I have had my DII for about three weeks and have changed out the front drive shaft, installed the Ultra-gauge, and fixed the sticky ignition key problem. Also had a crack in the windshield repaired. Now I plan to do the inline thermo mod this weekend and have gone through all the posts about this. From what I have read I plan the following.

1. Follow standard write-up but switch location of thermo and petcock.
2. Use 190 fail-safe thermostat. (northern nebraska)
3. Change to green coolant.

Any summary of bleeding the system with this setup would be appreciated. Or any advice.

 

First, awesome care for your Rover!

Second, I'm not sure how a 190 versus a 180 would be of benefit even in Nebraska but I don't think it makes alot of difference either way. I totally agree with swapping the valve and the thermostat locations from the write up (and have done so myself).

Third, I just raise the expansion tank, open the valve, and fill, while manipulating the hoses to make sure rising air can find a way out of either the valve or the expansion tank, until coolant starts coming out of the valve.

One caution... There are two types of hose setups and when I did mine, halfway through the project and after cutting a hose, I realized I had the wrong one. . Luckily I had a spare set and it was the right one. On older Discos like mine the heater hose exits the side of the main hose, not at the plastic manifold. You need the exit to be from the manifold.

BE sure your thermostat has a hole at the 12 o'clock position or bleeding air will take forever. Days.

 

Try to add to your weekend wish list :

- Install a coolant purge at the lowest point of the radiator outlet hose. You may have a spare section of hose with a small 'T' after the surgery. Leave it hanging low.

- Insert a stiffener coil to the radiator outlet hose.

 

I have the molded hose as called for. Is the bend so sharp that it kinks?

 

When put in position the correct shape hose won't have to kink to make the connection each end.

It has a sharp bend, but when it's full of coolant, under pressure, nothing will be kinking.

Chopping and fitting the top end was the slightly more tricky bit for me. But still straightforward.

 

A stiffener spring is not meant to avoid hose kinking on installation, but to prevent hose collapsing under pump suction, something LandRover design forgot...

Which called hose is planned to be installed at the radiator outlet for an in-line thermostat modification ? Does it have a 'T' for the heater core return and coolant reservoir connection ?

 

Say what again?

Which hose suffers from negative pressure with an IL thermostat?

 

The t fitting that has the heater and the hose from the reservoir are not removed in the inline setup. That is left on and a hose is installed from lower radiator to the T that is attached to the water pump. If the water pump just pulled water from the radiator(without the heater/reservoir T) then I think the coil would be needed.

 

The water pump pulls water from the bottom of the radiator and pushes it though the engine block. Lower hose negative pressure and upper hose positive pressure.

 

Ker-ching.

Got you.