Effective Disco 2 TD5 Upgrades

Hi folks,

I have an old TD5 2003 plate Disco 2 that has been a workhorse for a number of years. It is still in decent condition and coming up on 100k miles now.

I think the time has come to have a play with it and add on some nice (but reasonably priced) upgrades.

It used to have ACE (on springs) but the pipes corroded so I got the system drained, removed the pulley and sealed in the fluid in so that in theory still has some hydraulic pressure on the necessary ACE bits that connect to the rams (or what ever they are). Far from ideal I know (budget constraints at the time) and now it handles like crap. I guess as a first upgrade / fix I should replace the anti roll bars for the std ones that went with the normal non ACE suspension. Will I also need uprated springs?

It has a fruity S/S decat exhaust (which amazingly passed the last MOT emissions test!). EGR blank has been done.


Chassis is OK (I think) and it has had some welding done in the past in one problem area.

It has some sort of tuning box on it (on there when I bought it) but I have no idea if it actually does anything. Would be nice to have a bit more torque and power and I'm not a fan of tuning boxes in general as I understand they are essentially generic to the engine rather than specific to the actual engine in the car. Do these diesel Disco engines remap well?

So my question is - what sort of upgrades might I throw at it to make it a fun and more individual car to mess around in? I'm unlikely to do any really serious off roading although having the ability is important as I live out in the sticks - I do quite like the idea of a 2" lift. The car is on General Grabber AT2s just now.

Very open to ideas. The alternative would be to sell it and get something different but frankly the law of diminishing returns tells me that a few grand spent on the Disco is likely to bring just as much fun as spending much more on a newer car like a Jeep Grand Cherokee. After all it works and it is only really used to take muddy dogs here and there, the odd run to the dump and the occasional longer trip when the other 2 cars (Landcruiser and Renaultsport Meganne 275 Cup S) are not available.


Also the power steering pump went last year and I got it replaced with an "as new reconditioned unit". Ever since then the steering has been underpowered. Is there any adjustment on the power steering box so that the assistance can be increased. It just feels like it can't cope at the moment and that makes the steering unpredictable and slow to respond to inputs.

So, more grunt, better handling and more individuality are of interest. I guess budget is around 1500 to 2000 if the results will justify the spend.


Oh and the gear change is getting a bit stiff after long journeys these days. Is this new gearbox time or are there relatively cheap solutions to this?

Thanks in advance

Humpty

Hi, a well made remap makes a real difference, for the gear change drain the oil if you dont know what's in there and put MTF94 (not alternatives), the R380 is very sensitive top oil type and quality , this is a good upgrade: http://www.onlinegearboxparts.com/product/discovery-1-2-lt77-r380-slickshift-inc-td5/

IMO for the PAS that "as new reconditioned unit" is sh*T you cant adjust the pressure

Thanks sierrafery.

Will get the gearbox oil changed when I get the other work done and will def go for a remap.

I should correct my earleir post - I had the power steering box replaced not the pump (or maybe the pump as well I cant remember). Does that make any difference to the diagnosis and possible fixes? Is there an adjustment on the box?

Any thoughts on the suspension fix / upgrade?

Cheers
Humpty

Handling, best thing to do is fix ACE, refit pump last.

http://www.thed2boysclub.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=3452
https://www.landyzone.co.uk/land-rover/martins-ace-thread.305773/
https://www.landyzone.co.uk/land-rover/ace-update.302050/#post-3771538

See various threads here about repair, I have replumbed mine with hydraulic hose. A VERY good upgrade,

Engine, contact Mike at Dynachip stage one is easy approx 170bhp. For 200bhp you will need a decent intercooler and a boost controller box.

As @MJI has eluded to, get the ACE repaired. Apparently prices these days often mean a repair or rebuild of the ACE can be cheaper than to replace it with static anti-roll bars.
The ACE system is separate from the suspension so there should be no need whatsoever to replace the springs, whether they're coils or air bags, unless you want to, but if everything is alright in that area, why bother?
For the engine, if not an uprated intercooler, then a clean out of your existing one might help, as will replacing the air intake rubber pipes. They can start to delaminate on the inside with age and that can restrict the airflow between the air filter, turbo, intercooler and inlet manifold.
Even a stage 1 remap can improve the driveability of the Disco
There's the obvious and sometimes not so obvious maintenance routines, oil changes, filter changes, other fluids, brakes and don't forget your prop shafts, in standard trim, the D2 has two grease points on each prop shaft, one one each U/J and one on each sliding joint, you might have to remove the grub screw and replace it with a straight grease nipple for this job.The rear prop shaft has a rubber doughnut arrangement at the diff end and that is prone to degrading over time just as all the rubber bits underneath the car are. Check that carefully and replace if you're unsure. Make sure to use a genuine GKN part for it.
If you are considering a lift, then you'd be well advised to read through this thread first:-

https://www.landyzone.co.uk/land-rover/lifting-a-d2-properly.300573/

You could also consider changing you filament bulbs for LED equivalents, they're easily obtainable and usually just a straight swap, but be prepared to do some electrical fettling to reverse some of the wiring. Don't even bother with trying to change the headlights for anything other than the original types, it'll only lead to disappointment. To change the indicators to LEDs on the D2, the easiest way is to fit additional resistors to kid the system that it's still running with filament bulbs.

Fix ACE for on-road use.... for a +20 year old design, it’s truly fantastic. Also call Mike at Dynachip.... not just more power, but no more rattle and clatter during delivery.

Two days after I got my ACE rebuild right I drove to Bath and back, pretty twisty and steep hills.

My daughters BF could not keep up on the hills.

And the twisty bits of the A46 were really enjoyable.

Yes I really enjoyed hammering a 2.25 ton off roader along a really twisty A road.

Screwed my front tyres though!

Now name a full list of off road cars that corner well and also do proper off road and not just muddy car park.

Was pulling serious Bar in th ACE system on those bends (had a son monitoring Hawkeye).

Don't bodge your D2, they are still very good cars at what they do.

And on cross axle ACE is as good as no bars as it disconnects

+1 for the remap......just remapped mine with a quality map......what a difference!!!! :0) very very happy indeed!

Message received! Will look in to getting ACE refurbished as part of the project. Was quoted something scary for this about 6 months ago (over £1000) but will check again.

Humpty said:

Message received! Will look in to getting ACE refurbished as part of the project. Was quoted something scary for this about 6 months ago (over £1000) but will check again.

Click to expand...

That would be using the genuine pipes around £200 a set (3 sets) and factory fittings at £18 each and there are 6

Block machining I paid £60

Pipes about £20 each