Cheers @Extinct !

 

I’ve installed it and am amazed at the improvement. It’s a no brainer

 

@Extinct Thanks for that post I always wondered why they cranked the temps so much on these trucks

 

Very well thought out kit & zero issues. Makes a thermostat change a 5min ordeal with hardly any coolant loss (especially with the re-useable gasket) OEM setup caused a large amount of coolant to be lost whenever you messed with a thermostat.

Only mods I made to the kit was the gasket, bolts with lock nuts, and using a replacement hose vs the inline splice.

I went with the re-useable gasket after I couldn't source anymore good quality gaskets locally, I used longer bolts with lock nuts as I wanted to make sure I got it tight enough to seal with the re-useable gasket, and I used a replacement lower hose vs the splice because my lower hose needed replacing anyways.

The kit as Tim sells it needs nothing but a D2 to install it onto. I just changed up a few things to suit my needs. I've messed with several D2's with those other inline kits installed and Tim's is the most thought out and simple solution out there.

 

Another In-line thermostat convert

I did the in-line this past weekend and glad I did it.

I had put a Land Rover 180 degree thermostat in my 2003 D2 over a year ago and have had no issues. I always saw the in-line mod as overkill and not nessessary. I was also scared off with pictures of modified fan guards and did not really want to get into cutting up the fan guard.

The reason I made the switch was a friends D2 had an overheating issue with about a 6 months old Land Rover 180 degree thermostat and in my search to prevent anything to my D2 I made the order.

I've also found lower temps and I am running a steel bumper with the metal skid plate underneath that protects the AC condenser.

What I think makes the in-line so effective is the better flow rate.

I did know until investigating the in-line was the Land Rover thermostat has 2 valves. I thought only the lower valve opened that allowed coolant that had run through the radiator to flow through. I assumed the upper valve always remained open and just mixed hot coolant with the cooled coolant from the radiator. But in fact the upper valve closes and I believe reduces the flow rate at the "T" when the hot coolant is coming out of the engine and meets the coolant blocked by the closed valve at the thermostat.

To demonstrate this a driver can put the D2 in park after the engine is up to operating temp. Rev the engine and if you have an external temperature gauge or can get the readings from the BCU the temps will decrease. This is because the water pump does spin as much at idle.

With the Land Rover thermostat the temps would decrease doing this but only slightly and took longer to have an effect. With the in-line the temps decrease more and quicker. My theory is the flow is better throughout the system without the "T" and therefore the coolant can get into the radiator faster.

As for install. Not a difficult at all. Just have to take your time to cut the hoses a little at ta time to get the right fit.

And no issues at all bleeding the system by following the D2 install instructions.

FYI my external temp sensor is after the thermostat. Until the engine is up to operating temp it is not accurate but that is understandable since it is after the thermostat. Once it is at operating temp it is about 2 degrees lower than the BCU reading. Also, my sensor was a different thread size than what comes on the in-line housing. It was just easier for me to use my same sensor housing.

My suggesting after working on my friends D2 coolant system as well as mine over the weekend. Go ahead and "rent" a coolant pressure testing system from one of the auto supply retailers. You will save yourself a lot of time and frustration looking for leaks in the system. It is very easy to think you have all the connections tight but you don't really know until a test drive or pressure test the system and it's much easier and faster to find and fix leaks with a

pressure testing system.

 

Extinct,
I have previously advocated many times on this forum and others for the factory set up for nearly identical reasons as you posted above. I have said the LR designers are smarter than me...so...they must know better and it's on me as the owner to make it work. I'm a huge believer in keeping things as designed. Unless of course we are talking lifts wheels tires etc.

That being said. I want to publicly say I was wrong. Your kit is outstanding. Very well thought out. Your logic and reasoning on this is spot on. Thanks so much for this contribution to the community.

 

Thermostat update. This is a great set up. My temps are 175-185 and no higher. Best part is the consistency. With the factory set up I could never tell when the temp would spike which caused me to watch the gauge almost constantly. Now I can relax. My tired motor runs quieter too. I think scrubbing heat out of these things is key. My next effort will be the oil cooler. Thanks Again Extinct.

 

So this requires only one Gasket instead of the two gaskets and you don't have to Goo them up with sealant as shown above?

 

Hey So which one would I order for my 04 Disco 2? i see a few different configurations.

 

Did you buy two of these gaskets or just one? I'm trying to figure out how many to order. Thanks