Thread: New member with a new Disco

Originally Posted by Corgie Carrier

If the front diff oil was suss, I'd also check the wheel bearings to make sure they haven't been affected by the water ingress. You don't want to be stuck on the side of the road with buggered bearings.

OH and Welcome to the forum and Disco ownership. Enjoy!

Cheers, I'll jack it up tomorrow and see if there is any play. I hope not as I'm on the road in 36 hours time and don't have many tools or time to replace bearings!

Originally Posted by SeanP

At this point the on,y real concern besides little niggly things is the slight whine from the front diff. 4wd in all types of mode works well. Even took it for a short squirt this arvo. But, in saying that, it is quite difficult to select the modes with the stick. It requires a fair bit of force and I'm needing to hold it in place and select drive in order to hold it in the selected mode. Thoughts on that one?

The Hi/Low range stick is probably stiff to move due to lack of use. If the car has rarely been off road it might not have been moved for a number of years. I also find it easier to move if the car is moving slightly. Slow right down almost to a stop and put the transmission in neutral the move the hi/low stick, it should go in easier.

Originally Posted by Corgie Carrier

The Hi/Low range stick is probably stiff to move due to lack of use. If the car has rarely been off road it might not have been moved for a number of years. I also find it easier to move if the car is moving slightly. Slow right down almost to a stop and put the transmission in neutral the move the hi/low stick, it should go in easier.

I'll give that a go next time!

So the saga continues, I wonder what hidden treasures lay for me to uncover next.

The wheel bearings on all corners are good, no movement there. Diff whine is slowly easing off, or maybe I'm getting used to it?

So, as I am replacing the heater hoses I disconnect two of the spark plug leads to allow slightly better access. As I do that, I pull one of them apart by accident (doh!). After fitting the new hose I start the car to let system burp. After I start it I notice that I've left the two spark plug leads off! However, the car is running as well as before. No 'miss' or idle issues. So, off I go to the wreckers to get an old set of leads. Plug the new/old set in and the car now has a hiccup and ping! I replaced the leads one at a time as they were odd lengths and would measure them against the new set and choose which one to use from that. In order to ensure that I didn't place them in the wrong order.

Any way, I quickly google what is the firing order and Lo and behold three of the four cylinders on the left bank are out of order! So it seems that of the 8, only 7 were firing due to leads, and of the 7 there were 3 were firing out of order!

I have checked the rotor and it appears it is earthing/sparking on the very edge of tip instead of over the whole face. Any tips on how to fix that?

The square swivel hub plug is found toward the top of the swivel housing, easier to see with tyre removed. Molybdenum grease comes in a plastic squeeze tube, one tube sufficient for one hub. Alternatively you can use diff oil in the CV (as was the original design as I understand), just you may have oil leaking out of hub wiper seals etc if not new.

Hi/low is easier to engage when the vehicle is slightly rolling in neutral, then shift to drive. 8 vehicles, never had a problem with sticking linkages running from floor pan to gearbox exterior. Any issues I've had are in the box. I had troubles with jumping out of low range, wrong sized detente ball bearings being the problem. When it is the wrong sized ball bearing attempts are made to tighten the grub screw that pushes the spring on the bearing, pretty much removing any spring travel, making hard for the bearing to move, and making the hi/low engagement difficult and still not holding.

Originally Posted by workingonit

The square swivel hub plug is found toward the top of the swivel housing, easier to see with tyre removed. Molybdenum grease comes in a plastic squeeze tube, one tube sufficient for one hub. Alternatively you can use diff oil in the CV (as was the original design as I understand), just you may have oil leaking out of hub wiper seals etc if not new.

Hi/low is easier to engage when the vehicle is slightly rolling in neutral, then shift to drive. 8 vehicles, never had a problem with sticking linkages running from floor pan to gearbox exterior. Any issues I've had are in the box. I had troubles with jumping out of low range, wrong sized detente ball bearings being the problem. When it is the wrong sized ball bearing attempts are made to tighten the grub screw that pushes the spring on the bearing, pretty much removing any spring travel, making hard for the bearing to move, and making the hi/low engagement difficult and still not holding.

The slightly rolling made a massive difference, heaps easier to engage. Thanks to both of you for the tip.

I'll have a look at the hubs, however if the oil is leaking in there, won't that provide lubrication on its own then? Could this possibly be a later rather than sooner job?

With worn seals the diff oil is more likely to lube the CV (wash it out might be a better choice of words) and maybe the bearing, when the vehicle spends quite some time on a side angle ie parked on a side slope. One could joke that with many thousands of kms of left hand road camber you will have a nicely lubed left CV by the time you get to Darwin, but I doubt there would be enough angle to really do anything.

If it were me, in a hurry to get back to base, and all other issues resolved, I'd do a trial run to check no heat build up in any bearing hub/no wobbles/steers straight, and if no issues grab some spare diff oil and feed some into the CV then head off. Check the bearing hubs for heat when you refuel. Carry one set of bearings? Do you have a travelling set of tools?

I have a basic set of ringies, pliers, flat head and Phillips head. Pretty much can pull a car apart with them. But no big stuff.

Well it made it 999km on the first day. Traralgon-Melbourne-Horsham-Adelaide-Port Wakefield for the night. First tank was a combo of highway and city (plus all my maintenance driving) and averaged 18.6/100. Second was pure highway and through Melbourne, trying to draft when possible. Got 13.6/100, then third tank for day had me driving through lots of rain and puddles, plus the hills into Adelaide which the v8 really couldn't handle and would slowly slide back to 80-85km/h and that tank was 15.2/100. So, I increased the timing by a fraction, tried to check the vacuum advance pipe (blowing into the throttle body it feels blocked is that correct)(although I cleaned it and it has something blocking it off inside - hard metal not dirt) to see if I can get it any lower.

Sitting between 97-105km/h. Which is 2750-3000rpm. If only it had another gear! Or an overdrive... Plus 50 more hp wouldn't hurt!

So today was from Port Wakefield-Port Augusta-Coober Pedy-Marla. Just under 1000km again two days in a row.

Averaging a fraction under 14/100, sitting in the 97-102km/h bracket. The door squeak has resolved itself which is nice!

Had to top up the oil tonight, about 500ml, nothing crazy. I have a feelin the vacuum advance isn't working as advertised. As I've dialled in more advance it now idles a amidge rough, but is great around the 3000rpm mark. Seems like it may not be advancing, and is relying on the static advance I've dialled in. Thoughts? Anyway to test it while I'm on the road? The blow and suck test through the pipe doesn't show me anything, nor any movement.