ome or patten parts ?

[gsr341]

im going to service my 300tdi defender this week , what oil/fuel filters does every one use , landrover or cooper etc ?

also auxilary drive belt and cam belt would you stick to landrover parts or patten parts ,

cheers

Dafydd

[muddyplugger]

I always use Coopers, just cheaper thats all, seem to do what it says on the tin!! I'm sure there are purists out there who swear by OEM, but I would be interested if one can notice the difference.

Come on then, who has done a double blind RCT on Coopers v OEM filters???

[Les Henson]

I recently replaced the timing belt and tensioner (amongst other things) on the TD engine that was previously in Sue's 90. We had replaced them approximately a year previously and they had only done at best a couple of thousand miles. They were bought from Bearmach, the belt was Dayco and the tensioner was unknown. The belt was still in excellent condition but the bearing in the tensioner was already noisy.

I doubt it would have stayed intact for the duration of its recommended lifespan, and this isn't the first time that I've come across after market tensioners failing prematurely.

Dayco belts are good quality in my opinion, but I would say always fit genuine tensioner/guide wheels.

Coopers/Fram/Micronic filters have been around a long time, and I use them regularly.

Les.

[BogMonster]

I am happy with "Good brand" filters i.e. Cooper/Crosland etc but not "any old brand" and definitely not "unbranded" - if somebody won't put their name on something I ain't gonna trust it . I have come across problems with non-gen fuel filters blocking prematurely, where Gen ones don't (our fuel here is "a bit variable in quality") but on the whole the good brand name ones are fine.

Suspension bushes I will only ever use Genuine as experience has shown that non genuine can be (and often are) absolute rubbish. New set of shocker bushes I fitted that were totally shot in about 150 miles, for example...

I also only use genuine for bits that are hard to get at or have expensive consequences if they break e.g. timing belt (though I think Dayco actually make the Genuine ones?), some oil seals (such as rear crank, and the ones under the timing cover). Exception to that rule is clutches, decent branded clutch kits are fine (Borg & Beck etc)

Many other bits such as Wabco vacuum pumps, Bosch starter motors, Magneti Marelli alternators, Lockheed brake servos, Timken bearings, to name but a few, are the same part as Genuine but without that bluddy expensive box that the LR ones come in! In some cases (Bosch starter motors for example) the part actually comes with a Land Rover logo branded into it and you don't get much more genuine than that

[JimAttrill]

I buy a lot of bits that are imported from Bearmach: lots of their bits are OEM but not in 'LR' boxes (though some are, and much cheaper than the stealers, an example is a defender door handle I bought recently). Another good example is the BERU tdi glow plugs which are ridiculously expensive via LR, about half the price via the local BERU agents, and cheaper still at my local parts place which gets them from Bearmach. There is a 300% difference in price here for exactly the same part. I have tried 'county' glow plugs, even cheaper but they only last a year, if that.

SCL (oops Bogbuster!) is right, the Dayco belt is OEM; also the only cambelt tensioners I have been able to buy are made by INA no matter what the box has printed on it.

With 300tdi pistons the story is repeated, LR want R4500 (£400) each, the local Kolbenschmidt dealers vary in price from R1200 to R1700. Cylinder head gaskets should be Elring, but don't have to have Land Rover branded on them. Also most of the oil seals I use are Corteco which are OEM.

Clutch master cylinders for the tdi all go quickly, so it doesn't really matter which one you buy as they are all rubbish.

Sometimes a 'pattern' part is better - the LR 300tdi crank pinion has a flange spot-welded on the front. This flange has been known to fall off or wear through which doesn't do your motor much good. The Bearmach replacement is a forged item, much better engineering.

For all filters I prefer to use GUD which is local but high quality, ISO 900x whatever. I don't like FRAM because their air filters 'feel' cheap, and I don't like the colour of their oil filters!

For brake linings I use Mintex mainly because that's what the shop stocks. My brake rotors came in a Bearmach box but were identical to the ones I took off. I have a mixture of wheel bearings, some Timken, some other makes but I think they are all good.

I don't think I would use many parts sourced from Land Rover even if I could afford it as I have a hatred of being so obviously ripped off. But I have no objection to buying LR or OEM parts from other places at more reasonable prices.

[Michele]

I don't like FRAM because their air filters 'feel' cheap, and I don't like the colour of their oil filters!

Hi Jim,

would you...er...explain it better?

As I usually buy FRAM (or Bosch when they come)...

[JimAttrill]

Michele, it is hard to describe. I always buy locally made filters, which gives me a choice of GUD or FRAM. The GUD items look and feel better made. For my Opel Kadett (=Vauxhall Astra) the FRAM air filter does not look as well made as the GUD item. I don't think there is much difference in the price. I do prefer the GUD grey colour for the oil filters to the FRAM orange.

For the 300tdi diesel filter, I now use a MANN WDK724, which is sold by GUD as a Z314, instead of the normal GUD Z108. Apparently the filtration is finer, though it does cost more being made in Germany.

It is also grey!

ps do you post on the Africaland.it forum?

[Michele]

So it's a matter of feeling

I admit I'd buy Bosch everytime just because it sounds so "oh,it's made in Germany!".

Which is no longer true...

My parts dealer swears they're all the same.

I can't find MANN parts,maybe got an oil filter only once,1 year ago.

P.S.

Errrrrrrr,no I don't.

I don't like the Italian forums (fora),

this (LRE before) was always the best place to stay,and it is today.

[simonr]

I'd say: if it moves, seals or is safety critical - OEM, Genuine or specialist replacement part.

Everything else - cheepo pattern.

Si