Thread: How well does your V8 Disco tow?

Have you checked your vacuum advance unit? If it is faulty, then you wouldn't be going too well up hills either

Originally Posted by rovercare

Even easier way to explain it.........the piddly wover V8 just doesn;t have the capacity nor compression ratio to perform such a task well

He'll be needing to get used to it, or get rid of it

I've towed with heaps of rover 8's, 3.5, 3.9, 4.6, blown 3.9, they all suck towing heavy weights, no if's, no buts

WRONG about the blown 3.9 - our's tows a triple horse float and with a gross weight of around 2000kg (float plus two horses) and it will accelerate and hold speed on hills easily. Indeed, on boost it will accelerate too fast for the horses' comfort, and has plenty of power in reserve even on the steepest hills. I can't really speak for the normal 3.9 but our old 3.5D1 5 speed we had towed 3 tonnes of trailer plus super quite well I thought, provided you got onto the revs early.

We also recently followed a 4.5L twin cam 80 series with one horse aboard a double float (800kg), and the blown 3.9 easily out performed it on all hills towing the triple (1300kg) plus 2 horses. The 80 series owner was disappointed it would not get over 45kph (second gear) going up the Southern Outlet from Hobart with one horse aboard, whereas we easily got 60kph.

PS for every hill there is a decent, so what's the problem?? Speed it not everything especially when towing. Ever seen a rig get the swee-sways - not pretty.

Originally Posted by It'sNotWorthComplaining!

Have you checked your vacuum advance unit? If it is faulty, then you wouldn't be going too well up hills either

Spot on- our's was pathetic on all fronts until it was serviced and timed - the VAC was also kaput, plug leads stuffed etc etc

I've had to tow a few cars around the place, towed my old 5.5mt boat up to QLD, and the best thing I found was to make sure the timing was right, and use 98 0tc fuel,,, and then, as some other suggested, keep the revs up.
If its an auto, you can still pick the gear you want when you think you need it,,, you won't hurt it.
And when you crest some hills, starting down them at 100-110 k's with a big load is not always a good idea, especially if you dont know the road.

But when towing, like 99% of most of the others on the road, we come to a hill, and we slow up a bit,, (ok,, sometimes a lot ) Now I dont know about you guys, but when I'm towing a big heavy load, I'm happy to be almost forced to slow down to a gentler pace, (even if its only 500mts worth), it gives you a chance to relax your mind from what "should be" a high concerntration zone and keep going longer/safer.

You could always fit a Nitrous Oxide (spelling).
I reckon a few motorist have.
When ever I get stuck behind a slow moving vehicle hauling a caravan and get to a 500 metre long overtaking lane and are about to overtake these bozos, they flick the switch on the Nitrous Oxide and gain that extra Horsepower, then slow down again when it's unsafe to overtake

Originally Posted by INter674

WRONG about the blown 3.9 - our's tows a triple horse float and with a gross weight of around 2000kg (float plus two horses) and it will accelerate and hold speed on hills easily. Indeed, on boost it will accelerate too fast for the horses' comfort, and has plenty of power in reserve even on the steepest hills. I can't really speak for the normal 3.9 but our old 3.5D1 5 speed we had towed 3 tonnes of trailer plus super quite well I thought, provided you got onto the revs early.

We also recently followed a 4.5L twin cam 80 series with one horse aboard a double float (800kg), and the blown 3.9 easily out performed it on all hills towing the triple (1300kg) plus 2 horses. The 80 series owner was disappointed it would not get over 45kph (second gear) going up the Southern Outlet from Hobart with one horse aboard, whereas we easily got 60kph.

PS for every hill there is a decent, so what's the problem?? Speed it not everything especially when towing. Ever seen a rig get the swee-sways - not pretty.

I'm not wrong, its my opinion, I had a 3.9 with eaton M90 in my RR before the diseasel, it still sucked in comparison

Originally Posted by twitchy

I think you guys miss the point that it CAN tow that much with a piddly 3.9L.

If you intend to keep towing then you ned to change the cam profile for the specific job at hand, maybe check the condition of said engine as well.

As for Cunninghams gap it is bloody steep mate, My D2 was in second at one point with about 2 1/2 ton behind it & it would drag that weight at 130 easy as.

A D2 towing 2.5ton at 130km/h in 2nd?
How does that work.
Towing at that speed is crazy as it is and in 2nd up a hill not sure how the maths/physics works there?

Towing at speed is tricky, slowing at speed with extra 2.5ton is even more tricky.
For towing you just can't beat engine capacity and or diesel torque.

They are facts with current technology till we go nuclear and than from reading I have done, torque be linear and we just adjust amount we use.

Happy towing, I will stick to my principals of never overloading motor and leave some reserve in motor.
130 up a hill still scratching my head as to why would you?????????

I think,,,
he means it would tow that weight easily on the flat--


2nd up cunninghams with over two ton is bloody good I reckon