Speed - or lack of it

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D90mitch

D90mitch

Well-Known Member
Posts
2,419
Location
Sometimes Peterborough, Sometimes Hatfield
Before you say anything, no I don't want to make my Land Rover a race car, but it really struggles to even push 70. I usually drive it at 60 on motorways etc. its a Defender (disco 200tdi) manual, has no roof rack on currently, piper cross air filter, straight through exhaust and slightly uprated intercooler. The tyres are marginally bigger than standard but barely at 31/10.5/r15. Is this normal? Or should i be able to do 70 all day with such a setup? Also it doesn't seem to like going up hills very quickly (on road not off them) when in high range (noticed this when In the peaks). However it does seem fairly nippy on the flat. Has it just spent to long in the flat east? :D

Cheers.
 
should be fine, a guide thingy recons they are fractionally smaller than a 235/85 which my 110 has and will do 70 easily, if not noisily, which is why i stick at 60.

when was the last time you treat it to a full service? might be time for a full set of filters.

if not, is the timing right, if its slightly retarded it wont pull like it should, theres a how to in the common faults section somewhere on how to fine tune it.
 
Mine is a 200 tdi ex military otherwise box standard 110. I run on 235/85/16 and it will cruise at 70/75 mph without any problems. I have had it up to just over 80 mph. On a recent trip to the UK from here in Southern France I kept it at 70/75 most of the way.
 
zeaphod said:
Don't forget to check for slack in the throttle cable/links, you might not be getting full throttle.
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I don't think that an issue because its loud as fook when you push past 65, as if the engine is going as hard as it can. But thinking of it, maybe at the higher speeds it is being starved of fuel a little. Could the fuel filter really cause that much of an impact? (its going to be changed regardless anyway as it needs doing). This just seems so off given that its already got some power upgrades. Will get round to making some fuel pump alterations eventually, nothing major, just for a little more kick. I don't think that will be for a little while yet though.
 
I've a disco 200tdi in my 110 and im lucky to get up to60. It sounds like its gonna blow if i give it any more. That's the trouble with no sound proofing .i also have the same ratio gearing as a disco. If that engine and box were still in a disco what top speed would i expect to get.
 
mick the builder said:
I've a disco 200tdi in my 110 and im lucky to get up to60. It sounds like its gonna blow if i give it any more. That's the trouble with no sound proofing .i also have the same ratio gearing as a disco. If that engine and box were still in a disco what top speed would i expect to get.
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I've had an indicated 105mph with my Disco 1 (1994) 200tdi down hill on the M42.
:)
 
mick the builder said:
Should i get any where near that?
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Just went for an 80 mile drive in my 90, just fitted 200tdi and disco boxes and its on Disco ally wheels and standard tyres so should be a good comparison. In fact its the same engine , gearboxes and wheels that were on the Disco that I floored on the M42, I just scrapped it and used all the bits on the 90:)

Runs lovely on a light throttle at sixty

Tried a blast going through Stockport on the motorway and she got easily up to seventy five but then I had to floor it to get any more.

Dont think she would pull any more than 80mph

I have a roof rack on so that will hold me back

She would sit all day at 65 on motorway with a light throttle though

Hope that helps:)
 
I'll be watching this thread, mine suffers the same. My setup is disco 300, original lt77 box with disco 1.2 transfer box and I'm really pushing it to get beyond 60-65. As already said if my setup was in the disco as per original spec I bet it would be fine. Considering mine is essentially now a disco wearing 90 clothes, albeit on 265/75 bfg muds, I see discos both 200 and 300 cruising happily down the bypass without any trouble.
 
landowner said:
Just went for an 80 mile drive in my 90, just fitted 200tdi and disco boxes and its on Disco ally wheels and standard tyres so should be a good comparison. In fact its the same engine , gearboxes and wheels that were on the Disco that I floored on the M42, I just scrapped it and used all the bits on the 90:)

Runs lovely on a light throttle at sixty

Tried a blast going through Stockport on the motorway and she got easily up to seventy five but then I had to floor it to get any more.

Dont think she would pull any more than 80mph

I have a roof rack on so that will hold me back

She would sit all day at 65 on motorway with a light throttle though

Hope that helps:)
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That's my biggest complaint, is that I'm sure those of us having problems should be able to cruise at LIGHT throttle 60, whereas we're actually using 3/4 throttle if not more!! I should say that mine personally will drive quite well around town it's on the bypass it struggles and seems to be doing plenty of revving and not much moving! Come on guys let's get to the bottom of this top end motorway issue once and for all...
 
300tditoy said:
That's my biggest complaint, is that I'm sure those of us having problems should be able to cruise at LIGHT throttle 60, whereas we're actually using 3/4 throttle if not more!! I should say that mine personally will drive quite well around town it's on the bypass it struggles and seems to be doing plenty of revving and not much moving! Come on guys let's get to the bottom of this top end motorway issue once and for all...
Click to expand...

Pump timing might be slightly out loosing power up the rev range, just done my timing belt and set the pump up so its ok ish.
Room for a tweak maybe
I'm going to turn the fuel up a sniff and see if its better top end, not had a serious blast yet though.

Check your intercooler pipes for leaks that will loose power.
 
In my 200tdi (defender 200tdi conversion) I can easily sit at 70 on the clocks which is about 75 on the sat nav and it will get up to a good 80 on a flat as well. And that's with 33"tyres and a 2" lift

Alex
 
Pumps been dti timed on mine, and I've got a boost gauge plumbed direct to the inlet manifold which reads a full 1 bar so that's those two boxes ticked. Feel like I'm hijacking a thread here so I apologise, just hoping to get some answers for all of us that a struggling.
 
Keep in mind a defender has the aerodynamics of a house, its only going to go so fast before you have to push it hard to get any more speed from it,

Coupled with non standard tyres your speedo is probably wrong,

Cant suggest you can do much,

Besides go above 65ish and your burning much more fuel than needed,
 
I used to have a bad diesel knock which sapped the power. I tweeked the pump till the knocking went which also improved top speed but compared to a disco its really slow. As for the aerodynamics , a 90,s disco isn't exactly concord.
Can a diesel engine be over reved and can the timing be done with a strobe or similar.( i know you can't use a strobe light before i get called out but some kind of electrical or mechanical gauge that will take into account wear of engine parts )
 
I understand I net going to be going at warp factor 5, but I should be able to do 60 odd comfortably. it will cruise at 60 fine but I wouldn't call it effortless... Around town its great, it will accelerate like fook when you build up the revs (sounds great with the extras and straight through too) just a shame motorway cruising is such an effort. When the fuel filter has been done in the next week or so I will tell if any difference, until then please keep giving your suggestions. As for the uphill problem whats up with that? On the flat it accelerates really well (if you have boost) but flat as a pancake without it. Maybe I need to do some fiddling with the pump. Perhaps star wheel rotation?
 
D90mitch said:
I understand I net going to be going at warp factor 5, but I should be able to do 60 odd comfortably. it will cruise at 60 fine but I wouldn't call it effortless... Around town its great, it will accelerate like fook when you build up the revs (sounds great with the extras and straight through too) just a shame motorway cruising is such an effort. When the fuel filter has been done in the next week or so I will tell if any difference, until then please keep giving your suggestions. As for the uphill problem whats up with that? On the flat it accelerates really well (if you have boost) but flat as a pancake without it. Maybe I need to do some fiddling with the pump. Perhaps star wheel rotation?
Click to expand...

Pump timing could be slightly out, worth checking and getting spot on first:)
 
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