New disco 1 owner questions about it?

[deserthonyaulk]

Bought a 96 disco1 SE7 with 120 k miles on it. Seems to run very good so far has some of the normal light problems that I have read about but I will take care of it this week but one question I have is some times when you are coming to a stop and the auto trans is down shifting you can hear a very very faint clonk when it down shifts, doesnt sound bad just makes a sound, also when you put it in reverse once in a while you will hear this clonk also.

I know it is a 4.0 v8 and has about 185 hp it seems a bit slow, is this normal? My other truck is a 04 Dodge 3/4 ton with a hemi and 345 hp so thats what Im used to.

I did change oil and trans fluid once I got it home if this helps.

Also should I really watch out for any thing on this make and year as far as common problems

Some one told me that jeep made this enging is that true?

Thanks for all your help, Im so excited I found this site I also ride dirt bikes and on the same site but for ktms called ktmtalk I have around 500 posts- and have learned so much from that site Im looking forward to the same here - Jason

[01001010]

HAHA...NO JEEP did not make that engine...thats like Ford making the engine for the Vette! BMW used to own Land Rover and they helped make the 4.0s you and I own. Now LR is owned by ford and the engines are Jaguar (also owned by Ford). I too own a 96, mine is SE though. No big diff only you have two extra seats. The truck is a cow, yes, but look at the tourque numbers, thats what counts on these trucks. I don't know about yours Tran. aprob though. Someone in here will know though. Welcome to the Fam!

[roverX]

Welcome. I, too, have a 96 D1 SE7 aka The Black Widow. Here are some things you can do to get a little more get up and go out of your rover:
1) Magnecore 8mm spark plug wires
2) Bosch platinum +4 plugs
3) K&N air filter
4) Clean fuel injector system with B&G 44K

Now, I now, some guys will disagree with me but that is OK. I did this and I have better gas mileage and more power. Alone, none of these things make a difference but add them all together, you will notice the difference.

[deserthonyaulk]

Thanks, I know about the tourque and love that I kind of like just cruising down the hiway at 60 compared to my dodge every time I would look down Im going 80. It makes you just want to kind of meander to where you are going at least me any way, Its very relaxing to drive I love it I havnt driven my dodge since last Thurs

[LANDY96]

Here is a little tid-bit. The link doesn't work, but it was a buick designed engine!

"See this site http//:www.napanet.net/~scottdon/indexf.html for interesting article scanned from 1962 copy of Sports Car Illustrated. All about the development of the 215ci aluminium V8 used in GMs new model Buick Skylark. GM was very upbeat about the new motor and it possibilities and its interesting to remember that they dropped it two years later. Then in about 1966?? they saw a couple of Englishmen looking for an engine design and said "Aha! Here's a pair of suckers." The rest is history. Todays enlarged Rover V8 is a much improved and refined affair but it has its distant roots in GMs ground-breaking design work."

I know there is more to the engine, I just can't remember where I found it, and at what point Ford had anything to do with the engines. I was told that the heads on a 4.0 might be ford inspired? not too sure though.

[01001010]

Oh yeah, I remember reading something about that. Woopsy daisy, guess i was just makin stuff there..lol..sorry deserthonyaulk, but LANDY96 is correct! Good save there. Wait until you get off-road bud, if you're about relaxation, you'll love using this thing to get you to a secluded spot.