Thread: History of The RR LSE in Australia

Originally Posted by Lockee

1993 Range Rover Vogue LSE rare LWB 300TDi Diesel manual - Shannons Club

Vin number in photos

I remember that car when it was at toorak tractor getting done. Owner was going to make their own fuel hence the 300tdi conversion

Originally Posted by Lockee

My Oct 93 LSE Hard Dash Vin SALLHBMM3KA644105
Now has a 3.9 Serpentine R380 LT230
Plymouth Blue Black Interior. Few mods
4th owner full history from new.
Had a 5.2 Stroker in it.

So what does the pic in the later post represent ??? with VIN (if my poor eyes are right) SALLHBMM3XA639406 built May 93

Originally Posted by gavinwibrow

So what does the pic in the later post represent ??? with VIN (if my poor eyes are right) SALLHBMM3XA639406 built May 93

Sorry saw this advert of a diesel converted May 93 one

Any activity, my one hasn't moved from the shed for 12 months.....

Hi Lockee,

>my one hasn't moved from the shed for 12 months.....

Really? I thought you were moving so fast on it.

Sorted out the Wabco issues and had mine back on the road and running well. But I was concerned about a squeaking noise from the motor (2.8HS) and aircon belt wear. Turned out that the injector pump main shaft was moving for and aft and the pulley was touching the front cover. Also, the front cover bearing was worn which accounted for the belt wear. So, another minor overhaul:
Overhauled injector pump
Overhauled turbo
Overhauled injectors
New timing cover
Fitted larger radiator
Converted fusable links to two D1 engine bay fuse boxes
Tidied up engine bay wiring and made a new main loom

Once everything was back together it ran OK, but needed a dyno as the turbo didn't have much boost, but was OK for a trip to Geelong and back and driving around.

BUT, two days before Christmas, after a run to a farm just past Lancefield, after I stopped to drop some stuff off at a farmhouse, I noticed smoke coming out of the engine bay as the car sat idling. Grabbed the fire extinguisher, opened the bonnet just enough to give access to the engine and let loose the spray.

The turbo had overheated (on a mild day) and melted the heated window washer jet wiring which shorted and started an electrical fire. The heat from the turbo and the fire was so intense it melted the washer bottle which was still full of water, burnt through aircon hoses (running to the rear aircon), melted the nearby section of the bonnet sound deadener, burnt the engine cover and the oil cap. You get the idea.

When things had cooled down, I cut and terminated the wiring and was able to drive to the farm a short distance away. There I ripped everything burnt out.

I was able to drive it back to Melbourne, but the kickdown cable had been melted, so gear changes were a bit ordinary.

I have done nothing to the car since as I'm probably still a bit shell shocked. When the turbo was returned after it's overhaul, the vacuum hose had been connected to the wrong inlet, which meant it sucked in oil and flooded it into the exhaust. It took the garage who I sent it to and me a good couple of hours to figure out what was happening. I know that the garage had recommended a few mods to the turbo, so I'm going to take it back to them to see if they can figure out why it overheated.

My guess as to total cost to fix is about $800 to replace the water bottle and wiring (although I won't bother with heating the washer jets). Note, the fire also destroyed two air filters for my compressed air system which are about $120 each. I'm thinking of fabricating a stainless steel water bottle. To replace the aircon hoses and re-gas etc will probably be another $800 or so.

I'll also need to figure out how to heat protect that part of the engine bay and get better heat dissipation for the turbo. I'm thinking of extraction vents at the rear side of the bonnet and perhaps even water cooling the turbo.

Or I may just give up and get a late model Disco and start all over again!

Probably going to sell my one.

Life getting in the way of my build

Still have my LSE.
SALLHBMM3MA645225. built in November 93. Soft dash. Montpellier red. Fitted with a TDI 300 engine made 1998 and has covered 130000 kls. The car has covered 216000 kls.
It started life as a Land Rover directors car, I'm its third owner, Love it dearly, thought of selling it a few times ,but it just does want to leave...
And yes fingers crossed, and touching plenty of wood it is running well at present.
I am hoping to take it to Cooma next year, if it happens,as this was the winner of the best 4 door Range Rovers in 2008.

Originally Posted by Lockee

Any activity, my one hasn't moved from the shed for 12 months.....

I've had an intermittent slow leak in one tyre on the LSE for several months and the local mechanic finally found it. What looks like a seam on the inside of the tyre is slowly opening up. A can of stop leak goo stopped the leak temporarily but as I drive it the seam continues to slowly split and I have a leak again..

Looks like a new set of tyres coming up. This is the first issue I have had with Toyo ATs and a bit of a shame considering their tread depth is a healthy 8mm but I'm not stressing over it.

Now all I need to do is find a " buy 4 get one free " deal. Tyre buying, especially AT tyres, is always a faithful leap into the great unknown.

I moved it to give the poor old thing a bit of a tub this arvo. It hasn't been started for some 7 weeks and it was turn the key for an instant start, very happy about that, as well as the drip free concrete it was parked over.

Apart from fitting a new battery before Christmas it is going well....touch wood.....fingers crossed.....and with a lucky rabbits foot in my pocket.