Snagger

I don't know if there is a thermostat in there - it's very small in a Tdi and would fit that thicker section that is directly above the threaded filter coupling in the photo, but there would be some kind of cover plate at the end of that oilway to retain and replace it. I would route the hot side to the top, like a radiator, so that the pump flow is not fighting convection and creating an artificial restriction in the circuit - get convection working with the system to help draw more oil through the cooler and less through the direct/bypass route. No need to worry about that convection over cooling the oil; by its nature, convection will only occur once the oil is hot enough anyway.

Is there a way to fit some springs that hold the pad back against the mechanism?

That's going to make it worse. I thought you were going to do what I did - remove the back plate, lay it on top of the swivel with the shoes down and pipes on top so that the air was against the ports, then bleed and refit. That works perfectly, and only needs doing if you have introduced air into the system - it isn't needed for periodic fluid replacement. The PDWA valve is another major source of trapped air. I recommend removing it and connecting the lines, and using a Defender/Discovery/RRC reservoir cap with float sensor - it gives earlier warning of a leak, senses small leaks, doesn't seize and doesn't make bleeding a pig.

Mine does leak a bit from there too, enough to make it wet but not enough for the prop to fling it about. Certainly not enough to reflect the level drop. In normal use, I only needed to top up every fortnight. That's not a big deal, but it is a slight nuisance and it'd be good to trust it more. Given the cost of a rebore and new pistons and rings versus the oil consumption, I'll just leave it unless it gets markedly worse. Disappointing, though. I might have a go at honing, though, just in case the bores glazed during the running in period and have never cleared since - that could explain the vertical lines from the not very hard coke in the photos I put up (they were post rebore). Quickly looking at the Turner site for piston prices, I saw the cooling jets. I reused the original jets, but one or two were slightly bent and I realigned them. Now, I don't imagine they're especially accurate as new, but if my realignments weren't quite good enough, would this be a likely candidate? I'd imagine they'd need to be well off to cause a problem, squirting at the cylinder wall. Maybe a bit of dirt inside one or more of them is aerosolising the oil spray and misting the walls?

A rolled up plastic sheet or piece of tarp is a good addition to a tool box - you never know where or when you'll break down.

I'm not familiar with V8s, but I'm pretty sure the port closes to the pump output is "B". It looks to me like the oil is pumped up the casting's tube from near the crank, past "B" and to the front of the filter housing. The oil then flows from the outer section of the filter to the inner section and then up the centre pipe that the filter screws onto an up to the pressure sensors and on to the galleries. The "A" port is the return line from the cooler running into the outside section of the filter for mixing with the warm direct fed oil. I'm wondering if the thicker section of the casting pipe as it reaches the front of the filter housing is made to take a thermostat to divert hot oil around the oil cooler or allow direct flow when cold, like on the Tdis and 19J.

As Bowie says, after market kits are available. They're simply a replacement cover plate for the timing pump pulley (the steel plate with three screws) with a fitting in the centre to run a length of plastic hose to a high spot. Nothing clever. They allow breathing, but they don't allow any oil or fuel to drain out - you won't be aware of any cam/crank/fuel pump shaft seal leak until the belt slips or snaps with the results you're already familiar with. So, any time you're going to go off road, fit the plugs, and remove them against once your on a clean enough surface. It's a bad idea to leave them in continuously as they both hide leaks into the case/clutch area and also withhold the fluid.

Your weak spots are going to be the diffs (can be made far stronger by pegging) and, if driving an 88", rear half shafts. Are you uprating them too?

No question is stupid. Not asking would be! It's both. The plate has a wading plug in the middle, plus and ear for carrying the wading plug when not in use. The lug is normally left out to let any oil or other contamination drain out and to let the case breathe. The plug is fitted when you intend to drive in deep water or mud. There is also a wading plug hole in the bottom of the flywheel housing - the same rule applies; plug out normally, only fit for wading.

From everything I have seen and heard, first and second hand, from club users to LR technical staff and instructors, all strongly suggest you'll kill any LR gear box before you kill a transfer box. I have also been told by LR technical people and one of their tech drivers and prime instructors that the Series transfer box is considerably tougher than an LT230. Frankly, from the work I have done on mine and what I have seen of LT230s, I'm inclined to believe it. Ask yourself how many people on here enquire about R380 faults and rebuilds, or look for second hand ones, versus how many ask about Series transfer box faults, and make allowance for how many more R380 vehicles are about, you'll still see a very heavy bias towards R380 failures (and LT230s too).

Ha! I wish I could do that! The shipping would cost as much as just getting a short engine from one of the top UK re-manufacturers, and rebuilding an engine in an open sided garage with all this dust isn't going to do it any favours, otherwise I'd be working on the RR out here! Besides, I need to save all the money I can between now and coming home for rebuilding the RRC and perhaps that ZF before fitting it to the 109, but more importantly and costly than both of those together will be my kids' university costs. Trust me, we're not living the high life, we're having to be reasonably frugal!

It's hard to find them, Dave. The smallest gaps are too small for diesel molecules to come out, but big enough for gas molecules to get in. But making sure the joints are all tight, with good condition olives on joints that use them (lift pump) and copper washers. Don't over-tighten things, though, as you'll distort or break them.

SO you reckon just to live with it and not worry, Dave? I always have cans of 10w40 and EP90 with filler tubes, funnels and such in the side locker...

I have been using Banner light commercial van batteries for a long time now and have been very pleased with their reliability and price. 82AHr is all you need and the 12J should start instantly, even in winter, if it's in good order; it doesn't need to have massive cold cranking capacity. Most diesel LRs struggle to start because their fuel system is leaking air into the top (invisible leaks) which lets the fuel level drain back down to the tank, so they are having to purge the system on each start. Make sure the hoses and unions are all good and it should start instantly every time.

The Haynes book mostly copies the LR manual, and that was written for workshops with all the tools and parts that might be needed. We have to be more creative with our limited resources! The comment about balancing the fan is right, but it's not hard to do. I can't be certain it's how I did it as it was so long ago, but I seem to remember measuring up the outer diameter of the bolt holes (ie the outside edges of opposite holes) and comparing the measurement on fan and pulley, and then drilling the holes in the fan with a bit that would match that outer diameter (take the difference in those measurements, and that is how much bigger you need to drill those holes compared to their current size). That will keep the fan balanced and centred.

Wow! Well, mine is at roughly half that, so I suppose it's ok. It is a nuisance, though. My 300Tdi wasn't using a drop, even at over 200k!

It has been consistent ever since I installed the engine, which was after the rebore. It has always been run on the mineral 10W40 since finishing the running in. The head rebuild and two replacement turbos (one was a bodge by a company in Reading) made no difference, hence my belief it's the block area causing the problem.

I can't see any reason the engine should have difficulty starting normally. The fuel system would need priming, but other than that, it should fire straight up with a battery that holds half a charge. My engines did when I did full rebuilds on them. I'd crack the bleed screw on the filter and wait for fuel to emerge, then the same on the injection pump, turning the engine over on the starter motor. It always works for me... Dave, the SIII fan will fit with a little adjustment of the bolt holes and does the job just fine. It fits the rad and the cowl. Simple and cheap.

I'm pretty sure there were. I think the Royal Marines even got some. I think the V8 was an option until some time after the 200Tdi in the UK and always available in some foreign markets. 205s were an option, too, not mandatory.

I suspect such a high rating alternator will be a serpentine belt type and for the 300Tdi. I have a 200 and 300Tdi, but I have never taken the time to see if they're interchangeable. I suspect not. Certainly the 200Tdi alternators do, though the Discovery versions need the front cover to be "flipped" for the mounting lug to be in the right place (remove the three long external bolts, rotate the front cover and refit the bolts - just that simple if you ever have to do it). I thought the 12/19J water pump pulley was the same regardless of fan type, being mounted tot he pump with four bolts into the threaded pump spindle flange. Viscous fans would then be fitted using the reverse thread at the centre while 12J fixed fans would use long bolts through their cast aluminium adaptor that sits over that viscous thread with longer bolts through the fan, adaptor and pulley into the spindle flange. I just used my SIII four bladed fan (bolt holes filed out a little to match the PCD of the pulley) and later an MoD FFR 10 bladed fan so that they'd fit the SIII cowl. "Winter is coming" is not a comment associated with dread here! Still over 40oC and very humid. Winter gives clearer skies, lest dust and temperatures in the high 20s to low 30s, which is just perfect.

10W40 mineral. I'd use synthetic if it wasn't just burning it away!

A lift without corrected radius arms or bushes removes the 3 degree castor angle from the swivel pin orientation and that is what gives the self centring, not the steering box or damper. The stiffer external resistance on the steering mechanism, almost certainly from the new damper that replaced the failed one, is overcoming the weakened self-centre forces of your steering geometry. Te fight between the weak self centring force and the increased damper force holding the steering in the last input position is the likely cause of the wobble. It was the failed steering damper that previously hid your geometry problem. Fit castor corrected radius arms or the correcting bushes at the axle ends of the standard arms and I'll bet your problems will go away. However, you mentioned that the steering box was a refurbished one, not new, and you are aware of previous debates on that. It could also be a factor. If there is no discernible play in the box, which I assume you checked for, then my money is on the castor issue.

There are different ratio steering boxes, so that may explain why there is a change in the external resistance to pushing the wheels, then again, that could be the steering damper. The lighter feel on the steering wheel could just be that the old unit had internal leaks and the hydraulic assistance was reduced, or it could be that the valve porting in the new box is to the lighter feel specification (that is also another option). It should, however, self centre normally when driving irrespective of the steering ratio or hyd pressure options. It could also be a sign of an overly stiff damper or tight swivel preload, but that seems unlikely. Do you have a suspension lift with standard radius arms, wheel spacers or non standard wheels?

They did fit black plastic trims to Wolf door bottoms, though, I think,similar to those on the NAS 90s. The new canvas door pockets from Exmoor Trim look pretty good, and though not cheap, are probably comparable to the plastic cards. I'd go for the green canvas over the sand just because it'll hide shoe marks more easily. With a sheet of aluminium behind, they'd be practical, tidy and you'd have good protection of the door from errant boots.

But I'll bet they had plenty of stereos, air fresheners, aluminium pedal covers, blue LEDs, low profile alloys and Monster stickers...