Well you love to hear that from the mechanic on Friday afternoon when you're picking it up to take it down south for the weekend.

I've got a commitment down there I can't get out of. So I'll be driving down puckered up and waiting for disaster to strike any second.

Anyway took the car in to get somebody who knew what they were doing repair the balls up the auto glass company made of the door and also a wheel allignment.

While under the car took a look and they've given me a $3500 To Do list. On top of the timing belt they say my leaky transfer case has crossed the line from "They do that" into "but not That much".

If we can squeeze my gear into my mates Disco, Im gonna put the hard word on giving me a lift.

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James Hamilton

'96 Defender tdi 110 Wagon.

Gallery

I thought 60,000km was the recommended life for the belt.

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Ron B.

1995 P38A Range Rover HSE 4.6 V8 Auto; 1968 LR Series IIA trayback (Holden 202); Yamaha XJR1300, Suzuki V-Strom

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RIP Bucko - Riding on Forever

60,000 miles.

Less if it's worked hard.

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Hinges Standing Proud - Since 1963
112-752 1963 88" GS 'Crusher'
REMLR Member #264

Belt change recommendation started 100k dropped back to 80k and the cautious go for 60k I thought.

James,

Don't feel too bad, mine went in for a P gasket/water pump leak and the mechanic found the fibers inside the timing cover as well as an egg cup of oil. So not just timing belt, but cover as well as it had never been done after LR came up with a new case as a fix for the 300 Tdi belt destruction problem.

Then he endoscopes the front diff and tells me that the planetaries look more like they are down to the gums instead of teeth. So while we are at it we are slipping in a diff lock and new half shafts, as the standerd cee vees will now be under more pressure due to the diff lock we might as well throw in some county cee vees. We are leaving the noisy gearbox until I am able to get more browny points with the other half.

At least I didn't have a plan to use the car straight away.

At least you got onto it before you found out about it on the road somewhere.

It's only come down because mechanics don't take the time to do it right,there's more to it than replacing the belt and the tensioner should be done aswell and the whole thing checked twice to make sure it's running straight.I wouldn't be to worried about driving it as is and despite what people think they don't self destruct it the belt breaks. Pat

I consider the 60K mark or the first service thereafter the point at which you endoscope or pull the front end to inspect it and change it IF you have other work pending that will pull the car off of the road anyway. 80K is when I like to and reccomend changing it.

When I see them at 100K Km I advise that you are on borrowed time.

Most often ailure usually results in a new set of pushrods, rockers and rocker bolts.
If you get unlucky then its headgasket and a couple of valves.
If you're really unlucky then you will need all of the above plus anything up to a new piston (or a set if you're not a scrimpy rebuilder) and head.
If you crossed paths with a black cat while walking under a ladder at the same time smashing your hand mirror as your horseshoe amulet hung upside down Then you buy a new engine.

It could be worse along with your leak going from they do that to but not that much your phone call could have started with, Mate do you want to know what happened when we tried to start it up to move it for you or do you just wan to spend the $3k Fixing it?

........and if the mechanic that have done the job is a butcher the the belt last only 5000Km
That was the case with my Defe and Justin have to do all the work again after a butcher from HB in Qld done the job for the previous owner

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http://arthur-plottier.megashot.net/
www.plottier.net

Thanks everyone. I made it back to Perth safely anyway.

I'll get it done and the transfer case too. As a mate said this weekend, you need oil in the TC and on long runs on gravel it might get nice and hot and throw out even more. He shocked me by saying they don't give them away for free when you destroy one so bet look after the one you've got.

cheers

J

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James Hamilton

'96 Defender tdi 110 Wagon.

Gallery