The end is near

[Buckon37s]

Just cut off the front end. Phase three has begun!! I will soon have a fully functional deathstar.

[dmarchand]

You need more triangulation.

[Kev Baldwin]

You need a bigger intercooler...!

[DJ Menasco]

You're Leaking Oil!!!

[Buckon37s]

"You need more triangulation."
"You need a bigger intercooler...!"
"You're Leaking Oil!!!"

I know, I know, I know. All in good time. BTW that oil is from 3 weeks so for a rover, pretty darn good!

[mikeslandrover]

You need a much bigger intercooler!!!!

[TwisteD90]

What's phase three?

[Buckon37s]

Okay punk's :) It's a little hard to fit a much bigger intercooler when a winch is about to sit snugged up against the radiator. I have been noodling haw to get a large one in there for a while now. Still not sure how I am going to do it. Yousef, if I told you, I would have to kill you, and nobody wants a dead Ninja. It will be done in 14 days though!!

[TwisteD90]

How about you tell me and I won't kill you ;)

[TDI Guy]

looks good.

[mikeslandrover]

Is there space to move the engine rad back and then fit a huge intercooler in front?
There certainly is on my 200 tdi. Alternatively you can get a higher flow & better cooling = more power intercooler which fits where the standard one lives fron Alisport here in the U.K. ( says he with a standard intercooler) :rolleyes
As for the oil leak - its only a leak if the oil containing component empties in less than a day, otherwise its only a slight weep!! :)

[Buckon37s]

Thats one thing I have been thinking about, Mike. There is room, especially if I get rid of the stock fan. I was also considering an intercooler mounted on the inside of the radiator. Might be pretty easy. Do you think that would work??

[mikeslandrover]

Probably far better to move the engine rad back and stick the intercooler in front. the intercooler needs all the cool air it can get. :)

[Buckon37s]

Yeah, but I spent some more time looking at it and while I could realistically get an extra 2 inches back, I would end up mounting the winch 2 more inches back and be in the same predicament. I might have to end up with a twistedperformance direct replacement. Which brings me to my next question, have you ever heard of them? Good, bad reviews. I figure you might since you are on that side of the lake.

[Davis]

David--
I have the two speed fan off a taurus that is a great fit for the D90 radiator (except it was too fat to use on mine w/o relocation). If you want it, you can have it.

[Buckon37s]

Yeah! Def. What is the story, can it pull enough CFM's?? Is it a puller for the inside of the radiator? I will take it though! PM me about shipping. Thanks

[mikeslandrover]

David you could try Allisport
http://www.allisport.com/home.php
I've spoken to him at shows and he seemed an all round good chap or
http://www.jeremyjfearn.co.uk/
He's been big in the diesel racing world over here for a long while and is highly regarded.
Hope this helps

[Buckon37s]

Thanks for the link but those are just so expensive for what you get. I am looking to find a cheaper alternative. www.twistedperformance.co.uk seems slightly more reasonable. I am still looking at other options also

[mikeslandrover]

Dave, the twisted performance intercoolers have the standard top & bottom sections of the landrover intercooler and weld in a higher flow center core. Allisport and Jeremy Fearne both give you whole new intercoolers :)
You could also try
www.allardturbosport.co.uk
they're a well respected name on this side of the pond as well, at the end of the day you only get what you pay for and Allisport's welding is a thing of beauty :cool:
the Allard site has lots of options from not too much money to serious £££££ :eek:

Have you modified the fuel delivery?
There's a good article in this month's LRE about doing just that, they don't mention the exhaust gas temperature though, that's rather important as I understand things, If that gets too high the engine goes into meltdown. Does a larger intercooler help with this. :confused

[Buckon37s]

I have upped the boost and fuel a good amount. I am around 150bhp. Does not sound like a lot but man it moves that thing. The problem is the EGT's like you said. I would be getting the intercooler to solve that problem more than for just the power. I can peel out on a dry street in first and second gear with 37in tires. I have a 2in no muffler exaust which helps with the temps, but not nearly enough. At normal freeway cruising, I am at about 650 but I can hit as high as I want floored up a big high hill. I always back off and never go over 1100. It is amazing how much that guage can move around. I have been doing some research and I found an intercooler option for $490 that will fit with my winch and moves 850 CFM of air. Way more than the other places!! That is probably the way I will go but thank you for your help!!

[OCD90]

If you drive no slower than 35mph at all times, you'll never need a fan--tons of room for the intercooler. Just drive fast. Problem fixed!

Oh, and never drive up hill.

[mikeslandrover]

150 bhp is good, generally reckoned to be the tops for a long lived engine.
I'd be very interested in the intercooler details when you get it sorted

[Chris Cox]

David, Allard does a 2 part intercooler for use with AC. This sounds like what you need, to not interfere with your winch. It uses the stock postition, and another intercooler in the engine bay. It is the same price as the big intercooler, which I have. Don't remember what it cost, seems like $400-$450 maybe.

Chris

[Buckon37s]

Yeah, I should just avoid hills! And a correction, the exause is 3 in :cool: I have seen the Allard one but never at $450. Do you mean 450 pounds?? I have seen that one but that makes somewhere near $750 plus shipping. The one I am looking at with 850 CFM so far seems like the best option for the price. But I am still looking and waiting untill the winch is in place. I would hate to measure and then have the thing not fit! I will look at allard again. With a 1.2 case and the intercooler I think I can cruise around all day.

edit: The Allard option is $385 pounds which turns into $684 + shipping. Ouch. Plus, it goes under the radiator which worries me. This other option might be a good one. i will post up when I find out if it is better. The problem with the UK models is they are just too thin and don't provide a huge increase in cooling.

[mikeslandrover]

Gave my fuel pump a good tweaking today. Wow what a difference, didn't get too silly just about half the amount of turns suggested in the LRE article, It chucks out some smoke acceleration with the throtle floored but nothing much when cruising :)
I'll be looking at the intercooler options more seriously myself now :cool:

[TDI Guy]

can any of you tdi guys do a write up on how to tune the fuel pump for more power? I have no Idea what to adjust or how to do it. I don't want to blow anything up on the new motor.


Randy

[JimC]

Yes please, I'd like to know about this too.

[Buckon37s]

I can put up a good writeup of it. Bidding starts at $5, do I hear $10?

[dmarchand]

It's on the LR Enthusiast forum. A 20 page posting on how to and results people experienced from each part of the tune. I've only messed with the smoke screw, or what seems to be called the power screw. Giving more power and slightly more smoke across all gears.

[mikeslandrover]

There's a good article in this months Landrover Enthusiast Magazine. I followed it step by step- the trickiest thing was undoing the 4 screws that hold the top cover of the pump on.

Follow-up Post:

Had I known that there was this much interest I'd have taken some photos of the bits that need tweaking. :)

[Red90]

Read This (http://www.lrenthusiastforum.com/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=&Board=LR_technical&Number=91564&page=0&view=collapsed&sb=5&o=all&fpart=all)

[mikeslandrover]

Yep, that about explains it. The LRE article says the same in about 3 pages. I printed the whole thing off - 68 pages.

Follow-up Post:

I'll definately do some photos of the innards of the pump, it's much easier to follow when either the pumps in bits or there's some pictures to look at.

[mikeslandrover]

It's better if it's someone else's pump in bits if you're a bit cautious over the whole thing.

[TDI Guy]

Mike what month was the article in LRE? That posting is too long...lol. Is ther eany simplified version? Sorry for hijacking the post David..

[mikeslandrover]

This post has taken on a life all it's own. Excellent motor Dave.
Please feel free to add any fueling comments

The article is in the current month's issue. they're doing a "we love Tdi's feature"
Here's what I did to my pump following that article:

DISCLAIMER: I DIDN'T MAKE YOU DO ANYTHING TO YOUR ENGINE. YOU MESS WITH THE FUEL INJECTION AT YOUR OWN RISK AND IF THE ENGINE BLOWS UP IT WASN'T ME!
All my tweaking was pretty conservative, you can give every thing more turns, you'll get some more power, make more smoke and the exhaust gas temperature will sky rocket at full power (that's a very bad thing.)
The first thing is remove the top cover and small pipe connected to the top cover by the banjo union.
In the middle of the top cover is a small round metal blanking plug lever it out with a small screw driver. Back off the 13mm lock nut and turn the torx screw (T25 I think) in one turn, retighten the lock not.
See top cover photo
Under the top cover it looks like this (Top cover off pic)
Mark the position of the diaphram scribe a line pointing at one of the screw holes or something and then remove it.(diaphram Pic)
Underneath you'll find the star wheel again mark it's position before you mess with it (Star Wheel Pic)
Rotate the star wheel clockwise I gave it 6 clicks clockwise further will give more power and smoke.
Carefully replace the diaphram but turn it clock wise from it's origional position (you did mark it didn't you and not with something that will rub off).
120 degrees will give the max fuel & power (& smoke), I settled for 45 degrees clockwise turn.
Then there is the max power screw at the back of the pump. the screw is covered with anti tamper devices. It's a real pain to get at. I managed to coax a couple of turns in before the anti tamper stuff prevented it turning any further. If you're dedicated you can grind the anti tamper stuff off with a dremel hobby grinder
( NO A 9" Petrol grinder won't do) :)
I also tweaked the turbo boost too, by one and a half turns on the adjuster for the turbo waste gate. remove the small clip and loosen the 10mm locknut slide the arm off the pin wind in the rod (the further in the later the waste gate opens and the more boost you get)
200 Tdi's run at 8 -9 lbs boost, 300 Tdi's run at 15 psi boost and it's reckoned not to be a good thing to exceed 15psi on either engine - 300Tdi engine owners needn't mess with the boost.
There was a noticable difference having done this to my engine. I could generally be 1 gear higher in most situations on the road and the low speed torque was better. I've yet to see what's happened to the fuel consumption and I'm wondering if it will pull a 1.22:1 transfer box that i just happen to have in the garage :rolleyes :cool:

[dmarchand]

I've only done the smoke screw thus far. I removed the anti tamper collar with a flat head and some levering inside. I initially ran it to one turn, then two turns. I found two full turns was too much and backed it off a half turn. I get some initial smoke on startup, but after that, no smoke at all during driving. I like to think it just scatters gawkers from the truck when I start it up :)

Haven't had the chance to do the rest of the tweaks as my AC compressor prevents me from getting access to the last of the four screws on the pump. But I do plan to do some very moderate tweak to it. Nothing crazy. Just need to find the time to pull the compressor back off.

Mike's info should get archived. He's basically summarized a 20 page + post from LR Enthusiast and added very good pics.

[Mike Hippert]

Mike's info should get archived. He's basically summarized a 20 page + post from LR Enthusiast and added very good pics.
It has been marked!:)

[TDI Guy]

Cool Mike that is great thanks.

[mikeslandrover]

Fame and er... fortune :party and everything that goes with it....

Thanks guys.

Now I'm The one with the too small, low flow rate intercooler too.
I'll add a pic of the turbo tweak in a mo....

Follow-up Post:

Shortening the rod(arrowed) increases the boost pressure. NOT for 300Tdi engines as they already run at 15 psi and that's apparently enough. :)

[Buckon37s]

300 TDi can hit 19 without problems, just have to be good on the EGT's. BTW: anyone who does anything like this NEEDS to get an egt guage, period.

[mikeslandrover]

I'm no engine guru, & always willing to learn.
You probably can run higher boosts than 15psi, it just puts more stress on the engine. :eek:
The garage where I get most of my parts from was campaigning a 100" Landrover for safari racing a few years ago, it had the biggest intercooler I've ever seen and was putting out over 200bhp, the fuel pump was totally rebuilt with different internals and injected fuel by the bucketfull but the engine didn't last so long.
David I'd be really interested in knowing how you set up your EGT guage. Where does it fit? Was there much machining involved? Do you run a boost guage too?
I've heard that some people plumb the turbo waste gate activating pressure into the inlet manifold as opposed to its current position just after the turbo impeller, thus negating any pressure loss through the intercooler.
I'm hoping that only moderately tweaking the fueling & turbo boost won't do any damage.
The 90 is only slightly faster than my 110 now, it used to be a good bit more slugish AND it tended to use more fuel????? This was a cause of constant irritation to me. :(

Get that bigger intercooler in there David!! :cool:
Are the metal boost pipes on your truck standard or have you replaced them with ones without the constrictions in them, most of the intercooler companies over here do sets if alli pipes without the squashed bits in them.... what were landrover thinking of when they did that? :confused

[Chris Cox]

Don't know if it will make much difference, but I do know alot of guys that race diesels use plastic wire ties around the intercooler pipes, so they don't expand, and you don't loose that small amount of boost from the turbo that you normally do.

[mikeslandrover]

I've seen that done too and wondered about the validity of the idea. How much do the pipes expand?
They certainly don't blow up like balloons (well I hope not anyway). the turbo lag caused by the pipes expanding ever so slightly must be infinitesimal.

[Buckon37s]

I will get the intercooler hooked up as soon as I can. I think I can get a 3.5in thick one in there. I can take pictures of the egt guage but it is straight foreword. Just a nipple welded in the exaust and it fits in the standard 2 1/8 guage hole in the dash. Just + - and light power. I can't stress enough how important it is, you would not believe how much it can change, and you could be hitting 1500 and not even know it, I can only wonder what I did to the engine before I had the guage, even though it was stock. I don't run a boost guage, just no room left and I don't ever go over 17 psi. I did change the intercooler pipe. The stock one was nuts! My exaust guy made one for me for $15. Don't worry Mike, you won't do any damage, all you have to do is keep it below 1200 and you are fine. Now all I need to do is get the intercooler in and the propane injection and I am set.

[mikeslandrover]

Ah, propane injection, I've heard good things about that in the mags too! Briefly spoke to one chap who had a home made system cobbled together running off of a camping gas cylinder (somewhat illegal over here) and he was claiming V8 type acceleration with no other mods. What's the propane going to do to the EGT?

[Buckon37s]

Hank Hill> "ah propane, the gas of the gods". I have not had first hand experience, but from what understand and have been told, the propane lowers EGT's. It allows 100% of the diesel to be combusted giving anywhere from a 10% to 40% gain in HP. I would imagine on 300TDi's the gain would be closer to 40% due to no computer aided injection. I am interested but it is down the road for me, it also improves gas milage by quite a bit.

[Buckon37s]

Here are some project update pictures. This is the finishing process on the roll cage and front bumper. Have not got into the 60 stuff or tire carrier yet. These are only tacked into place. The front bar is resting on the running lights. That will go up and have another bar on top of it. The front will also have a pre-runner style bar with light tabs and there is still a lot to do to the cage. So far it is looking pretty ugly...perfect. And the winch has a much better approach angle than stock! The pics are low quality scans, sorry.

[mikeslandrover]

Looking good.....what are you doing about a front bumper?
Will the standard wheel arches cover hose monster wheels or is that not an issue in the states.
Local bobbies get very bent out of shape if the wheels aren't covered by bodywork over here.

[Buckon37s]

I don't think I am going to run a front bumper. They are heavy and bulky and anything I bend up, I will just cut off. I am still contemplating building one but the cage would go in the same way since it is completely unboltable. The cops in Cali are pretty cool about the tires. I just hope they continue to be that way since the new frontend is going to stick out another inch!

[DJ Menasco]

Hey David

I think you forgot to install X-bars here, here, and here!!! :grin

Sorry, I couldn't help myself.


DJ

[rover4x4]

wow that thing is pretty well protected externally

[TDI Guy]

DJ, you mean like this? :crazy :crazy


I had to. :) Don't you just love paint shop. David, ITs all love.. :cool:


Randy

[chrisvonc]

LOL... we can almost start calling the truck "Beyond Thunderdome". David, you are planning on wheeling that or just pushing it to the top of hills and tumbling down them? Hell remove a few body panels and add a few more bars and you'll have a full out rock buggy. :)

Randy because its a BMP file. the software can only thumbnail JPG and I think GIFs.

[DJ Menasco]

DJ, you mean like this? :crazy :crazy

Bwhahahahahah!!!


Don't you just love paint shop.

Yes. Yes I DO! :grin


DJ

[TwisteD90]

Oh my God! I'm really speechless! Dave what's your plan for this truck?

[Buckon37s]

You guys crack me up! I am just really anal about rolling. My last truck I put it on its roof once and on it's side 3 times. I try to push things further than they are meant to go. When somebody says something can't be done, I try harder to make myself look like an idiot! So that being said, this cage is designed to take a fairly significant shock load, including going over backwards. It is also in the right locations to most likely make contact first. The running gear is strong enough to handle almost anything, leaving room for the friek ass crazy something. The only weak link is the Drive shafts which I am going to leave weak and carry a spare. It's almost done, and with no internal cage or front bumper, you would be surprised at the final weight. Also, I can still take the top off. I really wish at this point that I had more wheel base as that is really the only thing that limits where it can go. Maybe a bob tail and a lenthening is in my future... na.

[JimC]

Not to needle, but it would have been a lot cheaper to put Tdi stickers on one of these and run around in it wearing an AA Yellow jumpsuit.

[rover4x4]

Rotflmao

[Buckon37s]

My truck is NOT AA yellow. :evilfinge

[dmarchand]

The first thing is remove the top cover and small pipe connected to the top cover by the banjo union.

Hey Mike, I know it sounds silly. But is it a common problem getting the four screws undone on the top cover? I'm having a hell of a time trying to get them backed out. They just won't budge and I'm quickly reaching the point where the heads are getting close to stripped (who puts a flat head screw there anyway?). I hit them with PB blaster last night and will see how it looks tonight. I'm probably going to pick up a impact driver on the way home too just in case. It's always the little things...

[TDI Guy]

Dave, I wonder if they are locktighted form the factory?

[dmarchand]

Dunno. I wouldn't be surprised. Have you tried yours?

[Buckon37s]

What are you guys talking about?? Maybe a thread merged here or something. BTW: I had a chance to visit the new manufacturer of the hummer replacement, the "flyer". All aluminum body, Fox Coilovers, and small turbo Diesel. Looks like the army is stealing ideas from me!! Of course, it also had the engine mounted in the back and a tube chassy, but whatever.

[mikeslandrover]

I was just thinking the same thing, scanned up & down the whole thread incase I missed something...
The answer is of course that the gremlins have got into your engine too. They're sure making a mess of my engine at the moment...... see gremlins in the 90 thread.

[dmarchand]

I think you guys only have short-term memory.... :)

We were referring to Mike's summary post on tweaking the fueling in your tdi engine. I was talking about the top cover of the pump. I finally got it off. Bought the largest, tallest flat head I could find and gave it some muscle. I think the pb plaster did most of the work though.... I'll report back on the results!

[mikeslandrover]

All becomes clear. Yes those screws are right so-and-so's to get off, they're M6 thread so I considered putting some hex head bolts in their place.

Are you going the whole hog, star wheel, torx screw and a twist on the diaphram?

We're off track in this thread again......

[Buckon37s]

Okay, now I get it. Carry on! I will have update pics in a week. Tire carrier is done, role bar is done. Swivel balls have beed sawzalled off.....

[dmarchand]

All becomes clear. Yes those screws are right so-and-so's to get off, they're M6 thread so I considered putting some hex head bolts in their place.

Are you going the whole hog, star wheel, torx screw and a twist on the diaphram?

We're off track in this thread again......


Yes, just finished and drove around town. All I have to say is holy S#$#... I was conservative on the adjustments. The difference in acceleration is noticable. In fact, very noticable. And much smother from start to 4th. Very impressive. Can't wait to get it on the highway tonight and on a few hills.

Okay, I'm done hijacking the thread!

[TDI Guy]

Dave, how much sweaking did you do??? We need details man.

[dmarchand]

Everything Mike suggested on the pump itself. However I turned the screw on the blanking plate about 1.25 turns. And turned the diaphragm about 80 degrees from the stock position. I also have the smoke screw at about 1 1/4 turns. At 1 1/2 or more, I get visible smoke.

Randy. I'd say drive your rig the first 3K miles just to get a good feel for it. Then make the tweaks (I can help if you like). It's a world of difference.

[TDI Guy]

sounds good. Thanks David. I only have about 3 miles on my truck. I will want to do it eventually but I have to say thatt he motor feels quite good right now and throws out some power for a 4 cyl. Much more then any other 4 banger rover I ever had.

[mikeslandrover]

:grin :party :thumbs

[Buckon37s]

Good morning all. Got some project update pics here. The cage is done. Front end is almost done, just need to do the quarter panel protection. The tire carrier is almost completely done. Just need the Hilift attached and the release mechanism. It holds 1000 pounds, just to keep with the theme of overbuilding! Check out the approach angle!! Not bad for a winch. Ok, flame away....

Follow-up Post:

Heres the tire carrier. The swing mechanism is a machined down Chevy wheel spindle complete with bearings and grease. You can remove the entire assembly with 2 bolts.

[UKlandyandy]

Nice looking truck, are you going to run arch extensions over the tyres ?

[DJ Menasco]

Good morning all. Got some project update pics here. The cage is done. Front end is almost done, just need to do the quarter panel protection. The tire carrier is almost completely done. Just need the Hilift attached and the release mechanism. It holds 1000 pounds, just to keep with the theme of overbuilding! Check out the approach angle!! Not bad for a winch. Ok, flame away....

Follow-up Post:

Heres the tire carrier. The swing mechanism is a machined down Chevy wheel spindle complete with bearings and grease. You can remove the entire assembly with 2 bolts.


Hmmm, now where did I leave that M1A1 Flamethrower? Dammit! Well, I'll just make fun of you instead Dave! :grin Now that you've encapsulated your D90 in a fine wrought iron chicken koop I WANT to see you roll it! I think you owe us that much!

Oh, whats the reason for leaving a front bumper out of the picture?

DJ

[TDI Guy]

Looks Sick David... The front is cool

[Buckon37s]

"Nice looking truck, are you going to run arch extensions over the tyres ?"

No, and the front end is going to be 3in wider when the new outers are in place so I hope the cops leave me alone!

"Hmmm, now where did I leave that M1A1 Flamethrower? Dammit! Well, I'll just make fun of you instead Dave! Now that you've encapsulated your D90 in a fine wrought iron chicken koop I WANT to see you roll it! I think you owe us that much!

Oh, whats the reason for leaving a front bumper out of the picture?"

I promise I will roll it, don't know if I will get it on tape though! When you like to push your truck to the limit, you will roll it, it's a matter of when, not if. Plus, its great fun and the ladies love it. I left the bumper off because there is really no point, just ads extra weight and takes away approach angle. I wanted to stay as far away as possible from the ARB snow-plow look.

Thanks Randy, I think it is coming along pretty well. I wish I had made the cylinder for the tire carrier shorter, but we were going to run the tubes over the rear light at first and then changed our minds and left the extra lenth. I hope it doesn't look too menacing.

[mikeslandrover]

Any progress on the intercooler yet or is it better not to ask?

[Buckon37s]

Yes and no! I was about to order it and then when I made the call the guy told me that it was much too big for the engine. He said there was def such a thing as too much intercooler. And I thought bigger was better. I need to do a little more research before I buy, because I do not want mass turbo lag and whatever else could go wronge. I will post pics as it comes along, both the intercooler and the new outers.

[TDI Guy]

David, I eventually want one too but have not done any homework yet... I like the Allard stage 2 kit though..

[Buckon37s]

Yeah, except at that price they really should give away Vaseline with every purchase. I am looking at other options that don't hurt so bad. I found one that is amazing, but is also spendy, $600, about the same as allard but more CFM, but there is one other option that might give me all the intercooler I could ever use and then some, for around $200

[TDI Guy]

You better give up more info when you sort it out damit...

[Buckon37s]

Threatened by a cop! My civil rights have clearly been violated!! I will have pics and all that when, if, this all works out. BTW, just went over all the details on the steering system, 1 3/8in DOM baby, yeah.

[TDI Guy]

Jeeze.... I'm sorry if I was too pushy.. :grin The truck looks great. Wait till you see the pics of my tire carrier in a week :crazy :pimp

[Buckon37s]

Hey, lets not beat around the bush, can it hold 1000 pounds? :tounge I can't wait to see it. The truck looks awesome, I wish I had gone with that color!

[JimC]

=The truck looks awesome, I wish I had gone with that color!

You cant just mask off the roll cage and repaint? :grin

[Buckon37s]

I'll have you know that the entire cage can be removed in 30min, no masking needed! But, repainting is time consuming and expensive. Plus, then I would just screw it up again.

[TDI Guy]

Thats cool you can remove the cage that quick.. Why dont you just spray can it with a real good primer then semi black. Then its easy to touch up. As for mire tire carrier. IT is HD and can carry up to a 40" rubber. I will have pics for you soon. I don't know about the 1000lbs though. lol.


David, I would check out www.eastwood.com and pick up there rust inhibiting primer then the underhood black. ITs a great paint and all in cans so you can touch up really easy if you had too.

[Kev Baldwin]

Ref the replacement Twisted Performance intercooler.

Inherited one of their intercoolers when i bought my 300Tdi D90. Coupled with the afore-mentioned fuel pump tweaks the truck ran like a dream and would pull top gear all day long. I'd have no hesitation in recommending TP's enlarged version of the standard item. Go for it.

FWIW. When i eventually sold the D90 it had 155,000 miles on the clock. Half of those had been done with the larger intercooler fitted and the fuelling tweaks. The engine had never been opened, didn't consume a drop of oil or water and it still pulled like a train.


Word of warning to those looking to open up their fuel pumps. Once you've eventually got those damned screws undone it's not uncommon to find the inside of the pump full of crud and rust with everything nicely siezed up.

Kev

[TwisteD90]

I'll have you know that the entire cage can be removed in 30min, no masking needed! But, repainting is time consuming and expensive. Plus, then I would just screw it up again.


Please wheel it before you add any more junk to it. Since the first time I've seen a picture of this truck it's only been in a shop.

Oh I'll be in San Diego 12/27 to 01/03 so get it done so we can take it wheelin, or better yet get it done so I can take it wheelin and show you how it's done :grin

[Buckon37s]

"Please wheel it before you add any more junk to it. Since the first time I've seen a picture of this truck it's only been in a shop."

Hey!! You know better than anyone why this damn thing has taken so long! :angry Besides, who is talking about adding anything more? Junk! A roll cage is not Junk!!! :nono The truck will be done shortly. All I am waiting for is the 15in calipers, hehe, and the 1.5 axle shafts to be shortenend. Should be 2 weeks max. We can get together when you come down fo sho. I might even let you drive, but beware, it will be like going from a Ford Fiesta to a M5 :naughty


Thanks for the info on Twisted Kev. I will go that route if I can not find a cheaper option.

[Buckon37s]

Just snapped some new pictures. The axle is almost done, mmmm beefy. So very close now! Anyway, here you go..

[TDI Guy]

Nice.. The cage is getting rusty...ITs paint time.

[WhiteD90]

David-

Glad to see your progress. What are you doing for inner seals?

Tis

[Buckon37s]

It's funny you mentioned that because we went over that today. I never knew how complicated and how much you have to know to get this type of thing done correctly. It is a combination of a pressed brass washer and a main seal. Mine is a little different in that I am keeping the entire D60 outer assembly and changing the bolt pattern over to rover. To be quite honest we got into such detail about the tig and tolerances and such that my head is swimming a little bit.

[WhiteD90]

Does the brash bush look like this?

[Buckon37s]

No, but that looks like it would work. Is that what you used??

[WhiteD90]

Yes. Originally I had just an outer seal at the "C" but as you turn the wheel it causes the ujoint to oscillate and that outer seal begins to leak. I've not put these brass seals in yet, as they need to be turned down a bit in order for the 1.5" shafts to fit thru the outer end with some margin. They slide into the inner housing just as the shaft exits the side gear. Hopefully it will cure the leak, be sure you adress this before putting your setup together.

Tis

[Buckon37s]

This was one of the first things that Cliff said. That the seal was very important due to the movement of the inner shaft. I will snap some pics to show what we sued. It actually looks somewhat similar. This is about the 40th axle he has done like this so I think he developed a system for it. Problem is, after an hour, he was only half way though explaining it to me.

[mikeslandrover]

Very impressive..... intercooler??????

[Buckon37s]

It's all about you isn't it Mike? :) That will have to wait till I have the front end on. One thing at a time. I have a plan though, possibly a great plan. The only possible thing that could get in my way is physics.

[mikeslandrover]

It's all about you isn't it Mike? :) That will have to wait till I have the front end on. One thing at a time. I have a plan though, possibly a great plan. The only possible thing that could get in my way is physics.
No no no, this thread is about you & your truck :)

My 90 died & D'Ho clutch slip is about me :cool:
Anyway those axles look awesome. do they have CV joints or UJs?

Don't let a little physics get in the way of a cunning plan..... whats the worst that could happen?
The universe implodes? :eek:

[Buckon37s]

UJ's and 1.5in Cromo Axles :cool: Yes, the end of the universe is imminent if this intercooler does not work out. Well see, I have will have more pics shortly.

[mikeslandrover]

I didn't think UJs were so good with permanent 4WD. won't the steering wheel jump about on full lock?

[Buckon37s]

I didn't think UJs were so good with permanent 4WD. won't the steering wheel jump about on full lock?

No, thats a total myth started by the Global Warming believers. Joking aside, I have no idea where that came from but there is no truth to it at all. Besides, I do not have Rover ends anymore which means I will have selectable locking hubs. I can run in 2wd and 4wd. The bummer with this is that in 2wd I will feel the effects of the rear detroit that I could not tell I even had before.

Hey Tis,

Where in the axle did KC mount the oil seal? I may have found out the true cause for the leak issue.

[revor]

Sorry ... There isn't one... Seen it in person..

Follow-up Post:

Hey Tis you need a machine shop? Shipping costs only..

Keith

[rover4x4]

damn even I have heard about the CV vs UV before. What t-case you got?

[Buckon37s]

"Sorry ... There isn't one... Seen it in person.."

Huh? If there isn't one how can you see it in person? :)

I have a 1.4 LT230. Hopefully soon to be a 1.2.

[rover4x4]

acid

[WhiteD90]

Keith, seals are coming out to you.

David- they sit near the outer ends of the axle, just inside the "C". I'm pretty positive it is the axle shaft oscillation created by the ujoint, particularly during turns, that is causing the leak.

What is your theory?

Tis

[revor]

Dave!!! Why i oughtta!!!! Always the comedian!! :)

Send them on out Johnathan I will turn them quickly... Literally..

KAK

[Buckon37s]

Tiz,

I was talking to builder about this again and he said he know exactly what the cause is. The seal is supposed to be mounted 3in from the diff on either side. What is happening is when the axle osilates on the turn it moves like .020 on the diff end and .200 on the U-Joint end. Basically, they were put in the wronge place. But, that Gasket might still work. Keith, I need to talk to you!!!

[mikeslandrover]

Tiz,

I was talking to builder about this again and he said he know exactly what the cause is. The seal is supposed to be mounted 3in from the diff on either side. What is happening is when the axle osilates on the turn it moves like .020 on the diff end and .200 on the U-Joint end. Basically, they were put in the wronge place. But, that Gasket might still work. Keith, I need to talk to you!!!

Ah that osilation will be due to the UJs not having a constant velosity when the road wheel has some turn on it.
The steering wheel on my IIA used to fight a bit on high traction surfaces in 4WD and I was told that this was due to the UJs in the front axle. Not a huge issue and not noticable 99% on the time.

So when you're on the road the transfer box will be in dif lock and the front hubs will be disengaged = read drive only?
:cool: doughnuts :cool:

[Buckon37s]

Coming along well now. The steering is left and there is some work to be done on the track bar but the hub is basically together with the new Rover bolt pattern. The new wheels clear those big old calipers by almost nothing. I like the stance, about an .75 in on each side wider than the rear.

Oh, and Mike, I did all the measurements and the intercooler option will not fin on mine because of the winch. There just is no room left to make a decent sized one fit the way I had intended. For you guys that have no winch in there, it would work fine. I can post up where and what to buy if you want. I have to go with a direct replacement to it looks like Twisted Performance in the UK is going to get too much of my money.

[mikeslandrover]

it looks like Twisted Performance in the UK is going to get too much of my money.
Particularly with the exchange rate at the moment.
Bad for you. good for us if we want to import ftuff from the US.
I'd be interested in the intercooler details that you couldn't get to fit.
Not the one that was too big though :)

Those wheels/calipers look really heavy duty :thumbs

[kellymoe]

Nice work on the truck. But what I realy like is the car lift the truck is sitting on. I would give my left nut to have the space and money to put one of those in. You look like you are out near Santee from the looks of the boulders in the background.

[Buckon37s]

Very close, Ramona. Not my lift though, of course.

Mike, the intercoolers I was going to run are either standard E-bay fair or;

www.bellintercoolers.com
http://www.fluidcontrol.net/pages/faxspecs.html

These would both work depending on what you build around 120% better than the euro models.

[chrisvonc]

I dont see a D-90 Source sticker on there.

[Buckon37s]

Send me a sticker and I'll pimp the d-90 source!

[rover4x4]

:nono

[WhiteD90]

David-

Looks good man, but seriously can I buy you a can of spraypaint? :)

You on schedule for Cruces?

Tis

[mikeslandrover]

I dont see a D-90 Source sticker on there.
STICKERS....... where from? Just what my 90 needs :)

[Mike Hippert]

STICKERS....... where from? Just what my 90 needs :)http://www.d-90.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1110 I like to keep some on hand to put under peoples windshield wipers when I spot a Defender. But I think you would need a lot more then me.:)

[mikeslandrover]

Well I'm flabbergasted... a shop too!
How long have I been visiting this site?

[Buckon37s]

"Looks good man, but seriously can I buy you a can of spraypaint?"

It's just the tinyest bit of surface rust. It has been raining lately. Other than paint the truck will be done on saturday! I am in for Las Cruces. I haven't recieved any stickers yet.

[TDI Guy]

Good for you David. It was colder then a well diggers ass here today. :angry I froze while working on my truck today. I will be road ready in the beginning of January. Trail ready for late spring. But not complet. But are you ever really complete :crazy :zangry

[Buckon37s]

Hey Randy,

Just how cold IS a well diggers ass?

[rover4x4]

depends on where he is.

[dmarchand]

He's in Jersey. It was 16 when I left my house this morning :)

Randy, your never complete with your truck. That's a big reason we all post to this site!

[TDI Guy]

The well diggers ass is 21 deg this morning...... Damn Dave 16 sucks even more..

David, You are spoiled in the south west. YOu can work on your truck all winter in a t-shirt.. I'm jelous.

[Buckon37s]

"David, You are spoiled in the south west. YOu can work on your truck all winter in a t-shirt.. I'm jelous."

I don't wear any pants either.

Here are some more pics!! I drove it today. That front tie rod is 1.25in 3/8 wall with 1 and a quarter ton ball joints. It is frekin beefy! The coolest part about this is the turning radius is unbelievable. I can flip a U on a 1 way street. That is going to be a huge advantage over the terrible turning radius it used to have. The other cool thing is the axle outers are actually lighter than the CV setup. I would not have guessed that!

[mikeslandrover]

You guys are talking °f for the temperature I presume, otherwise you're all lightweights!

[WhiteD90]

David-

Good stuff man. You will loose that turning radius once you put the shafts/ujoints in the front end. Also weld some plate steel on the front of the diff, it is amazing how easily those housings dent...speaking from experience. I got a 9" diff guard from Blue Torch Fabworks and had Keith cut it in half and weld one on the front and rear. Keep the pics coming!

Tis

[Buckon37s]

Will do, I am going to have some metal welded up there. Can't wait to show you the skid plate! I don't think I am going to lose much turning radius, the turning stops are set at thier stock locations.

[Buckon37s]

I get my truck back in 2 days! :party I can't wait to show off the super fly, super secret, neeto piece. BTW, I still don't have any D-90 stickers.

[mikeslandrover]

Will it be Finished?

[Buckon37s]

YES! But no! I was all happy because I was supposed to get it today, my birthday, but it turns out the rover brake master cylinder is too wimpy to handle the big new brakes. So now I have to source a Corvete master cylinder and install it. So now it is looking like monday or tuesday. Big bummer!

[rover4x4]

buy some stickers.

[Buckon37s]

I don't buy stickers. People give them to me, and a price break. :kiss

[rover4x4]

perhaps the least you could do to support the good cause...

[mikeslandrover]

Ah... they're never really finished completely. Just done enough to gey you on the road then the modifying starts all over again :)

[Buckon37s]

Hey!

I got it back and it is soooo close to finished. Cage is painted and winch is installed. I have to install the front clip so I am going to wait untill it is all done for a full pic. Take a look at the skid plate! 1/4 reinforced aluminum. I modified the crossmember so it can lay flat. The rear axle brake only hung 1/4 of an inch below the the tray but I decided to drop that portion anout 3/4 of an inch so that the aluminum could flex hard when hit and not rest on the drum.

I think I did a pretty good job patching the holes in the rear door. Just a couple coats of clearcoat away from being done. The last is the steering stabilizer and the 3/8in skid on the axle. mmm, beefy. Sooo close, I can taste it.

[Mike Hippert]

WOW the door looks great! But I want a pic of it high centered on a rock sitting on the skid plate, it needs to be tested before approval.

[rover4x4]

what kinda steerin stabilizer is that??

[Buckon37s]

what kinda steerin stabilizer is that??

Special Hi-Tech NAPA brand :) Don't worry on the war pics. I am running a few "body damage unavoidable" trails next saturday. I'll see what she can do.

[mikeslandrover]

David,
That skid plate round the gearbox..... :eek:
Be very careful, apparently Southdown used to sell a similar style skid plate but the lack of air flow around the gearbox caused premature failure due to overheating. Very premature failure..... they withdrew it from sale after having to pay for a number of gearbox replacements from what I heard. Their skid plate is now longitudinal bars which allows plenty of airflow around the gearbox.
Monitor that gearbox running temperature carefully. :cool:

[Buckon37s]

Thats really good to know, I never thought of that. 2 questions then, was the Southdown one aluminum? And, how do you monitor the temperature, is there a way without a tranny temp guage, which I don't have.

[Buckon37s]

Well,

Lights are installed, almost all painting is done. Just a wipedown left but she is done. I get to do nothing but play now! The one up close pic of the front quarter panel is to show the 1/4in angle iron that I attached to the frame and then reinfoced with tubing and bolted to the front end. It should keep that front portion straight, then I painted to match, you have a hard time even telling that it's there. The last pic is of the winch slid behind the grill. It fits up in there pretty well. Now I have to go clean my garage!

[JimC]

I'm almost done too, I thought I'd save some time by not cocooning my 90 in tubular steel :)

[Buckon37s]

What are you doing to that Jim?

[chrisvonc]

Well I'm flabbergasted... a shop too!
How long have I been visiting this site?LOL.. there actually 2 stores. The stickers have always been availible since before I took over the site.

Follow-up Post:

I get my truck back in 2 days! :party I can't wait to show off the super fly, super secret, neeto piece. BTW, I still don't have any D-90 stickers.I'm sorry, I just saw this post, when did you order them? I'll look for the email.

Follow-up Post:

LOL.. nevermind, I just noticed how old those posts were I replied to.

[JimC]

What are you doing to that Jim?

I tore apart my 95 NAS and rebuilt it on a galvanized 300Tdi chassis.

[Buckon37s]

Cool! Are you modifying too?

[JimC]

I'm not doing any extreme mods like most of you guys that build up your trucks (no $G stuff, no sliders etc), but I am doing a lot of little "reliability" type mods - I've added-

Stainless brake/fuel lines
Dual fuel tanks
Braided stainless brake, clutch, fuel, oil hoses
Plenty of stainless hardware
Galvy chassis
Slickrock skid plate
and more stuff like that

I like driving the defender daily (actually its my wife's) but I considered the fuel mileage on the V8 intolerable. I also wanted to build a "totally mechanical" Defender for the maximum reliability and fixability. The most extreme off-roading I do is what the Brits call Greenlaning - crusing around range roads on base, unpaved mountain roads, etc. There arent any boulders to bash around here anyway.

[mikeslandrover]

Thats really good to know, I never thought of that. 2 questions then, was the Southdown one aluminum? And, how do you monitor the temperature, is there a way without a tranny temp guage, which I don't have.
Don't know what the skid plate was made from, it was the lack of air flow that killed the gear boxes due to overheating.
How hot is too hot? Don't really know that either. I had the oil hot enough to burn skin in the Sahara last summer, high 40°c outside air temp, killed the GKN overdrive but the gearbox was fine (I don't run any kind of skid plate)
I'd like to find out if there's any was to run some kind of oil cooler for the gearbox. It does have a pump and filter afterall. That should cure the running bloody hot issues in high ambient temp climates and reduce the cab temps somewhat..

Finished.
I thought I'd finished untill last Saturday afternoon when I pressure washed the underside of the 90. It was then that the reason for the vague steering became apparant. The truck has eaten almost every suspension bush on the front axle :eek:
Gives a whole new meaning to fully independant front suspension :angry the axle is virtually independqant of the rest of the truck!
Still nothing that a few hours with the spanners and fly press can't sort out :cool:
Then I pressure washed a hole straight through the bulkhead :( that 'll be some welding to do after the wind screen has been removed.
As if that wasn't enough I then went on to pressure wash the Discovery 1 we treated ourselves to just before Christmas and ...yep.... a hole in the chassis under the road dirt opened up before my eyes.
Missed that on my inspection before buying> Oh and the rear shocks had seen better days. No point putting them back on after pulling them off for the welding on the chassis so add them to the shopping list too.
AND the heater blower motor on the 110 now needs to be switched on followed by a hefty blow to the heater box to make the motor spin.
I'm off to the garage.....I may be gone some while.

Follow-up Post:

Thats the problem with owning more than 1 rover if the first one develops a problem you move on to the second ...and so on 'till you run out of trucks and have a whole shed load of maintenance to do :rolleyes

[Buckon37s]

I know you can run a oil cooler on a manual. There is a kit from Summit that you can use. Not too tough. Maybe I will look into it. As to mine, I looked out there and with the 4in lift, there is at least an easy line of site from the front over the plate and through to the back for the wind to pass. I am betting I am okay with that cooling. I hope I am betting correctly!

And Jim,

Looks like a fun project. At least stick some aggressive tires on there. :cool:

[mikeslandrover]

Maybe run for a good few miles with the plate off and then the same route with the plate on and see if there's much of a temp difference :confused

[Buckon37s]

Or, I was thinking keep the plate on, and if the T-case burns up I will know what did it. hehe