mtsuji90's 2002 Land Rover Discovery Build Diary
02 Disco "Build" Diary
Photo: 02 Disco "Build" DiaryOwner's diary of a 2002 Land Rover Discovery II, oil leak repairs and daily use
Forum thread by owner mtsuji90 documenting ongoing maintenance on a 2002 Discovery II, mainly chasing persistent oil leaks over several months, plus minor fixes to a separate vehicle. The diary ends with the owner selling the Discovery after four years and buying a Toyota Land Cruiser 100 series.
Parts used
Parts named as used in the original write-up, grouped the way the Parts page groups them. Where one of the shops we index lists the same thing for this car, it is shown underneath with a link to the shop.
Engine 2
- Oil pan gasket
Replaced to address oil leak
In the shops
Oil Pan Gasket, 6-Cylinder ↗
Good Parts· $6.00 USD - Front main (crank) seal
Old hardened seal replaced; crank pulley and fan clutch removed to access it
In the shops
Front Crank Oil Seal Sleeve ↗Good Parts· $19.00 USD
Brakes 1
- Rear brake caliper
New caliper bought and fitted to a camper van after a seized slide pin ruined the original, unrelated to the Discovery
In the shops
Rear Brake Pad Set, BP20, Wilwood Caliper ↗Good Parts· $106.00 USD
Rear Brake Pad Set, BP35 Race Only, Wilwood Caliper ↗Good Parts· $149.00 USD
Rear Brake Pad Set, BP10 High Performance Street, Wilwood Caliper ↗Good Parts· $60.00 USD
Body & Trim 1
- Discovery I wiper arms
Swapped onto the car for better wiper pressure, though owner disliked the look and considered reverting
In the shops
Wiper Arm ↗
Moss Motors – Triumph TR6/TR250· $21.99 USD
TEX Wiper Arm ↗Moss Motors – Triumph TR6/TR250· $36.81 USD
Wiper Arm (1973 on) ↗Moss Motors – Triumph TR6/TR250· $13.00 USD
Photos
11 pictures collected from the write-up, in the order they were posted, shown from 02 Disco "Build" Diary. A picture opens larger here, with the way through to the page it is on.
02 Disco "Build" Diary - Land Rover Forums - Land Rover Enthusiast Forum 10this post at 02 Disco "Build" Diary ↗
02 Disco "Build" Diary - Land Rover Forums - Land Rover Enthusiast Forum 1this post at 02 Disco "Build" Diary ↗
How it was done
Oil leak diagnosis
The Discovery had been leaking oil steadily since purchase. The owner suspected a front crank seal and possibly an oil pan gasket, and planned to tackle both over the following month.
Oil pan gasket replacement
The owner replaced the oil pan gasket, noting the internals were clean with no sludge and good cylinder cross-hatching. The leak slowed but did not stop, pointing toward the front crank seal as the bigger culprit.
Front crank seal replacement
Removed the fan clutch, crank pulley and old front main seal, which was rock hard. After reassembly and a test drive no oil was seen, though some leaking later persisted since the crank pulley showed wear preventing the new seal from seating fully. Valve cover gasket seals were also suspected of weeping but left alone.
Minor fixes and daily use
A check engine light for an evap leak turned out to be a loose gas cap. The owner also mentioned swapping to Discovery I wiper arms but disliking the look, and separately worked on a camper van's seized rear brake caliper, unrelated to the Discovery.
End of ownership
After about four years of reliable, if thirsty (~12 mpg), service, the owner sold the Discovery for roughly $3,000 more than its purchase price and bought a Toyota Land Cruiser 100 series as a replacement.
A summary in our own words. The full account, with all its detail, is in the original write-up: read it at 02 Disco "Build" Diary ↗
Worth knowing
- A hardened front crank seal was likely the main cause of a long-standing oil leak
- Wear on the crank pulley can prevent a new seal from seating properly
- Always check the gas cap is tight before troubleshooting an evap system fault code