Late TD300 or Early TD5 Disco?????

High mileage, it's just run in!! ;-)

Peter.

On or around Wed, 2 Mar 2005 22:23:37 -0000, "k" enlightened us thusly:

replace the engine with one of those 2.8 jobbies :-)

Personally, I'd tend to go for a late "300", meself, as it's more "mechanical" and therefore I understand it better and am more likely to be able to fix it.

Given the budget to afford a series II disco, I'd be inclined to hunt either a very good 300, or a late-model high-miler and replace things that were worn.

if you look after 'em, they last for a good 2-300,000 miles. You might need a gearbox, eventually, 'specially if it's an early 300.

That is exactly what I think. It will easily do twice this amount. Kind regards, Erik-Jan.

k composed the following;:

If you're happy with it, there are no current or foreseeable problems, I'd stick with it. 100k is not a high mileage for these engines.

'course, it's always nice to have a new car though ... but as to which I'd pick would depend a lot upon the budget available. I'd keep my existing 300 Tdi as a 'plaything', they've lost a lot of value recently it seems, and really enhance it's off-road capability, and buy a newer TD5 for the roadwork.

Keith, stick with your 300TDI unless you want fancy (fail-)all-in-one electronics and disconnected diff lock lever. 97/98my 300tdi would be my best pick for Disco.

Kalev

personally I'd go for a 300tdi, less electronics and a late 300tdi is a proven system with all problems sorted. an early td5 is not.

100k miles on a well maintained 300tdi is nicely worn in and will be good for the same again at least.

I have a 20 year old n/a that's done almost 250k with no major work needed.

Regards. Mark.(AKA, Mr.Nice.)

"MVP" wrote >

The 20 year old has the 67hp indirect injection engine not a TDi. Besides which, how do you really know that your vehicle has not had any major work done? Did you buy it, not so many months ago, with a cast iron assurance that it had never had a rebuild or major fault remedied?

Huw

Thanks guys - a near unanimous view that the late 300TDi is preferred to the early TD5 . Also interested to see the comments that a 300TDi is not considered high mileage at 100K - - I suppose my concern is more with the durability of the transmission at that mileage rather than the engine. My g/box is reasonably smooth and has clean oil and no obvious wear or oil leaks, but these horror stories of terminal gearbox failure/seizure on Discos at around 100k miles make me very nervous.....Keith

On or around Thu, 3 Mar 2005 22:36:56 -0000, "k" enlightened us thusly:

auto or manual?

if manual, what year?

If an early R380 (pre about 97, but don't quote me), has it got the cross-drilled gear?

anyroadup, you're looking at summat around 800 notes for a recon box, new T-box gear and fitting. Or that's what I've just paid for an LT77 anyway. Recon had a new ouput shaft for definite, also a new nylon bush on the selector shaft and what looked like a new input shaft. I didn't investigate further.

fitted new cross-drilled gear, and it's back on the road. T-box whines just the same as before, 5th gear is slightly noisy as is the main box when in neutral, but it all goes properly. There's still a bit of clunk on changing gear, but there's quite a bit of play in the front end, which might be CV joints.

A few folk have had a poke around and from that and it's performance they say it appears original. but of course one can never be sure of such things.

Regards. Mark.(AKA, Mr.Nice.)

You can't tell without actually knowing for certain its history. For all you and I know it could be on its fifteenth scrap sourced engine ;-(

Only kidding :-). Still, the above does hold true. It is unlikely never to have had some fault in that mileage. Mine has 'only' 130,000 on it but has had the head gasket replaced once and the injector pump lever bush is now badly worn and it spews a bit of diesel out there from time to time. I do not expect it to reach 200k miles without incident though. Apart from anything else, if it ever does reach 200k, it will be 35 years old in all probability.

Huw

I know it's had a new sump, probably after damage off-roading. and I did the water pump recently, injectors, heater plugs, alternator etc. none of which I view as major parts, question of definition I suppose. My engine is certainly getting tired, I've driven several 110 2.5 n/a's and this is definatly a bit of a slug. I fancy dropping a 200tdi in myself, but that's another thread entirely.

Regards. Mark.(AKA, Mr.Nice.)

If you have done all those in your short tenure, then imagine what previous owners might have replaced or repaired.

Funnily enough, mine goes as well as it ever did. Not fast but faster by far than a series 3 2.25. Frankly I am amazed it has lasted this long considering the type of use this one is subjected to.

As an aside, my brother, the main driver of the 110, shut our two dogs in the cab for five minutes yesterday while pumping the tyres [the elder bitch does not like the compressor] and the young Kelpie took a liking to the drivers backrest, chewing all the foam and spitting it out in dice sized chunks. You would be amazed at how much legroom this has liberated. Good dog!

Huw

"Austin Shackles" wrote in message news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com...

Thanks for these further points Austin... Yes, it's a manual, in a November

96 (NReg) Disco. I'm afraid I don't know whether the infamous cross drilled layshaft has been modded into the box since it was built or even if its already 'in theclear' on that assembly date. I asked my local garage (now not bothering about the main LandRover dealership servicing, since it's passed it's 100K) to check the box carefully for any signs of wear or potential problems during the 100K service and MOT prep. They advised that the oil was clean, pink and clear and no leaks present, and no unusual noises or odd behaviour, so they just screwed the filler cap back on and concluded the oil didn't even need changing. At £800 for a recon box/transfer and fitting it's probably not terminal, but just seriously painful, so if it did fail dramatically, I'd be able to cover the repairs (if I didn't eat or drink for a couple of months!). Like yours, mine also clunks on gear change both ways between 1st and 2nd occasionally, when I rush the change, but no whines or vibration (yet). I suspect that it's more to do with prop/transmission wear than anything in the main box. Presumably these gearbox failures don't just suddenly arise without any warning and there will be some preliminary symptoms and noises before the 'big bang'? I'm pretty careful and considerate when driving the 'old dog', both on tar and occasional off road/rough tracks and light towing etc. So far it was the best £4K I spent, nearly a year and 9K miles ago and certainly no regrets It's really strange how much of a kick I get driving this old Disco compared to any other cars I've had over the past years. Had an S1 80" for several years back in the early 70's and enjoyed that too, but this disco has such a solid feel to it and its safe, comfortable and reasonably economic too at just over 30 mpg. Only worries on the immediate horizon are the corrosion on the front inside wings and the need to get underneath with a steam cleaner and do a waxoyl job on the chassis etc

Keith

On or around Sun, 6 Mar 2005 20:16:54 -0000, "k" enlightened us thusly:

probably not fitted by the factory at that date.

You check it by unbolting the PTO cover on the back end of the transfer box, and then, having jacked one wheel, have someone turn the wheel back and forward; look at the T-box input gear on its shaft, you don't want to see the gear moving around the shaft.