Refurbishing a cheap Disco 1

[systemdelete]

This weekend I took some time to camp with old friends, and of course took the disco since it was a euro car club camp out.






When I got home the evap purge canister was on the porch, so I put it in. Then I got the bright idea to start on rebuilding my driveshafts. Put the rover up on stands, pulled the front, and got it mounted in the vise. Then pulled the c clips and managed to mangle my thumb with my BFH and a socket starting to remove the first of the U joints.

It was stupid, but hindsight is 20/20. In a rush to try and finish the front shaft before dinner I skipped using my shop press, or vise and thought the BFH approach would be fastest. :/ Looks like I’ll be a few days on the mend at minimum before I can get back at it.

 

[Lanlubber In Remembrance]

This weekend I took some time to camp with old friends, and of course took the disco since it was a euro car club camp out.

View attachment 122938

View attachment 122939


When I got home the evap purge canister was on the porch, so I put it in. Then I got the bright idea to start on rebuilding my driveshafts. Put the rover up on stands, pulled the front, and got it mounted in the vise. Then pulled the c clips and managed to mangle my thumb with my BFH and a socket starting to remove the first of the U joints.

It was stupid, but hindsight is 20/20. In a rush to try and finish the front shaft before dinner I skipped using my shop press, or vise and thought the BFH approach would be fastest. :/ Looks like I’ll be a few days on the mend at minimum before I can get back at it.

OUCH !!! And a few other choice words . Will you install u joints that have grease zerts ? (After you heal up)

 

[systemdelete]

Well, I can’t work at the hospital with the gash in my thumb, so I gloved it up and buttoned the Rover up the best I could. Snugged up the bolts in the transfer case’s front output flange with the nuts and some spare washers to take up the slack, and I installed the roverware rear diff breather tube.

Then it was time for a test drive, so I packed rest of the required tools and parts into the Rover, locked the center diff, and headed north on a mission to visit my family. They are in Ontario, so it’s a pretty decent test drive. :)

Around Elizabethtown, KY I began to realize that my whine was separate from my vibration which went away with the removal of the front driveshaft. Pulled my fill plug and found the fluid still milky with water contamination. I had hope this would evaporate off as the fluid warmed up with the new vent, but alas it needed to be changed again to continue.

Around midnight in a 24hour wal-mart parking space I drained and filled the rear diff with fresh fluid once again.


The contaminated fluid today has the appearance of coffee with creamer in the sunlight.


The long term fuel trim on both banks pulled back to 0.00 after I replaced the leaky evap canister and put some miles on her boding well for a happy fuel management system.

700miles in to the trip its averaging 17.3mpg so far, with no new codes to show for it atm.

Thermal monitoring over the first few hundred miles confirmed that the transfer case seemingly isn’t in too much distress being locked with only one driveshaft at interstate speeds. The airflow under the truck seems to keep it and the transmission pretty cool compared to around town stop and go.

 

[Lanlubber In Remembrance]

Well, I can’t work at the hospital with the gash in my thumb, so I gloved it up and buttoned the Rover up the best I could. Snugged up the bolts in the transfer case’s front output flange with the nuts and some spare washers to take up the slack, and I installed the roverware rear diff breather tube.

Then it was time for a test drive, so I packed rest of the required tools and parts into the Rover, locked the center diff, and headed north on a mission to visit my family. They are in Ontario, so it’s a pretty decent test drive. :)

Around Elizabethtown, KY I began to realize that my whine was separate from my vibration which went away with the removal of the front driveshaft. Pulled my fill plug and found the fluid still milky with water contamination. I had hope this would evaporate off as the fluid warmed up with the new vent, but alas it needed to be changed again to continue.

Around midnight in a 24hour wal-mart parking space I drained and filled the rear diff with fresh fluid once again.
View attachment 123350

The contaminated fluid today has the appearance of coffee with creamer in the sunlight.
View attachment 123352

The long term fuel trim on both banks pulled back to 0.00 after I replaced the leaky evap canister and put some miles on her boding well for a happy fuel management system.

700miles in to the trip its averaging 17.3mpg so far, with no new codes to show for it atm.

Thermal monitoring over the first few hundred miles confirmed that the transfer case seemingly isn’t in too much distress being locked with only one driveshaft at interstate speeds. The airflow under the truck seems to keep it and the transmission pretty cool compared to around town stop and go.

So your driving w/o the front shaft installed. Could be you get a little better gas mialage that way. (?) My previous owner said he never put my LRD2 in low range and never crossed water deeper than 6" the whole time he owner her (17 years). The fluids have never been changed and the look like fresh new fluid, no water, no blackening at all.

 

[systemdelete]

So your driving w/o the front shaft installed. Could be you get a little better gas mialage that way. (?) My previous owner said he never put my LRD2 in low range and never crossed water deeper than 6" the whole time he owner her (17 years). The fluids have never been changed and the look like fresh new fluid, no water, no blackening at all.

With the diff locked it’s still sending half the torque to the front output shaft, so it’ll likely be a wash since the gear set in the front diff is still being turned by the axle shafts as well.


Milky fluid indicates water contamination, Black fluid is generally Molly grease working into the inner tube seals and contaminating the fluid.

Even if it looks fine I’d change your fluids if you believe that they are original. They do degrade with exposure to oxygen over time and their additive packages will slowly be depleted with heat cycles.

 

[Lanlubber In Remembrance]

With the diff locked it’s still sending half the torque to the front output shaft, so it’ll likely be a wash since the gear set in the front diff is still being turned by the axle shafts as well.


Milky fluid indicates water contamination, Black fluid is generally Molly grease working into the inner tube seals and contaminating the fluid.

Even if it looks fine I’d change your fluids if you believe that they are original. They do degrade with exposure to oxygen over time and their additive packages will slowly be depleted with heat cycles.

That's on my agenda for next week. Trying to get it in the glass shop for the front two window regulators this week. Still haven't trimmed my front bumper and still waiting on my welder to add some tie down brackets to my roof rack. Getting anything done here is a miracle ! Wish I was younger, it's a bitch being old and having to depend on others. I appreciate your guidance.

 

[systemdelete]

Well, here I was sitting around in Lion’s Head, ON helping a family member prepare the tractor and snow blower for the coming winter. I noticed a failing u joint on the PTO drive and recommend replacement to my FIL now vs waiting until the middle of winter up here. We popped into town and purchased the replacement joint and headed down the road to his brother’s place to use the press. I mentioned I had wanted to reassemble my driveshaft while I had extra hands and all three U joints were replaced inside an hour. Came back to the house and reinstalled the front driveshaft on the Rover, and greased the new U joints up for the drive home next week.

 

[Lanlubber In Remembrance]

Well, here I was sitting around in Lion’s Head, ON helping a family member prepare the tractor and snow blower for the coming winter. I noticed a failing u joint on the PTO drive and recommend replacement to my FIL now vs waiting until the middle of winter up here. We popped into town and purchased the replacement joint and headed down the road to his brother’s place to use the press. I mentioned I had wanted to reassemble my driveshaft while I had extra hands and all three U joints were replaced inside an hour. Came back to the house and reinstalled the front driveshaft on the Rover, and greased the new U joints up for the drive home next week.

How is the injured digit healing up ? I'm glad you had some help on that project. I do it the old fashioned way too with a socket and hammer. My friend uses his table model vise as his press and I should learn that method too when I get to my Dodge 4x4 that has at least one bad joint. Nice of you to help out you family member, we all need help some time and projects like prepping tractors and snow blowers can be time consuming and hard..

 

[systemdelete]

Back home, had an exhaust leak appear after several hours of Michigan roads this morning. Ryan Muffler Center, in Florence KY are awesome. They had it patched up and back on the road in a jiffy for less than $50.

1600 miles logged, the Rover did really well for its first big excursion.

Logged 16.4 MPG on the way home with the front shaft back in. Though I was absolutely railing on it trying to make good time.

 

[systemdelete]

So I’ve been resting up from the trip and letting my thumb finish healing up while I get ready to start a new job tomorrow.

On the trip I was disappointed in the interior lighting. It’s not great in vintage disco’s to begin with, compounded by the fact my PO apparently threw out the rear interior lights with the headliner.

“Before” interior lighting. Less than stellar if you’re trying to buckle a child into the back seat.


New and improved interior lighting-



I bought a pack of 10 surface mount LED lights from princess auto and wired them into the factory circuit. They all together draw less than half what the single remaining rear bulb did.

 

[Lanlubber In Remembrance]

So I’ve been resting up from the trip and letting my thumb finish healing up while I get ready to start a new job tomorrow.

On the trip I was disappointed in the interior lighting. It’s not great in vintage disco’s to begin with, compounded by the fact my PO apparently threw out the rear interior lights with the headliner.

“Before” interior lighting. Less than stellar if you’re trying to buckle a child into the back seat.
View attachment 125203

New and improved interior lighting-
View attachment 125204
View attachment 125205

I bought a pack of 10 surface mount LED lights from princess auto and wired them into the factory circuit. They all together draw less than half what the single remaining rear bulb did.
View attachment 125206

I like it a lot. Good job, now come do mine for me LOL !

 

[Lanlubber In Remembrance]

So I’ve been resting up from the trip and letting my thumb finish healing up while I get ready to start a new job tomorrow.

On the trip I was disappointed in the interior lighting. It’s not great in vintage disco’s to begin with, compounded by the fact my PO apparently threw out the rear interior lights with the headliner.

“Before” interior lighting. Less than stellar if you’re trying to buckle a child into the back seat.
View attachment 125203

New and improved interior lighting-
View attachment 125204
View attachment 125205

I bought a pack of 10 surface mount LED lights from princess auto and wired them into the factory circuit. They all together draw less than half what the single remaining rear bulb did.
View attachment 125206

Do your rear skylights work okay ?

 

[systemdelete]

Do your rear skylights work okay ?

Both sunroof panels are inoperable and sealed with some kind of caulk the PO put on there. Alpine windows seals are fine compared to the rear side windows.

 

[Lanlubber In Remembrance]

Both sunroof panels are inoperable and sealed with some kind of caulk the PO put on there. Alpine windows seals are fine compared to the rear side windows.

What is an alpine window seal ?
Really need to see a close up of your front bumper cropping please. The center section is giving me fits on what and where to cut it down.

 

[systemdelete]

What is an alpine window seal ?
Really need to see a close up of your front bumper cropping please. The center section is giving me fits on what and where to cut it down.

“Alpine windows” are what the upper windows tucked in the corners are referred to typically. At least in 21/23 window busses.(only other vehicles if had with them)

I’ll get you a front bumper pic in the daylight tomorrow.

The center of my bumper unbolted, the lower half was all plastic, all I cut were the side pieces. Though I imagine the D2 bumper may be slightly different.

 

[systemdelete]

Does this create a glare when you drive the panels?

Snapped a picture when the sun was in the right spot to illustrate how the panels actually reduce glare, similar to matte vinyl.

 

[Lanlubber In Remembrance]

“Alpine windows” are what the upper windows tucked in the corners are referred to typically. At least in 21/23 window busses.(only other vehicles if had with them)

I’ll get you a front bumper pic in the daylight tomorrow.

The center of my bumper unbolted, the lower half was all plastic, all I cut were the side pieces. Though I imagine the D2 bumper may be slightly different.

This is what my front bumper looks like. I'm wanting to cut it just above the fog lites which looks to be about where you cut yours. If I can't cut it I'm just going to remove the whole bumper.

 

[systemdelete]

This is what my front bumper looks like. I'm wanting to cut it just above the fog lites which looks to be about where you cut yours. If I can't cut it I'm just going to remove the whole bumper.

 

[Lanlubber In Remembrance]

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Wow, IT'S HARD TO BELIEVE THERE IS THAT MUCH DIFFERENCE BETWEEN the LRD! and LRD2 frontal area. Just looking I thought they were closer. Looks like I will not be able to whack off my lower skirt so easily as you if at all. Must find a solution before I can put the new tires on.

 

[systemdelete]

Wow, IT'S HARD TO BELIEVE THERE IS THAT MUCH DIFFERENCE BETWEEN the LRD! and LRD2 frontal area. Just looking I thought they were closer. Looks like I will not be able to whack off my lower skirt so easily as you if at all. Must find a solution before I can put the new tires on.

Yep, the D1 has a steel bumper, and all the other bits are bolted or clipped to it to make it more aerodynamic\beautiful lol. Take off the spoiler, and trim the end caps and you’re left with a reasonably useful off road bumper.



Today my floor mats showed up, not much work, and Land Rover is certainly proud of them but I’m fairly certain the first set “lasted” 160k miles so these should last at least that long.


Before-


After-