1996 landrover discovery 300tdi auto

[Dawsy1997]

Hello,
I have just brought my first land rover with pick up being tomorrow, i did get it quite cheap but am handy with my hands and plan on fixing the weeps. My first question what modifications are necessary to prolong the vehicle. It will be used as a 4wd with the plan to be going to robe soon to have my first crack at sand driving. I have already planned on doing every single oil and filter. I've heard that sand can kill automatic transmissions if they over heat. Depending on funds i was hoping to also install a boost gauge, egt, engine temp and auto temp(maybe egr but mine looks like it may have been blanked). I have read about the bigger inter cooler and mucking around on the fuel pump which would be a future endeavour along with a 2-3 inch lift with 32inch tyres. Also what should be regarded as regular maintenance(ill be doing my own). I have read about the cleaning of the inter cooler so just after general tips and tricks to get the best out of them.(Mine has done 197,xxx and i believe a new belt was fitted at 150-160, just have to double check with previous owner(not wrote in service book))

Thanks Ethan

[edddo]

Yes the autos need to be watched if they are working hard like sand work.
I have a TM4 - dual sensor variety with one on the head and one on the auto trans return line.
I don't like seeing the auto temp go over about 90 as that would mean the actual fluid temp would be over 100 for sure - which is ok but I want to keep the box for a long life.
The 300tdi definitley needs a low coolant alarm as well as the head will not survive a low coolant overheat.
Get the radiator rodded and cleaned and renew coolant hoses.
A healthy cooling system is the key to a long life for the 300tdi engine.
Good idea to renew all fluids and filters - and give the auto a full flush and service.
EGT gauge is also a very good idea - keep temps under 700. Need to know the temps if you are adjusting the FP.
Then you will be starting from a good base.

[bee utey]

Your auto box could do with a bigger cooler. I've replaced a couple with early Range Rover P38 ones for my friends, that stopped the overheat lamp coming on. The coolers aren't a direct fit but it's not hard to make a couple of pipe adaptors out of old D1 V8 cooler pipes.

[LRJim]

Your auto box could do with a bigger cooler. I've replaced a couple with early Range Rover P38 ones for my friends, that stopped the overheat lamp coming on. The coolers aren't a direct fit but it's not hard to make a couple of pipe adaptors out of old D1 V8 cooler pipes.Been thinking about this for a while, do you just cap off the original hoses at the rad or leave them as is?
Cheers Jim

[pop058]

I cut into the existing lines from the trans and put an additional cooler (from an RRC) in line and mounted it on the bar. I had to trim a few small bits plastic braces from the grill but a simple install.

donor

145440

parts

145441

bits I had to trim

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finished product

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[bee utey]

Been thinking about this for a while, do you just cap off the original hoses at the rad or leave them as is?
Cheers Jim

Both the 300TDi's I've replaced the coolers on only had a front mounted trans cooler, so no radiator pipes to plug. The P38 cooler is about 3x as tall as the 300TDi one and entirely adequate. Two 90 degree bends off old cooler lines brazed to two V8 rad nipples make up the adaptors to the stock 300TDi lines. These lines need a bit of tweaking to line up but it's pretty easy to do.

[LRJim]

Both the 300TDi's I've replaced the coolers on only had a front mounted trans cooler, so no radiator pipes to plug. The P38 cooler is about 3x as tall as the 300TDi one and entirely adequate. Two 90 degree bends off old cooler lines brazed to two V8 rad nipples make up the adaptors to the stock 300TDi lines. These lines need a bit of tweaking to line up but it's pretty easy to do.Sorry I have the v8 not the TDI, I havnt even looked at the cooling for the trans on it in just making assumptions. Or is the v8 cooling adequate enough for the trans compared to the tdi?
Sorry dawsey for hijacking your thread [emoji106]

[Rick1970]

My early v8 disco with std cooler but no cooler in rad runs cool, Less than 60 most times and really have to push it to get to 90. Temp sender near factory temp switch. Maybe rad cooler adds unwanted heat?

[AK83]

Sorry I have the v8 not the TDI, I havnt even looked at the cooling for the trans on it in just making assumptions. Or is the v8 cooling adequate enough for the trans compared to the tdi?
Sorry dawsey for hijacking your thread [emoji106]
From what I've seen, the coolers(both engine oil and trans) are the same V8 and Tdi(dunno about 200 tdi tho).

EDIT: what I should have written more accurately is that engine oil cooler is the drivers side radiator tank with the two hoses to and from the oil filter housing.

Obviously other detail differences in the cooling system too(some hoses, thermostat design, etc), but the V8 radiator is 'full width', where the 300Tdi rad is 3/4 width, with the other 1/4 taken up by the intercooler.

But there are many parts interchangeable between Tdi and V8, eg. trans cooler, expansion tank, and maybe some other bits and pieces too. But as another example, A/C condenser fans are the same, viscous and fan are different. I recently changed my trans temp switch, and they're the same part for tdi and V8 .. etc.