EdF

Hi, I can only suggest you try and find the post by Silvio and ask him, or, remove the O rings and go to a Viton supplier (if you can locate one) and ask them to match the originals. I've now sold my Defender and have a Disco 3 so I'm waiting for a different set of (more) expensive problems. Ed

It's the first one, so I can see it, but is there any way of removing it myself without taking off the manifold etc.? Should the manifold be skimmed as presumably it's a bit warped. However, it doesn't seem to be blowing..

Hi Reiny, Not a stupid question, but the method of doing it might be, as I would have to try and lick the driveway where it spilt. It hasn't done it again and what did come out dried up.. My other half tells me it didn't smell and looked clear.., so it may well have been rainwater.. Do you know what that is in sunny Malta? Ed

I only wish my 90 HAD aircon! A heatwave (for us) today, it's over 24C.... Thanks to all so far, checked the duck bill thingie on the n/s wingtop, it's clear and empty, couldn't find another. Only things spotted so far is that the bodywork under the heater is quite rusty, but then if it's a normal channel for rainwater it would be.. The header tank level was normal, so doubt the core plug theory and I can't see any without a stripdown (where are they?). There was a heck of a lot of water on the ground, I would estimate at least half a gallon. Taken it out twice since I posted and everything normal.. The motor was parked facing slightly downhill, water seemed to be dripping down the nearside of the engine around the downpipe.. A mystery.. Perhaps it's a new spring, (wet, not coil...). If it's mineral water, I could bottle it and make a fortune.. Landy Water, full of minerals, ferrous oxide, aluminium oxide, traces of oil to help the joints and glycol, to keep you warm in winter.. £2 a half litre.

I'm on my 18th Landy (done almost all my own maintenance) but this problem has me beat. Started her up today (2002 TD5 90) and there was a regular 'chuffing' noise from the air intake on the offside wing.. Reversed a bit around the drive and noticed the motor was leaving a trail of water. Not the odd drip, but a lot.. Got out and had a look and there was water coming from under the engine around the exhaust downpipe. Looked under the bonnet - nothing obvious. We were just going out so we changed vehicles and got back about 2 hours later. It was then absolutely normal, no leaks, no strange noises, no water missing from the header tank or the washer bottle. Wife used it last 6 days back. All I can think of is that rainwater was 'stored' somewhere and escaped.., but I can't remember it raining all week.. But I don't understand the noise from the air intake. Since been for a ride, got it up to temperature, no problems.. Am I delusional...? Definitely water, it's since dried up and there's no trace of it now.

Before I spend a hundred quid, could some kind bod measure the height of the towball off the ground on the lowest setting please? I need to check if the towball would be lower than on my LR supplied adjustable towbar. Need to get the towball lower than it is now without using a drop plate - it's a heavy trailer.. Measure to the top of the towball please? Many thanks!! Mine's a 2002 90 with standard rear springs..

I did this job last year when I also acquired two late (2006) rear side panels with windows from a breaker. I hate removing headlinings (they rarely look the same after refitting) so I didn't bother.. I left the roof bolts in across the front above the screen. Then I undid the other bolts between the roof and the side panels and lifted the roof up at the rear just enough to get the side panels out. Admittedly it was awkward getting the bolts out above the seatbelt brackets, but it was possible. Worse getting them back! Of course, had to do other stuff like taking out the door seals..) I sprayed everything to match, put some Waxoyl under the cappings where it won't show, and got new corner pieces for the back end as well. Incidentally, I had intended to remove the windows from the new panels to make spraying easier, only to find they are bonded in. At least they don't leak like the old ones!

Just do a web search, I found loads of links to Viton 'O' rings. Suggest you quote the numbers Silvio provided. Can't be much...?

That's for the entire valve though?? That's about what my valve cost from the local main dealer..

The same thing failed on my TD5 90. It didn't finish the starter motor but the clutch, as the fuel seeped into the bellhousing. I got it fixed by a workshop and the dual mass flywheel was iffy and it cost me just over £1,000 in all. It's a VERY common fault. Elsewhere on this forum I posted about it as the first manifestation was an occasionally slipping clutch. A guy in Italy recommended some seals to fix the valve.. If I find the post I'll reply here again. Found it... from Silvio in Italy.. replaced just the 2 Orings of the fuel pressure regulator, and it worked for me, the leak has been solved; basically, you need to remove the regulator block and extract the regulating valve, which is held by a seeger ring. When the valve is out, you replace the 2 orings: pay attention, you MUST buy Viton Orings (Viton is a special rubber, much more resistant to oil and temperature than the standard one). The codes for the orings are as follows: 3081 the larger one, 3021 the smaller one. Honest price should be 2 euros each... Hope this helps.

Thanks a lot, Silvio. Next time it happens I'll be ready! I have the old unit so I'll be able to keep a spare one. I wish the mechanic had known about that, it would have saved me Euro170!!

Yes, it's okay 'roughing it' in a tent if the sun is shining and it's warm (IMHO). I was in the Camping Club for many years when young. On a tour of Italy in April 1976 (FOUR of us in an 850cc Minivan!!) we pitched the tent on a site in the French Alps at 2am, we were delayed trying to find a mountain pass that was open, and found skiers on a piste behind the tent in the morning! Why take all that gear and have to put the tent up and take it down (great when it's wet!) and so on, when you can stay in what amounts to a hotel with a kitchen to make your meals, for the same price as some campsites? And you can meet some very nice people. I do think it's age related, though.. If there are any 'senior citizens' out there who fancy a tour of Switzerland in the autumn using hostels, let me know.. We have a 90 and can manage any dates.. SWMBO does not like like camping, it has to be said..

I just wanted to add a correction. In one of my posts above, I wrote that 'the mechanic had to take off the flywheel to see the fuel pressure regulator.' That isn't correct, he took the flywheel off to see how worn it was.. He replaced the FPG from above the next day, you don't have to remove the gearbox and flywheel to get at it.... Think I was still in monetary shock when I wrote it.. I wonder if anyone can offer advice on hydraulic seals to replace the 'O' rings.. I might wite to a well-known magazine to see if they can oblige..

The pressure regulator was done today, it took the mechanic 45 minutes. He said it was nearly always the 'O' rings which give way and it was very common. I gathered that one has to buy the whole thing to replace the 'O' rings.. In fact he'd just done another motor before mine. He said that if 'hydraulic seals' could be fitted, it might stop the problem as they would be more suitable. It seems it's a tough job on a Disco TD5 as there's no room to work. I would suggest to anyone reading this saga about the clutch to carefully check if this regulator is leaking as you should see fuel down the back of the engine around the offside of the bellhousing. As there are several places oil can leak from in the area, I thought for ages the odd drips were oil from the back of the rocker box, which has a slight leak and there's also been a slight leak from where the main oil filter once came a little loose. If I'd spotted the diesel earlier, I might have saved the cost of a new clutch. One of the problems was that the drips looked like oil from the muck they'd picked up on the way down. The mechanic said that the fuel leak can also knacker the starter motor.. I believe somewhere else in the forum someone asked why the regulator can leak after a new one is fitted. Seems it's down to carp seals.. (So I was told.) Ed