Discovery II Talk about the Land Rover Discovery II within.
Sponsored by:
Sponsored by:

first time disco owner with a question

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old Dec 17, 2016 | 05:07 PM
  #1  
ausdisco's Avatar
Thread Starter
|
4wd Low
Joined: Dec 2016
Posts: 14
Likes: 0
Default first time disco owner with a question

G'day all I'm scott originally from Australia now in Michigan.
These things are very popular back home and I've always liked them but never tried one until I started driving in the snow. So I picked my 2000 disco up from NC and it has typical 3 amigos and oil leaks which I have just taken delivery of parts.
So this morning I start it up and find the temp gauge light is on after its been sitting covered in snow for a week, so I pop the hood check the coolant to find ice in the reservoir. This made me a little nervous but I've been a mechanic for over 20 years so started feeling the hoses keeping an eye on temp with a temp gun! So I started feeling the hoses and found some hard spots and decided to remove top radiator hose and sure enough ICE!! The mistake I made after the disco got to me was to check the antifreeze so after getting all the ice out of radiator, hoses and stat put some much needed antifreeze in I began to search for the bleed screw I've seen everyone talk about but could not find it!
So I proceeded to bleed the system the old fashioned way through the reservoir with the cap off, which is probably not the best way but I think it worked.

So my question is why doesn't it have a bleed screw or where is the bleed screw?
All feed back would be appreciated
 
Reply
Old Dec 17, 2016 | 06:06 PM
  #2  
The Deputy's Avatar
Camel Trophy
Joined: Oct 2016
Posts: 4,867
Likes: 1,410
From: Michigan
Default

First off...welcome to Michigan and the LR forum.

The bleeder is on top of the radiator shroud, there is a "T" where the three hoses come together...should be a slotted screwhead in the center of the "T"...just loosen that to let air out. May take a few times to get it bled properly. Do not over tighten the plastic air bled-screw...it can be broken very easily.

Where are you located in Michigan?

Brian.
 
Reply
Old Dec 17, 2016 | 06:27 PM
  #3  
PalmettoDisco's Avatar
Rock Crawling
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 417
Likes: 41
Default

Originally Posted by ausdisco
G'day all I'm scott originally from Australia now in Michigan.
These things are very popular back home and I've always liked them but never tried one until I started driving in the snow. So I picked my 2000 disco up from NC and it has typical 3 amigos and oil leaks which I have just taken delivery of parts.
So this morning I start it up and find the temp gauge light is on after its been sitting covered in snow for a week, so I pop the hood check the coolant to find ice in the reservoir. This made me a little nervous but I've been a mechanic for over 20 years so started feeling the hoses keeping an eye on temp with a temp gun! So I started feeling the hoses and found some hard spots and decided to remove top radiator hose and sure enough ICE!! The mistake I made after the disco got to me was to check the antifreeze so after getting all the ice out of radiator, hoses and stat put some much needed antifreeze in I began to search for the bleed screw I've seen everyone talk about but could not find it!
So I proceeded to bleed the system the old fashioned way through the reservoir with the cap off, which is probably not the best way but I think it worked.

So my question is why doesn't it have a bleed screw or where is the bleed screw?
All feed back would be appreciated
It may have been converted from factory thermostat to common inline thermostat routinely found on older v8s. The factory thermostat is plastic with three hoses connected to it and sits lower left side of radiator (you facing the front of truck). The inline mod typically removes the third bypass hose and places a common inline thermostat near top front of engine.
 
Reply
Old Dec 17, 2016 | 07:36 PM
  #4  
ausdisco's Avatar
Thread Starter
|
4wd Low
Joined: Dec 2016
Posts: 14
Likes: 0
Default

Thanks for your replies. I checked again and the T pipe connecting the pipes on top of fan shroud doesn't have a screw and I checked both sides in case it was fitted the wrong way around and it still runs the original stat on the side as I had to remove it to melt the ice.
 
Reply
Old Dec 17, 2016 | 08:44 PM
  #5  
PalmettoDisco's Avatar
Rock Crawling
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 417
Likes: 41
Default

Keep an eye on the radiator, expansion tank, and thermostat for cracks, as they are, or have partial plastic construction. That ice might have weakened a part.
 
Reply
Old Dec 17, 2016 | 08:46 PM
  #6  
number9's Avatar
Pro Wrench
Joined: Nov 2015
Posts: 1,935
Likes: 189
From: Coastal Georgia
Default

Originally early D2s came with bleeder screw in the hose, see item 21 in attachment. Change to a plastic tee fitting with bleed screw between top three hoses. Your hose or tee have been replaced with non standard parts.

FYI, you can download all the D2 manuals.
land rover service factory manual RAVE download land rover resource, service manual, workshop factory manual, download, rave, vehicles including discovery, series, defender, range rover, freelander, LR3, Handbooks, Catalog, Catalogue, Land Rover Inte
large file warning 590MB
* After extracting the rave.zip file, leave all files in the folder and run the file titled “Welcome.pdf”
......
 
Attached Files
File Type: pdf
D2 cool layout.pdf (84.0 KB, 96 views)
Reply
Old Dec 17, 2016 | 09:11 PM
  #7  
ausdisco's Avatar
Thread Starter
|
4wd Low
Joined: Dec 2016
Posts: 14
Likes: 0
Default

I have the disco electronic manual and seen both the bleeder in the T pipe and the one in the top hose so like you say it seems both have been replaced with after market items.
Luckily for me the ice wasn't solid and had some traces of antifreeze because at first I thought holy crap I hope the radiator hasn't split!! But after flushing it all and getting what I think is all the air out once the bubbling stopped in the reservoir I topped it up checked temp across the engine,hoses and across the radiator then went for a drive the old girl is running great and I've seen no leaks yet.

Next job is attacking the oil leak which looks like the valley gasket so that will include the heads
 
Reply
Old Dec 17, 2016 | 10:30 PM
  #8  
matt3502's Avatar
Winching
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 745
Likes: 141
From: Fairfield County, CT
Default

You may have to bleed a few times. Leaving radio and any thing making noise off, start car and listen very carefully for a "waterfall" sound coming from the passenger foot well up into the firewall. You may hear it as coolant starts to circulate. It means you have air trapped in the heater core. Follow the bleed procedure as best you can given your set up. BE EXTREMELY CAREFUL!! All the small lines running out of the reservoir are old and probably brittle with age. I have now had to replace all of them because I worked to quickly.
Welcome to the only object yo will ever own that will cost more than your significant other to maintain. Harder to get rid of too
 
Reply
Old Dec 18, 2016 | 09:30 AM
  #9  
ausdisco's Avatar
Thread Starter
|
4wd Low
Joined: Dec 2016
Posts: 14
Likes: 0
Default

I did hear the heater core making noise when I got in and went for a drive but it seemed to stopped. In saying that I will check it again today when I start it up.

Thanks for the welcomes and especially the advice from everyone and I think I'll enjoy working on the old girl because I really enjoy driving it
 
Reply
Old Dec 18, 2016 | 01:27 PM
  #10  
huggi's Avatar
Mudding
Joined: Jul 2016
Posts: 210
Likes: 39
Default

Take off the expansion tank cap, loosen the bleed screw, put your mouth over the fill hole in the expansion tank and blow while plugging the coolant overflow with your finger. When you see coolant flowing out of the bleed screw for a few seconds tighten it up.

Based on my research our lungs can make ~2psi, enough to get air pockets out of the coolant system.

Also helps if you raise the coolant bleed screw so it's the highest point of the cooling system (put a can under it or something).
 
Reply



All times are GMT -5. The time now is 02:24 AM.