Boydie

Thanks for that, I must admit I thought the switch was a long shot but auto boxes are a bit of a mystery to me but I'm loath to change it for a R380 as the ZF is generally a more reliable unit (if its working correctly) and its certainly less harsh on the drive train. Just checked by draining a little and the oil is reasonably clean but the level is slightly over full, I'll drop the pan and replace the filter and new oil this coming Saturday 19/11/2011 and check on the selector arm report back to you

Hey Guys and Girls, I find it hard to believe that no-one out there in Disco / Defender land has'nt had this experience. Can nobody give me any hints or clues. I'm loath the replace the switch as they are around AUD $250.00 - huge cost for a small plunger switch with two sets of contacts, N/O; N/C. The normally closed set power the ignition circuit limiting starting to Neutral or Park, the Normally Open switch power the reversing lights. Boydie

I wonder if anyone can shed any light on a recent problem I've experienced in my 300TDi / ZF Disco. On occasion it wont select reverse, if I shuffle between any of the drive gears and back to reverse after a short while it clicks in, but this can be a hassle if I'm holding up traffic while reverse parking :-( I've taken out the "isolation/reverse light switch" and checked it out and it seems to be operating correctly and the plunger seems to be free and the gear selection arms dont appear to be damaged or bent in any way due to regular off road adventures so I'm kind of stumped and any advise or even better, rectification solutions from other owners prior experience will be gratefully recieved.

Incidentally, if you intend to give home brewed Bio-Diesel a go, and produce it to Euro5 standards, (less than .03% moisture, 90Cetain rating and molecules of less than 3 microns) then it is possible but you need to be anally intentive (but for an old fart like me a lot of fun) and even then I wouldnt recomend running it in an electronic diesel injected engine as it will stuff up the exhaust oxygen sensors. If however like me you run a old style mechanical diesel (300TDi) and you want to save some money then go for it. My costs are as follows:- Vegtable oil, used. $0.00 (free from my local internationaly renowned Scottish local fast food store-- they buy good quality vegetable oils) New virgin Sunflower Vegetable Oil, -- used as a 25% new / 75% used blend, $85.00 inc. GST for 200 litres. Ethanol. $48.50 inc. GST for 20 litres. Allow for power, the dessicant which has a limited life, and filter mediums (in my case various sizes of rolls of kitchen and toilet paper) say $12.50 per 200 litres. Cost of producing 200 litres of Bio for me in NSW Australia is around $65.00 or $0.32 cents per litre as against $1.52 per litre of mineral diesel at the pump, at least $0.85 cents of which is federal and state taxes. If I were to amortise the cost of the plant, at $3850.00 over say 12,000 litres then the cost per litre rises to $0.64 cents, still a fair saving. 200 litres lasts me around a month so the 12000 litres is a 5 year amortisation period which would be a commercially acceptable time period. Even so, in Bullaburra in winter the temperature on some days drops to below 0 Centigrade and we occasionally do get snow so I only use the Bio during the summer months when the temperature is above 20 degrees. Oh, and no nasty polution !!!!

Bio-Diesel. There are several kits available on the internet. Most consist of three 200 litre drums. The raw oil is poured into the first drum, from here one of three pumps filter it through at least 3 grades of filter, the final one removes any molecule larger than 5 microns, a micron being 1000th of a milimeter. From here the oil is transfered into the second tank, in this tank the second pump circulates the oil through a desicant to remove any vestiges of moisture that may be present. At this stage the oil is taken through catalitic filter to remove the non-soluble fats, (you can use these to make soft soap with the addition of lye). A hydrometer is then used to determine the cetain rating of the raw fuel oil, on average a Ce. of 70 can be expected, to increase this to the required 85 minimum ethanol then has to be added. The final Bio-diesel mix has to be agitated to allow the ethanol to easily combine with the vegtable oil. It can then be transfered into your fuel tank and used. Bio_diesel will readily combine with conventional mineral diesel but like all vegtable oils it coagulates in lower temperatures, if you intend to use it during winter months with an ambient temperature below 15 degrees celcius a fuel tank with a thermostatically controlled heater element will be required required to raise the Bio up to around 24 degrees.

You can use the 300Tdi auto box but NOT the V8, the speed/gear change govenors in the V8 and the TDi are totally different due to the different engine revs and torque curves. ZF custom build and engineer their boxes to suit each individual engine -- which is why they are so bloody good! To use the 300TDi auto box on a 200TDi you will need to use the 300TDi cross member, speedo and wiring connections (the 200 is mechanically driven, the 300TDi is electronic) and the bell-housing. I'd be thinking of a reconned torque converter as a swap componant as well, in all the swap should be able to be carried out over a weekend.

I Replaced mine with LED's but the thing is most replacement LED's are directional and the side illumination is poor, I eventuly ended up glueing alloy kitchen foil to them fo form a reflector

Changing the radiator wont resolve your problem, as "Old Hand" indicated once the radiator cores are blocked with mud no version of radiator is going to be any good, 300 or 200TDi.... How about fitting an allow baffle plate on the bumper to prevent mud from entering the radiator but still allowing air to pass arround it and into the grille ?

Yes, you're right, the auto box ZF filter is in the pan, and the oil cooler is located at the front of the radiator and only slightly above this level, which is why the engine needs to be running with the box in "P" to get a correct oil reading, check it when the engine is off and you will note it is above the "Fill" line on the dip stick, but not so much as to cause damage to the box. I still think your best plan is to eliminate sludge getting into the front of the Disco

the short answer is no. The ZF pump won't do the duty, you will need to install an auxillary pump to cope with the additional lift and static resistance incurred in your pipework, the other problem you will experience is flooding the auto box with excess oil once the engine and pump(s) turn off, as the oil filter is well above th height of the gearbox the oil will flow back to the box with possible catastrophic results. Work out a way to stop mud from getting into the cooler and radiator, it would be a lot easier.

I got my damper re-gassed by the local mobile guy for AUD $25.00 and it works fine.

I can aquire a very low milage (actually kilometers but "kilometerage" doesnt sound right) Iveco Daily 2.8 litre Diesel engine. Everything on the engine however looks "wrong", the turbo is on the top right hand side, the injectors and oil pump & filter are on the right hand side, and I believe the valves are twin cam. Apart from that it looks as if it would be a "straight swap" lenght and engine mounting position, in fact it's a little shorter length wise and lower in it's overall height even allowing for the aforesaid turbo and it looks very good apart from the fixed cooling fan which I would replace with the hydraulic one off the 300TDi if I decide to go ahead with the engine swap. Has anyone done this swap and are there any advantages apart from the benefit of the additional torque, kilowats and reputed trouble free reputation of this motor.

Like mine it can be a SKI Mobile (Spending Kids Inheritance)

Possibly so --- if you have time to pour a coffee and eat a snack while waiting for forward motion to take place but I'm 63 and I really dont have that many years left but the other thing is that I can solve most mechanical gearbox issues and replace a clutch, I simply dont understand the workings of a ZF and how to cure any maladies that might raise their ugly heads from ot miles from the nearest service point. I understand the weakness/fault of the splined shafts and the need to cross drill the gear cluster to increase the lubrication (and additional cooling) oil supply, in fact before I even heard of this problem I did the same to both differential housings to increase lubrication to the planetary and drive gears as a matter of course based on practice from my days preparing rally cars. Even so given your and other comments I'll give the Disco to the Sydney ZF dealers to see what they can do to improve its performance before I finally decide to convert it into a boat anchor. Even I have to agree that on sand its great, on bush tracks with reasonable wheel ruts you can pop it into low range, select low gear, get out and and go for a stroll and the Disco toddles along behind like a faithful puppy at 2-3 KPH and when I do occassionally venture into Sydney the constant gear changes in the stop - start city traffic would be a drag.

Oh how smug am I !!!! When I looked around for a reliable 4x4 to take me and my partner around Australia as well as regular forays into the bush on hunting safari's I first decided on the Defender but considering the distances I will be covering, for example Bullaburra to Lake Eire this Christmas break - a distance of over 1500 kilometers, I opted for the more "comfortable" Discovery. Next was the decision as to the model, I'm a better than average DIY mechanic and since owning the Disco I've changed every suspension rubber, universal, diff bearing and ball joint as a total service but the electronics on modern vehicle melt my brain so the model I chose had to be mechanical and repairable by me in the bush if it brake down and secondly considering the fuel costs and simplicity the chosen power plant had to be diesel, ergo I looked around the used car guides and I purchased a 1999 300 TDi. The Disco as original was a slug, a local diesel specialist has altered the injection timing and increased the boost injection quantity and the results are amazing, the next step before we venture around Australia will be to ditch the ZF auto and replace it with a R380. The second step was to pay to have an auto electricial mechanic strip out and remove all the unrequired wiring and, looms for auto headlight levelers, sunroofs, rear A/C etc. as well as the air bags and anti-lock breaking. I recon we reduced the bare weight by over 20 kilos and 5 kilometers of excess wiring. I guess one thing in favour of Australian second hand 4X4 vehicle is a lack of salt corrosion, apart from the occassional vehicle used to launch and recover sea going pleasure craft none have any salt damage and the body and chassis on mine was perfect when I got it. s

Thanks for all your help, I'll contact Ashcroft to see what is in their kit but it really doesnt seem to be much different from what Ive already got, short of the circulation pump.

In reply, and many thanks for your input, 1.) Mine didnt have any take-offs, which is why I tapped them. 2.) I guess an elkectric pump is the go as I dont seem to be having any luck with a mechanical one. 3.) I wasnt aware that a hydraulic pump was available, do you have a part number for it and can I get one from my LR dealership?

Ok, I guess you could be right but you guys are all in the UK and I'm in the land of Oz, and our summertime temperatures here are slightly higher, I'm planning to do a round Australia trip and expecting ambient temperatures around 40 degrees and yes, the R380 has an internal pump which is needed (I assume) to circulate oil up to the input gears due to the depth of the gearbox. I was looking to give the oil, and the gearbox some additional protection with the inclusion of an oil cooler

How about getting a small clear protractor (school type issue) that shows 180 degrees, fix or mark it agaist your FIP drive cog , (in your instance in 10 degree incliments from BDC to TDC) as measured on the crank and then you should be able to set the FIP timing to achieve the required 10 degrees. I'd be interested in knowing if the result was worth it ...... please. Alternative 2. Remove No.1 injector. and fit a dial guage that can measure the piston from BDC to TDC. Note the total distance and divide it by 180. go back to TDC and turn the engine slowly backwards by the distance that you have calculated that equates to 10 degrees BTDC. Mark the crankshaft. Turn the engine through 2 complete turns back to your mark, check the distance from the mark to TDC, if it hasnt changed, happy days you have a mark for 10 degrees BTDC. If it has, go through the procedure again. This has the makings of the hassles I experienced in "dialing in" my camshaft, I found it was around 1.25 degrees out, such are the tollerances of modern mass production. Once I'd got it perfect I drilled and doweled the camshaft cog.

Is there a accessory guage binacle made for the Discovery to hold up to 3 x 50mm guages? I was thinking of oil pressure/oil temperature, turbo boost pressure and water temperature. The Nissan Patrol used to have one but the standard guages don't fit and it would be a real problem to fit it to the top of the Disco dash

I have to agree with Snagger on this one, as I said, electric fans simply dont have the power to overcome the static resistance of a 4 row deep radiator core. If you come across any after market electric fan manufacturer who claims other-wise ask them for their specific test results for a radiator of the same depth and gereral dimensions as the Land Rover, I can almost guarantee that they not done them. Note that I said STATIC air resistance. Once the vehicle is moving the characteristics of the fan curves (Kw) and the static resistance (MPa) change constantly with the vehicle speed and air velocity (V) into the radiator inlet. The claimed power drain on the crank-shaft drops with the air flow through the radiator as the fan is not required to do any work and once the bi-metalic spring registers the drop in air temperature across it the fan coupling floats the fan to idle, so the power drain is neutral. If anyone has access to a small video camera install it under the bonnet, go for a drive and film the viscous fan in action while the vehicle is being driven, you will see it hardly ever actually runs. Out here in Oz we have more than enough deep rivers to ford, the standard practice is to wade the river first checking for snags, hidden rocks, drowned tree branches etc and in the northern areas of Queensland and the NT for salties (large crockadilia). Then cover the front of the LD with a tarpaulin that goes from the bonnet across the radiator and under to the front of the wheel arches and drive through the river, once a bow wave has been achieved -- and maintained -- very little water actually enters the engine bay.

May I add a little observation here. Before you go down this route you should check what the specifications of the selected fan are, as in cubic feet per second of air moved and against what static. As a HVAC fan engineer I can tell you that the standard belt driven 300TDi fan is far superior to 99% of electric fans. 12 and even 24volt DC Electric fans simply do not have the driven ability to draw air through high static resistances, which is why radiators that have electric fans are very narrow and in some instances have up to two fans to serve them, 300Tdi radiators have a deep 4 row core using "flattened" 1/4" cores, mine has 4 rows of 1/2" cores - in Australia a very desirable modification and perhaps if you have a cooling problem you should consider this before changing fans. Some time ago when considering this very conversion I did some bench tests with a borrowed 15" diameter 12 volt DC automotive Davies Craig fan, fitted to a standard cowl and a reconditioned 300YDi radiator and it was 40% down on the standard unit. The standard unit was measured in situe with the same anemometer and mearuring "trumpet". When you consider that with the frontal area of a Discovery / Defender and that at over 40MPH the fan isnt required anyway as the air flow is sufficient --- is this a valid conversion ? -- especially when you will not be gaining additional cooling?

I'm in the throws of replacing my ZF auto with a 5 speed R380 manual. I've had the R380 overhauled and the gear cluster cross drilled etc. however I want to retain the existing auto oil cooler, or if the flow is too limited a conventional oil cooler with a auxillary oil pump to circulate oil from the R380. To this end I've tapped two 1/2" BSP connections into the box, one in the bottom for the supply to the pump and the return is in the top directly over the main gear cluster, I toyed with fitting a 3/8" alloy tube connected to this supply port with holes drilled allong it's length inside the box as a distributor but space was tight and it was begining to get too complicated. Okay, to my question without notice. I have two options, one is a 12 volt electric pump mounted external to the R380, option 2 and my prefered choice is to mount a direct driven pump on the PTO cover. Drilling the cover to accept an oil seal for the pump drive shaft and tapping the cover to take the pump isnt an issue as there in enough meat in the cover and so long as the pump isnt more than 160mm it will fit without any need to alter the bodywork. So, can anyone tell me what "connection" if any is supplied in the internal PTO shaft? I dont want to have to go and buy another LT230T just to garner this infomation unless I really have to.

Well I wish my cylinder head internals looked as good as yours ! you must have an interesting camera! The ports you nominate as showing oil are the exhaust ports and they look very good, I can only advise changing the valve stem oil seals, if they are the original units they could be leaking it's possible to change them without removing the cylinder head so long as you make sure that the piston in the cylinder you are working on is at TDC, but that said it's safer to remove the head, do the valve job properly and check that the guides arent worn and that the valves are properly lapped into the seats all in all a bummer after all the work you have put in to it.

I agree with "Old Hand" the ZF gearbox is a slug at best on the open road and a total pain in traffic -- unless of course you do a lot of off road sand driving where it comes into its own and cannot be surpassed. The best thing about the ZF is you can put it in Low, select low range on the transfer box and walk along side the Disco to stretch your legs after a long days drive while it "idles" along side of you at arround 3-4 KPH If you have to change it swap it for a R380 but make sure that if has the rear gear cluster cross drilled which improves oil supply to the output shaft and increases the output shaft spline life.