Thread: What happened to your Discovery 2 today?

Originally Posted by onebob

Hi RRT,
....the boost controller is connected correctly but it would not be the ideal place from which to measure boost pressure - and I think that is what you might be referring to. I had experience with the type of boost controller you have and I found that it's adjustment range allowed for only 4 > 6psi increase in Gauge boost pressure and rightly or wrongly I was also suspicious of the effect the restrictor hose nipple had in the operation of the controller. Anyway a 4 > 6psi increase is usually adequate for the street car fan boys, which is the sales market where most of these controllers end up, but it fell short of my expectations. I ended up giving it to my son's petrol head mate - and he was stoked. I was aware of DIY boost controllers that were made from pneumatic fittings and rather than make one I purchased the local "ready made" Turbotech branded version from SIMARK Industries P/L and it delivered results that exceeded my expectations. Yes!.... I've explored it's full range but have it adjusted to deliver a sensible max boost gauge pressure of 24 > 26psi which allows me to keep up with the modern traffic stream.

PS: SIMARK Industries are no longer trading as of March 2021

One Bob

Just read on the DD site that I was wrong in getting this type of adjustment for the VNT

PLEASE NOTE: These can be used for controlling the boost on WASTEGATE TURBOCHARGERS ONLY. These will NOT control the boost on VNT Vaccum Turbochargers.

And as you mentioned it may have only been 4-6 psi and this would not have solved the issue anyway if expected high boost is going to be over 35psi (not that I have any desire to run boost at this level, just does it).

Be interested in how you have plumbed your vac line to get it working, the flutter issues I have at present at best guess is that it is not being enough vac to open the vanes and at 26 psi it literally is acting like an engine exhaust brake which just happens to correspond on a light foot at around 2500 rpm, engines brakes boost drops, revs rise boost rise and engine brakes again etc...

The only turbotech one I saw was similar to the one I got, not a pneumatic style which I am looking at now, by HDI, but it is the plumbing that I got to be sure of and exactly where does enough vacuum be produced to run a VNT?

Originally Posted by Slunnie

Hey did you get something like these? Sounds like you think they're the way to go. They look like they would pump up with the locker air compressor.

AirJack.jpg

Similar type, but I got the long handle, 3 position type.
You can find some on ebay with a long handle that only fits into a circular slot on two positions, but the ones I got have the 3 position long handle type. Easier to move about and I find I use the middle posi most often.

I only have two stands, so use the air jack to lift off the pumpkin, which always skews the car sideways. The use the other one to lift the lower leaning side up enough to level the axle .. fit stands release air .. done.

What I've also done is to make up a twin air hose so that I connect the two at the same time if needed. They don't have good lateral rigidity compared to a trolley jack, but lifting two at the same time makes this 'safer' looking.
They do have a tower inside the airbag that uses the cup in a cup concertina system. This is what gives them their (very little) lateral rigidity. If you lift one side of a vehicle their natural tendency is to lean over a little bit, as you'd expect considering the angles involved. Just like a trolley jack not only lifts, but also moves the vehicle fore/aft as it lifts.
If you lift from one side only, the internal cups tower structure binds up, then releases itself in what looks like a worrying motion. But this is normal. I guess better honing of the cups would minimise this.

Why I got two. Just checked my ebay, and got the two for $310.

Today I figured out that you don't always want the long handle, as it can get in the way of something.
So I'm also going to get myself two of the short handle pad type like in your image.

You wouldn't use them without some stands if you're doing really heavy work .. eg. doing up tight bolts that need a lot of torque to undo/do up .. so still needs stands for some stability.
But for jacking up to remove tyre .. so much quicker/easier.

The brake lines were all easy to remove/refit .. so as I only have two stands, I had to work with just the two bags up front(no stands) .. pushed and pulled sideways and it rocked a few inches, but nothing totally unsafe. Had spares under car anyhow(no room anywhere else.
No movement fore/aft tho.
Rear was on stands, so made it solid.

They do lift about 400-500mm or so, says in the specs .. just can't remember now.

Note that when I first got them, my first use of them was to test how long they'd hold air with the D2 raised up.
Had them holding it up for two days straight .. no leaks.

Other slight advantage with these(maybe more so with the short handled ones in your pic) .. is when you need to pack them to get more lift(eg. body).
With the trolley jack .. to cumbersome to get it onto a stack of sleepers get into posit and then jack it. I used to pack the lifting cup.. which is always more dangerous.
With these air bag jacks tho .. easy to lay down 5 stacks of 2" thick sleepers, pop the air jack on top and lift body.. far more stable.

My spares bomb sits on grassy backyard. Last couple of years has made the ground lush/soft/fertile .. so lots of grass and great soil. Impossible to get the trolley jack under it to lift it to remove stuff. These are much more usable on soft ground.

I got an ARB compressor on board the D2 .. I'll give it a shot and see how they lift.

Note they do have the typical cheapo Chinese bits and pieces, that make you laugh at the pathetic attempt at creating something.
eg. the taps look really cheapo. I expect one day they'll need changing. The two piece handle is held together with 4 nuts/bolts using a laughable bracket to hold it together in the middle. The tube of the handle crushes all too easily when you tighten the nuts, otherwise the handle doesn't stay straight at the join. All annoyances, but the jack works fine. It doesn't use (say) 300 psi rated line from the tap to the air bag .. just some clear tube you would think twice about using for your windscreen washer hose!.. but it does say ok to 100psi. Also the fitting to keep it air tight look old hat. Al these items can easily be changed out for better quality stuff if needed tho. ATM I'm going to run them as is.

My compressor doesn't lose air for some strange reason .. and I had them sitting in the shed for another couple of days connected to the compressor at 110psi to test if they would eventually burst anything. Compressor never turned on that I know of, nothing burst(yet).

Not low enough for many modern vehicles tho. Before we packed up for the day, bro wanted to see if a set of wheels would fit on his sons golf. Can't get this jack under the front of the Golf .. too low. But jacked from the side sills, no problem, just the previously mentioned jerky action due to the lateral travel of the jack as it rises in an arc. if we lifted both sides(no need too) .. fine would have lifted fine.