I am now on my 4th disco 2. I had a 99 bought new and sold many years ago and a 2004 that was wrecked by my 16 y/o step son two years ago. I kept most of the superficial parts off the totaled 2004. I decided to get a 2003 I found for my daughter and what the heck, I decided to get a 2003 for myself both last year. The new hobby began with me pulling apart the 2004 that only had liability insurance on it. My question is, both of the 2003's run very different. The HSE has more power and a tighter turning radius and feels like the 2004. The SE has seems to have less power. Did the changeover to the 4.6 happen mid 2003? How do you know if you have a 4.0 or a 4.6 Bosch? Also does it matter when replacing the front drive shafts in them? I just bought the OEM spec recommended serviceable shaft from Atlantic British. Both trucks are transforming slowly and I want to do it right! Thanks for any help for a newby Disco fan.

 

I've never heard anything about a mid-'03 changeover. All I've ever heard is that all the '03s and '04s have the 4.6. There might be other methods to determine one from the other, but one thing you might check is the diameter of the tubing that runs from the airbox past the MAF and to the intake. If they are the same then both are almost certainly the 4.6. That tubing was only slightly different diameter on the pre-face lift trucks.

 

The one with the wider turning radius has longer steering stops, they are easily removeable/replaceable/modifyable. There was no rhyme or reason to what vehicle got what length stops.

 

Remove a spark plug and use a piece of thin straight rod to measure the distance from top dead center to bottom of stroke. Compare the two. If they're the same then they are both 4.6 and something else is different. If they're different then the longer stroke is 4.6 and the shorter stroke is 4.0.

All 03s came with the 4.6, but its possible someone had issues with the factory 4.6 like a slipped liner or blown head gasket and they just smacked a 4.0 in it that they got used.

 

Yep the turning stops are a 50/50 chance on which ones you have. Are both D2's running the same tire sizes? It is possible that someone slapped a 4.0L into one of them (I still prefer a 4.0 to a 4.6L).

Also the condition of the fuel injectors, spark plugs, and wires can have an impact on performance.

I was going to grab some short steering stops from a junk yard, but I just took the long one to the hardware store to match the threads and the length of the shorter set I have on my 99 D2. Cost me about 5.00 per side with a grade 10 bolt, and spacer.

 

Holy smokes!

You guys just cleared up something for me!!

 

I made some Hope Depot adjustable stops.

 

Thanks for all the replies. I think I will change the stops and maybe it's time to get the pressures checked and a full tune up with plugs/wires. I hope all the details and the overland mod will get done before any major crap comes up!