How do you drive these things!

[fender22]

Finally got my Defender today. Just happened to chance a 93 300TDI model on car sales with 140000k's on it. Thing is a minter! One owner, old feller had it since new. Interior, engine everything shmick and he just had all the timing belts done, new HD clutch etc just because he wanted to make sure all was good when he sold it. Original tools, jack all in their like new pouches. 6 brand new tyres, every receipt, service history, stacks of manuals and service books. The paint works even nice and shiny. Not a speck of rust under the floor mats or anywhere else. The old guy was so anal he made wheel chocks because he didn't like to leave the hand brake cable under tension and wear out the cable haha. Abosolutely rapt!

I haven't driven many Defenders, a brand new one last weekend and to me there is no difference apart from this one feels a little less bumpy on the road. Having said that, boy what a step back in time! I was surprised at how well it brakes and corners for a big beast I must say but how should I go up through the gears? Is it like a normal diesel where you keep the revs up (drive it like you hate it)? I was doing my gear changes between 2500-3000 revs, or should I be taking it more easy? I was actually thinking I might have had it in low range for a while there.

I must say, after the initial 15 mins "WTF have I done", I was starting to grow to like the old girl :-) Where's the horn by the way and who's idea was it to put reverse gear next to first haha!

[Blknight.aus]

1800-2500 for economical driving (generally) 2200-35 if your driving it like you hate it.

you dont drive diesels at the top of the rev range you dont get much more out of them and youblow the fuel consumption to buggery. diesels are designed (generally) to make torque down low and not be revved like a rotary.

the horn is in the indicator stalk, push it inwards from the end.

[roverrescue]

If reverse is up with first it is an LT77 gear bag which assuming all is stock as you say was mated to a 200tdi not 300tdi which also fits with 1993- just so you know eh!

Steve

[fender22]

You're right. I thought it said 300TDI on the side of it but it says only TDI

I read somewhere it's hard to buy spares for the 200?

[ScottW]

The 200 is still a tdi, just the earlier version.

[rick130]

Tdi's are driven like you stole 'em ;) (or you'll be going nowhere in a hurry)

Makes eff all difference to the fuel economy too.

Mines a 300 with the wick turned up as far as is safe, tares at 2700kg all the time, has ladders on top, 33" MT's, bar work all round and I average 11.5-12.2l/100km and i drive it flat to the floor all the time just to keep out of the way of semi's and cattle trucks.

Terminal speed affects fuel economy more than how you get there, eg. 100-110km/h chews a hell of a lot more fuel compared to another vehicle than 95-100km/h purely due to the amount of air you are pushing.
My fuel figures from above are running around at 100-110km/h (genuine speed, corrected speedo) Standard Defender speedo with 7.50/16 or 235/85/16's reads optimistic by 7-8%, so when 100 is indicated you are actually only doing 92-93km/h.

Re spares for a 200Tdi, I think the only thing that's hard to source is the head these days, everything else is still available ?

[cewilson]

Tdi's are driven like you stole 'em ;) (or you'll be going nowhere in a hurry)

Makes eff all difference to the fuel economy too.

Mines a 300 with the wick turned up as far as is safe, tares at 2700kg all the time, has ladders on top, 33" MT's, bar work all round and I average 11.5-12.2l/100km and i drive it flat to the floor all the time just to keep out of the way of semi's and cattle trucks.


Oh crap - it's a rare day I have to drive with my foot flat to the floor. It's a waste of time anyway - you can feel when you're just adding more fuel for no gain.


For the record I have a 93 200tDi with no modifications to the fuel or exhaust system; tare pretty much the same as you; roofrack; 235/85R16 muddies; bar work and the rear drawers and storage is permanent.


Me thinks the 33's are affecting a little compared to standard size..... :angel:

[rick130]

[snip]

Me thinks the 33's are affecting a little compared to standard size..... :angel:

Not crap at all, where I live and work you are at full throttle a lot of the time.
Way back when it was on 235/85's it was bog standard fueling and it was flat to floor, even on gentle inclines just to keep t 100km/h. You dont need as much throttle with the wick turned up but the foot is still heavily buried.
It's my work truck, it's usually loaded to the hilt and only lightly loaded (for me) it's a genuine 2700kg over the weighbridge.

Yes, the 33's affect things but the point was that even driven like that fuel economy is still acceptable and still better than our unladen Patrol ute, but in my experience a Tdi is a slug and so has to be stirred along.

[cewilson]

Ok I'm with you now.

I also just realised that I am running the Disco high range gears - I've had them in for that long that I forget about them now. This does make a huge difference to highway runs - my old girl is happy to sit on 95-100 quite comfortably.

Sorry I forgot about the gears.
Chris

[VladTepes]

but they'd be useless off road woulddnt they cewilson?

[cewilson]

but they'd be useless off road woulddnt they cewilson?

It doesn't affect low range, as it's only the high range gears that get changed.

Downside is on steeper hills you do need to ride the clutch more to take off due to the higher gearing.

Upside is it will do 100km/h comforably in fourth gear, and fifth cruises very easy at the same speed. It pretty much sits perfectly for the turbo.


However I am running maxi-drive reduction gears which make a huge difference as well.





Edit - I wouldn't run anything but standard size tyres on it though, as you'd be putting too much pressure on the clutch, especially towing.

[rick130]

Ok I'm with you now.

I also just realised that I am running the Disco high range gears - I've had them in for that long that I forget about them now. This does make a huge difference to highway runs - my old girl is happy to sit on 95-100 quite comfortably.

Sorry I forgot about the gears.
Chris

Without breaking out the calculator they'd probably give you much the same gearing in high range as a set of 33's so we're probably pulling much the same revs everywhere.

I actually like the gearing on the highway and in the hills around here with the 255/85's, even when the engine was stock I reckon it suited it better. (excepting first and towing or hill starts)

As you say 100km/h in fourth is great for hills or overtaking, although a B-Double passed me the other day going over the range here as the speed slipped to just under 100km/h :o

Third is more useful too, I can pull 90 in third when needed, and I have seen 100 once or twice but I reckon that would be close to the governor and the engine will pull just as well if you change gear at 80-85.
Before the 3" exhaust it hit the wall at 75-80km/h in third gear, just too much back pressure at high flow/revs with the standard 130 system.

I'm not kidding though when i say I was less than impressed with the performance when i first got the 130 back in '02.
There's a stretch of Highway between Scone and here that is just a gentle but definite incline of about 5km long, and i used to struggle to maintain 100km/h on it.
If there was a headwind the speed would drop to 95, then 90 and I'd have semi's up my clacker :eek:

[lardy]

Paul the director of DLS when he stayed at my place a while back said that going for the disco transfer gearing was a good idea for long runs i.e: Most of Australia lol.
And as Mr Wilson indicates, It makes no difference to the low down torque I am considering this for the 130 soon

[fender22]

I got used to mine now and love it! I find it sits on 100-110 comfortably and fairly smoothly too. I got my rev range happening now and I just find it's best to make quick smooth shifts between gears so the revs don't drop. I was in third before I got to the other side of an intersection at the start of the week :-) Now I can moderately keep up with the traffic from the lights. Love my Landy!

[Blknight.aus]

wait till ya get the pump massaged.

[cewilson]

I'm still not convinced that it 'doesn't' affect longevity of the engine though. It's always been a concern of mine and yes I understand EGT's etc.


I just figure that they got it right in the first place and I'm never in that big of a rush driving the old girl.....

[fender22]

Thats part of the charm for me. It makes you slow down and take your time. I don't flog it or rev it hard, just a nice even smooth change up through the gears.

What is pump massaged mean? (nearly afraid to ask!)

[justinc]

I'm still not convinced that it 'doesn't' affect longevity of the engine though. It's always been a concern of mine and yes I understand EGT's etc.


I just figure that they got it right in the first place and I'm never in that big of a rush driving the old girl.....

Chris, the 200 is a stronger engine than the 300 in that department IMHO. They are under fuelled and under boosted from the factory. You can easily and safely up them to 15 Psi from 11, with a bit more fuel at the right time, which CAN make them slightly more economical as they can spend more time in the higher gears.

A great and underrated engine.


JC

[Blknight.aus]

Thats part of the charm for me. It makes you slow down and take your time. I don't flog it or rev it hard, just a nice even smooth change up through the gears.

What is pump massaged mean? (nearly afraid to ask!)

Re-adjusting the fuel injector pump.

all pumps leave factory A (which isnt a rover factory) in a standard configuration +/- a tolerance

all engines leave factory B in a certain trim which will be +/- a tolerance with a pump from factory A bolted on. so long as the engine makes spec power when run up they dont touch it, some go over some just make it. Add to that the fact that every driver and vehicle configuration is different and there is scope for tweaking the motor to perform differently. People who drive like me and drive them like its a truck prefer an engine that pulls harder down low which is great for towing and low speed 4x4 work, people like the stig who wring the neck out of things prefer an engine that makes it all up the top end for maximum speed and acceleration.

With a compensated Turbo diesel like the tdi's the power output of the engine can be "massaged" to suit the driver and as with all turbo diesels if you drive it nicely you could set the engine up to produce several hundred horses and mutiple wheelbarrow loads of torque so long as you dont have the engine deliver it (as in you dont bury the boot) then it wont be detrimental to either your engine life or fuel consumption.

[fender22]

I think I'm happy with my old girl the way she is :)

[rovercare]

I think I'm happy with my old girl the way she is :)

Ignorance is bliss:D