Intro post, new D2 owner

rovercanus

Well-known member
Apr 24, 2004
9,643
244

Swedjen2

Well-known member
Sep 12, 2018
594
127
California
I use cruise control and can get 17.5 mpg @2250 rpms which is 65 MPH in mine. 265/75-16 General AT3's on 8" steel rims. That's on a flat freeway. Around town stop and go - 10-12 mpg maybe. If you're going up and down I-70 thru the Eisenhower tunnel at 70-75, well....
If you're on I-25, you ought to get decent mileage.
How are your suspension bushings?
 
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LandyBobandy

Active member
Jul 8, 2021
34
8
Colorado
I use cruise control and can get 17.5 mpg @2250 rpms which is 65 MPH in mine. 265/75-16 General AT3's on 8" steel rims. That's on a flat freeway. Around town stop and go - 10-12 mpg maybe. If you're going up and down I-70 thru the Eisenhower tunnel at 70-75, well....
If you're on I-25, you ought to get decent mileage.
How are your suspension bushings?

From what I can tell, my bushings are all good. Between my commute to work and around town stuff my mileage was 12 for the first tank. I'll edit it with my tire sizes in a bit.

EDIT: Tires are Milestar Patagonia M/Tr 265/75R16. It just occurred to me that I need to take the oversized tires to account when calculating the mpg.
 
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LandyBobandy

Active member
Jul 8, 2021
34
8
Colorado
Here's one on Ebay.

I think I got mine from Lucky 8 maybe?

edit, actually that is Lucky 8's ebay sales.
Ordered that today. Struggling to find a matching missing bolt, I don't want to pay $3/each plus another $13 shipping from roversnorth
 
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Swedjen2

Well-known member
Sep 12, 2018
594
127
California
From what I can tell, my bushings are all good. Between my commute to work and around town stuff my mileage was 12 for the first tank. I'll edit it with my tire sizes in a bit.

EDIT: Tires are Milestar Patagonia M/Tr 265/75R16. It just occurred to me that I need to take the oversized tires to account when calculating the mpg.
From what I can tell, my bushings are all good. Between my commute to work and around town stuff my mileage was 12 for the first tank. I'll edit it with my tire sizes in a bit.

EDIT: Tires are Milestar Patagonia M/Tr 265/75R16. It just occurred to me that I need to take the oversized tires to account when calculating the mpg.
I have the Digihud app for Android which gives actual speed and distance to calc the MPG. There are probably better ones out there.

I could drive at 70-75 fine, but it feels comfortable at 65-70. I drove 70-75 from SLC to Reno n.p. Decent weather. Chevron or Texaco Premium, then Exxon Mobile. Shell has more sulfer in their gas.
Can't believe you haven't asked about which coolant, oil and filter to use yet.:)
 
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LandyBobandy

Active member
Jul 8, 2021
34
8
Colorado
I could drive at 70-75 fine, but it feels comfortable at 65-70. I drove 70-75 from SLC to Reno n.p. Decent weather. Chevron or Texaco Premium, then Exxon Mobile. Shell has more sulfer in their gas.
Can't believe you haven't asked about which coolant, oil and filter to use yet.:)

Luckily, the truck was serviced a month before I bought it. That said, thanks for reminding me! What fluids and filters do you recommend?
 

LandyBobandy

Active member
Jul 8, 2021
34
8
Colorado
I've been using the Car Scanner app on Android with a cheap amazon OBD scanner to monitor temperatures. Without A/C, I'm seeing a peak of 221 when under load, and with A/C, I see a peak of 217.5. When idling I am at 212 without A/C (even while in traffic!) and with A/C closer to 205-207.

The fluid is clean, the fan clutch appears to be intact, and overall the temperatures are consistent. I understand these vehicles run hot, but what can I do to mitigate any risk? I understand a lower temperature thermostat will open at a lower temperature, but I don't see how that would decrease total running temperatures (please correct me if I'm wrong).

221 is at the very high end of "acceptable". When it cools down I'm going to double-check the reservoir cap, but the whole system was new as of earlier this year when the short block was replaced.
 
Aug 20, 2007
2,727
45
Nashville TN
soft spring 180 degree britpart black thermostat if you want to stay with the stock setup


or I'd recommend the inline thermostat from here:

get the 180degree version.

with either of those, you should drop 20 degrees at least in each scenario. I run 183-190 driving around town and 190-195 idling. long wait in 90+ weather at a drive through I'm at 206-210 then drops to 185 pretty quickly once I start driving. I have a 170 degree thermostat in mine.

those temps you're seeing are definitely too high. I don't like mine to get over 200 and by 210 I'm doing what I can to get the temp down.
 
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LandyBobandy

Active member
Jul 8, 2021
34
8
Colorado
soft spring 180 degree britpart black thermostat if you want to stay with the stock setup


or I'd recommend the inline thermostat from here:

get the 180degree version.

with either of those, you should drop 20 degrees at least in each scenario. I run 183-190 driving around town and 190-195 idling. long wait in 90+ weather at a drive through I'm at 206-210 then drops to 185 pretty quickly once I start driving. I have a 170 degree thermostat in mine.

those themes you're seeing are definitely too high. I don't like mine to get over 200 and by 210 I'm doing what I can to get the temp down.

Ordered. I've read enough to understand these RV8's are sensitive little c*nts when it comes to temperature.
 
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Swedjen2

Well-known member
Sep 12, 2018
594
127
California
As far as what oil to use, there have been whole novels written about that. If you are running synthetic, make sure it has a hi zinc content, like Amsoil 20-50.
It's expensive though. Many here use Shell Rotella T-4 for Dino oil. (The 15W-40 Rotella T with Triple Protection oil has approximately 1200 ppm of zinc and 1100 ppm phosphorus at the time of manufacture.) Valvoline 20-50 Racing has hi zinc and is what RPI Engineering uses. I used to run Castrol GTX years ago when zinc content wasn't an issue in oil and JB oil treatment. The main bearings in my old 2.25 S2A engine were still good - no copper showing thru - at 110K.
I use Mann or Land Rover OE filters.

I see your engine temps are way too high. How old is your radiator? Pump? Viscous coupling? You likely need a new radiator. The Nissens brand is O.K., but Allisport makes an aluminum radiator, but they don't answer my emails, are in the U.K. and around $600+.
Ditch the Dexcool. If you don't have the system completely bled of air, it seems to corrode the aluminum much more than the green coolant.
 
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LandyBobandy

Active member
Jul 8, 2021
34
8
Colorado
As far as what oil to use, there have been whole novels written about that. If you are running synthetic, make sure it has a hi zinc content, like Amsoil 20-50.
It's expensive though. Many here use Shell Rotella T-4 for Dino oil. (The 15W-40 Rotella T with Triple Protection oil has approximately 1200 ppm of zinc and 1100 ppm phosphorus at the time of manufacture.) Valvoline 20-50 Racing has hi zinc and is what RPI Engineering uses. I used to run Castrol GTX years ago when zinc content wasn't an issue in oil and JB oil treatment. The main bearings in my old 2.25 S2A engine were still good - no copper showing thru - at 110K.
I use Mann or Land Rover OE filters.

I see your engine temps are way too high. How old is your radiator? Pump? Viscous coupling? You likely need a new radiator. The Nissens brand is O.K., but Allisport makes an aluminum radiator, but they don't answer my emails, are in the U.K. and around $600+.
Ditch the Dexcool. If you don't have the system completely bled of air, it seems to corrode the aluminum much more than the green coolant.
The whole cooling system was redone this year when the replacement block was installed, February I was told. I'll install the gray 180 tstat when it comes, I'll check the reservoir pressure cap when I change it out.

I've checked the coolant levels every week or so, I haven't lost any besides some seepage from the current tstat.

A coolant flush will happen but it's not the highest priority as the dexcool is very high performing when the system remains under pressure and no fluid is lost. Unfortunately my research has shown that this system is very poorly engineered, so I'm going to be as attentive as I can. I've heard BMW pink coolant is a good substitute but I'm open to suggestions on that front.
 

LandyBobandy

Active member
Jul 8, 2021
34
8
Colorado
Installed the D44 tire carrier today. Bobandy finally has his pants on again.
IMG_20210723_160817_01.jpgIMG_20210723_163014.jpg


If anyone is wondering, his name is a reference to Randy in the show "Trailer Park Boys."
CP8iTjjW8AAkd4u.jpg
 

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