Servicing the 200tdi and Lt77

[Z O O R O P A]

Before I go look at this truck can someone tell me what I'm in for as far as the do's and don'ts of the 200? what kind of service and at what intervals?

can I hook up AC to it? heated windshield etc?

truck is owned by a certified LR 4x4 instructor so it's been used well, and beat, but loved and spared no expense

what else should I look for? I have not driven a defender before so I am ultra green noobish

first gear is short I presume, and second, it has a locking diff. etc

thank you good people!

 

[Z O O R O P A]

so the AC has to be custom made for the 200tdi

I did discover the 3rd row seats on the new defenders dont meet safety specs but the inward benches and flip seats do!

bizarre

 

[110user]

Service interval will depend on many things but I use rotella 5w40 synthetic every 4000 miles. Tranny fluid should be either redline MTL or royal purple syncromesh. Of course diff and tcase fluid needs to be changed (75 (or 80)w-90)

The big service is the timing belt. Every 100,000kms. 200tdi's will break their belts if not changed (just like the 300's). This just happened to a good friend in WA (200tdi), his fault but he went over the service interval.

Custom AC could be easily done using a standard defender AC system. The only custom bits you will need is a compressor (200tdi can be hard to find but you can adapt a different one) and custom lines.

Look long and hard for rust, bulkhead can hide a lot. T-posts, and rear cross member deserve a good inspection.

If you are not used to driving them they will feel a bit slow off the line, and not quick on the freeway. look for excessive smoke though. They will always smoke a little, but too much can mean bad or not so bad things.

What is the mileage on the motor and body?

Good luck!

 

[Maryland 110]

I thought this engine only has 5k miles on it ? Timing belts every 50k, tappet adjustments every 12k and I change my oil every 3k with Rotella synthetic but thats over kill. The Lt77 as siad above works best with Redline MTL and has an internal pump that lubricates the parts- you'll know if its a good one. You can look the gear box suffix up on Ashcrofts website. Hopefully the truck has an Lt77S which is my favorite.

 

[Z O O R O P A]

the truck is in superb rust free condition with wax oil treatment

5K miles or so on new engine

thank you for the information, love your blog

 

[110user]

Doug- I meant 100,000kms or (60k mi).
Do you have any experience with the fine particle oil filter kits? I saw on on a 300tdi a while back and the owner claimed 10,000mi between oil changes!!!

I have heard of them on fleet vehicles (http://www.amsoil.com/storefront/bf.aspx), but would be great overland. Getting you oil changed can be a PITA in other countries.

Zoo-
thanks!

 

[Ray Hyland]

10,000 miles between oil changes on a fully PAO synthetic is not a problem as long as you also have a good quality oil filter. I can't explain how I know that on a public forum but trust me on that one, or send me a PM for details.

I have AC on my 200 tdi D110. No issues, easy to fit. the 200 tdi has a mount for the hydraulic ACE system pump used in the Discos. In a 110 it is not used so you can mount the compressor there.

The stock intercooler setup has room for the AC rad in front of it and still room for an extra electric low profile fan in hot climates. If you run an allisport intercooler, or have an 8274 mounted into your grill you may not have as much room though...

Ray


www.hylandadventures.com

 

[rugbier]

You can buy an AC system brand New from Safri Rovers , RN or import it yourself ( or ask Doug - Maryland110 ) to bring you one from the UK

They are made by Elite

 

[Maryland 110]

If the truck has a defender 200 tdi engine then mounting an a/c compressor is a bit of a pain. the mounts are no longer available and the front cover needs to be drilled and tapped for the mounts- if its a disco engine its the same as a 300 tdi and the only issue will be one of belts and the tensioner. The Defender 200 tdi front pulley doesn't have the provision for the a/c belt so a disco 200 tdi with a/c front pulley will need to be sourced. The Defender 200 tdi a/c mounts have long been NLA. I have the unobtainium two part cast aluminum mount and was going to have it scanned in @ a fabricater so they could be remanufactured as needed.
The disco system uses a tensioner that bolts on in place of the injection pump pully access plate on the engine front cover- pretty sure the defender a/c setup uses the same.
As far as installation with a full width intercooler or a winch thats set back into the grill- it can be done but requires tons of custom work and all lines and hoses will need to be custom made. On the defender 200 tdi there is a ton of room to move the radiator and intercooler back towards the bulkhead
so with some love and money you can get an a/c condensor and fan infront of a full width intercooler. On a 300 the engine is much further forward and things get really tight really fast if a full width intercooler is involved.
I have Elite's 300 Tdi installation instruction pamphlet scanned in as a pdf if anyone wants to see how their kits install. The directions cover both RHD and LHD applications.

 

[Maryland 110]

Doug- I meant 100,000kms or (60k mi).
Do you have any experience with the fine particle oil filter kits? I saw on on a 300tdi a while back and the owner claimed 10,000mi between oil changes!!!

I have heard of them on fleet vehicles (http://www.amsoil.com/storefront/bf.aspx), but would be great overland. Getting you oil changed can be a PITA in other countries.

Zoo-
thanks!

Steve- I don't have any experience with those. I usually am dealing with a used engine and immediately dump whatever oil is in it and go to 5w40 and add a quart of Rislone. I change that initial oil out @ 1000 miles and its amazing how much cleaner and quieter the engine gets. After that I run synthetic. I am harder on these trucks than most. My current rig the 130 crew cab is very heavy by itself for a 2.5 liter and is on 33's with stock gearing. Add my all steel car trailer and put a Tdi 110 on the trailer and that's one heavy load for a 2.5. Thats an every day occurance for me. Once I get settled in with this truck (only had it about 5 weeks) I may look @ some of these micro filters. Wanted to publicly appologize for dropping the ball on sending you the 110 rear Springs @ Christmas time- I made a 5 day trip to the UK then and things were crazy. From the looks of that ambulance body you made the trip ok-duct tape and all.
Cheers

 

[110user]

Doug- No worries man... not a one.

BTW that is an awesome photo. I cant tell you how jealous I am about how many rovers pass through you.

 

[Antichrist]

Like with any turbo, don't run it hard then immediately shut it down. Turbos need a little cool down period otherwise the shaft gets coked with the resultant eventual oil blowby.
I don't know which turbo is on the 200, but a water-cooled bearing housing is a great upgrade if you can find one that fits.
Oil changes aren't so critical due to contamination, but because the turbo heat causes the oil to break down quicker. Though clearances in a turbo are smaller than in an engine in general so clean oil is certainly also very important.

 

[110user]

resultant eventual oil blowby.

What is the best way to test for turbo blow by?

The intercooler will always have some gunk but...? I dont think I have a lot but I have suspected for a while that some is passing through.

 

[Red90]

Oil in the intercooler is from the PCV system.

If you really care about proper oil change intervals, get an oil analysis. They are cheap. You will know how well the oil is performing and if there are any problems with the engine.

 

[Z O O R O P A]

for those who reside in the USA, Rovers North one of the largest suppliers for parts states 300tdi parts are much more accessible but that the 200tdi is a great engine just the same and is much easier to fit in the bay

just for consideration