Thread: New 1996 300tdi owner

Originally Posted by donh54

Roverlord is my supplier of choice. Best service you can get, and doesn't sell crap.

Thanks for your thoughts. Have an order lined up with them.

Okay cool, will ask her mechanic re injector pump. Will also get on the LC alarm and some additional temp gauges.

Originally Posted by Fausto79

As mentioned, if you’re not playing with injector pump then egt not so important. But you need to make sure someone didn’t tweak it whilst your nan owned it.

Low coolant alarm on the other hand is always relevant. Coolant temperature good idea too as factory gauge is only good at telling you when your engine is cooked.

Well just completed an order with Roverlord.

Have a timing belt kit, both drive belts, coolant hose kit, water pump, p gasket, thermostat, rocker cover gasket, sedimenter o ring kit, transmission filter kit, oil filler cap, and front diff pinion seal coming.

Also utilised the super cheap sale on penrite gear oil to get enough gear oil for both diffs and tranfercase. As well as auto trans oil for both transmission and power steering.

I also ordered an engine saver low coolant alarm and a engine guard twin sensor engine temperature alarm.

Found the blacknight timing belt tutorial, what an awesome thing to do. So now just need to order the couple of necessary tools I don't have. Only issue might be the much loved crank pulley, will have to see if I can get access to a rattle gun. I do have Milwaukee m12 batteries and their little impact gun has been calling my name for quite a while. However with all the bits and pieces I am buying not sure if I can afford right now.

Originally Posted by Toomnus

Well just completed an order with Roverlord.

Have a timing belt kit, both drive belts, coolant hose kit, water pump, p gasket, thermostat, rocker cover gasket, sedimenter o ring kit, transmission filter kit, oil filler cap, and front diff pinion seal coming.

....

caveat: I'm not a mechanic, but have done many mechanical things to feel confident enough to do most things.

Having said that, if you do the timing belt yourself, don't take stuff for granted(as I did).

1. crank holding tool, more so to retighten the crank bolt.
I stupidly made one up using flat bar. cut two pieces at about 20° angle to make a 40-ish degree angle. two holes drilled to bolt it to the harmonic balancer, and allows access to the crank bolt.
When doing it up(can't remember specs) but first you do a torque setting on the bolt then a 90° final tighten. As I was winding it for the final 90°, too much strain on the home made bodge job crank holding bar, and it snapped, and I thought I got to 90°(but I obviously didn't).
Needless to say, harmonic came loose over a week or two, finally spinning. No damage to crankshaft, but caused myself some grief.
So, just the heads up to be ready for it, and basically don't assume anything. If you make one up, make sure your welding skills are up to it.
(in the end, I bought one off ebay .. I think cost me a bit over $100 .. noted it also fit a Jag of some type. Nice solid thing, looks like a banjo.

2.Other thing I gained from that stuff up ... don't reuse the woodruff key again, for a dollar or two better to be safe than sorry. Also recommend to get a new crank bolt. I've read opinions on use one and re-use, but my preference now is to get a new one. Maybe $20 worth.
Also, make sure you also do the front main seal too. It will most likely leak having been disturbed. may as well renew the front cover seal too. For the sake of a couple $, it's not that exxy just for the peace of mind.

I used blacknights tute too, very easy to follow, made first time easier than I expected.

Other thing that may be helpful. Wheel nut socket/breaker/brace. Do you only have the brace that came with the car?
Handy tip, deep 6 point 27mm or 1 1/16th socket and breaker is much better/handier. The benefit then is that the same socket/bar can then be used to remove the harmonic's bolt(27mm .. or 1 1/16th).
I got a Kinchrome one(cheap at their factory outlet), but I also have a 'cheapie' deep socket set from a cheapo tools store(cost about $60 for about 15 or so large sockets), both 27 and 1 1/16th sockets came in this set.
Both as good as each other, so sometimes you get lucky with the quality of what you can find in cheapie Chinesium tools.
I also use a cheapie Chinesium 600mm ratchety breaker bar. Both for wheels and harmonic bolt. Harmonic bolt regularly to do the tappet adjustment.
Cost something like $50 .. still hasn't failed me doing the wheel nuts a million or so times over(stupid Yokahama tyres!)

Thanks for the detailed reply. I am planning to do the timing belt myself and am defiantly aware that it needs to be done just so. Will look into buying the crank holding tool. I wonder if anyone around Sydney or Mid North Coast owns one that I could borrow.

Will grab those extra bits and pieces. I have a shallow 27mm socket but defiantly want to get an impact rated deep socket as well. I have no issue buying tools to get jobs done.

Originally Posted by AK83

caveat: I'm not a mechanic, but have done many mechanical things to feel confident enough to do most things.

Having said that, if you do the timing belt yourself, don't take stuff for granted(as I did).

1. crank holding tool, more so to retighten the crank bolt.
I stupidly made one up using flat bar. cut two pieces at about 20° angle to make a 40-ish degree angle. two holes drilled to bolt it to the harmonic balancer, and allows access to the crank bolt.
When doing it up(can't remember specs) but first you do a torque setting on the bolt then a 90° final tighten. As I was winding it for the final 90°, too much strain on the home made bodge job crank holding bar, and it snapped, and I thought I got to 90°(but I obviously didn't).
Needless to say, harmonic came loose over a week or two, finally spinning. No damage to crankshaft, but caused myself some grief.
So, just the heads up to be ready for it, and basically don't assume anything. If you make one up, make sure your welding skills are up to it.
(in the end, I bought one off ebay .. I think cost me a bit over $100 .. noted it also fit a Jag of some type. Nice solid thing, looks like a banjo...

It's just possible that the cylinder head still has the original plastic screw-in plugs just near either end of the top radiator hose. These were probably replaced with brass ones long ago; the plastic ones tend to crack, and should be replaced with brass if you find them.
Also, look underneath and see if the rear universal joint is a rubber donut instead of the usual steel affair. If so, check it for cracks.
(NB Yours may have been produced before the factory made the change, but ours is a late 98 and it has the rubber donut. Perhaps others here will know when the critical date was...)

Thanks checked that and has the brass plugs. It has the rubber donut but was replaced 2 years ago so no cracks.

Originally Posted by Canvas Hat

It's just possible that the cylinder head still has the original plastic screw-in plugs just near either end of the top radiator hose. These were probably replaced with brass ones long ago; the plastic ones tend to crack, and should be replaced with brass if you find them.
Also, look underneath and see if the rear universal joint is a rubber donut instead of the usual steel affair. If so, check it for cracks.
(NB Yours may have been produced before the factory made the change, but ours is a late 98 and it has the rubber donut. Perhaps others here will know when the critical date was...)

Well I bit the bullet and ordered a crank holding tool from England via Ebay, was $176 including postage and import charges. Should arrive by the end of this month.

I had an issue with the viscous fan spanner I ordered, black nights timing belt tutorial states a 36mm spanner; and shame on me but I didn't verify this and ordered away... it actually needs a 32mm, I discovered on testing and a quick verification online. So will return and have 32mm ordered.