By Daniel on Wednesday, August 15, 2001 - 05:14 am: Edit

Here's an easy one.
Can anyone tell me exactly what tool I need to get the plugs out of the differentials on a '98 Discovery?
I am planning to do my first differential oil change tomorrow.
Thanks,
Daniel

By Ron on Wednesday, August 15, 2001 - 05:36 am: Edit

You need a 1/2 drive socket or breaker bar.

Cheers
Ron

$20 a sears might want to pick up a socket for the lugs while you are at it.

By Axel Haakonsen (Axel) on Wednesday, August 15, 2001 - 05:40 am: Edit

You mean 1/2 inch, not half a bar, right Ron?

By Ron on Wednesday, August 15, 2001 - 05:45 am: Edit

Yes. half a bar is what happens when you buy the cheap one

Ron

By L_Tilly on Wednesday, August 15, 2001 - 05:46 am: Edit

If I remember correctly, they are technically a 17mm (or 13mm???) square. Good luck finding the correct tool. When I asked at many automotive stores I was told I would have to have someone custom make one. When I asked at Sears, they checked thier little chart and found that the size is the same as 1/2". So I bought a 1/2" socket wrench handle and the square connector fits the holes perfectly. Mine's a 96 Disco, but I think the size has remained unchanged.

L_Tilly lnctilly@mediaone.net
96 Disco "Beowulf" - NH, USA

By Ron on Wednesday, August 15, 2001 - 05:49 am: Edit

Thats what works L_Tilly

Ron

By L_Tilly on Wednesday, August 15, 2001 - 06:24 am: Edit

Ron,
I hadn't "refreshed" my browser for a while, so I missed that a few other posters already jumped on Daniels question. Here I thought I would actually be able to deal out some useful info instead of sponging it up from all of you!! ;-)

L_Tilly lnctilly@mediaone.net
96 Disco "Beowulf" - NH, USA

By Daniel on Wednesday, August 15, 2001 - 08:35 am: Edit

Thanks everyone.
L_Tilly,
I wanted to ask how everything turned out after your maintenence worries. I am in a similar situation. (I posted a couple of questions on you other thread.) I am doing the services as I learn about them. Is there any thing I should watch out for?
I have the grease (I think) in the swivels and no drain plug (again, I think...havn't looked well enough to be for sure) so that makes flushing them impossible. I believe the drain plugs were deleted in ?97 or 98? Any advice on emptying them short of taking them apart???
Thanks,
Daniel

By L_Tilly on Thursday, August 16, 2001 - 07:48 am: Edit

Daniel,

I have only experience on my 96, so I don't know myself about draining the grease out of a later model. I thought I read somewhere that on the later models they still have drain and fill plugs, just no fill-level hole. I might be wrong though. You could double check some other threads about swivels to be sure. Some people may agree with the "never have to worry about the grease" mind set, but keep in mind I drained the grease (not oil) on mine and had about a shot-glass's worth of black sludge come out of both swivels. Mankind has never made a "never have to worry..." product that doesn't make me worry.

As for suggestions, these are the things I would most definetly do if you haven't already:
1. Drain and refil the transfer case, front and rear diffs, auto transmission and (if possible) swivels.
2. Drive for a couple hundred miles then drain and refil them all again. Really look at what comes out this time. If anything is not coming out clean, you need to explore further. My diffs and trans fluid were good the second time around. T-case just a little dirty still. Swivels are still showing minor particles after two flushes, plus I have a blown seal on one, so those are going to be coming off.
3. Lube everything lubable. I put enough grease into some places that I know they've been running dry. When grease starts coming out, keep pumping fresh in until what's coming out looks clean.
4. When you think you're pretty set, clean under your truck really well, being sure there's no dripping fluids, then drive for a few hours. When you get home get back under there with a flashlight and note any and every place you see fluid. Now try to figure out why. You're never going to be leak proof, but drops of fluid could show a blown seal or a loose fitting.
5. Get the truck back out on the trail. After all this filling, cleaning, filling, greasing, etc. the truck can almost seem like a "chore." Get it back into its element and have some major fun with it. It took me about ten minutes of that to forgive about six hours (so far!) of maintenance. After switching the swivel seals in a couple weeks I'm probably going to need an all-day trek!!

Let me know if you want to chat about any deails! Enjoy!!! :-)

L_Tilly lnctilly@mediaone.net
96 Disco "Beowulf" - NH, USA

By Daniel on Thursday, August 16, 2001 - 09:54 am: Edit

Thanks. That's the most thorough list I've seen yet. I will definately print that one and add it to my ever expanding folder of: "New Things I've Learned About My Discovery".

I agree with you about the "grease it and forget it" swivel pins. Even with my relative lack of experience that just doesn't hold water to Murphy's Law.

Let me ask you this, I've not gotten to the section in my service manual about the transmission service and a part store told me that the service kit is a dealer item. Is this correct and what does the service consist of.

I do plan to take my truck out to help alleviate all the maintenence related stress. Unfortunately, I have to change the shocks before I do that. They are stock and are completely shot, but the replacements are on the way.

By L_Tilly on Friday, August 17, 2001 - 02:13 am: Edit

I too have the shot-stock-shock syndrome (gee, say THAT one four times fast). They were doing ok until Rover Fest. About half way thru that weekend I started hearing that distincitve hissing sound after every bumb bigger than about six inches. We will be ordering a set of OME HDs & shocks within a week. Looking forward to those! :-)

I'm not sure what you may need the "transmission service kit" for. If that's just the kit with all of the seals and such for when you do, for example the "60k service" then I'm pretty sure you can order it thru some of the catalog companies. Rover's North and Atlantic British each have a lot of maintenance items. I don't have a catelog around me to look at right now, but if you give them a call I'm sure they'll give you good details. What you can also do is call a dealer's part shop and say you're interrested in the kit, find out how much it is and exactly what's included. Then shop around. I haven't changed the seals on my transmission yet since a couple people here advised me to change the fluid out a few times until the fluid is mostly clean. That'll help keep me from ruining a new filter too quickly.

I'm sure I'm going to be finding even more "learning experiences". As they turn up I'll post some info.

L_Tilly lnctilly@mediaone.net
96 Disco "Beowulf" - NH, USA

By Daniel on Friday, August 17, 2001 - 04:22 am: Edit

I changed the oil in the differentials last night. I got out a pretty decent amount of old (very old) oil, so I guess the front isn't leaking as bad as I thought.

So, you're changing the fluid a couple times w/o changing the filter? I can always do that while I figure out what my next step will be.

As for shocks, I am going with the procomp 9000's and stock springs. They're inexpensive and from what I understand they perform as well as or better than stock. Also, I can wait until I know more about what I'm doing to start matching upgraded parts.

If I don't get back to the board today, have a great weekend,
Daniel

By L_Tilly on Friday, August 17, 2001 - 05:57 am: Edit

Daniel,

I've had my Disco about 9 months now. I've been spending that time learning, lisetening, reading, and thinking about how I intend to use it in the long run.

As you're trying to learn about upgrades just keep reading the posts around here and definetly dive into the archives. Some great arguments... uh, I mean information... ;-) You've probably already noticed that there are at least two opinions on almost every topic...sometimes many more. Most people post from personal experience which carries much more weight w/ me than theory or market hype.

Another good thing is look at the Disco Owners section under Resources. See what other people have on their trucks and look at how they're using them. Find a few people who have rigs that are doing what you would like to do and maybe write to them off-line.

On of the best pieces of early advice I was given on picking upgrades is to get experience behind your own wheel before you buy too much. I've been out on as many local trails as I can find time for, even if it's just fire roads, to learn what the truck is already capable of and find where I need to put my attention (and $). Here in NH I haven't hit any situation myself where lockers are really needed, but every trek into the woods is an adventure in avoiding diff-eating rocks and stumps. After my repair-oriented mods, armour is my next priority. Then a bar and winch and lastly lockers for the eventual Moab adventures. :-)

You have a great weekend too!!!
L_Tilly lnctilly@mediaone.net
96 Disco "Beowulf" - NH, USA

By Daniel on Monday, August 20, 2001 - 06:09 am: Edit

L_Tilly,
Good morning. I wanted to fill you in on the latest and get your opinion.
I managed to get the transmision, engine, and transfer box lubricants changed on my truck this weekend. So as of now, I have fresh oil in everything except the swivels (that's next weekend). Getting the fill plug out of the transfer box was a real PITA with the 18 inch long breaker bar, but I managed. (I've never wanted a 1/2" ratchet so bad in my life.) My question is this. The plug on the transfer box has a little magnet on it, right. This is supposed to hold any metalic particles that get shaved off. Well, how much is too much. I had a small "pinch" of metal shavings stuck to this plug. Also, I think the oil level in the transfer box was a little low.

Everything is running, shifting and accelerating fine. I don't hear anything that sounds bad.
I am wondering if I should be worried about the metal shavings in the transfer box. Obviously there is SOME amount of this to be expected which is why the magnet is there. But, what is "normal"?
Thanks,
Daniel

By L_Tilly on Monday, August 20, 2001 - 06:36 am: Edit

Daniel,
If you only got a "pinch" of shavings off that plug magnet the first time then you're doing better than I was. Of course, I try to look at it as "removing metal lightens the load to improve performance..." :-)

I was able to clean almost all of the particles off of it and when I changed it the second time I got very little metal on it, so I take that as a Good Thing. See how it looks on your next flush. Since the entire magnet on mine was covered fairly thick w/ particles the first time, I expected that there was still a lot floating around in there. On the second flush, there was still a fair amount of particles, but since it was nothing even close to the first time I am guessing it is still old residue. When I do my final change (probably next weekend in prep for a Canada trip) if I still have a lot of particles then I'll have to look into other possible issues.

As for sounds, I think I'm going to have to grab someone who is very familiar with what noises a 96 Disco is supposed to make (t-case wine, etc) and have them go for a ride w/ me. After some of the discoveries I've made on my Discovery, I'm a bit on the paranoid side...

L_Tilly lnctilly@mediaone.net
96 Disco "Beowulf" - NH, USA

By Steve (Steve2) on Monday, August 20, 2001 - 07:11 am: Edit

daniel -

just a word of caution on the pro comps - they are a very stiff riding shock - i had the 3000's on my yiep and it was like driving a prarie scooner you could feel cigarette buts on a smooth road! i asked abou changing out to a 9000 and i was told they ride even stiffer!!! if you are on a budget i think you can find woodheads for about $180 a set, bilsteins and ome's for about $260-280 - or go to pep boys and see about some monroe gas-o-matics. i'd do monroe's before pro comps!

best of luck
steve

By Daniel on Monday, August 20, 2001 - 09:47 am: Edit

Steve,
Thanks for the info. I have already ordered the procomps. I did call the distributor and they explained that the 3000 are hydraulic (spelling?) and the 9000 are gas shocks. The 9000 are supposed to be a little stiffer, but the Discovery weighs twice as much as a Jeep. I think the Jeep has a bit shorter wheelbase also.(both of these points are depending on the model-we were thinking wrangler) At any rate, they did say to try them. If I didn't like them I could exchange them. I don't particularly care for a super soft or a super firm ride, so it'll be interesting to see what I end up with.
-Daniel