T
Team140
Guest
Hi gang,
After trying to find a Range Rover for a few weeks and finding out they are ALL in New York and New Jersey, I decided to try and find a close Discovery. I did!
I got a fantastic deal on it because it has some issues. I have a ton of experience with everything related to cars so I have no fear of jumping neck deep into this thing. I put late model fuel injected V8s from Camaros and Corvettes into Mazda RX-7s for fun
...oh, and yes, they pass emissions and are complete!
On to the Disco and the issues it has that I'm aware of:
94 Disco 3.9 5 speed
Transmission: The 2nd gear synchros are shot. Otherwise, it shifts beautifully. Are internal transmission bits available aftermarket, or is this going to be a "Bend over at the dealer" item? I have no fears of breaking it open and replacing the synchro myself if I can get my hands on one.
Interior:
The shift boot has a plastic base that clips into the console to hold it into place. Unfortunately, mine doesn't clip into the base anymore as the clips are all broken. No big deal, but it looks ratty and I'd like to fix it. Anyone know of a source for this part?
Sunroofs:
The front sunroof sounds like it tries to eat itself when you try and open it. Probably plastic gears that have bit the dust. The motor and slides appear to be OK though. Common problem?
The rear sunroof doesn't operate at all. No click, no hum, no whir. Unfortunately, it's cracked open about 1/4". Is there a manual method to close it? If the rear one doesn't work then it's no big deal as long as I can close it to keep the weather out.
The engine:
The nitty gritty part of the post!
When I picked it up, it had a pretty bad miss - but also had mismatched plug wires and had evidence of "patching" when the correct parts couldn't be found.
I installed a set of custom Accel plug wires using the OEM distributor connectors to reach way down and get to the terminals. That alone made a big difference in how it ran, but it still has a slight miss. I don't think the miss is terminal (or expensive) as a vacuum gauge reads a perfectly smooth 15" of mercury. I'm guessing the spark plug that was attached to that hacked plug wire is fouled and not firing at all.
While sorting out the rest of the engine bay, I noticed the timing was about 5* advanced past factory spec. While doing this, I noticed some other things that I need some help with while I wait on some parts to arrive that I ordered today.
On to the pictures!
Here is a shot of the distributor and the way I found it.
Looking at that shot, the red arrow is pointing to a ****** on the vacuum advance that's not hooked to anything at all. Where should this guy go?
The yellow arrow is pointing to the vacuum advance hose that goes right to the top of the intake plenum, which is the yellow arrow in the photo below. Is this correct? Does this ****** on the intake plenum pull vacuum at idle? If it's supposed to (vacuum advance should have vacuum at idle), then I have a problem as there is none.
On to vacuum mystery number two!
In searching for other possible vacuum advance *******, I ran across this guy at the back of the intake marked by the blue arrow:
I would ASSUME that it goes a short distance to this guy marked by the blue arrow on the passenger's side of the firewall.
Am I correct on my assumptions? Any idea what the pressure sensor (marked in blue) is for? If it's for providing the ECU with a vacuum reference, then it may explain single digit fuel economy (well, along with everything else!)
The only other issues I've found with it have been the O2 sensors. The driver's side was completely unplugged and the passenger's side continues to throw a code. New ones are on the way.
Also, does anyone know where to find a service manual for the 94 Discos? All I have seen are 95+ except for the Haynes manual which is OK, but I find factory service manuals are way more detailed and way more informative.
Thanks!
Brian
After trying to find a Range Rover for a few weeks and finding out they are ALL in New York and New Jersey, I decided to try and find a close Discovery. I did!
I got a fantastic deal on it because it has some issues. I have a ton of experience with everything related to cars so I have no fear of jumping neck deep into this thing. I put late model fuel injected V8s from Camaros and Corvettes into Mazda RX-7s for fun
...oh, and yes, they pass emissions and are complete!On to the Disco and the issues it has that I'm aware of:
94 Disco 3.9 5 speed
Transmission: The 2nd gear synchros are shot. Otherwise, it shifts beautifully. Are internal transmission bits available aftermarket, or is this going to be a "Bend over at the dealer" item? I have no fears of breaking it open and replacing the synchro myself if I can get my hands on one.
Interior:
The shift boot has a plastic base that clips into the console to hold it into place. Unfortunately, mine doesn't clip into the base anymore as the clips are all broken. No big deal, but it looks ratty and I'd like to fix it. Anyone know of a source for this part?
Sunroofs:
The front sunroof sounds like it tries to eat itself when you try and open it. Probably plastic gears that have bit the dust. The motor and slides appear to be OK though. Common problem?
The rear sunroof doesn't operate at all. No click, no hum, no whir. Unfortunately, it's cracked open about 1/4". Is there a manual method to close it? If the rear one doesn't work then it's no big deal as long as I can close it to keep the weather out.
The engine:
The nitty gritty part of the post!
When I picked it up, it had a pretty bad miss - but also had mismatched plug wires and had evidence of "patching" when the correct parts couldn't be found.
I installed a set of custom Accel plug wires using the OEM distributor connectors to reach way down and get to the terminals. That alone made a big difference in how it ran, but it still has a slight miss. I don't think the miss is terminal (or expensive) as a vacuum gauge reads a perfectly smooth 15" of mercury. I'm guessing the spark plug that was attached to that hacked plug wire is fouled and not firing at all.
While sorting out the rest of the engine bay, I noticed the timing was about 5* advanced past factory spec. While doing this, I noticed some other things that I need some help with while I wait on some parts to arrive that I ordered today.
On to the pictures!
Here is a shot of the distributor and the way I found it.
Looking at that shot, the red arrow is pointing to a ****** on the vacuum advance that's not hooked to anything at all. Where should this guy go?
The yellow arrow is pointing to the vacuum advance hose that goes right to the top of the intake plenum, which is the yellow arrow in the photo below. Is this correct? Does this ****** on the intake plenum pull vacuum at idle? If it's supposed to (vacuum advance should have vacuum at idle), then I have a problem as there is none.
On to vacuum mystery number two!
In searching for other possible vacuum advance *******, I ran across this guy at the back of the intake marked by the blue arrow:
I would ASSUME that it goes a short distance to this guy marked by the blue arrow on the passenger's side of the firewall.
Am I correct on my assumptions? Any idea what the pressure sensor (marked in blue) is for? If it's for providing the ECU with a vacuum reference, then it may explain single digit fuel economy (well, along with everything else!)
The only other issues I've found with it have been the O2 sensors. The driver's side was completely unplugged and the passenger's side continues to throw a code. New ones are on the way.
Also, does anyone know where to find a service manual for the 94 Discos? All I have seen are 95+ except for the Haynes manual which is OK, but I find factory service manuals are way more detailed and way more informative.
Thanks!
Brian
