Saving a 2001 Land Rover Discovery

[KyleGrant]

More updates on the '01. Since purchase I've had a HECK of a high frequency vibration and loud noise at highway speed. It would mainly surface at a specific speed versus consistently, initially I chalked it up to tire noise. After more investigation and noticing the noise completely disappeared when turning at highway speeds, I figured front hubs would be a good place to start!

After the suspension work, now came some more front end refresh. Here's the process of tearing down left and right front. New hubs, rotors, pads and CV axles were installed.


Video of the old LF hub, horrible shape! New video by K S

LF torn completely down. CV axle out. These had a couple spots of torn boots and I figured as worn out as other suspension/driveline components were, how good of shape could these be in. RockAuto had these cheap enough I was surprised and figured some new ones would make for some good prevention and peace of mind. I learned the hard way on these axle seals the correct tools are WELL worth their investment, even at $15 the seal puller made quick work of a job I was trying to do with needle-nose and a screwdriver. The press kit was a Harbor Freight special for about $40, and after trying to install the new seal made that job super quick.


LF hub completed with some upgraded brakes, first test drive to see if this resolved my noise. I can't explain how improved the ride is, it was a 'wow, I didn't realize this thing could ride this nice' moment.



Some shots of the RF process, same items were replaced. Wouldn't ya know, this side was done in a couple hours! The LF was my learning process and by the time I was interrupted waiting on parts/tools, took a few weeks.




Next issue cropped up on a drive home. My center diff light started flashing and I couldn't for the life of me figure out why. It hadn't been, then started during the drive. I finally realized anytime I hit the brakes, it came on. It started flashing which I finally figured out was when my turn signals were on. I stopped at a post office, tried to get back into gear and my park safety solenoid wouldn't release for me to shift, I had to manually move it. Pushed it back with my finger and was able to get home. With more investigation, I realized my brake lights weren't working at home - so that was neat, to realize I drove about 15 minutes with no brake lights. Ultimately I found the brake fuse to be popped, still not entirely sure why... but so far a new fuse as been alright. I'll be going over the trailer harness and other areas of concern that could be causing shorts. It was a pain to track down though. Video I sent to some buddies for some ideas when the issue initially came up: New video by K S



Now for the fun wild stuff... I had purchased an old '01 Blazer from my dad as a DD, while spending time going through the '01 Rover. It ended up having more issues than I wanted to deal with but another '02 Rover came up for a reasonable price. I figured if I'm going to drive 20+ year old vehicles, I may as well drive two of the same that I know how to work on and don't need to research every issue. So, the Rover addiction multiplied. This is an '02 Rover SE (they're dang near twins), which was a single owner California until 2019. It's incredibly clean and will take over as something to keep in good shape, take to shows, etc. So for the Rover fans out there, this one will be maintained as a good example of what these were in their prime. I still very much enjoy the ride quality and comfort 21 years later.

 

[El-Dracho]

More updates on the '01. Since purchase I've had a HECK of a high frequency vibration and loud noise at highway speed. It would mainly surface at a specific speed versus consistently, initially I chalked it up to tire noise. After more investigation and noticing the noise completely disappeared when turning at highway speeds, I figured front hubs would be a good place to start!

After the suspension work, now came some more front end refresh. Here's the process of tearing down left and right front. New hubs, rotors, pads and CV axles were installed.
View attachment 266639View attachment 266640

Video of the old LF hub, horrible shape! New video by K S

LF torn completely down. CV axle out. These had a couple spots of torn boots and I figured as worn out as other suspension/driveline components were, how good of shape could these be in. RockAuto had these cheap enough I was surprised and figured some new ones would make for some good prevention and peace of mind. I learned the hard way on these axle seals the correct tools are WELL worth their investment, even at $15 the seal puller made quick work of a job I was trying to do with needle-nose and a screwdriver. The press kit was a Harbor Freight special for about $40, and after trying to install the new seal made that job super quick.
View attachment 266641View attachment 266642View attachment 266643View attachment 266644

LF hub completed with some upgraded brakes, first test drive to see if this resolved my noise. I can't explain how improved the ride is, it was a 'wow, I didn't realize this thing could ride this nice' moment.

View attachment 266646View attachment 266645

Some shots of the RF process, same items were replaced. Wouldn't ya know, this side was done in a couple hours! The LF was my learning process and by the time I was interrupted waiting on parts/tools, took a few weeks.

View attachment 266647View attachment 266648View attachment 266649
View attachment 266650

Next issue cropped up on a drive home. My center diff light started flashing and I couldn't for the life of me figure out why. It hadn't been, then started during the drive. I finally realized anytime I hit the brakes, it came on. It started flashing which I finally figured out was when my turn signals were on. I stopped at a post office, tried to get back into gear and my park safety solenoid wouldn't release for me to shift, I had to manually move it. Pushed it back with my finger and was able to get home. With more investigation, I realized my brake lights weren't working at home - so that was neat, to realize I drove about 15 minutes with no brake lights. Ultimately I found the brake fuse to be popped, still not entirely sure why... but so far a new fuse as been alright. I'll be going over the trailer harness and other areas of concern that could be causing shorts. It was a pain to track down though. Video I sent to some buddies for some ideas when the issue initially came up: New video by K S

View attachment 266651

Now for the fun wild stuff... I had purchased an old '01 Blazer from my dad as a DD, while spending time going through the '01 Rover. It ended up having more issues than I wanted to deal with but another '02 Rover came up for a reasonable price. I figured if I'm going to drive 20+ year old vehicles, I may as well drive two of the same that I know how to work on and don't need to research every issue. So, the Rover addiction multiplied. This is an '02 Rover SE (they're dang near twins), which was a single owner California until 2019. It's incredibly clean and will take over as something to keep in good shape, take to shows, etc. So for the Rover fans out there, this one will be maintained as a good example of what these were in their prime. I still very much enjoy the ride quality and comfort 21 years later.

View attachment 266653

Awesome. Look at those two beautiful Discoverys. Good job!

 

[KyleGrant]

Another long bit since updates, here's where we stand.

I really enjoy the amateur radio Parks on the Air (POTA) program. I don't always have tons of time or desire to spend time setting up/tearing down my station, decided to make it as easy as possible for quick HF setup. I used an NMO mount, NMO to 3/8-24 adapter and HAMSticks to accomplish that. Here's my 20M stick setup, I was able to get this tuned darn near to 1.1:1 on the center of 20M band.


Here's an up-close of the HF transceiver I run in the truck, a Kenwood TS-480SAT. I opted for this due to the nice removable head and dual antenna connections. My goal is to have a dedicated/permanent 10M/11M whip off the front bumper and secondary being the hamstick in the roof.


Rear sleeping platform and organizer continuing to take some more shape, with lots to go still.


And now back to the 'saving' portion of this Rover. In June I finished a lot of work, new water pump, front end refresh, etc. Had great luck all through December. Met up with a buddy I met off the cuff at Autozone, we both saw each other' rigs and said 'Hey man, cool build!' which turned into an hour conversation. Took the mini-man on a little jaunt around Butler County just east of Wichita. He definitely enjoyed some bump-around time in the adventure machine!


Early December it developed a misfire on cyl. 3, an acute (and significant) oil leak, I also noted it was WELL underpowered in comparison to my stock '02. I wasn't able to identify the oil leak location easily but it seemed to be the front of the motor. Without a good look and thinking front cover, galley perhaps - I dug in. Sure enough, it seemed to be the front lifter galley gasket. With a myriad of issues I've decided to push further and just do heads while I'm here.




With this identified, we dug in. I exposed the galley and didn't like what I saw on the cam lobes... so, this continues to build into a larger job.



Heads are pretty gummed up. Pretty obvious this thing ran hot for a bit and didn't have the oil changed for too long of an interval. Lots of hard deposits in the valve-train which I wasn't a fan of.



At this stage with the issues I came across and known poor performance, I'm giving this engine a nice refresh through and through. Not having the '02 in comparison I probably would've just lumbered along but the lack of performance on this Rover in comparison leads me to believe a refresh should liven her up a bit and is overdue. Here's the plan so far as I've dug in...

- Coil relocate kit
- Fresh spark plugs
- Complete head re-work (valve springs, valve seats, hot tank, etc.)
- Inspect cylinder walls, likely pulling the pistons and installing new rings while I'm this far
- Pull oil pan, clean it out, inspect
- New OEM cam
- New timing chain
- New oil pump gears
- Refurbished injectors
- New sensors (cam & crank position, aftermarket oil pressure and coolant temp sensors with dedicated monitors inside, aftermarket fuel rail pressure)

All told this baby has sat for a couple weeks at this point as I slowly dig through the job, await parts, order random tools, etc. Hope to have her back on the road nicely refreshed in January. For now the '02 has pulled DD duty just fine!

 

[KyleGrant]

Time to jump back on the annual post, ha! Only a couple years behind...

A lot has been accomplished on the Rover, it remains a fun member of the family. Following continued investigation of the engine I received in the Rover, I determined the refresh/replacement was ideal for peace of mind in the long run. I'm not an engine guy, I don't have tons of experience doing engine work, however I found more metal shavings than I was comfortable with and a seemingly chewed up cam. My teardown continued to reveal the blown head gasket.



I conjured up some adventurous buddies from work and we took a road trip from Wichita down to Texas for a quick turn and burn, picking up the new motor and spare parts.



This was my first engine swap ever, aside from growing up working in the garage with my dad (which of course, that knowledge is long gone). There was a lot of choice words, doing things 3-4 times using less than ideal tooling - BUT! We got er done. Out with the old... while the new heart transplant eagerly awaited install on the included engine stand (which the guy I purchased from, was nice enough to weld up for me). I took the time to somewhat go through the engine bay, clean up stuff here and there. I used a pressure washer (in the garage, so that was fun to control run-off) as best I could. Maybe one day she'll get a nice frame-off restoration for some former glory.



Inspecting the top end and bottom end of the new motor yielded excitement for me, as this thing was definitely clean and as described.



So, in she went.



I found a nicely dressed up intake manifold and valve covers on eBay that were super cheap, thought they'd make for a nice pop. Assembly continued with coil pack relocation I eluded to years prior and accessory components.



The old engine came out April 2024, the new engine was first started August of 2024. This was a long deal for me, taking half an hour here and there to accomplish tasks but finally got there. My helper, and occupier of time (not that I'm complaining) also grew a bit in that timeframe. A funny story with the pulley pictured here off the PSP... when I first fired the swapped engine up with accessory drive attached (should've been a clue...), my heart sank. I had what sounded like to me, a bottom end tick of monumental proportion. Thinking this engine was doomed for failure, spun bearing, rod knock - something. After significant investigation, purchasing mechanic stethoscope - I had talked myself into the fact I had a ticking time bomb. With continued lack of believing what I was hearing, I started slowly going through stuff only to find my PSP pulley bolts were finger tight, resulting in this being the source of my feared noise and a major "you idiot" moment. But alas, the engine wasn't blowing up!



I had another slight setback once the engine was fully assembled, lack of the rover wanting to move - which does present some challenges if the intent is to explore. I followed guides and such to the T (or so I thought), ensuring all the bolts aligned with the flywheel, torque converter, transmission, etc.. Ultimately, I gave up trying to sort out why the truck wouldn't move and had the same buddies who took the road trip to get the engine, help me tow this thing to a local transmission shop. One of their techs was a big Disco guy and thrilled to take a look. I had inspected the flywheel of the new motor prior to install and confirmed everything was bolted to the torque converter/transmission. However, when they dug in they found the input shaft pulled ever so slightly out of the pump in the transmission. He said from view, everything appeared as it should but off only so slightly as to not engage the pump. He suspected the crank of the new motor to be different than what came out (I didn't think to check that with the builder). A few shims later, and she was back on the road. While they had it, and with concern of damage due to the pump not being fully engaged - we agreed to inspect the transmission, drop the pan, replace filter/fluid - all was found nominal. Big shoutout to 'Chance Transmissions INC' of Wichita for accepting someone else's project, I know how daunting that can be to the point a lot of folks wouldn't have even entertained the idea.

To be continued...

 

[KyleGrant]

Following transmission repair, the magical day of regaining garage space finally arrived...



Moving along to the end of 2024, I started mocking up a not-so-fancy rear storage/sleeping platform solution. Very much function over fashion, but it ultimately came together. I was pretty satisfied the Rover was mechanically reliable at this stage with a few hundred miles of shakedown driving around the area. Earlier in 2024, I parted ways with the 2002 Discovery as it let me down daily-driving in a very inopportune time - the CFO of the household stated we weren't going to own two 25'ish year old machines to be used as daily drivers, to which.. I didn't fully disagree with. We welcomed back home my 2015 Sierra following a stint with a close friend in the PNW, my prior overland machine and DD. Progress slowed drastically on the Rover work due to school and having my Sierra back.



That said, even with slow progress - the minion and I continued our exploration, shakedown, and enjoyment of the Rover. He was still pretty young at the time to camp in it 'easily' so we took a series of day trips. I removed that 60 side of the rear seat, and he was unable to fit in the 40 side so I disconnected the front passenger airbag and he assumed co-pilot roles from a secure point. One afternoon following a trip to Teeter Rock, he told me he 'loved the Rover'. So I guess now I can't sell it!



During the process I installed a manual oil pressure gauge, forgot to include a shot of that earlier - needless to say, I was pleased with idle and running pressures.



We took a nice day trip to the Randolph ORV area near Manhattan, where I was reminded how much I need to get lockers installed and/or fix my dang TCS... The minion stated he 'loved off-roading' after this trip, so that's a solid second tally for not selling the Rover.



Fast forward further along, here's the rear sleeping/storage platform. I applied some foam mats for basic coverage. Sleeping is done on top of a 4" memory foam topper. There's just enough room for me to lay with my legs over the center console and the minion sleeps to my side. It's cozy, but it works! With Kansas wind and weather changes, I've come to enjoy sleeping in a vehicle or trailer of some sort. On the back door, I custom cut some aluminum to fit (the truck didn't have a rear door interior cover when I bought it) and added a fold down cooking surface.



Now the fun stuff! I finally got the minion out to do some camping. We started a bit early in March, so it was a chilly night. I have one of the 'Amazon specials' diesel heaters and man did it work great. I had it on the lowest setting, sipping diesel and having enough power to run for an estimated 42 hours straight, according to my EcoFlow. We stayed nice and cozy all night. At one point, I woke up and took this picture of 48 outside and a nice 68 inside - it got cooler that night.



Here's pictures from that first camping trip I took with the boy! He LOVES camping, which was music to my ears. We were definitely cozy inside, but still beats a tent in my eyes (having had them collapse on me in wind storms) and we enjoyed a nice private showing of Shrek.



I'm finally getting to some of the long awaited 'desire' projects on the Rover, starting with refinishing the roof. I sold the larger roof rack due to me using NMO antennas up top, wind noise, and wanting it to fit in the garage as needed. I used an RV roof sealant to top the roof off and installed a 100W solar panel. There's enough wrong with this thing that it will never be original, so while a frame off resto-mod isn't out of the question - a full restoration will never be an option. That said, I'm embracing making it utilitarian, presentable within reason but focused on use.



That's about where we stand in mid-2026. The Rover is now at least functional for reliable driving, camping and Parks on the Air for me. Still a lot of odds and ends to handle but we're marching ahead.