Thread: Teach me to drive a Series 3 diesel please

Originally Posted by emus

Can it be driven for long periods in low range 4wd on dirt? Up to what speed?
What is the approximate top speed of the diesel in high? Can top speed be continued for prolonged periods with the diesel safely?

Top speed is as fast as you are game to drive it - but realistically, 30mph or so in low range and 60 or so in high. When I had an overdrive fitted to mine it would happily sit at 70mph all day (except for big hills). Now I have removed the OD, it will easily sit at 60 or 65, but I prefer to sit at 55mph or so.

But I did do this speed for a day or 2 across the Nullarbor:

As JD said above - lower speeds are better for the engine and fuel consumption - but it never got over 11.5L/100 - even though it was heavily laden.

Do these things overheat readily? The motor's still tight one this one, only about 50 kms since full overhaul, and shows just above the middle of the heat range on the dial at times.

They aren't prone to overheating, but you need to look after the cooling system. The temperature sender is at the back of the head - so the hottest point. It will climb quite high on the gauge when you are driving up steep hills in summer - the highest it has been on mine is 1/4" or so below the red bit when climbing cunningham's gap (or similar), but it drops very quickly once you get over the top. If you overheat the engine they are prone to cracking the tips off the injector nozzles, or dropping precombustion chambers, either one usually means a rebuild. The middle is fine - but possibly a bit of a concern as it is winter. With the recent weather here, I can only get it to leave the white bit if it is working hard.

The local country diesel engineer who did up the motor delivered it back to the owner ,with it light grey smoking quite heavily on idle. The engineer explained that the reconditioned injector pump needed a special Land Roverfactory tool to fine tune the pump, and he didn't have one. Is this likely to be correct? And if so , does anyone know someone with the tool in Adelaide able correct this for less than an arm and a leg (the ute cost me less than his reconditioning bill)

Is it grey or blue/white? Sounds like valve stem seals if the latter colour. White smoke means the pump is too retarded, black smoke too advanced or overfueling. If it isn't blue smoke, then there is a pumpo/timing problem. You do not need any special tools to set the timing properly if you know what you are doing.

I've read with interest in this Forum re Fish'n'chip shop canola oil being used in diesels,.........might this be possible in mine? Does it need to be thinned down with distillate? On what ratio?
If anyone has an old handbook or workshop manual for sale ,I'd be interested

The CAV DPA pump which your engine has, doesn't take well to the higher viscosity of veg oil, as there is a fine scroll inside the injector pump, which can be sheared/damaged. Biodiesel would be fine though, or possibly a blend of veg oil and something else, but there are a lot of unknown with doing this - unless you can accurately measure viscosity and lubricity of your blend then I wouldn't like your chances of long term IP/Injector life.

The other questions have been covered comprehensively...

ISUZUROVER............great response, thanks indeed,............what a great group of people on this Forum!

cheers Pete