'93 200tdi 110 CSW

[matfield]

Hi guys,

I'm fairly new around here, I've been lurking for a long time and have owned a 99 td5 discovery passenger; that my mother now drives and loves, and a 97 300tdi 90 hard top; which bit the bullet and has been eaten by the rust worm.

The reason for my post is that on Wed I'm going to be collecting a 1993 200 tdi genuine CSW 110 with a Richards Chassis, new bulkhead, galv b pillars, galv seat boxes etc and was wondering if anyone had any suggestions/tips/hints/experience with the same vehicle and/or the 200tdi that they'd like to impart.

I'd consider myself a reasonably competent, but very meticulous home mechanic, and have no problem trying something once.

A small round up of the vehicle along with the above; new timing belt, waterpump, head gasket and all anciliaries changed last year (aprox. 4000 miles ago) recon gearbox and transfer box. New HD steering bars and Track rod ends, new UJ's on the props, A Frame Ball joint and all suspension parts replaced with original spec LR items, and a full soundproofing kit on both sides of the bulkhead, think its fatmat, but not too sure; it covers the footwells and transmission tunnel anyway.

My plan for the vehicle is to keep it as original as possible with only modifications that will either add value or add to the usability of what is already a very capably truck.

I'll be adding a Raptor dash, with my CB, Stereo, wiring for spots, roof lights & rear work light, upgrading the headlamp wiring with relays and fuses and adding a 12 bay aux fusebox with ignition live switching for all the add ons.

After that I'll drive it for a couple of months and see what else to add.

Is that anything should do to extend the life of the engine, gearbox or even the galv chassis... is it worth painting or waxoiling it?

Thanks in advance,

Mat

[Retroanaconda]

Sounds like you've got a good base there, most of the important stuff has been covered. In terms of pointers, I'd say your doors will be rotten if they're the originals, but other than that just service it at the required intervals, and get out there and enjoy it

The 200Tdi is a nice easy engine to work on, though parts are getting scarcer as time goes on, but look after it and it will go for a good few hundred thousand miles.

[steve200TDi]

Sounds like a good vehicle, with all the crucial bits galvanised. I would look at fitting TD5 gauges as this is a really good upgrade and there's loads of info on here about fitting them.

Steve

[Snagger]

Galvanising is not a silver bullet, so a thorough clean of the underside and painting with Schutz, with the insides of the chassis, bulkhead and door frames being waxed, would be worthwhile.

The Raptor pod is effective but ugly. I used the Mudstuff pod to very good effect, which is a little neater looking and leaves more of the vent areas uncovered.

Your wiring plans are good. I can also recommend Mudstuff heated wing mirror and Exmoor Trim seat heating kits. The former is a great addition for safety, and the latter a great comfort in weather like this. A snow cowl for the heater intake is a good idea too - the wing top grille is a stupid idea, blocking up when you most need the heater for demisting.

Tyres are a big deal. Unless you regularly take it into very muddy conditions, I'd strongly recommend BFG AT KOs or General Grabber AT2s which offer good road handling in all conditions, even those we currently suffer, and off road on tracks, stone, gravel, shale and light mud. They are better handling in all circumstances than MTs, except for deep or thick mud, and will also be quieter and more efficient. Don't go oversize, either - 7.50s or 235/85s are all you want - bigger is most certainly not better as larger tyres reduce grip, reduce performance and economy, make the steering vague and heavier, and put additional strain and wear on the wheel bearings and steering components. It's more of an image thing, but I always thought it was a bit like someone stuffing the front of their trousers with a pair of socks!

[Stevie D]

Sounds like you've got a good base there, most of the important stuff has been covered. In terms of pointers, I'd say your doors will be rotten if they're the originals, but other than that just service it at the required intervals, and get out there and enjoy it

The 200Tdi is a nice easy engine to work on, though parts are getting scarcer as time goes on, but look after it and it will go for a good few hundred thousand miles.

If it's the truck I think Matts bought - the door's were stripped , frames galved etc - not to say that the galvanic corrosion won't be an issue eventually.

I'd recommend a good wax for the chassis and any other cavities, like doors, cross members etc. Dinitrol is apparently very good.

Good luck with the new truck !

Steve

[Snagger]

Dinitrol is used by Boeing, the engineers at work tell me, and it's excellent stuff. Then again, not everything used by Boeing works so well, like Lithium Ion batteries.

Galvanised door frames should prevent the skins going, but a squirt of wax inside the doors to try to get between frames and skins is still a good idea.

[matfield]

If it's the truck I think Matts bought - the door's were stripped , frames galved etc - not to say that the galvanic corrosion won't be an issue eventually.

I'd recommend a good wax for the chassis and any other cavities, like doors, cross members etc. Dinitrol is apparently very good.

Good luck with the new truck !

Steve

Sorry Steve.... getting there but the front doors sadly weren't galvanised the rear ones are if I remember correctly though.

Thanks for that advice re the galv and further protection. I think I'll keep an eye on it for the first few months and keep it clean and then during the summer when its dry and warmer I'll throw some schutz and waxoil or dinitrol into the doors, bulkhead, b pillars and inside of the chassis and see how I get on then.

I'd heard the 200tdi was fairly bullet proof and the previous owner serviced it very regularly so I'll keep that up with good quality oil and filters keep the fingers crossed from there

Would there be much benefit in tweaking the pump? and would the benefits out weigh the detrimental effect it may have on the engine? If it were to do it I'd be looking at increasing the boost to 1bar and doing it properly, as opposed to just throwing more fuel in and hoping for the best.

Thanks again guys

Mat

[Snagger]

The 200Tdi is pretty robust, so shouldn't have any trouble with moderate tweaking of the pump and waste gate actuator. A performance intercooler would also help, probably more than the boost increase, as the standard intercooler isn't as thermally efficient and has more of a restriction on airflow than the bigger aftermarket models. Just remember to check with your insurers, as performance mods tend to affect premiums and an undeclared mod would invalidate the policy.

[matfield]

Well here it is... few little niggly bits to fix up but apart from that its fantastic. Took it on a 180 mile trip to Dublin yesterday and it was faultless!!

Fingers crossed all goes as well from now on

Mat

[bluehaze]

Happy days