jamesmartin
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- louth lincs
or rad muff
Disco to Defender?
- Thread starter ReadySalted
- Start date
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tacr2man
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removing a viscous fan is a complete waste of time, because if it is working properly , (they are designed to fail safe ie locked ) they do not drive when rad is cold(cool) . The rad muff is a good idea though ( used by mil) . making sure that heater is set and operating correctly (no faulty seals etc) makes a big difference. The heater is capable of heating a csw in low temps , if supplied with adequate hot water ( V8 engine!!!) .
mikescuba
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Langer, was it a 300w electric heater you had. I know the 150w ones are useless, I was hoping the 300w might be a bit better. I posted a link about them recently and a couple of guys said they were OK'ish.
I don't want to fork out £75 for nothing.
Regarding the Viscos fan comment. I thought they turned all the time. I know mine turns on tick over whether the rad is hot or cold.
I did try a Rad muff which I found a complete waste of time. I found a piece of linoleum across the rad worked better. I changed the Thermostat but it still takes ages to reach normal operating temperature. When I say ages, it takes around 20 minutes. By that time I have got to where I am going.
I don't want to fork out £75 for nothing.
Regarding the Viscos fan comment. I thought they turned all the time. I know mine turns on tick over whether the rad is hot or cold.
I did try a Rad muff which I found a complete waste of time. I found a piece of linoleum across the rad worked better. I changed the Thermostat but it still takes ages to reach normal operating temperature. When I say ages, it takes around 20 minutes. By that time I have got to where I am going.
Bede
Active Member
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- Stoke On Trent
Bugger me, this thread echoes my current situation perfectly.
My disco 300tdi has just died and I'm considering getting a 110 hardtop van.
I know about the usual disco rot trap areas and on a defender the bulkhead going is common but is there any other areas to pay special attention to when looking at potential purchases of defenders?
My disco 300tdi has just died and I'm considering getting a 110 hardtop van.
I know about the usual disco rot trap areas and on a defender the bulkhead going is common but is there any other areas to pay special attention to when looking at potential purchases of defenders?
Bede
Active Member
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- Stoke On Trent
Oh, my disco has the 300tdi lump and a defender i have my eye on has the 200tdi.
What's the difference?
What's the difference?
jamesmartin
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not a lot in driving both feel the same ,
Langers
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May have been the 150w one, now you mention it.
Even so, I'd still recommend you try and get the standard heating system working at 100% before adding auxilliary heaters.
Your viscous fan is probably seized solid. With the engine off, try turning the fan by hand and see how much resistance there is. There should be very little, if any, if it's working properly.
If it is seized, then removing it (or replacing it if you want to) will let the engine warm up much faster. I know for a fact that mine starts producing warm air 4-5 minutes into a journey, and that is without the rad muff, and without a viscous.
ReadySalted
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- 444
Taking the thread down a slightly different road considering this is the defender section, however;
Looking at prices of defenders 90s and given what people have mentioned about the likelihood of finding a trouble free 90 within my budget, I've been looking at series 3s.
That may sound stupid but...
I prefer the look of them, to defenders, but how do they compare in reliability, and greenlaning ability? The series 3's I've been looking at in advertisments seem in better shape than their similarly priced 90 counterparts. I may be wrong, but that's the way things look in the pics & writeups.
Whatever I get I don't see myself tackling anything more than a mediocre greenlane, and using it to drive the scenic routes around the UK on camping trips and around town as a daily driver.
I don't do a great deal of motorway driving but what sort of top speed/ cruising speed would I be likely to get with a well maintained series 3, and would it differ greatly from late 80s defenders?
My thinking is that if reliability isn't going to be a big deal and if I can happily get to sixty or over in a series 3, then I'd be better off going for one and enjoying the classic car-ness aswel as the landrover simplicity and ruggedness that I seek in a defender?
Hopefully I will get my questions answered in this thread, without having to create a similar one in the series sections.
Looking at prices of defenders 90s and given what people have mentioned about the likelihood of finding a trouble free 90 within my budget, I've been looking at series 3s.
That may sound stupid but...
I prefer the look of them, to defenders, but how do they compare in reliability, and greenlaning ability? The series 3's I've been looking at in advertisments seem in better shape than their similarly priced 90 counterparts. I may be wrong, but that's the way things look in the pics & writeups.
Whatever I get I don't see myself tackling anything more than a mediocre greenlane, and using it to drive the scenic routes around the UK on camping trips and around town as a daily driver.
I don't do a great deal of motorway driving but what sort of top speed/ cruising speed would I be likely to get with a well maintained series 3, and would it differ greatly from late 80s defenders?
My thinking is that if reliability isn't going to be a big deal and if I can happily get to sixty or over in a series 3, then I'd be better off going for one and enjoying the classic car-ness aswel as the landrover simplicity and ruggedness that I seek in a defender?
Hopefully I will get my questions answered in this thread, without having to create a similar one in the series sections.
Last edited:
Langers
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Put it this way; after driving my dad's Series 3 2.25 diesel, my 110 feels like a limousine in comparison. And that's saying something, cause a 110 is hardly the most refined vehicle in the world either.
Main differences are suspension set ups, Series are leaf sprung and therefore have a spine shattering ride (as opposed to comfy coils on 90/110), engines are a lot more primitive, 2.25 engines are bombproof but very slow and noisy, and with poor fuel economy.
However they are definitely cheaper, and definitely have more charm and character. And of course they are about as basic as you can get in terms of maintenance and repairs, so good for a DIY mechanic.
