New member with a new Disco

Ah yes, the disco has certainly earnt a rest now.

Big day of driving yesterday. Many angry times.

Starter motor power cable decided to break on me, shorting out and attempting to start a fire on the insulation around the starter, plus the plastic cap on the starter solenoid.
New starter motor is on order, and I think I have a spare cable laying around.
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...016/01/330.jpg
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...016/01/331.jpg

I was lucky enough to go out for a 'quick' 4wd, which is a complete lie that took about 4hours to move about 50m. Four cars, three would be stuck, one would recover one, then it would get stuck. Was a massive pain in the backside.

Started with my getting stuck, and then it deteriorated rapidly. Crossing the track once was fine, then each subsequent time meant it exponentially got worse. We ultimately came out on the track we went in as we all couldn't get through the 50-70m of mud to reach the road that was only 150m away. What a drama.

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...016/01/332.jpg
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...016/01/333.jpg
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Ive damaged my steering as well. When I was stuck I've pulled too hard on the wheel and I've now got the ultimate in vague steering. The wheel will move from about the 11 to the 1 o'clock position with no change in direction. Everything under the car is tight though, so maybe a steering column or power steering pump issue. But she is going to be rested up for a while.

Minor update. Starter is out and doesn't look pretty.
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...016/01/312.jpg

The looseness in the steering was coming from where the steering shaft meets the pump, at the knuckle. I tightened it up (it already was pretty damn tight) and that's removed a fair amount of steering play and is back to a 'normal' amount of slop

And new one has arrived.

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...016/01/177.jpg
Will be fitted up tomorrow, or Thursday and all good to go!

And it is in. Courtesy of Dave making up a new starter cable for me, car now starts no problems. Let's so how long it lasts now!

I used my disco today to jump start and semi tow a Pajero. Why can't all cars be as reliable (hah!) as the Disco.

Makes me realise how good it is to have something cheap that actually works!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by SeanP

Makes me realise how good it is to have something cheap that actually works!

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of course you realise that that comment will be held against you as blackmail to ramp the future beer rate on threat of telling your SO.

Towed my blown Pajero back home with my Disco. Still reached the same top speed as the Pajero did, but didnt over heat or blow a turbo. So, the $1000 Disco is almost infinitely better than the $1000 Pajero.

Short long of it, I went out, got bogged, broke my front left brake caliber off.

Good times. Plenty of outdoors. Got to visit a hospital. Nice lamb rack for dinner at 1am...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by SeanP

Short long of it, I went out, got bogged, broke my front left brake caliber off.

Good times. Plenty of outdoors. Got to visit a hospital. Nice lamb rack for dinner at 1am...

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How the hell did you manage that, i have never broken anything in 22 years of LR ownership.

Was snatching out a Cruiser. After a few pulls went to get out of my own ruts and then snatched again and pulled myself into my tracks. Black soil is bottomless pit of sorrow. Car was on its chassis and over the diffs. It was literally sinking over the hours we were there. Ended up getting a hilift under the tow bar and pried it up to break the seal, tracks under the tyres as well as chassis, double snatch with 35" tyres in front of the bar to pull up instead of forward. In the video of me being pulled out you can see the front left is just caked in dirt.

I assume it is due to the last few times I've gotten myself in too deep and is probably fatigued.

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...016/02/382.jpg