Small update
Drove to Orange NSW to pick up a parts car for my mates blue disco that happened to have an auto 300TDI in it!
AMC cylinder head, Eaton/ Harrop electronic rear locker, 4x new BF Goodrich K02s, ARB rear HD bar, a chopped up ARB front bad and a range of bits and pieces.
Only downside is that the 4HP22 in the donor car is very tired and is in need of replacement or rebuild.
Averaged 11.6L/100 back from Orange, theres definety something not quite right with this setup
This thing was SLOW!
Got home and pulled off the LDA Diaphragm plate to find a few holes in the rubber. This diaphragm is responsible for increasing fuelling on boost, without it you may as well be driving a naturally aspirated diesel.
Suspected a dud battery monday morning as she barely started after a few days of sitting, chucked an MF80D26R - 720 CCA in, only to find that there is somewhere a parasitic draw, I think part of the cars previously hacked up wiring had a dual battery system in it that is still drawing power somehow.
New 240V hoist motor is installed, the old Molnar lives again in its new shed.
We were concerned that the 240V replacement motors would not have the same startup torque that the 3 phase did, but we were quickly proven otherwise. She happily lifts the 2 Tonn + Discos without any issue.
First transport run of WMO and WATF up to Monbulk, Filters and centrifuge are on their way as we setup where processing will take place.
Thinking of a filter type heater to help ease atomisation out of the injectors at low temperatures, although we are planning on running a 10% ULP mix which should halve the viscosity of the WMO making it easier to combust as is.
A lot of regular interstate travel might be on the cards in the near future, so a dual tank setup from The long ranger might be on the cards, would be able to carry 150L of "Black diesel" on board and may never actually have to pay for dino diesel again.
Researching more and more about these autos, they are the recurring weak link on the 300TDI discos, next to constant headgasket fears (Unless you have an uprated head like the AMC).
If the 300TDI and a half reasonable 4HP22 can get me by for the next year and a bit, I think Ill be pulling the lot out for an Isuzu 4BD1T and mate it up to a properly setup 4L60. Keeping it 99% mechanical/ hydraulic is the plan, but if that results in a crap driving experience I may opt for an electronically controlled setup. As it is, I feel the 300TDI and 4HP22 are worked very hard to keep up with the demands of a full time 4x4 that weighs over 2 ton unloaded, a 4BD1T or even a 4BT with a 4l60 would be very underworked in the disco, not be so heavy to overwhelm the front end and increase reliability extensively, Not to mention make a shitload of torque :p
I really enjoyed driving the discos back from Orange, bar a few hiccups with Dillon's car not having a rear swaybar and shearing both shocks off their bottom mount studs on the twistys, they were absolutely unstoppable.
I feel that being able to work on these cars myself and do 99% of the work makes them a great platform for modding. They can be as reliable as you need be, you just have to know where to look.
After I find another auto, we will be swapping the diesel into Doris.
