Don't get the cheap water pump!
#1
Don't get the cheap water pump!
Just completed a 1,360 mile round trip. 280 miles from home and my water pump blew apart (see pic). I keep all my tools in the back of the Disco and lucky for me, NAPA had the water pump & serpentine belt in stock. They were kind enough to bring them to me on the side of the interstate. Unfortunately, the fan clutch couldn't be separated from what was left of the pump so I had to drive home without a fan. Had my scan gauge to watch temps... they stayed anywhere from 194-198 except for when I slowed for rush hour traffic then it climbed to 204-207. At a complete stop it was 212 but I think the aux fan kicked in because I saw it drop to 198. Interestingly, I noticed that without the fan, I got 21mpg! I'm thinking maybe I should just put in an electric fan and forget buying another clutch. I'll have to check with Atlantic British and see what, if any, warranty the water pump had because there's no excuse for it to fail after 20kmi
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DiscoID (02-07-2023)
#2
#3
No damage to hoses/radiator. The fan was laying inside the shroud. Shaft was busted off. Was able to bleed the system (no waterfall sound ) and go. AB told me the one I got only had a 1 year unlimited mileage warranty. Apparently, they're good for "normal use." (about 12kmi) The NAPA part is a Meyle brand (New OEM spec) with a lifetime warranty. It was expensive ($144) but didn't have a choice. Off to advance to get the Imperial fan clutch I used before.
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DiscoID (02-07-2023)
#4
I suppose I'm guilty then - found what looked to be a decent one (Hamburg Technic, probably some fake name so the whole thing sounds higher quality/German) on ebay for $40.
Yeah I know that's like insanely cheap, but they had a great rating, 1 year warranty and have sold a few hundred of them (that actual part number) sooo who knows. I only have 1k miles on it so far.
Could something else have failed, maybe the clutch locked up at mid-high rpm or something? Just sounds like a total freak thing to me, that's really weird.
At highway speeds the fan should just be freewheeling, no idea why your MPG would jump so much.
That is good to know that the little aux fan actually has the ability to bring temps down efficiently! IIRC that's actually a puller RADIATOR fan motor on a couple Kia / Hyundai cars. I'm about to replace the stupid thing since the one I got off my parts car after the rebuild has already taken a crap. When I first got my disco I had found one for a Kia for like $60 new I believe.
I'd be more than happy to work on the engineering and temperature control / circuitry for a fan delete thread/sticky. I'm all about freeing up parasitic loss on these older motors.
I have a new waterpump and the cooler tstat so it's set up decently well for an electric fan.
Yeah I know that's like insanely cheap, but they had a great rating, 1 year warranty and have sold a few hundred of them (that actual part number) sooo who knows. I only have 1k miles on it so far.
Could something else have failed, maybe the clutch locked up at mid-high rpm or something? Just sounds like a total freak thing to me, that's really weird.
At highway speeds the fan should just be freewheeling, no idea why your MPG would jump so much.
That is good to know that the little aux fan actually has the ability to bring temps down efficiently! IIRC that's actually a puller RADIATOR fan motor on a couple Kia / Hyundai cars. I'm about to replace the stupid thing since the one I got off my parts car after the rebuild has already taken a crap. When I first got my disco I had found one for a Kia for like $60 new I believe.
I'd be more than happy to work on the engineering and temperature control / circuitry for a fan delete thread/sticky. I'm all about freeing up parasitic loss on these older motors.
I have a new waterpump and the cooler tstat so it's set up decently well for an electric fan.
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DiscoID (02-07-2023)
#6
Started putting everything back together and noticed the fan blade isn't perfectly flat so it has a wobble when spinning. Now I need to buy a new blade (not cheap) unless someone knows of another one that will bolt on (maybe a Chevy?) I can get almost anything from the scrap yard but there are no Rovers.
Thanks! No smoke out the tailpipe. Just changed the oil & no coolant. I know every degree counts on these motors.
#7
I'm hoping I found a cheap alternative to the OEM fan blade. I picked up one from Advance for $25. It's a Dorman part #620-112. Says it's for a 98-04 Ford Ranger 4.0L (close enough ) It's a perfect fit. Doesn't rub against the shroud and I only had to widen the holes a bit to fit on the fan clutch. Got more running around to do so I can check temps but so far it looks good!
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DiscoID (02-07-2023)
#9
https://landroverforums.com/forum/di...uestion-48168/
I have a Black Magic 3300CFM temp controlled unit and love it. Aside from netting me better MPGs (I average 15.6 combined city/hwy), I get a few more hp as well and better cooling at low speeds (idle, off-roading, etc.). As long as you get something at or above 3000 CFM, I think there's no worry.
Regarding installation, the one I installed fits inside the factory upper shroud, so I did not need to find another way of securing any hoses. The bottom one I ditched as the electric one came with it's own shroud. I used 2 small L-brackets to secure the fan to the bottom frame...total installation time was 1 hour, and that included the wiring. Highly recommend the temp controlled one's...will last longer and net better MPGs but do cost a tad more and have a couple extra wires to hook up.
Last edited by Dan7; 03-01-2014 at 08:48 PM.
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DiscoID (02-07-2023)
#10
Dorman: Dorman Products - 620-112
Land Rover: 1999-2002 Land Rover Discovery Fan Blade - ALLMAKES 4X4 W0133-1611906 - - PartsGeek.com