Run 50 weight in summer and 40 weight in winter.

 

I see FishEH's point that 50 could be better in hotter weather (and I read that Motorvated's tech friend prefers 50), but 50 viscosity diesel oil is very thick. I would go with 40, not 50.

My understanding is that 50 is typically used in either racing/performance engines or older engines that consume/burn oil very quickly. 40 thickness diesel oil is probably thick enough. Thicker beyond 40 is not necessarily better, but it depends on specific driving needs and environment temps.

The reason to use thicker diesel oil with high zinc/metal content is to fill in the gaps in our older Dscvry engine. Theory being that thin oils will fall off engine parts and result in lack of lubrication at start-up, especially if vehicle is not used everyday and sits. But, thick oil that gets "stuck" to the surface of parts doesn't lubricate. If oil is too thick, it can get gummed up or clogged (sticky/solid-like). Also, thicker oil is also harder to pump, and that puts strain on oil pump to get it throughout engine. Plus, remember that our Dscvry's have gas engines, and the Rotella 15w/40 oil is thicker to begin with because it's diesel oil. For our Dscvry, thicker is better...to a point; a motor oil that's too thick can be worse for the engine than an oil that's thin. This is because the flow of oil between parts often acts as the best lubricant. Oil needs to flow.

FishEH is correct that, if the summer weather is very hot, then maybe use the thicker 50, but it depends on where you live/drive. Although the second viscosity number represents oil thickness (not temperature), it does relate to environmental heat. Rule of thumb that I use for motor oil is:
30 up to 80 degrees F
40 up to 100 degrees F
50 up to 120 degrees F

So, in Motorvated's location, I think 40 viscosity is plenty thick enough. In our region, we don't get temperatures of 120 degrees, even in Summer.

We seem to agree on the first (low) viscosity number being 15w for winter/cold for Motorvated's location. Rule of thumb for cold is:
20w down to 0 degrees F
15w down to -10 degrees F
10w down to -20 degrees F

Also...Motorvated...with a Discovery, you must carry your own lug wrench, and physically hand it to anyone who goes near your vehicle to change a tire! This applies regardless of how experienced that person claims to be ! In fact, I carry 2 lug wrenches in the Discovery at all times. 1 is under the seat with all the tools (jack, etc) to change tire; 1 is in plain sight at all times, either lying on floor mats of back seat or cargo area.

I actually got a flat tire on the NJ Turnpike, and the only truck that "can" respond to change a tire "couldn't" get the lug nuts off, even with my tools. He bent one of my lug wrenches and had to go back to central office to get an air gun. Yes, it is on my wish list to buy an air gun, so that experience will not repeat itself!

Lastly, Motorvated...flip up your backseats, and see if any of the original tools are still stored there. Most people don't even know where to find them, so, if you're lucky, some might still be there !

 

Thanks Magna, appreciate all the info! I lm currently planning a rear store bin that wil carry spare parts like axle shafts, water pump and so in, my off road recovery gear, oil and some tools. Ill be sure to add a breaker bar and lug wrench! Pictures will be up of everything as I do it. I'm thinking about making a plywood shelf, seperaying the cargo area into two areas-an upper and lower. The lower will be used to carry bags or csmping gear and the upper will have sone sort of military grade box that's full of all the gear mentioned above. (May also mount my sub/amp on the shelf aswell)

 

Keep the above mentioned spares and tool on the low part. No sense raising the COG of these trucks even more.

 

No prob, Motorvated. Another good tool for Discovery owners to keep handy is the array of PB Blaster products (lubricants/penetrants). Since the upper body of the vehicle is aluminum, the rust on any steel components below and/or where 2 dissimilar metals join (primarily aluminum and steel) is often hidden from plain sight. Out of sight, out of mind. So, we owners tend to forget about galvanic corrosion !

If you are having trouble with lug nuts, consider applying a penetrating lubricant (like PB Blaster) to the threads while lugs are off next time. If an emergency, it can help to spray penetrant to loosen any seizing when the lug nuts are actually stuck on, but it could coat parts that were not intended, like brakes. There are Forum posts abt using anti-seize lubricant, so you'll get varying opinions.

I'm just not sure if you can store PB Blaster in the rear store bin that you are planning because it is flammable and the Discovery retains heat. If you're looking for a military grade box to store some of the long, thin tools, there is an antique shop in Burlington City that sometimes gets in old ammo boxes. I got mine there. If you can't find the shop, PM me.

Also, if you're building plywood shelves, make them easy to remove when not needed. The Dscvry seats fold down, and then flip forward. So easy. Plus, it has the big swing door, not a hatchback. This makes the Discovery a great vehicle to use to move or pick up "stuff". Unless you also have a pick-up truck, you'll be flipping those seats more often than you can imagine . Owners of other vehicles just watch in awe when they see what fits in the Discovery ! It saves alot of money not having to rent a U-Haul van or make multiple trips.

 

Front lift is on, rear will go on tomorrow morning.


Also..im in the middle of rigging the driver seat back together. The mesh was torn and this is my fix. I'll see how long it lasts. I used Gorilla tape and this stuff is wicked strong. You'll see from the pictures how I went about it.

 

I would love to see what the finished product looks like - I mean the seat - among other things of course. Thx.

 

Got the lift done today, also fixed my driver seat with a...not so typical way. Also, the 33s didnt seem to rob the power very much at all. Maybe its the 5-speed, but so far it seems to be doing just fine. A regear is in the future plans, along with lockers; but for now I think it will be A-OK.
Heres the seat fix. Its Gorilla taped. gives the seat a firmer feel and I really like it so far.

And heres the LR with the 3 inch lift and 33s



Next on my To-Do list is figure out this window issue. The rears were stuck down, so I pulled the ECU card. I soldered the joint back together and the rear windows went up. I took a quick drive and now the fronts are stuck down and the rears are stuck up. I checked both 30 amp fuses, one was blown. I replaced it and still no windows. Can anybody chime in on what to check? Thanks!