1992 200tdi Discovery- gradually improving my daily driver

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Well it’s been absolutely fine since, so no worries! Took it to Festival of the Unexceptional today, great fun! Saw another nice G-plate Disco.
Here she is alongside my son’s Honda 50, which does indeed fit in the back!
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Going to Gaydon show tomorrow too!
 
Just realised it’s quite a while since I’ve posted anything.
MOT time is coming up, and I’ve noticed the steering box has a lot of play in the centre position, and is oozing fluid a bit too. I got it reconditioned in July 2020, and it came with a 2 year warranty so I’m going to send it back for re-reconditioning before I take it for MOT. Plus I’ve got some steering bits to do (replacing track rod ends with better OEM ones), and going to tighten up the swivels too as I think they’ve got a bit of play in again.

Also I think my rear door hinges are worn, as the door keeps making a banging noise even when it’s shut properly. I can get it to stop by adjusting the catch but it only lasts so long. Do the whole hinges need replacing or can the hinge pins be replaced?

Next on the list is the passenger door glass- it was making a horrible noise when the window was wound down a few months ago so I left it up and disconnected the switch! I think the channel the glass sits in has rotted, so it’s probably a case of a new window glass unless the channel can be replaced.

Plus I bought but didn’t fit a new stop solenoid as it sometimes over runs when ignition is off. I chickened out when I looked at the access to it on the diesel pump!

Going to get this all done over next couple of weeks.
 
it’s probably a case of a new window glass unless the channel can be replaced

the channels are a complete frame that you can see above the door, this unbolts...

believe the front doors are common on 3 & 5 door '200' models so plenty available :cool:

I've swapped a solenoid on my MUT, just my luck that I discovered metal swarf inside pump stopping the plunger seating closed:(

Rich.
 
Right, time to get ready for MOT which has expired!
First off was the solenoid- an assortment of spanners meant it was fairly easy to get out.
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Annoyingly the replacement which I bought ages ago was completely different to the one I got out.
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As many had said, it was a few little shards of metal which were jamming it. Cleaned them out and refitted, so now it starts and stops! If anyone knows what the one I bought is for they can have it!
Refitted solenoid in position:
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Next was sorting out the steering again. The allegedly-refurbished power steering box was leaking and felt like it had play in it. I got a good secondhand replacement to fit, but I plan to send the other one back to get it re-refurbished as it had 2 year warranty. Then I’ll keep the refurbished one as a spare.
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Replacement box went in very easily. Track for and drag link ends all replaced too, only one got stuck which mole grips sorted.
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Visible in shot is the old steering damper. I’ve got a Britpart Super Gaz one to go on, that wil go with all the shocks and springs I did last year (see earlier in this thread!)
Nice when you have a helper!
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Tomorrow’s job is to put it all back together and bleed system. Should be good for MOT then.
When it’s fixed I want to sort the passenger window- is a 200tdi front window the same as a 300tdi? Seem to be more of those about.
 
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Problem is the window makes a horrible crunching noise when going up and down! Motor is fine but I think the metal runner under the window is rusted out.
 
Cool, thanks for response. Everything went back together OK today, new damper fitted and system bled. MOT booked tomorrow morning…
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The problem with everything going back together easy is that it doesn’t make for very interesting reading haha!
 
Nice work. Feel free to take a look at mine if you want to check whether 300 window parts are the same.

Car and Commercial getting all the recommendations on here at the moment! Given nobody there gave me the impression that there were any Land Rover fans on the pay roll I'm sure they'll be ecstatic. Personally, I don't care if they like the car, as long as they test it properly (unlike the last place mine must have seen) and don't try to rip me off.

Rich
 
A few minor things, fixed (sort of) the passenger window which had fallen off runner. As the runner was rusty and all the replacement windows I saw seemed to have different design of runner, I took the advice of user DippyPud (https://www.landyzone.co.uk/land-rover/front-passenger-window-regulator.371664/) and chucked a load of No Nails and dropped the window into that. Seems to be pretty secure!
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Next job- the original clock never kept good time, always seemed to reset itself and is barely visible in daylight despite replacing the bulb. So in a fit of 90s nostalgia I found a combined compass/clock/thermometer unit I had fitted to my first Disco (the white one in my avatar). Fitted this and wired it so it comes on with ignition and hid the wiring rather than using the cigarettes lighter plug. This meant the model Disco needed re-positioning.
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Not to everyone’s taste I know, but easily removable for originality’s sake, and I like it!
 
Minor update, central locking on all doors now works having found replacement motors from a breaker on FaceAche. Doesn’t really warrant a picture but it’s good to know.

Also performed faultlessly on a 270 mile round trip to Thorpe Park and back today! Sat happily at 65mph on the M1 steady as a rock, which is a pleasant change! Even got her up to 70mph in a couple of places. All that hard work appears to have paid off!
 
Just done 2 nights camping in Derbyshire in Disco, was lovely. Unfortunately on the way back the rev counter died and the warning light was flickering faintly.

Past experience let me to think this is alternator failure, and a reading of 12.2v at the battery with the engine running confirmed this. Thanks to Rich, I’ve lined up parts for an aircon upgrade, so I’ll upgrade the alternator to a higher output one (65amp I think) when I change it. Want to get alternator done tomorrow as have Festival of the Unexceptional on Saturday!
 
Right, well that didn’t really go as planned. Got original alternator off, very easy…
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Certainly much easier than doing the one on the everyday Suzuki which I did a few months ago!
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Then I discovered the shiny new 65amp alternator I’d just picked up from Paddocks is the wrong type- designed to go on the opposite side! Will have to change it next week. So thought I’d swap the stop solenoid which was playing up again. I’d bought a replacement of what I was told was the right type. Guess what? When I fitted it, it didn’t stop the engine! The profile of the plunger looked a bit different so that’ll have to go back as well. Old one on top, new one at bottom- if you look you can see it’s an ever so slightly different shape. And there’s a slight notch in it too. Weird.
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Having made a custom spanner made swapping the solenoid much easier though, it’s in such an awkward position on the 200tdi pump.
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So looks like I’m taking the Suzuki to Festival of the Unexceptional tomorrow…!
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Not as characterful as my Disco, but does the job!
 
Got a different updated alternator- the 100A one from Britpart. This comes with a big red chunky cable. Haynes manual says the brown wire from alternator goes to battery so guessing this goes to the battery replacing the brown one?
 
Got a different updated alternator- the 100A one from Britpart. This comes with a big red chunky cable. Haynes manual says the brown wire from alternator goes to battery so guessing this goes to the battery replacing the brown one?

On the Range Rover the positive for the alternator goes to the starter and then a second cable goes to battery positive from there. All the same really I suppose but the main cable from the battery to the starter is crimped into the battery terminal on the Range Rover so I don’t know how the alternator cable could be attached that end. I assume the new positive cable is to carry the higher output from the new alternator with less heat in the cable?

Rich
 
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