Land Rover Repair: My rover is falling apart, vacuum leaks, vacuum problem

Question
Hello again John,
Thanks for all your advice, in the last email i sent i asked you about a knock when i turn my wheel and you said it might be my ball joints or my cv boot and if it was my cv i would eventtually have to lock in my diff just to get it to move. So i was wondering i lock in my diff and drive and it still makes the sound does that mean it is my balljoints? And one more question, my 97 disco just started stalling the rpm's just dwindle out and it dies i think it might be a vacum leak but i don't know do you have any quick checks i can make to diagnose it.

Answer
Hi Eric,

that's a good point.  If you lock the diff and you still hear the clunk-clunk (or is it just 1 clunk?) then I'd say its probably balljoints.  Jack up you Disco and see if the wheel moves, north south, east west.  If you press your weight against the wheel does it move?

Vacuum leaks are difficult to diagnose.  Its quite possible that you have a vacuum problem.  Someone once told me that they spray ether or aerosol engine quick start around the hoses to see if the engine rev's.  Its a strange way to find a leak but it would work.  Trouble is that the aerosol is flammable and you have no idea what might happen.

I've had TPS problems that sound like your trouble.  Does your Disco have irradic rev's?  If its just dying, it could be your coil (no spark) or the spark amplifier module is faulty (weak spark).  Again, you can hook up a meter and see if you are loosing spark.

Best of luck,

JohnMc