garrycol

I have had the RRS version of the D3 for 8 years and is the most reliable car I have owned - drives great, handles great and is easy, simple and cheap to service but I do it all my self and only contract other things that I am too lazy to do. The TD5 is great but is from an earlier generation.

Rattles in the rear will normally be the front mount on the rear diff - the rear of the diff is supported by two mounts that rarely fail but the front of the diff is only supported by one mount. These wear out quite quickly and are a pain to replace. Garry

If that hits a rock at 20kph it will be history

That bigger sump will need protection if you head offroad.

The Thor produces slightly less power at the top end but more torque from lower down so is better suited to a 4wd and everyday driving. Also the 4.0/4.6 has a stronger bottom end. The crankshaft is bigger and has cross bolted main bearing caps.

100psi - you would be blowing stuff left right and center. No at idle you will get around 20 psi and running with any sort of revs up around 40psi - maybe a bit more, maybe a bit less depending on gauge and engine condition.

What do the codes say is the issue? This is really the only way to start to look for engine issues.

Yes I have one on my RV8 - the low coolant sensor goes into the top radiator hose and the temp sensor bolts to a bolt in the head. Works very well sounding if the coolant is a bit low and if the engine starts to get a bit warm. I have the temp alarm set 10c above the normal operating temp of the engine. I measures actual engine metal temp not coolant temp which can give a false reading - most cars have an OEM coolant temp gauge anyway. Garry

I have the 2.7 TDV6 and petrol V8 other vehicles. Only the OP can works for them. The SDV6 is an exceptionally reliable engine just as the petrol V8. The TDV6 has issues with big end bearings causing crank failure - the petrol V8 has issues with its cam chain tensioner causing failure. It comes down to want you want - for sure the v8 has more power and have an absolute higher top speed but the SDV6 has a better torque curve making it more flexible on the road and in reality for 99% of use will cruise as well as the V8 on the freeway. As mentioned if fuel use is an issue get SDV6. Issues with entry to cities - no idea I guess only you can work that out. Cost of maintenance probably works out about the same - each engine has their own but different requirements. Take each for a drive and work out which you like best - in a drag race the V8 will win but on the road where flexibility is needed the SDV6 will come out ahead. Me - I like the great fuel usage of the diesel - I can get down to 6.6l/100km on the motorway where the petrol in similar conditions is nearly double that. Garry

Simple answer is no. 15" and 16" OEM FL1 wheels just bolt straight up.

I didn't think it ever got cold in New Caledonia - so cold starts would not be an issue :-).

Like General Grabber, Nitto are a US tyre - sold all around the world but I guess not in the UK. They are a major brand and well known in most countries. In fact better known in most areas than General Grabber. https://www.nittotire.com/

After 80,000km on the General Grabber AT (not AT2 or AT3) with the wavy tread pattern, I have just replaced them with Nitto Terra Grappler 2 AT. These seem a great tyre and are similar in performance to the General Grabber ATs. They are more quiet than the GGs and seem to match them for onroad and offroad performance. Garry

No - many "modern" aftermarket fuel injection systems have a self tuning ECU as part of the system - yes you can change things if you want but the ECU has as part of its program to constantly tune. Some of the Holly products do this.

This post was supposed to go in straight after the post quoted but for some reason it did not go in - guess I forgot to hit submit but was saved. Thanks - maybe later. I have been on the "approved forum" for a long while and with the exception of a couple of people I was amazed at the lack of assistance and the poor documentation. I stopped the project last year to concentrate on other things and the vehicle now just sits on the front lawn. If I am inclined I might come back to it later in the year but not at the moment. If I had my time again I would have just got a plug and play, self learning ECU rather than the ancient piece of junk that is MS. Might be OK if there was local support but there is nothing. Thanks Garry

disconc - when you get this all sorted why dont you come over to Canberra and do my MS3 - I am about to throw it in the bin due to the complexity for newbies to set MS up - a bad decision on my part to go this route Not sure what happened with the font and underlining above

Nige sells a mod that allows you to use a thermostat similar to older 3.5 engines.

I would be more worried about the condition of the liners - make sure any of the liners have not slipped and get the block pressure tested - cheap blocks are normally cheap for a reason. Hopefully it is just the lifter issue which would be an easy fix. Garry

You just need a good All Terrain Tyre (AT) which will provide an adequate tread for most for sand.rock and the road. It should also be a light truck tyre which has a thicker sidewall to provide better sidewall protection for when airing down is needed - will help prevent staking of the sidewalls and cuts from stones. Suitable tyres would BFG AT KOs (LT) or Bridgestone Desert Dueller 697 AT LT. Obviously need spares, repair kits, air compressor etc

4x2s are so rare - yes it would be sacrilige to change the engine - I would have thought it would have had a 2.0 spreadbore engine rather than the much earlier 1600 but you need to check. Really giving the current engine a good refurb would provide as much oomph as something like a Jimny and no conversion needed. I would stay with what you have and do a mechanical refurb. Garry

Yes a mess but really was anything else expected. In view of the failure of cranks I would consider getting a new one rather than refurbish what you have . At least your journey has begun - so good luck and keep us informed. Garry

Check you do not have a split intercooler pipe.

Well I have had my 2007 RRS 2.7 TDV6 for 8 years now and it has been the most reliable vehicle I have owned. It gets used on road and offroad and other than service items it has not had any issues. As long as you use good quality lubricants and parts they are easy to maintain and are very reliable. In the past - I have had 2x Disco 1 V8s from new and the RRS is far more reliable than them. Garry

So do you have what we would call "alpine fuel" as standard fuel during the cooler months to prevent waxing. Temps where I live in winter are similar to most of the UK (not Beast from the East though) and all of our service stations convert to "alpine fuel from mid autumn to mid spring. Garry

Arn't they twin turbo without some of the stuff that 4wdise the engine in the Disco. From wiki - The disco engine is fitted with a large engine driven cooling fan to support low speed, high load driving as may be encountered in desert conditions. Furthermore, the Land Rover variant of the Lion V6 includes a deeper, high capacity sump with improved baffles to maintain oil pressure at off-roading extreme angles and multi-layered seals to keep dust, mud and water at bay and different transmission bell housing bolt pattern. So the engine does not go straight in. As the Territory is a 4wd, the engine is essentially the same as the Disco, so basically bolts straight in with virtually no mods required.