Yudda Posted March 6, 2012 Share Posted March 6, 2012 Hi Everyone, I need your professional opinions on what to check for. My truck has been sitting for 18months. Its a 1997 110 300tdi I am towing it to the mechanics on Thursday. I don't want to try and start it without changing all the fluids. I just installed a new battery. So far on my list of things to do and check are: - change all fluids - change all oils - change all filters - check for water in tank. - grease and check suspension - bearings maybe have him do a timing belt as well. what else can you all think of ? It is much appreciated. thanks everyone ! rob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rusty_wingnut Posted March 6, 2012 Share Posted March 6, 2012 If it was running before being sat then, I would fire it up and look/listen for problems. An oil change won't hurt, along with new filters and see how it goes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GBMUD Posted March 6, 2012 Share Posted March 6, 2012 Unless you are being ultra careful or are about to set off into a remote area I would just start it up too. After a few minutes running let any water out of the fuel filter - catch what comes out, if no water, no problem! Look out also for things like coolant, oil or diesel leaks. Give it a good service, change the cam belt if you are of a nervous disposition! The tyres might be a little odd for the first few miles, check their pressures. Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanuki Posted March 6, 2012 Share Posted March 6, 2012 Check that the brakes are properly free: 18 months of disuse can easily result in sticky pistons or the metal pad-backings rusting to the calipers. I recall a SIIA which had been stood for a long while - when the handbrake was released, one of the linings had rusted solid to the inside of the drum and actually came unbonded from the metal part of the shoe. The drum would only rotate a few degrees before the shoe fouled on the internals - the owner thought it was a seized transfer-box. Were the tyres kept fully inflated all the time? If they went down and the weight of the truck was supported on the sidewalls, and they are tube-type tyres, Bad Things culd have happened to the tubes. --Tanuki. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yudda Posted March 6, 2012 Author Share Posted March 6, 2012 If it was running before being sat then, I would fire it up and look/listen for problems. An oil change won't hurt, along with new filters and see how it goes. yep i am changing all the service items..... Unless you are being ultra careful or are about to set off into a remote area I would just start it up too. After a few minutes running let any water out of the fuel filter - catch what comes out, if no water, no problem! Look out also for things like coolant, oil or diesel leaks. Give it a good service, change the cam belt if you are of a nervous disposition! The tyres might be a little odd for the first few miles, check their pressures. Chris yes a very nervous disposition Check that the brakes are properly free: 18 months of disuse can easily result in sticky pistons or the metal pad-backings rusting to the calipers. I recall a SIIA which had been stood for a long while - when the handbrake was released, one of the linings had rusted solid to the inside of the drum and actually came unbonded from the metal part of the shoe. The drum would only rotate a few degrees before the shoe fouled on the internals - the owner thought it was a seized transfer-box. Were the tyres kept fully inflated all the time? If they went down and the weight of the truck was supported on the sidewalls, and they are tube-type tyres, Bad Things™ culd have happened to the tubes. --Tanuki. yes sir, brakes are on the list as well. MOT is due, and im positive the parking brake needs relining. He will replace/reline the brake and tighten the cable. G90s all around..........a little bit of a loss of inflation, no real outward signs of cracking etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
specialbikejames Posted March 6, 2012 Share Posted March 6, 2012 Handbrake drum can stick too, so check that at the same time as the wheel brakes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark-d Posted March 8, 2012 Share Posted March 8, 2012 I would just check the levels and fire it up, I brought a 200tdi a few years ago that had been sitting for 2 years, I took a new battery started it and drove it to the MOT station where it only needed a new track rod end Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike4444244 Posted March 9, 2012 Share Posted March 9, 2012 I'd turn it over without starting first personally, wait until you have oil pressure up and then start it, I lunched my turbo seal when starting after a long time... Should be fine though Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Troll Hunter Posted March 10, 2012 Share Posted March 10, 2012 Yes, go for it, but disconnect the power supply to the fuel solenoid and crank the engine until the oil pressure light goes off. That way you know you have lubrication everywhere. Reconnect the power supply to the fuel solenoid .... and pray! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yudda Posted March 15, 2012 Author Share Posted March 15, 2012 Update: i towed the truck to the shop. Opened the hood and chased out the birds and spiders living under there. Started testing the hoses....all the water hoses sounded like dry straw when squeezed. Job 1: swap out all water hoses. The mechanic says...lets start it up to get it on the lift....we connected a battery...and it started immediately. No struggling... people standing around commented how smooth it runs on the lift we noticed: P gasket leak. started removing all the hoses and immediately noticed alot of "mud" / corrosion inside. Radiator was then taken out and sent to the rad shop for refurb. The thermostat was a disaster. Corroded to a point it was almost unrecognizable... caked in "mud" so after replacing everything...my plan is to some how flush the cooling system. im going to leave out the thermostat and run the truck for a few weeks....luckily we have cool weather here now. Hopefully the newly cleaned radiator will catch the carp floating around. i will then go back and have them clean the rad again. (cheap to do here) I also installed a digital thermometer with alarm....has very accurate readings.....im hoping it will alert during the flush stage before anything goes horribly wrong. We also drained and changed all oils...diffs, transfer, trans, and engine...they all looked great. Also cleaned and greased everything ! what do you all think ? thanks everyone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
will4x4 Posted March 15, 2012 Share Posted March 15, 2012 i cant believe you own a Land Rover. most guys on here wouldnt bother with half of that. My radiator has about 70% of the fins missing and i wont change it lol To sum up i think your treating that 300tdi very well Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yudda Posted March 15, 2012 Author Share Posted March 15, 2012 i cant believe you own a Land Rover. most guys on here wouldnt bother with half of that. My radiator has about 70% of the fins missing and i wont change it lol To sum up i think your treating that 300tdi very well thank you remember though its going to get real hot around here in a couple of months. Id rather pay now for the radiator flush than deal with overheating in the desert. thanks again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yudda Posted March 15, 2012 Author Share Posted March 15, 2012 Forgot to add... Did the timing service as well. I was worried he would want to use the Britpart timing parts that are popular here.... i mentioned that to him and he smiled..walked into the parts room and pulls out a Bearmach timing kit. then sat down and watched them install it. Old parts still looked real good...but i did not know when it was done last. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CwazyWabbit Posted March 15, 2012 Share Posted March 15, 2012 The 'mud' in your cooling system and the corrosion of the thermostat sounds like your coolant was just water. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yudda Posted March 15, 2012 Author Share Posted March 15, 2012 The 'mud' in your cooling system and the corrosion of the thermostat sounds like your coolant was just water. yep it looked like water with a little food coloring ! I should have replaced all fluids when i bought it then....but Life happens, and i couldn't afford the truck anymore... so it sat .... until now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CwazyWabbit Posted March 15, 2012 Share Posted March 15, 2012 Based on that and the fact getting stranded in the desert is slightly more troublesome than being stranded in a supermarket car park I'd be inclined to check all metal work in the cooling system, for example the metal coolant pipe that runs along the top of the engine towards the heater matrix. Last thing you want is to be springing a leak. Have fun Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yudda Posted March 15, 2012 Author Share Posted March 15, 2012 Based on that and the fact getting stranded in the desert is slightly more troublesome than being stranded in a supermarket car park I'd be inclined to check all metal work in the cooling system, for example the metal coolant pipe that runs along the top of the engine towards the heater matrix. Last thing you want is to be springing a leak. Have fun it wasn't pretty....but it was still serviceable....cleaned and now working good....the heater matrix though, not so good. Thankfully it doesn't get that cold here We bypassed the heater and will replace when i do the second flush of the radiator. bottom line....water in the rad has cost me lots. thanks and i will. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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