Josh NZ

The Isuzu 2.8s are a great engine. I had one in a Holden pick up I used to have, and it's still going at 355,000kms. It really gets up and goes as well but I imagine being in a light 2wd utility helped a little. Towed my broken down s2a on a dual axle trailer over some really long steep hills with zero complaints too! Excellent on fuel as well. Might be different in a landy in terms of performance but I always dreamed of dropping one into my old stage 1 v8 and running it with the 5 speed gearbox as well.

Nissan ED33/35 and Mitsubishi 4DR5 motors are extremely popular swaps out here in NZ. Then there's the 4.1 toyota dyna motor and the Nissan LD28. Everyone just uses an adaptor to bolt to the standard LR gearbox and I dont hear of issues with killing lots of components.. Well, not as many as I expected to hear about! The words are mechanical sympathy I believe!

There's a bunch of perenties on trademe currently... Asking big money though!

Good stuff EJ! Persistence is the key! Hopefully this is finish to your problems

It just depends on how the miles were done. Highway cruising trucks tend to have an easier life rolling along in top gear most of the time, whereas stop start trucks are probably going to have more strain placed on the mechanical components. Service neglect is a big one, and will considerably shorten the trucks service life. Compared to some guys I've read about on here, 200,000 isn't that high! I think Ralph (Western) is on 400,000 miles! Nigelw on here has a really good vehicle check procedure as well

Bugger, atleast it's ok though! If the pressure bleeder makes the pedal nice but when removed makes it poor... Hmm sounds like you're edging towards the problem! Pressurising the system enough to get a good pedal which would indicate a distinct lack of pressure from the m/cyl perhaps? Internal seal failure on the master? Would definitely kill any pressure.

My issue occurred after a m/cyl change. Bolted it straight on without thinking about it. The rest (as you know) is history. Mine made a funny popping noise when I pressed the pedal though. Was your 109 petrol or diesel pre TDI conversion? Diesel IIRC had a vacuum exhauster which supplier vacuum to the brakes via a small unit driven off the exhaust .. Something to investigate in terms of maybe vacuum is lacking?

As I understand it, the steering boxes fail and leak a lot. Have you checked hoses etc for pin hole leaks that might kill the pressure? Hose collapsed from the inside?

Ah, no really amazing circumstance. I just mentioned it to him one day and he literally just undid the union, told me to press the pedal in slowly and repeat until the fluid came out of the union, then nipped it back up!

When mine had air trapped in the master, my friends dad who's an old school guru mechanic just undid the pipe at the master and told me to pump the brakes slowly until the fluid came out. Then he nipped it back up and it was great! Was in a stage 1 v8 too, so same system as yours more or less. Maybe it could be worth blowing the brake lines through with a little compressed air or poking a wire through if they're coming off anytime soon. Persistence will eventually reveal the culprit and I bet it's something so simple you'll smack your forehead!

I'm not intimately knowledgeable about brake systems but I'll throw some thoughts out to try and jog your grey matter! Is there enough vacuum? Were the brakes ok before the stainless hoses? Perhaps a faulty hose acting as a one way valve? Although I see you have been fighting it for 2 years. Are the hoses the same diameter as the old ones? Working on the principle (this will test my high school physics) that if the diameter is too large, the pressure drop is too much over the run of the pipes...? Hopefully that's right! Pedal adjustment correct? Air trapped in the m/cyl? (Happened to me!) Using the correct rated fluid? Wrong DOT rating will dissolve the seals throughout the system. Sorry it's teaching granny to suck eggs EJ, hope you finally sort it?

That is the coolest thing I have ever seen! I want one so bad

Don't give up now mate, you've put so much work into that truck! If you finish it you'll have a rarity in the fact that it's a de rusted 200 series disco and you could move it on for a premium..? You'll regret it if you give up on it, your so close. These things were sent to test us!

Cheers for that Nigel, I hoped you would chime in. In terms of the truck, I'm not overly worried if it's a little tatty on the outside, I'm not looking for a driveway queen but is it still the same test drive procedure? Eg drive it like I stole it once warm and check smoke, noises, gear shifts? Take it up a hill?

Hi Hugh, Yes I would agree on the WOF comment! Ah I would prefer a diseasel over a v8 to be honest even though the user charges are a pain! Manual is a must though, auto is a little boring for me personally so I suppose it's NZ new (which is a great thing anyhow). Cheers for the info mate. Can of worms question. Disco would keep up with a defender off road (for the most part) but better on road?

Hey guys. I'm usually found lurking in the series forum but I recently sold my stage 1 v8 and I couldn't bear to leave the warm(??) embrace of the green oval for too long. I'm considering a discovery. Why? Well, defenders 90/110 still fetch prices waaay out of my budget. We are talking $10k upwards for any condition. Discos on the other hand are plentiful and much more fairly priced. In NZ, our climate is much kinder than in the UK. The trucks aren't nearly as affected by rust so trucks from early 1990s are still in good nick. I want a vehicle to haul the gear, carry the people and traverse the tracks. It will see everything from loong road trips to ski field mountains, sheep farm country and long gravel road trips. It will work for a living! So I ask the congregation.. What do need to watch out for? Gearbox, engine, seat types/configs and specs? I have a basic understanding of what I should get.. 300 series, r380, 7 seats and non EDC.. On the right track? I'm a keen DIYer (it's in our blood!) and I love a good challenge. Hoping for some informative replies Josh

Looks like a gold dredging barge. Which I would guess means you are either on the west coast somewhere near greymouth or down near queenstown. Awesome photo though!

Corrosion/crud can affect the electrical connectors at the height sensors, and it's a common fault. I saw a similar fault in an recent issue of LRM and the symptoms were similar to what you describe. You're in NZ? What part mate?

I run 265/75/16 BFG MTs on my stage 1 v8 which has discovery steel rims. They measure 7" wide and the 265s are fine in mud, well behaved on wet Tarmac and icy mountain roads. I can't comment on how much the term 'icy road' differs between my country (NZ) and yours but they're pretty good on the ski field roads here, however they are a bit chewed after a seasons worth of trips up and down the mountain. If you can get a tyre such as a Blizztrak which I think is a Goodyear...? It might be a Dunlop. They are a good reputeable tyre. Josh

Show off.. If you want to ask him specifics, ask why he had a 300tdi 90 instead of a brand new one like one would expect to be supplied for TV appearances!!

Bear Grylls used one in his tv series that was filmed in NZ.. Surely he would have one at home too

Right, its been a while but i'm back! I'm very pleased to say that the truck is now mechanically sound! A few major parts were replaced and the issue turned out to be that the left hand carburettor was unserviceable. They tried everything to get it running properly and said that the main jet was so badly worn out that they couldn't lean it out enough to get a decent mixture on idle. Compression was tested and 7 cyls came back with 120psi and the last one being 110psi. Cam lift was measured and came back fine. They then replaced the points, condenser, cap, plugs and leads. Took the rocket covers off and found zero oil flow to the rocker assemblies, and the rocker arms had worn into the shafts so much that they were unable to slide along the shafts themselves. So a new assembly went on there as well. A replacement pair of carbs off an RR with 30,000km on the clock were fitted, balanced and found to have completely fixed the problem. They also found a vacuum leak in my diff-lock system which was preventing it from working so they disconnected it temporarily until I can afford to take it back or fix it myself. So I am a happy chappy! The truck drives so well now, plenty of grunt and has got a lot better on fuel! I'm now doing 450kms to a tank of fuel so I'm rapt. Once I got it home, I had a fiddle with the electrics to try and resurrect my dead oil pressure gauge, cold start and oil pressure lights. The gauge sender was cooked, so I went down to the local motor factors and bought a cheap electrical gauge, used the sender and got a result! Now reading 30 ft/lb. Cold start warning light is sporadic, I think the switch is past its best but it can make it go when I press the switch in myself so I think ill try and find a new one. Still have no idea why my oil pressure light wont work. The bulb works and the wiring is in good nick as well. Can the pressure switch be known to go duff? But all in all, very pleased! Josh

Hi mark, there's been no real developments on this as I've basically learnt to live with it, and try to teach others to master it. My local specialists are able to do it but i would shudder to think of the cost! Are you running engine oil (20w-50) in the box? If you run anything else than engine oil, the shifting will suffer. I see your in Marlborough, what part? I have relatives in Blenheim who i'm visiting soon. Josh

The wheel is fitted upside down, with the S shaped bits directly underneath the bolt heads to serve as clamps to the rim. The two bolts go up through the centre (hole for the hub) and clamps face outwards. That's how it is on mine anyway

Hi Stephen. Cheers for the advice, I'm not really looking to create a concourse resto machine. Just one I could fix up during the winter and drive to work in the summer. I also found out that its registration status is what we in NZ call, dead. Basically, it's been so long since it was last paid up on registration that its been removed from the system and has no number plates. Basically it needs to rebuilt to standard specification to be able to pass a check similar to what I would have gone through when it first arrived in NZ. The check from memory is around $800 NZD. So that adds a bit of a challenge to the mix. I like a good challenge