V8 owner needs 300tdi tips&tricks, help please! :)

Hello

So we have just bought a nice M reg 5 door 300 for general towing/loading/runaround duties at work.

This is the job mine used to perform until it grew up into a right proper off roader and is now no longer practical, aswell as the horrendous fuel costs!

Anyway, we collected it on Wednesday from a local trader we deal with. I set to a full fluids change,an oil and an air filter.

It has just had an MOT and had the injector pump rebuilt at cost of £500 so I assume it must have had a timing belt aswell.

It is rot free apart from 1 or 2 holes in boot floor (much better than mine used to be)

I have driven it and everything seems in good order, very nice actually.

Needs a new dipstick tube cos the bracket has snapped.

The questions I ask are:

I think I need to do an EGR blank, am I right? How do I do this? Can I make my own blank plate using the gasket as a template? And where does the blank go - exhaust manifold or boost pipe?

Are there any other tips/tricks I can perform to promote performance/reliability/economy?

I look forward to your experience! (I have very little with diesels!)

Many thanks in advance,

Sam

You've been here a year..........

and not noticed the search button or even mention of it ???

There is a very good thread especially all about how to do it

Mr Noisy said:

It has just had an MOT and had the injector pump rebuilt at cost of £500 so I assume it must have had a timing belt aswell.

Click to expand...

Never assume anything - check

Mr Noisy said:

It is rot free apart from 1 or 2 holes in boot floor (much better than mine used to be)

Click to expand...

Theres a job for ya

Mr Noisy said:

Needs a new dipstick tube cos the bracket has snapped.

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Make sure you get the height correct.

Mr Noisy said:

The questions I ask are:

I think I need to do an EGR blank, am I right? How do I do this? Can I make my own blank plate using the gasket as a template? And where does the blank go - exhaust manifold or boost pipe?

Are there any other tips/tricks I can perform to promote performance/reliability/economy?

Click to expand...

EGR plate goes at boost pipe end.
light rght foot.

Mr Noisy said:

Hello

So we have just bought a nice M reg 5 door 300 for general towing/loading/runaround duties at work.

This is the job mine used to perform until it grew up into a right proper off roader and is now no longer practical, aswell as the horrendous fuel costs!

Anyway, we collected it on Wednesday from a local trader we deal with. I set to a full fluids change,an oil and an air filter.

It has just had an MOT and had the injector pump rebuilt at cost of £500 so I assume it must have had a timing belt aswell.

It is rot free apart from 1 or 2 holes in boot floor (much better than mine used to be)

I have driven it and everything seems in good order, very nice actually.

Needs a new dipstick tube cos the bracket has snapped.

The questions I ask are:

I think I need to do an EGR blank, am I right? How do I do this? Can I make my own blank plate using the gasket as a template? And where does the blank go - exhaust manifold or boost pipe?

Are there any other tips/tricks I can perform to promote performance/reliability/economy?

I look forward to your experience! (I have very little with diesels!)

Many thanks in advance,

Sam

Click to expand...

Hi Sam, here's a few thoughts that I hope you find helpful:

1. De-EGR - this is a good thing to do on a diesel as loads of tar-like black crap accumulates in the inlet manifold otherwise. To do it properly you should:
a. remove the valve (from the exhaust manifold) and it's pipework from the car and into the nearest bin. Blank off the hole the hole in the manifold and the vacuum pipe. tidy away the electrical connector.
b. wash out the intercooler with White Spirits or similar to get rid of any crud and replace the intercooler to inlet manifold with a TDI 200 one.
c. Clean out the inlet manifold of all the old "marmite" in there.

2. De-Cat - this is the single best mod you can do if your car has a cat in the exhaust downpipe. Replace the std downpipe with a Defender one ESR2297 fom Paddocks or similar - costs about £20. Will improve responsiveness and mpg.

3. Use fully synth oils in your diffs and transfer box - reduces friction and drag.

4. Ensure tyres are well inflated. I run ours at 32 front and 36 rear.


If I were you I would want to be completely sure that the cambelt has been done - any doubts at all I would do it again then you know for sure.

Good luck with your new "toy"

Dave

PS Don't forget to clean out the fuel sedimenter, by the drivers side back wheel.

big lad has covered pretty much everything there fair play!

only other thing is if its not going off road then a nice air filter and its all done!

only down side is when your in it your gonna miss your v8!

only thing I would, possibly, disagree with, is binning the EGR - some MOT testers are a bit twitchy if they see it removed - surrupticious blanking might be a better approach .

id agree just put blank plate between valve and manifold you dont need to do anything else,fit def down pipe ,no cat less than £20 synthetic oils make no difference to drag or lofe of box there molecule chains last longer and so dont loose there ludrication propities as quick ,lengthening service intervals which is why there used ,you need to change transmission oil regulary for long life .dirty high priced oil isnt as good as cheap clean

jamesmartin said:

id agree just put blank plate between valve and manifold you dont need to do anything else,fit def down pipe ,no cat less than £20 synthetic oils make no difference to drag or lofe of box there molecule chains last longer and so don't loose there lubrication properties as quick, lengthening service intervals which is why there used ,you need to change transmission oil regularly for long life. dirty high priced oil isn't as good as cheap clean

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I respect your viewpoint James, but I must say that I have proved to myself on several different Land Rovers that synthetic oils do make a positive contribution to reducing friction and drag in the drivetrain, which is why I continue to use it.

many thanks boys, that gives me a few things to be getting on with!

yeah the diesel does lack a bit of v8 atmosphere, but hey, its nice to get over 15mpg

Mr Noisy said:

many thanks boys, that gives me a few things to be getting on with!

yeah the diesel does lack a bit of v8 atmosphere, but hey, its nice to get over 15mpg

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They swims a bit better than V8's too

i'll never get to try it in this one - its strictly work only. the big dog is still employed for off road duties

......if you bin the cat don't forget it's worth some money at the scrappie...or so I'm told

and it makes no difference in the MOT?

i have an egr blankin plate i bought it for mine and noticed there was one fitted already.. you can have it if you want it although all it is,is a bit of thin metal cut to the shape,i am pretty sure you can just undo the bolts at manifold end lift it up and stick a two pence peice in and tighten the bolts back down...cheap and cheerful works for me..

i'll take a look at it mate, yeah im planning just to make something i think!