Thys

My Discovery 300 Tdi Auto's engine gave notice rather dramatically one Thursday evening in ORTambo's parking garages. I started the engine, she fired up instantly, but, looking in my rear view mirror all I could see was a cloud of blue smoke, some members of public passed some threatening remarks. This happened a week after I had the transfer box rebuilt with the new generation gears, the rear diff oil seal replaced and the valve body of the auto box repaired at R 13 995.00. One year guarantee or 60 000 km. The effect was magic, the crunchy=whining noise was gone, the Disco was actually a very quiet vehicle at 120 km/h! Driving back home the engine used 750ml of oil from ORTambo to Centurion. Next morning she started instantly, but an aerial photo would have shown the route I dove to work (6km)! The rear door was splattered with oil residue, the blow-by at the oil filler was extreme, so that was it. I tried all the well known specialists, but the answers were the same;fully booked for three weeks. The Disco is my daily car for business, and my current work load at work left me with no time to strip/remove the engine myself. The company who did the drive train referred me to an engineering works in Brits. They came to collect the Disco with a trailer, and started working to do a quote. Damages were: Turbo gone, casing and turbine, oil rings collapsed, reach in sleeves requiring a 020 bore, new pistons, rings, crank was to spec, only polishing and a standard set of bearings required. Valve guides and valve stem seals replaced, head pressure tested. Vacuum pump cracked and replaced, diesel injector pump overhauled and re-calibrated by Bosch, injectors cleaned, new water pump, oil pump serviced, radiator leak repaired, inter cooler cleaned, new hoses and clamps, one year guarantee or 20 000 km. This came to R43000.00. What now, you can't cell a shot vehicle? Even so I went window shopping. This very quickly cured the itch, it still works out cheaper to repair than replace, in my case, the rest of the Disco is immaculate. I am now running-in the Disco, engine still "stiff", but what an improvement. Oh, I forgot to mention that she has 220000km on the odo, low for an engine re-built, but the previous owner admitted to over heating the engine in the Namib desert...........

My Disco !1 300 Tdi Auto's temperature did the same when I had 3 passangers, and a long 1.5 mile climb. Radiator was re-cored a while back and the thermostat new, eventually it was the viscous fan playing up. I borrowed a locked one, and the temperature was actually lower, replaced the viscous hub, and all was well again.

That wonderfull glue called Super Glue is a marvel for sealing small chips pin holes on the lenses, my Disco's LF lens was done that way, and has been watertight for over three years.

Thanks Teabag, I went through the detail again. I may be mistaken, but looking at the photos there is a difference in the spoke cross sectional shape of the Deep Dish and Boost. The Deep Dish spoke has more of a rounded spoke, where the Boost has a more angular spoke? Then I also note that the first 5 doors had a "fat" spoke alloy, with the spokes slightly angeled,(maybe the Sculptured alloy) which were later replaced with the flat 5 spoke alloy as on the ES? Still can't find a pic of the Tornado alloy. I now note that the Castor alloy has a small flat section behind the center hub, between the spokes. In South Africa the side decals were not added to the models, so that was what made the comparison difficult. Regards

Just read James Taylor's book titled "Land Rover Discovery 1989 - 1998. He cleared a lot of questions I had regarding the Discovery 1's. But one topic which I still find not very clear are the alloy rims used. Some rims can be identified by comparing the photos and descriptions, but there are some discrepancies. So my big question is: How does the following rims look (I will use the descriptions from the book): 1. Deep dish alloy 2. Boost alloy 3. 5 Spoke Free Style Choice alloy 4. Castor alloys 5. Tornado alloys 6. Sculptured alloys I also gathered that some were silver and some were gun metal Grey. I tried some web sites, they have pictures, but no LR names. Are there web sites or links that show these rims with pics and descriptions? Thanks

Do the arithmatic: Exhaust valve stand down: 0.86 - 1.14 Worst actual exhaust stand down = 0.3 Stand down difference = 0.86 - 0.3 = 0.56, or on 1.14: 1.14 - 0.30 = 1.11 Difference in head gasket thickness: 1.6 - 1.5 = 0.10 As the head gasket thickness compensates for the piston protrusion above the block level, I would say you are in trouble as your stand down error is still way out of spesification, even with the gain on the gasket thickness.

You may remember my 300Tdi's cylinder head saga in March/April 2008. One big lesson learned was that the pressure testing of the Tdi's head is not done the same way a petrol engine's head. Mine's head "passed" the pressure test, only to discover after removing the "passed" head twice, that the pressure test procedure was incorrect, the head was cracked. I bought a new head, and that was the end of my problems. The correct pressure test procedure? This is what a reputable Cylinder Head Specialist told me: Once the head's water channels are heated with water circulating at a temperature of 120ºC (I don't know how they do it, as water boils at 100ºC at sea level), the water temperature must be maintained through out the pressure test. The applied pressure, 8 Bar if I am correct, must stay constant for at least 24 to 48 hours. If the head fails the pressure test, it is wise to replace the head, as opposed to "stitch" the crack.

The piston protrusion above the block should dictate the head gasket thickness, there are tables in the manuals specifying the values. After the head has been skimmed, the valve recess clearance must be checked, again it is specified in the manuals, get that recess wrong, and the valve and piston will eventually touch.

My 1996 3 door 300Tdi Auto was bought new in London, and had no EDC, windows, two sun roofs and door mirrors are manual. .

Well what we found this morning, when the engine is warm, the voltage drop from the battery to the wire at the solenoid is 4 Volt, but when cold the voltage drop is 1 volt. We installed a tempory relay, and now all works well. I am told the voltage thief can be the ignition switch, or the spider, or the starter relay, or even the wire; will wait and see.

Thanks Jon, It seems the way to go, but here in sunny South Africa, you need to sell some organs to afford a new starter

Hi Errol209, We've just hit a cold rainy spell, and some hail this afternoon. Tomorrow is one of Southern Africa's biggest open air car shows, Cars-in-the-Park at Zwartkops Race Track, so every body is watching the weather. In our reference frame work, it's very cold. I have reason to believe that the solenoid is not a Bosch unit, and I did a voltage drop test when the solenoid "clacks", the main circuit stays open. Cheers from a cold and wet Centurion.

This one has me bogged down. I had the starter overhauled, and the solenoid replaced. If I switch the engine off after a trip of more than 10 km, the solenoid just goes "click" when trying to start . Short trips, or having not started within one hour, no problem. I checked the main cables, battery condition, every thing fine. Can it be that the replaced solenoid is not rated for the high engine bay temperatures? Remember this is a 300 Tdi, so the poor solenoid is right next to the turbo, and exhaust.

The top portion of the injector has two flat edges and a no 15 metric fits on them. My 300Tdi's injectors were "stuck", but once I started applying pressure on the spanner, in both directions, the injector started moving and eventually I managed to pull it out without using a sliding hammer.

Thanks guys for the response. Based on the responses, the one I bought is also a replacement altenator from LR. I also went the cable tie way with the old heat shield. Have a nice day.

Guys, my '96 Disco I 300 Tdi's alternator went out of service on Friday morning, after 203000 km's. The Little Black Box EMS IV picked the failure up before the battery warning light came on. The rear bearing disintegrated, and the field coils burned. I had a spare one, but noted that my original one has a heat shield. The spare one does not even have the extended studs on the back to mount the heat shield spacers and heat shield. Both alternators are Magneti Merelli, and has LR data plates. My question is, did LR change the alternator specs on the Disco I 300Tdi's? I am very concerned running the spare alternator without a heat shield as the rear is too close for comfort to the exhaust manifold. I made a temporally mounting to mount the heat shield.

Mine had the shakes/wobbles at 100 km/h. Replaced worn ball joints, all 4, shakes/wobbles were les violent, adjusted the steering box "dead ahead" free play, improved, but still there, new tyres, more improvement but still a trace of a wobble, replaced the shocks.......shakes/wobbles gone. (Disco 1 300 Tdi)

Any ideas? climbing allover the interior to open doors is killing my back Climbing all over the interior sounds frustrating, but it may be more intersting if there were occupants you are clambring over, and they are of the fairest nature......

Was camping in Pilansberg Game Reserve this weekend, saw this beauty comming from the opposite direction.........

Now I have a question; what on earth is this Nanocom thingy? My Disco is pure mechanical, so please be patient. Thanks

Thanks stageonesimmo, I did not buy a VDO, went to a national spares franchise, Midas. The Eques gauge cost me R 189.00, and fortunately the backlighting was the LR green. Cheers

i went to 245/70/16, the lift was a minor 7,5 mm, but the extra width from the standard 205/80/16's gave a good improvement, the wheel arches are not affected, only had to do a small adjustment on the steering stoppers. The steel LR rim my Disco has is a 7J, and the tyre manufacturer's specification call for a minimum of 7J.

It's pity the temperature gauge of the Discovery is an insitu gauge, the Defender's factory gauge and the VDO is interchangable, thus no loose instruments on the dash as with my extra one.

Yup, analouge up to "normal" and switching to the high/red zone, or as I call it:"The too late position". I installed the "Little Black Box EMS IV", and a seperate analouge temperature gauge, reading the actual head (not water) temperature, and as jamesmorfee mentioned the head temperature is 100 +/- 10 º C. I posted a pic a while back. Cheers