Hello folks,
I recently bought a "cheap" 1984 series 3 truck cab off flea-bay! Chassis is reasonable, electrics work, the only real MOT blocker was the smokey diesel! I was hoping to get a proper expert to fix it with timing chain or pump adjustment, but it went from white smoke to bellowing black smoke. I've been told it's a full rebuild required by a local "specialist". I've no idea if true!
I like the landy but would prefer a petrol engine. I'm considering my options and after some advice. Searched the web, this forum and you tube etc but not quite found my answer.
Question:
1) should I just buy another cheap diesel and swap it? (Easiest?)
2) could I drop a 2.25 petrol in and flush tank and change electrics?
3) is this a good opportunity to do a V8 conversion? (I've read many a thread and guide on this and would to try it - appreciate it's more work to modify bulk head etc).
I'm in Hampshire Uk, done lots of minor engine work, but never an engine swap.
Any tips on what's involved appreciated. I'll happily spend a bit to get it done right (i.e but an engine crane, pay one of you experts to help
etc!
Cheers
There are a lot of engine swap options.
-Diesels will be noisier and less refined and potentially slower, but usually better mpg. So it all depends what you are wanting at the end of the day.
-Budget it correctly, even simple engine swaps will cost money, and often it’s all the little bits that add up, such as engine mounts, new clutch, new hoses, etc. £500-1000 minimal is probably wise, but very easy to double this or more.
Easiest option is another 2.25 or get yours looked. But remember all 2nd ones are old. Plus the stock 2.25d is slow, low powered, noisy and not all that economical.
A 2.25 petrol would be a relatively ease swap and mostly a bolt in job, but a few differences. The 2.25 is also slow, but should be refined and a lot smoother, mpg not as good. Remember all 2.25 petrol’s are also old.
The 2.5 version of the petrol or the diesel (NaD) are also easy swaps, although will require a few adaptions and mods to work. The diesel is only moderately more powerful. The petrol does give a power hike and you can spend a lot tuning them, making them quite nice power plants, but will always drink fuel and never be all that powerful.
The 2.5 TD from a 90/110 is a similar amount of work to swap in as the 2.5’s and will offer a power hike and mpg hike over the older engines. But these are all old these days.
-Remember you’ll need an entire new exhaust with more powerful engines and probably new radiator setups. Much fits about 90% of the way and can be adapted using latter factory parts. But it will increase the cost.
200Tdi is a nice swap and still plenty of choice. The Tdi engines are lot more powerful than earlier offerings and can be tuned more easily also. The 200Tdi will fit about as easily as a the 2.5TD does. This is still a good engine to consider. Only downsides are, the Tdi’s are less refined than the older diesels. So in a Series will always be noisy. But they will go well and return good mpg.
Personally I see no point at all in doing the “Di” conversion, i.e. taking the turbo off the Tdi. It really doesn’t make it any easier to install, it just saves having to buy a custom exhaust downpipe from the turbo. A 200 Di is likely to perform very similar to a 2.25 petrol or a 2.5 Nad diesel.
300Tdi. These engines offer the same power/mpg as the 200Tdi and are largely the same engine. Really the 300 was LR’s attempt to make the engine cheaper to mass produce. It does use a serpentine belt setup over the older vee belt of the 200Tdi which is nice, but hardly a deal breaker. There are no other technical reasons to opt for a 300 over a 200. However, due to some of the changes to the 300Tdi, it is a fair chunk more work to fit than a 200Tdi and will cost more in time, effort and money.
Rover V8. A fairly straight forward swap, but you will need a few bits of bespoke custom work. V8’s vary in power depending on spec/CR/condition, as a rule they should offer similar mpg to a 2.25 petrol as well as good refinement and similar power to a Tdi or more.
T-Series 2.0 litre. This is a modern 16v petrol engine from a Rover car, and was fitted to some Discovery’s. It’s a nice engine with more grunt than the stock 2.25, but also plenty of revs and more power than a 200Tdi, as well as being a lot lighter. They should go very well in a Series. Although you might have to spend some time finding all the bits. And of course Rover offer this engine in turbocharged form in some cars, to lots of options for more poke.
These above are the main engine swap options you have. However other LR engines such as a Td5, BMW TD6, L-Series diesel, even a K-Series could all be adapted using bits from LR, even a BMW 2.8 straight 6. But all of these will require far more extensive mods and will likely need to you consider upgrading things like axles, brakes, transmission and steering too.
Then there are other non LR engines you could consider. I believe you can still buy some bits to fit Ford V6, something once quite common. The Perkins diesel was also a popular choice in times past. But with the array of good LR based engines, you’d have to really want to opt for something else to make it worthwhile.
