transporter44

Thanks Western - to the point as always. Will have to wait for couple of days to do it (weather/work interfering) but will do it.

Latest on this. I'm now at the conclusion that its a bad common earth. If side lights on, touch breaks dash lights & headlights come on but no brake lights. It is confined to the right hand (drivers side) set of lights. The front & rear side light bulbs running very bright & hot. New bulbs, new holders all checked & working. Can anyone tell me where the earthing points are for the right hand set of lights are? I've rerouted the rear set to a new earth, no difference, so it is happening somewhere else but I just can't locate where they earth.

Thanks Matt That's certainly worth considering. I know I changes the passenger side rear bulb on Friday & I know for definate that it was dual filiment. He may have changed the drivers side rear, and now that you say it, that bulb was extremely bright. Will get him to double check.

Hi all. My son came home last night (1996, 110) and said when he uses his brakes, engine off (assume same when on) then the front side lights & headlamps also come on. It only started on that trip home, no problem earlier. My thinking is a) a short, b) a bad common earth or c) water in the back of the fusebox. I'm more inclined to go with c) particularly when I asked him if he had cleared his screen with a watering can of water (ice on the window, not hot water just tap water). He said yea, & then I realised he probably threw a load up which over flowed the windscreen gutter & I think ran down in behind the fusebox. My thinking on this is that this is the only place the heads & breaklight lives can intersect. How do others feel on this (sorry I'm at work away for few days so can't go & look). BTW he has a central isolation/cut off switch so all the electrics are isolated now.

Tanks Flatback. No wasn't on to HBHQ, saving a bigger question for Kev. I had a feeling there may have been a difference, & hoped it was something small, as it would be nice to rebuild something while I had time rather than having to wait until I had the 110 drum & transfer on the ground.

Following on from previous radiator question, moving Disco 300tdi lump into 1998 110. Is the Disco brake drum a straight swap into a defender? Reason I ask is I have the disco drum on the ground & want to rebuild clean & put new pads in & if its a straight swap for the defender I can do all that & have it ready & waiting for when I put the disco transfer box in during the engine swap.

Thanks Western, just wondered.

Thanks Western - a font of knowledge as always. Just for my information is there any improvement in the disco rad/intercooler or are they exactly the same?

In the process of transferring Disco 300 tdi lump into my 1998 110 (old engine cooked). The Disco radiator is in excellent conditions, as is intercooler. Is it a straight swap to put the Disco rad into 110? They look the same, but I noticed that the Disco surrounding frame is different, so started me wondering. Thanks in advance.

Thanks DaveSIIA Nothing is being thrown away. Anything thats new or I've refurbished on my engine will go across & nothing will be thrown away. Will clean and store carefully everything I take off & at some stage get around to getting the block checked out so I have spares. My son also has a 110 so parts will come in handy. Also intend taking the axles, & transmission box off the Disco with the intent of reuse, particularly the trans box for using in mine. Thanks for everyones help.

Thanks very much DaveSIIA That's exactly the info I was looking for. Had planned to change timing belt & their seals etc. Also to do the clutch & release arm at the same time (parts being ordered) as well as the rear Crank Seal. As you said much easier while out rather than having to go back in there again. My own 110 alternator was recently reconditioned so will be using that, was aware that there was a difference in the pulleys and I do have a rev counter. Any new bits I had for the 110 , water pump, egr removal, new water pipes etc will also be moved. Why do you mention the vacum pump? Really appreciate on the air box, that was one of my biggest worries.

Thanks for that Western.

Thanks guys. I now see what you mean Defender - round box attached to head Disco - Square flat filter mounted passenger side front. I want to retain the Defender box because of snorkle. I don't want to have to crack two bolts on the replacement head to mount this. So has anyone adapted a mounting or come up with a solution as to how to hold it other than on the head bolts? Or Can I crack just those two head bolts, cut a U grove into the mounting holes, slip under the head bolts & re torque without causing any problems. Sorry for being a pain I just want to have the result sorted before we actually tackle the job.

Thanks very much for that. I haven't seen the Disco engine yet (it's in my brothers place) so I'm talking a little in the dark. You say the Defender box held on with the head bolts (as mine was) does that mean the Disco is held on some other way? Do they take the same filter elements? Anyone got a link to a Disco manual online with engine drawings/details? Really appreciate all your help

Thanks Won't be doing anything with the head, its a running engine (mine was kaput) so just want to do a straight swap. So I'm assuming no difficulties if I split it from the disco gearbox & just push it straight into the 110. Also assuming the mountings etc all match ok.

Thanks Western. Do I take it from that that the Disco has a different gearbox? I understood that the both had the R380, but that the Disco gearstick layout was different, that is why I'm only doing the straight engine swap. Basically a 300 replacing a 300. I would have thought that a 1996 into a 1998 300tdi would be a straight swap. Sorry if I read your reply wrongly.

Hi all Doing an engine change (forced on me by circumstances) from a 1996 Diso 300tdi into 1998 110. Are there any differances that I should be aware of or is it a straight swap. Will be retaining 110 gearbox, rad, pipes etc. Thanks in advance.

Hi eds. Had to take sons off over weekend (PAS box) they were the easiest, but slightly awkard bit. Plenty WD or easing fluid, cup of tea, think they are 13mm (someone tell me if I'm wrong), turn the wheel until 1st nut facing upwards, spanner to crack the nut, use a long extension bar on a socket to hold it from the top then long arms to get spanner on the bottom (stubby I found the best & ring end) then unbolt it. Repeat as necessary. Only thing is to remove you have to take the bolt out as it fits in a groove. They say refitting is the opposite of removal, will know next week when I have to do it. Best of luck, it looks more daunting than it is.

Thanks Bullbar & Bishbosh. Its a good job I didn't try to come up with my own name for it certainly would have been nothing like yours and would not be family friendly anyway. Will now try the usual suppliers for it.

Hi Hybrid Does anyone know where I can get, and what its called, the piece at the end of the steering arm that the damper fixes into and also joins it to the drop arm. Was replacing PAS on sons 110 over weekend and putting on heavy duty steering arm & had to totally destroy the old one to get that piece off. Have to do mine in a couple of weeks & would like to keep the old steering arm as a spare. Don't want to hijack this on a different subject but since you are talking steering dampers maybe someone can help me also. So if anyone can help. Thanks Hybrid.

Hi Steve. Like Richard I made up my own with no crimper. Got the end lugs from VWP, held in a vice, cut sleeving to lenght, & inserted into lug. Got my son to hold steady then heated with a plumbers blowtorch, & fed in solder until it reached the top. Allowed to cool & no problems. Here's a set I made earlier. Local auto electricians may have off cuts, but also welding suppliers locally will be able to supply cable at a cheaper price that auto stores.

Hi Rat Monkey I went through this earlier in the year & put the details up on another site. Like you I was having battery problems & I've found this set up to work perfectly, as have friends & neighbours when they want a jump start. The long lenghts of cable I got as an end cut from a local car electrician & they are heavy duty as they were intended for HGV jump leads. I find VWP very good to get all my electrical parts from. Regarding the dual batteries I currently have a temporary relay switch over controlled by a switch, works great, but will soon be putting in the Cryotek relay & wiring & will send in a how to after I've done it. Has to be on back burner as I've my DoE (equivalent to your MoT) for small commercials in a weeks time & don't want to mess with anything before then, just in case. I've some more pictures here that may help you. Have a go, well worth while. Like me you are a newbie (me since last year but hardly any posts), so let's help where we can. Visit My Website

Hi I have the same problem & the way I get over it is to treat it the same as my old Hino truck. Come out of 5th then slight slap to left in the gate & it goes straight into 4th. I know it's not a perfect solution but it just becomes habit. As you say there is a solution but I believe in leaving well enough alone until I have to fix something (lesson learned from precautionary timing belt change, ended up having it go 3 times in 1 month & had to rebuild head now fingers crossed all the time). It sound like a very good buy.