riyadh. It may not answer your question directly but it has some usefull information. "Assuming you still have your original Disco 3.9Efi fuel injection loom in there, My diagrams say that there are three leads coming from the TPS, Brown [yellow] (+5 volt supply), Blue [green] (Ground) and Green [red] (TPS Signal). There is a very near connector where the colours change to Yellow (+5 volt supply), Red/Black (Ground) and Red (TPS Signal). Colours in square brackets [ ] are for early pre 1994 TPS sensors Very simple to check for the correct connection, ground voltmeter on back of RHS cylinder head, switch on ignition anod move the throttle pedal. The Supply will remain constant at 5 volts, the Ground will remain constant at zero and the TPS Signal will alter from 0.32-0.34 volts to approaching 5.0 volts. When they check this connection the 0.32-0.34 at idle is very important, if not correct then adjust by loosening and rotating the TPS sensor. Also the rise of voltage with throttle movement should be smooth with no blips or drops, these indicate a worn sensor which requires replacement. Badly worn would cause the ECU to think that you were pumping thee throttle continuously." Hope this helps some what. S.

Richard!! Koolu tamam hibibhee! Enough of that for now! My usual garage in Dubai has twice done the heads on my Disco and twice with 23,000km they've failed so earlier this week I trusted my 4.6 to a new guy in town who looks after a number of racing cars here. The heads came off and sure to form we saw a few small blow bye marks between two galleries. The suspect is down to the stretchy head bolts being used more than three times. I have a road trip of around 4500km next week so I couldn't take any chances. The new expansion cap is also suspect. Hopefully I can give good reports when I get back from Saudi. Laters. S.

Hi Jules. Thanks for the offer mate but I hope to have it resolved by then! I have a race in Saudi next week and need this doing before driving the 3,700km road trip...I just don't have the time to do it before we go and AAA quoted three days labour which I think is far too long hence the Q. Chat soon. Regards. S.

Since the pressure test on my V8 is showing signs of hydrocarbons in the expansion tank I have decided to have my local workshop change the head gaskets. It's only been 23,000km since they were last done at the same garage so I am a little bit sceptical about how much they are charging me for the work. I'm even more worried that I might even face the same problem in a further 23,000km! How long do Land Rover say is about right to do a straight forward head gasket change on a Discovery V8 Efi? I've done two in a single day and also had the heads skimmed at the same time. Thx.