Orange

Rather than start a new topic, can anyone identify the colour of my 90?? It's a 95 300TDi on an M-plate. According to the links given in this thread (and the tech archive, coincidentally ) there are 4 different reds that cover 1995... I have the VIN if it would make life easier, but strangely, I'm a little unsure about putting it on the open forum... A pic for reference...

My understanding is that they use a load of little plastic clips to fit them on. There was a bit in one of the magazines a little while ago detailing how to fit the later 300 style body trims to an earlier 200 series Disco...

Every day is a schoolday. I'd never even thought of doing it with the wheel on...

Have you considered the seat belt catches out of a Range Rover or Discovery. These have a section of seatbelt webbing between the catch and a clip on the end that fits through the loops attached to the floor. I'm sure something could be arranged to make them fit. As for the legal implications, I would think that as long as the belts are fitted to the correct (and rust free) mounting points, there are no problems. This, of course, assumes that the belt works as it should WRT the recoil, etc... As Ralph posted while I was typing, thought I'd add that maybe you could take the complete set of rear belts from a Disco/RR and replace the lot. Not sure about lengths, but the theory works in my head!!

After a few goes, you will get the hang of what feels right. The official way is with the dial guage, but I prefer to do up the inner nut, then back off until there is a very slight amount of play (barely noticeable). Then put the lock washer on, bend the tab over and fit the second nut. I find that one grunt with a reasonable sized screwdriver through the socket is plenty. DON'T FORGET to bend the opposite tab of the washer outwards over the locknut. NB: Remember that you are doing this with the wheel off, so when it is all back together the wheel/tyre will amplify the 'play'.

I have General Grabber AT2s which, after about 30,000 road miles still have between 8.5 and 9mm of tread left on them. Can't fault them really and they are pretty good on the sort of off-roading I do in the Disco, too - grassy fields, muddy campsites etc...

Definitely among the top choices of electric winches of that load rating. I have an EP9 and it's never had any issues, including hanging a full bodied Range Rover off it. The only drawback is that with the 'i' version, you can't relocate the solenoids out of the way under the wing etc, so they will get covered in road dirt and mud/crud when playing... As JST says, 200 is probably a bit steep for just the bare winch...

Academy Insurance. Used to be Snowball and have always been competitive for me on my off-roaders. For the on-roaders (a Discovery 2 and a Seat Leon) we use Admiral on a multicar policy. They were the cheapest by miles and you get a discount for adding the second car...

When filling, I prefer to have the whole front axle in the air and be able to move the steering from lock to lock to help it all flow in. This is particularly important when using the one-shot grease. I have found that warming the grease up helps a lot, too. Pop the sachet into a pot/pan of warm water for 10 minutes and it makes the whole job a lot easier. As for which is best.......it's up to you. I prefer oil for 2 main reasons: 1/ it enables me to see when my seals are knackered and alert me to the fact that cr@p can get in as well as oil getting out. 2/ it's a whole lot easier to drain out and clean bits up WHEN you have to take it apart again!!

Paul, Lucy, Sara & Neil, you are all doing a great job as far as I can see - you're probably all paddling like mad under the surface, though. The coordination is good. Marshalls are helpful and are mostly located around the groups of punches so can be quickly located if necessary. There are no problems here... I felt a little dubious about posting what I did and I don’t feel that pointing fingers and naming people will help because, after all, it is a competition (albeit a Clubman level one) and that brings out the fighting spirit in people. I thought that maybe a comment on an open forum might make some realise that, as you have said, everyone has to start somewhere and some are slower than others even though they may have a bit of experience. The people that do it will know who they are... With regard to breaking the tape, people will also know that by breaking the tape they have not fully complied with the rules of the event. I know that the tape can be broken by accident – I’ve done it as a result of a winch rope snapping – but it takes approximately 1 minute to locate a marshal and advise them so that it can be rectified (short of that, there’s always the CB channel that all drivers are made aware of at the beginning of the day) so that all competitors are playing the same field as it were. If someone stops in the way, it takes longer to get out of the punch/section and therefore creates more delay for those that feel that every second counts. I understand that people want to get on and give a relatively new driver a taste of what he/she will be up against in the likes of the Howling Wolf, but it is no excuse for arrogance and general bad manners. I personally have a few winch challenge events under my belt (as does my co-driver) but Sunday was only the second time that I have used my 90 in a competitive environment. Previously, I’ve been used to Range Rovers and Discoveries, so it takes a little time to acclimatise to a different vehicle. I also don’t have a vehicle that I can just throw at obstacles and know that the trayback/wing bars will just rub past it or push it out of the way. I need the vehicle to be in a reasonable condition at the end of the day so that I can drive it home again. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not overly precious about the truck, and I will still have a go at most things, but... Pigster - I have no problem if 2 cars arrive at a punch at the same time. We are all adults and can make the decisions as necessary. It's when I'm halfway through a punch and my exit is blocked that I get a little annoyed. I don't mean stamping up and down throwing my toys out of the pram, miffed is probably the best way to put it... To be honest, if a winch rope snaps and there is damage, I’m not worried about the other car. I’m worried about me, my co-driver and my own vehicle and equipment. Next time, I think a little wave of my keys will be the order of the day.......call me an @rse if you like, but it works in public car parks!! I’ve paid exactly the same entry fee as everyone else for the privilege of competing, so I don’t feel that I have any additional rights over anyone else – maybe others think differently...... Last of all, please read this at least twice as it is meant as it reads. It's not meant to start WW3........

Well, what a cracking event. Had a great day doing, I think, the best we've done in any competitive event. The truck certainly bears the scars of a good day out in the woods! I've now gone for the sleek (well, rippled) de-handled look on the drivers side door and managed to reprofile the N/S wing so that it will forever fit more snugly around trees and through narrow gaps! Big thumbs up to the organising team and the marshalls, but still a bit disappointed that there are some teams who really don't give a damn about the tape and the other teams. I know it's a competitive event, but it's no excuse for bad manners and practically bullying others out of their way to make all of 10 seconds difference!!

I've seen a couple of methods. The easiest (if you can weld) is to tack a couple of the bolts to the bumper, the other is the security headed bolts that just round off unless you have the proper tool. Both ways make it a PITA to remove the winch when you might need to, but they are OK if you have access to the necessary tools wherever you are taking the winch off. The simplest way is to put a very large chain and heavy duty padlock around the drum, through the fairlead if possible and either around the chassis or front axle. (Remove the chain before driving, obviously!!) It'll make a hell of a noise if someone tries to remove it...

Depends what your insurance company want as an excess.....

Check the Ashcroft website. They give you all the stuff you need.............not cheap, mind!!! Clicky likny...

The best source is one of Exmoors stockists as Exmoor don't sell to the general public any more. No reason not to fit the Elite seats. They were high on my contender list when I was looking, but couldn't bring myself to dunk nearly £600 of seats in a muddy lake!! If I ever get a 90 or 110 for everyday use, I will be buying a set!

There are multiple companies that advertise on ebay, they always come up when I am looking at car trailers... Most charge by the mile, I think, so hiring a trailer from somewhere local to you is probably the cheapest option by far. By using this option, you also have the added advantage of knowing how the vehicle is being treated when it is loaded and transported. Not knowing you, this of course assumes that you passed your driving test before 1st January 1997, or have taken the subsequent towing test. Short of that, you may have a friend who likes the idea of earning a few beer tokens...

Any ideas on make and model? Is it a standard LR fitment, or is it an aftermarket upgrade type affair?

To adjust the tick-over, turn the plastic cap on the accelerator cable where it attaches to the injector pump. How is the idle, generally? lumpy, slow....??

I always look at torque figures and think that they're given for a reason!! Use a torque wrench where possible... and where necessary, fit new compressible washers, etc as it makes the job complete.

Alternator overcharging?? As the engine has to work harder/slows down to get up hills, the voltage decreases and increases again as you go down the hills... Bit difficult to measure in a disco while you are driving, but you could run a couple of long test leads to a point inside and attach a multimeter. It should show up on tick-over, though. Had a similar problem on an Astra and a new alternator cured it... It was trying to charge the battery at over 16v at its peak!!!

I currently have the front end of the engine in pieces, on battery in the garage and a distinct lack of temperature sensor...... Ho-hum!! I'm sure we'll be there!!

Thanks Ralph! Again!!..........

I've come across a little problem. The housing between the water pump and the engine block (where the P-gasket goes) is well beyond my ability to repair. A few too many years of a leaking gasket has seen to that!! Can I have the part number please?? TIA Adrian

But they've never had a start mileage, so how are they going to tell???

Have you tried limiting the mileage?? Even though I am 28, I have had the benefit of having my NCD removed for me!! I found that limiting the mileage caused a significant reduction to my premium... Have a serious think about what mileage you actually need to do and work from there. I don't remember the last time my Insurance company actually asked me for actual mileage readings.....