The XD is looking great! Did the same with an extra set of 1" spacer, cut hole. Started installing them in the 110, but changed my mind.

 

Thanks, she is far from perfect but she is certainly night & day vs when I bought it. Yeah it was super easy to drill out for the front vs pay 70.00 for a set!

I've pretty much reached my goal with it, which was make it reliable to drive to the HCRR event 6hr away, then wheel it all weekend, and drive the 6hr back home.

I was told under engine braking out on some serious downhills the old gal would puff a little oil smoke out the back, but my oil pressure is good, and the one thing I didn't tear into when I did the HG job was a complete valve job, so it's either valve seals, or maybe maybe the piston rings, but besides that she's fine. It had a very hard life until I got my hands on it, so I don't expect it to be perfect.

Had I torn it down at my friends shop I'd have done a complete valve job, but at the house I didn't have the time between hurricanes!


I get compliments wherever I go in the old gal & it's funny when a newer LR owner finally realizes what I'm in and they either speed up to wave at me or they pass me waving lol.

 

Funny about that, I get Jeep & Toyota guys on teh trails ask about me the Disco all the time. Usually starts with I thought those things were pretty unreliable, by the end though they are pretty impressed where I have gone in her.

 

Yeah I get that from Toyota guys, but usually the Tacoma guys end up with us & yeah by the end of the day we're both impressed with each others vehicles.

 

But when you actually get home, you're thinking to yourself that the Landy is clearly a better truck, right?

haha

 

Well Tacoma vs D1/D2 = I don't have my stuff stuck in dry bags in the bed of the truck lol. We had about 3 Tacoma's get in our LR group and we were doing pretty technical trails. The Tacoma's biggest issues was with it's turning circle, and dragging it's under carriage out on the truly technical stuff. For me personally I'd never own a Tacoma so yep LR all the way.

 

Darn squeak came back in the top end of the engine and I finally had a chance to tear open the valve covers and inspect the rockers. Bank 1 on cylinder #5 had one rocker cup oil passage for the exhaust rod completely clogged. I removed it and used a spare I had laying around along with a spare rod. Put it all back together and the squeak is gone. Hopefully that will be the end of that!

I am still on the hunt for a darn upper AT line, but apparently no one wants to email me back on a price or even if they're still available. A friend grabbed one from a junk yard, and he was going to get it repaired, but they wanted 100.00 to repair it so I told him to hold off on that.... I had found a new line for 80.00, but no one can verify if they have em in stock.... I might just slap the one from the junk yard on and see how it does vs mr seepy that is on it currently. Then the only other thing I'd like to attack is the front main seal. I put a new one on when I switched the front cover, but it seeps pretty good and you can see it weep as the engine is running. Gotta love ya some AllMakes4x4 front seal quality lol.

Besides that I worked on the roof light wiring from the fuse block to the relay. It was cheaply done by the previous owner and the lights were dim. Now with the wiring cleaned up the lights are good and bright.

Plan on taking a trip to Hidden Falls Adventure Park the last week of Dec with my oldest daughter. Then we'll go camp at Enchanted Rock State Park while welcoming in 2021!

 

a lot of times the front main leak is caused by a worn groove on the harmonic balancer shaft. older chevys had the same issue but someone came up with a seal that offsets the seal slightly so it rides on a clean section of shaft.

 

Meet up with Josh from Hill Country British along with several other good friends out at Hidden Falls to bring in the New Year. Sorry I didn't get more pic's but I was having to much fun off roading.

A nice cold front went thru and it actually rained so Friday morning the trails were pretty slick especially on the steep stuff. I missed Josh & the rest of the guys leaving so for some of the morning run I was solo. Then I finally caught up with everyone. We finished up the morning run & went back to camp to chill out & get ready for the evening. We took another run around 4 until sunset which was beautiful out on the trail. Got back to camp and the gang cooked up some fantastic steaks and sides.

I then left Hidden Falls, and met up with my inlaws and family in Fredericksburg, TX where we camped and then enjoyed the town, lights, and my kids went ice skating. We had planned on heading out to Enchanted Rock, but since Covid you have to get day passes weeks/months in advance which this trip was a spur of the moment thing so that was ruled out.

Headed back today and the old XD took the drive like a champ. The extra 1inch spacers I added made it truly awesome off road, but still good on road which is how I wanted it set up.

 

Looks like a good time. Yep, three inch lift just looks right on a Dl/Dll...and still offers pretty good road manners...granted...you always want to be aware of ever-changing road conditions.

l'm terrible at taking pictures, too. Usually by myself...so action shots are out...then by the time l think about getting the tablet out at camp...it's dark.