1. Home
  2. Land Rover 4WD vehicles
  3. Dumb disco questions

Dumb disco questions

Hello all, thanks for dropping in.

I am looking to buy an older diesel Disco for winter and some green lane use. I have consulted the excellent FAQ's associated with this forum, but I still have a few of outstanding issues, namely:

  1. what kind of mileage should I expect from the engine/transmission. Almost all the ones I have looked at are 100,000+ miles - when do they finally give up the ghost?

  1. how difficult would it be to service one myself? (please bear in mind I am a complete klutz with a set of spanners)

  2. sorry about the ignorance but which, if any, of the body panels are aluminium? I have a feeling part of it is, but which part of it? where do they corrode?

  1. which would be the 'best' club to look at joining for when I start doing some green lanes? I'm not desperately worried about competitions, just the odd gentle amble off road - I live in mid Derbyshire.

Thanks in advance for your replies,

Andy.

Reply to
Andrew Statham
Loading thread data ...

Good decision, you'll have a whale of a time.

Engine, a couple of hundred thousand from a well maintained 200Tdi, or more. There are a few out there at 250K+ with plenty of life in them. No doubt there are some real dogs as well, but it's a good engine.

Gearbox - the LT77s will give up the ghost at about 130K if they have not had the problem with the main shaft rectified. A recon box which has had this problem sorted should last donkeys years.

Very easy. Couldn't be much simpler, if you have a copy of Haynes, a socket set, spanners, torque wrench, etc. You will get a lot of grit in your eyes though. :) If you need guidance doing a service, post on this NG and one of us will talk you through it.

That's 3 actually. All are, apart from the roof, which is steel. They will corrode along their edges or where they touch steel. Wheel arches are a classic. Also check the steel around the rear door aperture. The steel panel which is the boot floor is a hot spot for corrosion.

That's 4 now, and I'm not sure.

Reply to
David French

Try

formatting link
they should be able to help.

Reply to
Nikki
1 - Engine life - This is not the case with all, but I know someone with a 200 TDi that gets used for everything (farm use etc.) that has nearly 400K on the clock. His answer to this was that he does a quick oil change ("splash and dash" as he calls it) every 3000 miles. Cheapest oil and filter he can get from the local garage. He then does the servicing himself, except the big stuff, at the documented intervals.

2 - Servicing - As long as you have a pair of safety glasses, and don't mind grazed knuckles, the 200 and 300 TDi are quite straight forward, and the common things are in easy reach. It's just a big Macarno (sp?) set.

3 - Aluminium - As has been said. Everything except the roof. Expect rust. Get to know it, and the best ways to stop it. This group, along with the Discovery Owners Club forum are great resources for "real life answers". None of this "refitting is the reverse of removal" rubbish.

4 - Resources - Discovery Owners Club. They have local clubs throughout the UK, and I was pleasantly surprised at the "welcomeness" I received when I joined and turned up at a meet. Have a look at

formatting link
and
formatting link
For an American view, check out
formatting link
I used to frequent this site (they convinced me to buy a Disco!), but since joining DOC, I tend to stay UK based. The Technical section is highly recommended though.

The DOC forum has a "Non Members Questions" section as well, if you have trouble finding the answer to anything Disco specific.

H. Disco 300 TDi.

Reply to
H

My Discovery is used off road everyday, fully loaded and most likely abused, it has done 250.000 miles and is still going strong, it has a number of faults eg: interior plastics in a mess, seats are pretty naff, clonks a lot and suffers from lots of water ingress. Apart from that the car is nice, the engine is strong and willing(6000km service) with no major problems so far, and the transmission although a bit baulky and unrefinned it still working well. I would recomend these vehicles, I also own nissans and several other

4x4's all have there good and bad points, the disco is easiest to live with. When we have to use a car, and there is the choice, everyone here uses the discovery.
Reply to
Frederic Enaj

A big thanks to all!

250,000 miles !? I'm speechless (for those who know me this is a first).

I have just looked at the Glass site - I think it may be just down my street, so to speak.

Does anybody mind if I ask another question about gearboxes, - is the auto as robust as the manual?

Thanks again for the replies, I hope to see some of you on the lanes soon,

Andy.

Reply to
Andrew Statham

More robust I would suggest. Clutches and manual gearboxes are the main Achilles heel of the older Discovery.

Tim Hobbs

'58 Series 2 '77 101FC Ambulance '95 Discovery V8i

Reply to
Tim Hobbs

Hi What age Disco are you looking for? There is a very good R reg 300tdi here (Cheshire). I will e-mail you the details if you are interested.

Chris

Reply to
Chris

|| Does anybody mind if I ask another question about gearboxes

No

|| the auto as robust as the manual?

Yes - some people say it's the only way to go for off-road use. I would agree.

Reply to
Richard Brookman

Oooh Chris,

I won't be able to afford that one - I'm looking at old.......

Thanks all the same.

Reply to
Andrew Statham

MotorsForum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.