Thread: How to kill your Defender in 8 months

Originally Posted by MinniTheMoocha

Toolangi mud! Is the majority of the mitigating circumstances. It sticks to anything almost like glue and stains everything that touches it. When dry it is an extremely fine powder.

The other one would be that I had stuck on the timing cover with gasket former so it really sealed well. When I plunged into the mud it sucked in the water/mud.

And thirdly leaving the wading plug in till the following day with water/mud trapped inside made it get lapped around the cover. A fine mist seemed to completely cover the inside of the timing cover.

It is a real pain to clean. I am still cleaning off the mud! The radiator and intercooler had to be soaked overnight to help clear it. And this was after hitting it at the car wash.

OMG you knew what it was like and still attempted it ...mad mad mad! But a great lesson for us all, sorry for the stress you suffered trying to get your motor back on the road, have been against it myself many times having to use my landy as the daily drive, then having something go wrong as you have,
but you come good and had some excellent help.
good work.

Originally Posted by rick130

As Dave said, impressive.

FWIW I found the bearings were about to die just from old age at the 178,000km timing belt swap. (i pushed the second timing belt to 100,000km and yes, I'd bought a complete kit to replace everything before I started)

The seals were gone and the bearings were a bit rumbly

So I deduced that number of km wasn't a good idea for the idler and tensioner pulleys and a shorter change interval is more appropriate

Which reminds me, the timing belt is due again.....

So with my landy about 280 k's and having the timing belt done about 5000 k's ago are you saying you would recommend more than just a timing belt kit change?

I take it the timing case is not under positive pressure then..

I thought that was why wading plugs could not be left in.

Originally Posted by dullbird

I take it the timing case is not under positive pressure then..

I thought that was why wading plugs could not be left in.

Nah, they shouldn't be left in in case oil builds up from the crank seal that invariably leaks...

Originally Posted by lardy

So with my landy about 280 k's and having the timing belt done about 5000 k's ago are you saying you would recommend more than just a timing belt kit change?

The tensioner and idler pulley bearings don't last forever, I don't think I'd like to go past 160,000km on them seeing what mine were like at close to 180,000km, so if you are doing a belt change every 80,000km plan on replacing the tensioner and idler pulleys every second belt change.
I think JC mentioned he's recommending changing the pulleys every belt change these days to heavily used/abused engines ??

I also replaced the crank pulley with a Bearmach one (one piece pulley) as the OE ones with the spot welded on flanges (three piece) have a habit of shearing the flanges and taking the belt out too.

Originally Posted by lardy

OMG you knew what it was like and still attempted it ...mad mad mad! But a great lesson for us all, sorry for the stress you suffered trying to get your motor back on the road, have been against it myself many times having to use my landy as the daily drive, then having something go wrong as you have,
but you come good and had some excellent help.
good work.

You missed the part "in hindsight" I learn't all of this after this happening. Not before.

IMHO it's not worth the grief to just change the belt.Do it once and do it properly. Pat

Originally Posted by PAT303

IMHO it's not worth the grief to just change the belt.Do it once and do it properly. Pat

I agree and that's why the guys who helped me think I have OCD when it comes to maintaining my car.

Which is why they were so surprised when I suffered this failure!