Thread: 300Tdi should i buy?

Originally Posted by Finnius

Thankyou!
I am still getting my head around the 300Tdi engine.
Reading the manuals and threads etc it looks like there is no coolant routed through the timing belt cover - is this correct?

.......

Yes

Originally Posted by Bundy

Just done this on my 200TDi in a RR classic worked a treat and runs better than ever
How to replace the throttle spindle seal on a Tdi Injection pump - International Forum - LR4x4 - The Land Rover Forum

It was leaking bad around the throttle shaft because bush was so worn. The return spring really side-loads the poor old bush. Got my bits off Ebay from a place in WA

Paul

Would you be able to provide a link to the parts that you bought, or the name of the vendor? I am not having any luck finding the right listing.

Aaron.

Originally Posted by Finnius

Do you know much about the oil filter housing:
There looks to be a leak where the oil hose goes to the filter housing. But i checked the union fitting and it is nice and tight. But it looks like there is a separate piece of the housing (with the threaded collar that the pipe goes to) that can be removed perhaps with a gasket in between that might be the culprit - but i cant seem to find the gasket anywhere? O-ring inside perhaps?

the orings on the two pipes coming in and out of that housing and also up at the oil cooler are known to perish. sometimes the ones at the oil cooler end leak and the oil runs down the hoses and appears to leak at the housing. changing the o-rings will usually stop the leak. happened on mine. i changed the whole pipes inc orings as the old ones were getting a bit ugly looking. the housing does mate onto the block as well and can leak from there too. mine leaks from the factory oil pressure sender (i have tpiece there with vdo pressure sender too) unit and from the mating faces between housing and block. actually mine leaks from just about everywhere, but surprisingly none of it lands on the floor. a well known landrover mechanic told me mine leaks very little in comparison to most discos. i would hate to see what they look like. when i cleaned out the cyclonic cleaner at the top of the crank case it seemed to leak less. think possibly due to less back pressure in the case means less oil pushed out through leaky points. just a theory.

Originally Posted by Finnius

Thankyou!
I am still getting my head around the 300Tdi engine.
Reading the manuals and threads etc it looks like there is no coolant routed through the timing belt cover - is this correct?

Do you know much about the oil filter housing:
There looks to be a leak where the oil hose goes to the filter housing. But i checked the union fitting and it is nice and tight. But it looks like there is a separate piece of the housing (with the threaded collar that the pipe goes to) that can be removed perhaps with a gasket in between that might be the culprit - but i cant seem to find the gasket anywhere? O-ring inside perhaps?

The lift pump would leak onto that union wouldnt it?
Its not diesel is it? Just putting out out there.
I have fallen for that before - but the give away was that the 'oil' was too clean.
I have also replaced the oil cooler hoses as they are a known weak point.

You laugh about afterwards, but fuel starvation can be caused by wrongly reconnecting the in and out pipes at the fuel tank if you've had reason to go there ie water in tank. The draw out line almost touches the bottom. The return line stops short, several inches from the bottom. Funny?! The gauge says I have a quarter of a tank left! On inclines you keep cutting out, but on the level its runs OK - you will of course stop altogether once the fuel drops far enough.

Keep an eye on the engine oil dip stick. Ask the owner when the last change was made. If the level is above the maximum then suspect diesel getting into to the sump via leaking lift pumps, weeping injector nozzles.

If its less that $2k consider buying it if
- its got some accessories (bull bar, snorkel)
- there's no real rust (lift the drivers carpet)
- its not pressurising the cooling system
- the gearbox is not fussing (check auto change downs are not hard all the time, and it lockup at about 78kmph or manual shifts well and no growling)
- the steering box and injector pump are not leaking

Budget $2-6k for repairs if the gearbox is good, and doing most things yourself. A reasonably well maintained TDi300 is a plodder that will just keep on going. If there is a problem you can generally see it and its usually a leak or hear it.

Thanks eddo - but it is oil.
Sure enough oil is slowly weeping out of the union of the pipe with the metal crimp end. So i will have to order a couple of new hoses.
Then i moved over to the power steering pump leak... and it appears to be coming not from the low pressure pipe union but from the front of the pump somewhere behind the pulley. I can't be sure, because even with my little workshop inspection mirror it is hard to see. It leaks when the engine is off too. Will it leak through the pump even when the vehicle is just sitting there (as is the case with this one) or is it a sign it is just a hose?

I rebuilt a toyota pump once with a seal kit - is a kit common for the 300tdi?

Thanks workingonit. You should write a book - "A buyers guide to the 300Tdi Discovery"!

I specifically went for the ones without the fans as I read in an earlier post about the restricted space. But I am now thinking I will have a problem fitting these into the D2a as they are a sealed unit, and now there will be the problem of them overheating ?

My thinking last night was that it might be better to get the fan units and then modify the cap on the light unit and extend it a little so the bulb fits in.

I had the same problem with the pump on my D2a when I first got it, Unfortunately you will have to replace the pump and a new one is quite expensive.

There is a few generic branded pumps around. Hope they are ok quality?

Is RTV accepted as ok to use for the rear main seal instead of the gasket?