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Saving a 2001 Land Rover Discovery

2001 Land Rover Discovery

3-page write-up

Saving a 2001 Land Rover Discovery

Read the full write-up at Saving a 2001 Land Rover Discovery ↗

Photo: Saving a 2001 Land Rover Discovery

A 2001 Land Rover Discovery II being revived as a daily-driver overland rig

KyleGrant bought a modified but neglected 2001 Discovery II and has spent an ongoing thread chasing down decades of deferred maintenance, from electrical faults and power steering failure to a full engine swap. The build mixes mechanical restoration with a growing amateur-radio and overland-camping setup, documented in detail over more than a year of posts.

Specs

As stated in the original write-up.

Engine
4.0 V8 gas, replaced with a used low-mileage engine in 2024 after original developed a misfire, oil leak and worn cam/head issues
Suspension
3 inch Terrafirma lift front and rear, with new Terrafirma track bar and stabilizer
Steering
Reman power steering pump and reman steering gear, new hoses, new drag link and track linkage
Cooling
New water pump, radiator hoses, thermostat relocated to top side of engine
Brakes
Front hubs, rotors, pads and CV axles replaced; drilled/slotted rotors on hand for future use
Wheels & Tyres
Steelie wheels with Falken Wildpeak A/T tyres, about 75 percent tread at purchase
Front bumper
Steel front bumper with factory brush-guard and headlight guards welded on
Winch
X-Bull 13k winch with synthetic rope
Exhaust
Purchased straight-piped, owner added a mid-muffler and resonator for a quieter note

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 1

Fuel & Ignition 1

Cooling 3

  • New water pump and gaskets

    Replaced after a worn bearing was found during teardown

  • Thermostat relocation kit

    Moved thermostat to the top of the engine for easier servicing and monitoring

  • New radiator hoses

    Replaced degraded hoses during the cooling system refresh

Suspension & Steering 4

Brakes 1

Body & Trim 1

  • Atlantic British wiper arm retrofit kit

    Fitted to allow standard wiper blades to be sourced locally

    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

Interior 1

Electrical 6

  • Custom push-button ignition switch panel

    eBay rocker switch inserts wired with relays to replace the worn key tumbler

    In the shops
    Starter Push-Button Switch ↗Moss Motors – Triumph TR6/TR250· $29.45 USD
    Lucas Push Button Starter Switch ↗bpnorthwest.com· $30.88 USD
    Horn/Screenwash Push Button Switch (Momentary) ↗TRGB· £17.50 GBP
  • Yaesu FTM-400XDR radio

    Primary mobile amateur radio mounted in the dash with a hood-mounted antenna

  • Motorola XTL2500 VHF radio

    110W VHF radio added to the dash stack with a rear roof antenna

    In the shops
    Motorola LW/MW Period Radio ↗Chris Witor· £41.25 GBP
  • Kenwood TS-480SAT HF transceiver

    HF radio run in the truck for Parks on the Air activations

  • UltraGauge OBD monitor

    Mounted to monitor live engine data including O2 sensor voltage and fault codes

  • LED headlight bulbs

    Replaced halogen headlight bulbs for a sharper beam cutoff

    In the shops
    LED Dash Bulbs ↗Moss Motors – Triumph TR6/TR250· $6.55 USD
    LED Festoon Bulb ↗Moss Motors – Triumph TR6/TR250· $11.99 USD
    Xenon Headlight Bulbs ↗TRGB· £5.45 GBP

Other 2

Photos

208 pictures collected from the write-up, in the order they were posted, shown from Saving a 2001 Land Rover Discovery. A picture opens larger here, with the way through to the page it is on.

KyleGrant · 2023-01-21T07:20:17-0800 1this post at Saving a 2001 Land Rover Discovery ↗

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KyleGrant · 2023-01-21T14:07:48-0800 7this post at Saving a 2001 Land Rover Discovery ↗

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KyleGrant · 2023-01-28T08:29:36-0800 3this post at Saving a 2001 Land Rover Discovery ↗

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KyleGrant · 2023-02-11T17:02:22-0800 9this post at Saving a 2001 Land Rover Discovery ↗

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KyleGrant · 2023-04-02T15:31:59-0700 14this post at Saving a 2001 Land Rover Discovery ↗

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KyleGrant · 2023-05-12T07:19:32-0700 18this post at Saving a 2001 Land Rover Discovery ↗

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KyleGrant · 2023-06-03T18:49:45-0700 19this post at Saving a 2001 Land Rover Discovery ↗

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KyleGrant · 2023-06-09T13:01:27-0700 12this post at Saving a 2001 Land Rover Discovery ↗

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KyleGrant · 2023-06-15T09:41:38-0700 25this post at Saving a 2001 Land Rover Discovery ↗

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KyleGrant · 2023-06-21T18:50:22-0700 5this post at Saving a 2001 Land Rover Discovery ↗

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KyleGrant · 2023-07-13T08:14:28-0700 8this post at Saving a 2001 Land Rover Discovery ↗

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KyleGrant · 2023-09-21T19:49:14-0700 15this post at Saving a 2001 Land Rover Discovery ↗

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KyleGrant · 2023-12-29T12:47:05-0800 17this post at Saving a 2001 Land Rover Discovery ↗

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KyleGrant · 2026-06-19T16:06:37-0700 14this post at Saving a 2001 Land Rover Discovery ↗

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KyleGrant · 2026-06-19T16:58:46-0700 24this post at Saving a 2001 Land Rover Discovery ↗

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How it was done

Starting condition

Purchased for $7k with 150k miles, already fitted with a lift, bumpers, rock sliders, awning and roof rack from a previous owner. It came with a leaking front main seal, failing power steering pump, missing ABS function (the 'Three Amigos' lights), electrical faults, a disconnected DIY snorkel and various missing or mismatched parts from several prior owners.

Early mechanical catch-up

Work focused on driveability: fixing a blown fuse killing the stereo and gauges, replacing O2 sensors and belt components, swapping a failing power steering pump, flushing degraded oil, and investigating persistent ABS/TCS fault codes that remained unresolved.

Steering, cooling and front suspension overhaul

A worn steering gear, track and drag link joints, a bad water pump bearing and degraded coolant hoses were all replaced, along with a thermostat relocation kit. New Terrafirma track bar and stabilizer were fitted and an alignment finally cured a wandering steering feel.

Interior, electrical and rust work

The headliner was pulled to fix sunroof drain leaks and rust was treated with POR-15 in the footwells. The owner built a push-button ignition system, installed amateur radio gear and antennas, LED interior lighting, a dash electronics stack, and began a rear sleeping/storage platform.

Front hub and CV axle replacement

Chasing a persistent high-speed vibration, the owner replaced front hubs, rotors, pads and CV axles on both sides, resolving the noise and notably improving ride quality.

Engine refresh and swap

A misfire, oil leak and underpowered feel led to tearing into the top end, finding worn cam lobes and a blown head gasket. The owner ultimately sourced and installed a replacement engine, encountering a transmission input-shaft alignment problem that required shop help before the car ran again.

Progress so far

With the engine swap sorted, the owner has continued building a rear camping platform, added a diesel heater, solar panel and roof resealing, and taken the truck on family camping and off-road outings, while rear frame rot and locking differentials remain on the to-do list.

A summary in our own words. The full account, with all its detail, is in the original write-up: read it at Saving a 2001 Land Rover Discovery ↗

Worth knowing

  • Pulling the whole exhaust/catalytic converter section to access oxygen sensors from above is far faster than fighting them from underneath
  • Dedicated tools such as an axle seal puller and bearing press kit are worth buying rather than improvising
  • Finger-tight accessory pulley bolts can mimic a serious internal engine noise after a swap
  • Compare a new crank to the old one when fitting a replacement engine, since a slightly different length can prevent the torque converter from fully seating

Saving a 2001 Land Rover Discovery

forum thread: 3 of 3 pages and 49 posts inspected; 25 unquoted updates by KyleGrant used; 24 replies excluded; long updates shortened to fit the text allowance; coverage is partial on 7 November 2026. The original write-up and photographs remain with their creators. This page is a catalogue in our own words, and a signpost to the source.

Read the full write-up at Saving a 2001 Land Rover Discovery ↗

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