RovrFlo

[Disco2Guy]

Over the past 8 months a lot has been added to RovrFlo. The truck was bone stock when purchased. The first repair was getting the head gaskets replaced. This is the first and only job (so far) that I've taken RovrFlo to a mechanic for. Everything else that has been installed has been in my friend Chris' garage.

Mods currently installed:

Hood blackout (spray can)
Rebuilt front driveshaft
Fire extinguisher mounted on driver's seat
New BFG A/T TA KO 245/75/R16
2" RTE spring lift (RR4-1 Front Linear & RR1-2 Rear Linear) and OME shocks
Roof rack extension rails and cross bars (for surfing!!!)
RTE Sliders w/ nerf bars
Trimmed front bumper
Tuffy rear cargo storage lock box
Cobra 75 WXST mounted under driver's seat
NGP (No Ground Plane) antenna installed on spare tire carrier
Shelf enclosure for the Tuffy box


Mods to come:

'04 CDL linkage with D1 "DIFF LOCK" knob and CDL placard
Black steel wheels
New gear oil for diffs and t-case, brake fluid and ATF
Optima Blue Top
QT Diff guards
Replace roto-flex coupler
GROM Audio iPod adapter
RTE front and rear bumpers

[Disco12]

looking good.:cool:

[Disco2Guy]

The time finally came to get the '04 CDL installed before the next MORG hits. I followed this write-up (http://www.discovery2.co.uk/diff_lock.html) (Urban Panzer on LandRoverForums) and it went just fine. The only issue is the CDL light doesn't illuminate on the dash. The next day I remembered something about the diff lock in the service records. I found back in June 2003 the CDL light would randomly illuminate on the dash, so the PO took it to the dealer. The dealer simply unplugged the switch on the t-case so the light doesn't come on. Looks like I need to drop the driveshaft on the t-case and reconnect that switch. I wish I remembered that during the install, it would make that job a lot easier.

There's a slight difference from the write-up as my linkage (purchased from RoverLandParts) came with both cables (hi/low and CDL) and an interlock solenoid (NAS and JAP). I guess earlier models with the CDL t-case have this interlock built in, but the '04's are attached at the shifter. The solenoid is siliconed into place and would have taken too long to remove so the tip was cut off with a die grinder.

Tonight, I drove in small circles in a parking lot and I could feel the lurching when the CDL was locked. This was done at a slow speed for just a few seconds. I really can't wait to see how RovrFlo performs on the trail now.

To finish off the install a D1 "DIFF LOCK" shifter knob was delivered today and in the next few days I should be getting the D1 CDL placard too. :D

[PCRover]

Nice job! You will be unstoppable on the trails now :D

[Desertcrawler]

I think I've learned that nothing is unstoppable. Even Shrek and DesertCrawler have met a few irressitable forces along the way...


But the new CDL will make a world of difference for you. Just wait till you "tame the gulch" for the first time.....the NCLR rite of passage. Just make sure you don't get part of it named for you... like "Jarrel Curve"...

[Disco2Guy]

Haha, I kinda tamed that gulch at the April MORG but it wasn't pretty. That was the one section I never got pics or video of.

[Disco12]

I think I've learned that nothing is unstoppable. Even Shrek and DesertCrawler have met a few irressitable forces along the way...


But the new CDL will make a world of difference for you. Just wait till you "tame the gulch" for the first time.....the NCLR rite of passage. Just make sure you don't get part of it named for you... like "Jarrel Curve"...

yeah!:D

[Disco2Guy]

Ok, I had the chance to get a few things done to RovrFlo today. First and foremost was the oil change. First one for me. I used Royal Purple 10W-30.

I two pieces of MDF that weren't carpeted on the shelf for Tuffy box. It was just an oversight when cutting originally so I used some leftover pieces. Last but not least was the CDL light switch.

I dropped the rear part of the d/s and got the two ground wires connected. The terminals were a little more corroded than I thought (even though I used a wire brush on them) and the light only worked the first time I locked the CDL. I climbed back under after getting home and slid the connectors along the switch a little bit more and it seems to work just fine now.

[Disco2Guy]

Well it looks like the CDL warning lamp switch is dead. I called the local stealership to see how much a replacement would be and it's about $75. The part# is PRC2911. I might look into getting one pulled from a busted t-case instead.

[Disco2Guy]

Today I was able to install the GROM iPod adapter. I'm still figuring out the functionality of it. It seems it will only see playlists you have created, and each playlist is a CD as far as the radio is concerned.

It was a pretty easy job to do really. I pulled the radio, removed the old BMW interface, and put the new in. I used the cd cable to pull the iPod cable through the glove box and into the radio area.

Since I didn't have any playlists on my iPod one had to be made before I could hear any music. The unit will charge the iPod, pause it when the ignition is off and re-start with the vehicle. So far I'm pretty happy with it. The true test will com in setting up the playlists. I hope I'm not limited to 99 songs per playlist or "cd".

[monty]

now it's unstoppable :D nice mod. i really liked mine that is until my ipod stopped working.

[Disco2Guy]

These wheels came from Badfysh (Joe Nosal) along with the lugs that hold the hub caps. The caps will be delivered tomorrow from EE. After cleaning, I gave them a couple coats of Rustoleum flat black paint. I also changed the diff oil and installed the brass fill plugs.

[Disco12]

that's looking hot!:cool:

I love my steelies

[Disco2Guy]

The driver's headlamp went out so today I got a set of Sylvania Silverstar H4's. No road test yet but there's a noticeable difference just in the garage at night. The pic is with high beams on. I didn't do a before/after photo comparison, but the Silverstar's are noticeably brighter.

I've been looking at getting some Hella 4000's but they won't fit on the stock wraparound brushguard. At the MORG Gary pointed out the HID's on the front of his D90. I assumed they were the Hella HID's because of the red ring, but they are in fact from Kragen. At 7" they just fit in the A-bar section of the brushguard. The ballast is inside the ABS plastic housing, and the 2 wire harness should make for an easy install. The lights don't come with a switch so I'll need to get one before they can be installed. Thanks to Gary for pointing those out to me!!

I finally got around to replacing my battery with an Optima D34 Blue Top from Costco which came with a $25 rebate. None of the Blue Tops had the red and black caps for the aux terminals so they had to be taped off. The battery clamp is almost a wide as the terminals and can make contact with them. Is there some type of rubber coating that can cover the battery clamp to prevent a connection from being made?

[RON CT110]

Nice upgrades thus far! Keep it going/coming; very inspiring to DIY!

Re: battery clamp: I went with Optima Blue also, and ran into the wide battery clamp issue. I don't trust rubber coating (fear of eventually wearing/peeling and + / - making contact to the metal. I went to Osh and picked up narrower c channel metal pcs, cut to size, drilled holes, painted surface w/rubber paint to make it non-slip and used as my clamp. Will post pics later!


The driver's headlamp went out so today I got a set of Sylvania Silverstar H4's. No road test yet but there's a noticeable difference just in the garage at night. The pic is with high beams on. I didn't do a before/after photo comparison, but the Silverstar's are noticeably brighter.

I've been looking at getting some Hella 4000's but they won't fit on the stock wraparound brushguard. At the MORG Gary pointed out the HID's on the front of his D90. I assumed they were the Hella HID's because of the red ring, but they are in fact from Kragen. At 7" they just fit in the A-bar section of the brushguard. The ballast is inside the ABS plastic housing, and the 2 wire harness should make for an easy install. The lights don't come with a switch so I'll need to get one before they can be installed. Thanks to Gary for pointing those out to me!!

I finally got around to replacing my battery with an Optima D34 Blue Top from Costco which came with a $25 rebate. None of the Blue Tops had the red and black caps for the aux terminals so they had to be taped off. The battery clamp is almost a wide as the terminals and can make contact with them. Is there some type of rubber coating that can cover the battery clamp to prevent a connection from being made?

[Disco2Guy]

Nice upgrades thus far! Keep it going/coming; very inspiring to DIY!

Re: battery clamp: I went with Optima Blue also, and ran into the wide battery clamp issue. I don't trust rubber coating (fear of eventually wearing/peeling and + / - making contact to the metal. I went to Osh and picked up narrower c channel metal pcs, cut to size, drilled holes, painted surface w/rubber paint to make it non-slip and used as my clamp. Will post pics later!

I might go at the clamp with the die grinder and remove the "wings" of the clamp. You can also see the rear threaded bolt doesn't actually secure the battery down since it runs out of threads about 1/2" from the top of the battery (front is fine). Can I use a piece of wood under the battery to lift it?

[Disco2Guy]

Today I got around to wiring the HID's and trimming the battery clamp. The aux posts on the blue top are nice (now that I can use them) :p The wires were run along with those from the cb install, passing into the cabin through the same grommet. The factory fogs were hooked to the switch in the binnacle, which I always used, but there is also the Hella switch, which I never used. The HID's are using the Hella switch and are separate from ignition or beam setting. I also put a piece of wood under the battery so the clamp is tight on both ends. The die grinder was used to trim the battery clamp.

[Disco2Guy]

After crushing the driver's side of the rear bumper the past few visits to Hollister I decided trim some of it away. The resonator will be removed when I get a tip to direct the exhaust away from the underside. Is it that much of an issue? I know Steve N. has it coming out the side of the fender, and Tony just cut his resonator off.

The rotoflex got replaced today as well. It was pretty soft and had some cracking so it was time, especially after having the lift for about 6 months now. If/when this starts to go I'll swap to the 4 bolt flange conversion kit.

[Disco12]

it's looking good Brenton.

[Disco2Guy]

I got RovrFlo back from Cerrone's today with the new drag link. It looks great, and I'd like to thank Jarrell for helping my decision to go with Keith.

Not only did I need the front left ABS sensor replaced, but the shuttle valve kit too. :eek: The brakes were bled, wheels aligned, and the t-case fluid was changed as well. It runs and feels much better now, which leaves me with one last repair. Replacing the windshield due to a big and steadily growing crack around the rear view mirror.

Here are some pics of the old and new drag link.

[Disco12]

Awesome Brenton I'm glad it worked out for you.:cool::)

I saw your D2 at the cerrones on thursday.

[Disco2Guy]

Big thanks to Gary on this one!! In preparing for the trip to Pismo I really wanted to get this mod finished before I leave. Many months ago he made me the two steel brackets needed to offset the drive mechanism under the seat. Yesterday I finally bought a saw and #8 allen wrench to complete the job. I really love the extra leg room and it makes getting in the truck easier too. Everything went fine except the seat no longer travels forward or back.

I'm going to take a look at it again on Wed., but would appreciate any ideas where to start troubleshooting. I'll start by removing the brackets and checking the travel. The other controls work fine, and the motor is getting juice, so I'm wondering if there is binding somewhere I overlooked.

[PCRover]

If the motor is trying to move the seat then it has to be something is binding. Take a close look under there and make sure it is all free and clear. If you get down the peninsula this week look me up and we can take a look at it.

[Disco2Guy]

Cool!! I have Wednesday and Thursday off, so if I can't figure it out by then I'd like to take you up on your offer.

[Disco2Guy]

Even though RovrFlo is without the RTE front bumper for a bit, I had to jump on this deal. An unused Warn XD9000i for $777 shipped. The seller is a fireman in NC, looking to go to EMT school so it felt good helping him out pay for that. I just talked to Tony and he still has one of the LRRForums aluminum fairleads. Sometime (before installation) I'll get the synthetic winch line to replace the steel wire cable that comes with the winch.

[esteban]

Even though RovrFlo is without the RTE front bumper for a bit, I had to jump on this deal. An unused Warn XD9000i for $777 shipped. The seller is a fireman in NC, looking to go to EMT school so it felt good helping him out pay for that. I just talked to Tony and he still has one of the LRRForums aluminum fairleads. Sometime (before installation) I'll get the synthetic winch line to replace the steel wire cable that comes with the winch.
Just use the steel until its' time to replace it.

[RON CT110]

Just use the steel until its' time to replace it.

X2! Still using steel on my Defender; when I see wear/tear, will look to synthetic line also!

Congrats on the winch purchase! Will up coming winch safety training during our annual gathering will come in handy!

[Disco2Guy]

I might do that, or, sell it unused with the roller fairlead to help cover the cost of the syn line. Either way I'm in no rush right now on either front as this wasn't a planned purchase. Looks like I need to really sell my 16" wheels now. :D

[esteban]

You might get $10-$20 bucks for the steel line, most people will just buy a synth line when it comes time for a replacement. That's my plan also.

[Disco2Guy]

Ah, I see. Didn't realize the cable would go for so little. Thanks for the tips guys!!

[Disco2Guy]

So I spent the better part of today rebuilding the planetary gears of the winch. Once I pounded the cover off I immediately saw what the issue was. The lower half of the gears were rusted and the lube looked like it turned into mud. After a long time of degreasing, and wire brushing as much of that junk off as I could, I added fresh Mobil1 lube and re-assembled everything. It works perfectly now!! I have no idea how the water or moisture got into the gears. The winch never installed (or used) by the PO, so it''s not like it went through a river. Also, the other half of the winch (the motor) doesn''t have a sign of any water damage at all. It makes me think there was something with the grease that was in there. Anyways, I found this great article (http://www.wanderingtrail.com/Repairs_Rebuilds/warn_winch/warnwinch.html) on doing a complete rebuild of a Warn XD9000i online and used that to guide me. Before the winch is installed on my truck I''ll need to replace the motor cap (it got damaged in shipping) and get new seals for the ones on the planetary gear side. Here are a few pics of what I found after opening up the case.

[Disco12]

sweet!:):cool:

[PCRover]

Wow! Sorry to hear about the winch problem. It is one of the facts of buying online, you never know what you are going to find when the item arrives. Sounds like you will get a good winch out of it and an education on how they work.


So I spent the better part of today rebuilding the planetary gears of the winch. Once I pounded the cover off I immediately saw what the issue was. The lower half of the gears were rusted and the lube looked like it turned into mud. After a long time of degreasing, and wire brushing as much of that junk off as I could, I added fresh Mobil1 lube and re-assembled everything. It works perfectly now!! I have no idea how the water or moisture got into the gears. The winch never installed (or used) by the PO, so it''s not like it went through a river. Also, the other half of the winch (the motor) doesn''t have a sign of any water damage at all. It makes me think there was something with the grease that was in there. Anyways, I found this great article (http://www.wanderingtrail.com/Repairs_Rebuilds/warn_winch/warnwinch.html) on doing a complete rebuild of a Warn XD9000i online and used that to guide me. Before the winch is installed on my truck I''ll need to replace the motor cap (it got damaged in shipping) and get new seals for the ones on the planetary gear side. Here are a few pics of what I found after opening up the case.

[Disco2Guy]

I just got word from Justin at Lucky8 LLC that the QT Services Defender TD5 front diff guard made it through customs and is at his shop. It will be ordered this Friday, and hope to have it sometime next week. I will (obviously) report back on fitment when it arrives.

[Disco12]

sweet.:cool:

[Disco2Guy]

Today, the front diff guard arrived from Justin at Lucky8. As far as he knows this is the first time this particular mod has been done in North America. Installing a QT Services Defender TD5 front diff guard on a (NAS) Discovery 2. I got the idea from Nick Gibbons (http://www.discovery2.co.uk/) across the pond, who first did the install on his TD5 Discovery 2. The standard front D2 diff guard from QT requires the need to weld two tabs onto the diff cover. Using the Defender TD5 version it is a complete bolt on job.

The install is pretty straight forward. Loosely fit the top bracket with the two bolts from the diff cover. Hand tighten the smaller bolt/washer through the top bracket and into the top of the diff guard. Test fit the two remaining bolts on the end by the drive shaft. Use the bottle jack to position and hold the guard against the housing. Screwdrivers were used to get the holes lined up as much as possible. Tighten the two bolts on the bottom, the two on top, and then the smaller bolt that connects the two pieces of the guard.

Pictures (http://picasaweb.google.com/bcorns/TheGarage#5258392247197883298) of the install start at the link, just hit the next button to see the rest.

[Disco12]

I like that alot! full protection too!:)

[HMBRover]

Very nice! It looks suspiciously like the Bearmach diff guard I'm running although it appears to cover more in the front. Mine has taken some serious hits and doesn't seem bothered by the experience. I think the QT will work out well for you.

[RON CT110]

I have not read the whole thread, but let us know how much the QT guard plus shipping set up; might be interested!

Thanks Brenton for posting this!


Today, the front diff guard arrived from Justin at Lucky8. As far as he knows this is the first time this particular mod has been done in North America. Installing a QT Services Defender TD5 front diff guard on a (NAS) Discovery 2. I got the idea from Nick Gibbons (http://www.discovery2.co.uk/) across the pond, who first did the install on his TD5 Discovery 2. The standard front D2 diff guard from QT requires the need to weld two tabs onto the diff cover. Using the Defender TD5 version it is a complete bolt on job.

The install is pretty straight forward. Loosely fit the top bracket with the two bolts from the diff cover. Hand tighten the smaller bolt/washer through the top bracket and into the top of the diff guard. Test fit the two remaining bolts on the end by the drive shaft. Use the bottle jack to position and hold the guard against the housing. Screwdrivers were used to get the holes lined up as much as possible. Tighten the two bolts on the bottom, the two on top, and then the smaller bolt that connects the two pieces of the guard.

Pictures (http://picasaweb.google.com/bcorns/TheGarage#5258392247197883298) of the install start at the link, just hit the next button to see the rest.

[Disco2Guy]

It was the same cost as their other QT diff guards, $120 + $17 for shipping. I heard back from Justin and he is going to start keeping them in stock and sell them as bolt-on D2 diff guards. He only ordered the one diff guard for me so I'm not sure how long it will take to get another order from QT. I first contacted him in mid-August about this. I'd call Justin to get an eta on his next shipment.

[Disco2Guy]

The rear ladder was installed during the Annual Event at Hollister, and last week a dog guard (out of a G4 no less) was installed. Still haven't gotten pics of either one yet, but I will this Friday... when I get an SD rack!!

The seller was scoping CL ads for a D2 with an SD rack. He contacted a person selling the truck and got them to just sell the rack a few weeks ago. Since then he decided he didn't want the rack for his cross country trek and will be selling it to me this Friday. It is the tall Highlander version. Now I need to find a new parking spot in the garage!!!

[Disco12]

The rear ladder was installed during the Annual Event at Hollister, and last week a dog guard (out of a G4 no less) was installed. Still haven't gotten pics of either one yet, but I will this Friday... when I get an SD rack!!

The seller was scoping CL ads for a D2 with an SD rack. He contacted a person selling the truck and got them to just sell the rack a few weeks ago. Since then he decided he didn't want the rack for his cross country trek and will be selling it to me this Friday. It is the tall Highlander version. Now I need to find a new parking spot in the garage!!!

your getting a SD rack awesome Brenton.:cool: