Converting 1993 90 Tdi to Automatic

I have a need to convert my 1993 200Tdi to and Auto box.

What do I need to do, what is the likely cost?
Does the auto box from a 300 Tdi or even a TD5 fit the 200Tdi (are they the same box)?


Val.

I am pretty certain I have the relevant conversion parts in my lockup

you need the flex plate, baulk ring, gearbox dipstick tube, lockdown cable plates and a bunch of other bits I can’t remember. I can have a look but it won’t be for a week or so.

I can see if any of it has part numbers on it.
I may be persuaded to part with it all

flat said:

I am pretty certain I have the relevant conversion parts in my lockup

you need the flex plate, baulk ring, gearbox dipstick tube, lockdown cable plates and a bunch of other bits I can’t remember. I can have a look but it won’t be for a week or so.

I can see if any of it has part numbers on it.
I may be persuaded to part with it all

Click to expand...

Ok, Interested. I'm still in the reasearch stage and it will depend on the total coat of getting everything together and having it fitted. But yes if you want to part with the bits I might be interested.

Val. h said:

Ok, Interested. I'm still in the reasearch stage and it will depend on the total coat of getting everything together and having it fitted. But yes if you want to part with the bits I might be interested.

Click to expand...

okay will dig it all out, I know it’s all kept together, and look at it all for you At the very least it will give you all the photos of what bits to find.

IIRC it’s the genuine Land Rover bits to convert a 200tdi to auto

Okay here are the bits I have.

@jamesmartin may be able to confirm what bits are what, he is a bit of a guru when it comes to LR products

Engine back plate adapter for a 200tdi auto disco






Flex plate and ring gear, and fixings to attach it to the crank








fuel injector pump kick down brackets



Bolts to fix the backplate to the engine and to the gearbox and other fixings






and the 200tdi specific dipstick and tube for the auto gearbox


I have had these parts for absolutely ages but I have stored them with a light oil coating and wrapped in plastic bags in the dry so they are in good condition, they are used takeoffs though.

I don’t know if I actually want to let them go, I need to think about it. Tbh it is very unlikely I do an auto conversion on my 200tdi......

I may also know of a ZF auto box and oil cooler bits and pieces and the shifter as well, let me ask a couple of mates.

Thanks

Ed

flat said:

Okay here are the bits I have.

@jamesmartin may be able to confirm what bits are what, he is a bit of a guru when it comes to LR products

Engine back plate adapter for a 200tdi auto disco




Flex plate and ring gear, and fixings to attach it to the crank



fuel injector pump kick down brackets



Bolts to fix the backplate to the engine and to the gearbox and other fixings




and the 200tdi specific dipstick and tube for the auto gearbox


I have had these parts for absolutely ages but I have stored them with a light oil coating and wrapped in plastic bags in the dry so they are in good condition, they are used takeoffs though.

I don’t know if I actually want to let them go, I need to think about it. Tbh it is very unlikely I do an auto conversion on my 200tdi......

I may also know of a ZF auto box and oil cooler bits and pieces and the shifter as well, let me ask a couple of mates.

Thanks

Ed

Click to expand...

Thanks for posting these. I'll be talking to my local LD specialist in the next couple of days to get the full low down, then I'll decide from there.

I used to drive an early 300tdi Discovery auto, it was one of the slowest, numbest things that I have driven.
I note that you say that you need an auto, so you possibly have no choice, but prepare yourself for dissapointment.

Rougharse Racing said:

I used to drive an early 300tdi Discovery auto, it was one of the slowest, numbest things that I have driven.
I note that you say that you need an auto, so you possibly have no choice, but prepare yourself for dissapointment.

Click to expand...

Not necessarily.....
Takes just a few steps to turn things up a bit from stock. And whiles you can source most of the parts required second hand and you should to save on cost, I would highly recommend talking to Ashcroft about a reworked torque converter.
Those have a lower stall speed than stock, and it makes a world of difference to the driving experience.

Rougharse Racing said:

I used to drive an early 300tdi Discovery auto, it was one of the slowest, numbest things that I have driven.
I note that you say that you need an auto, so you possibly have no choice, but prepare yourself for dissapointment.

Click to expand...

I had a late 300 auto disco, oh dear slow does not quite describe it, so jjfearn tune (it was the edc model) and cooler wow different machine, in fact it was faster in every respect over the td5 manual I replaced it with.
I think an auto 90 200 or 300 with the std 1.4 tfer box will be just fine as you can work the thing.

Have heard all the horror stories before and I have to say they do not relate to my experience.

Back in 2016 I converted my 300TDi 90 to auto using an Ashcroft conversion kit (I ran a thread at the time and have since mentioned it many times) and I have to say I am FAR from disappointed.
Illness had forced my wife to buy an auto so I used that as an excuse to convert the 90. I had always hankered after an auto and with her being a named driver (even though she never actually drives the thing) that was all the prompting I needed.

Before I carried out the conversion I was kindly offered a test-drive in a 90 which had been fitted with an Disco engine & autobox. The owner said that as his was an ex-Disco unit (fitted with the EDC fuel pump) producing slightly more power his would perform better (!?!) and I should be prepared for more leisurely performance from my own conversion.
If I was to say I was less than impressed that would be an understatement! The thing was sluggish with the feeling that it was either hauling a great weight in the back (it wasn't) or the brakes were binding (they weren't). I could have gone away feeling that I had made a great mistake (I had already ordered the kit from Ashcrofts) but I didn't as I felt there was something was wrong with the vehicle I had just driven (or perhaps it was just worn out?) and mine couldn't possibly behave like that (could it?).

Fast forward to when I finished the conversion and took it for its first test-drive, any doubts I had were completely unfounded. It performed well while the lack of gearchange made for a very relaxed driving experience (at this point I should mention that although I had owned it from new the engine had still only covered 44K miles so was in peak condition and being a soft-top carrying no unnecessary weight is probably lighter than your average HT or SW).
The only thing I wasn't completely certain about was my choice of transfer-box. When the 300TDi was new I had a 1.2 transfer-box fitted by the dealer and with the 265/75x16's this was a winning combination but no-one could be completely certain how the auto would perform with the same setup so I decided to leave the 1.2 in place and see. I left it like that for nearly a year but finally decided that it was just too high geared, not locking up until 55MPH and not pulling top (you could get it above 70MPH but then it just ran out of puff with lots of revs to go). I fitted a 1.4 and it transformed the vehicle, it is now positively sprightly, locks up at 50MPH and will rev out while reaching silly speeds (for a 90!).

The only decent Land Rover autos that I have driven had either a V8 or TD5 bolted to the front of it. The 300tdi Discovery was so numb that if you wanted to pull out behind a car at a junction, you had to floor the throttle as if you were trying to ram it, the Discovery would crawl out behind. You drove it with the throttle nailled to the floor the entire time, it was much like driving a 2.5 N/A, but a little faster.

I don't recognise that experience, I had a 2.5NA D for many years and yes it had to be worked to keep up with modern traffic.
My 300TDi auto however couldn't be more unlike that, it would be like comparing chalk & cheese.

Rougharse Racing said:

The only decent Land Rover autos that I have driven had either a V8 or TD5 bolted to the front of it. The 300tdi Discovery was so numb that if you wanted to pull out behind a car at a junction, you had to floor the throttle as if you were trying to ram it, the Discovery would crawl out behind. You drove it with the throttle nailled to the floor the entire time, it was much like driving a 2.5 N/A, but a little faster.

Click to expand...

I have been in a couple of v8s, and tbh after the way everyone creams their pants over them I was less than impressed, all noise and no go springs to mind, as for the td5 auto

Well, Decission made.
After talking to my local LD guru plus considering the coats, availability of the parts, against the vehicle itself and my long term needs. I have decided to sell up and move on to something that will suit me better.

I bought the 90 as a sort of asset, as it has been rechassid plus the engine reconditioned and suspension overhauled. It replaced a Discovery TD5, which was a much better car for my uses.

Time I think to pass it on to someone who has more interest in the Defenders than I.


Thanks for all the input, advice and offers. Val.

Time to buy a Range Rover

J