Sluggish 200tdi

Hi all,

I've recently acquired a 1988 Land Rover 110 with a 200TDi conversion from a Discovery. It’s very sluggish and struggles on hills. On a flat, I can reach a top speed of around 50 mph, but on any incline, even on the motorway, I have to drop a gear or two.

I noticed a new turbo whistle that hadn’t been there before and discovered that the turbo actuator rod was seized. After freeing the actuator rod, it seems to be opening and closing fine. I checked the pipes with soapy water and found no leaks. Initially, I thought the turbo actuator wasn’t performing correctly, but even forcing the wastegate closed made no difference.

The new whistle noise from the turbo makes me think all of my boost is escaping. It drives like there’s no turbo at all. The turbo whistle is constant. The turbo itself looks fine though—there’s no wobble at all.

I’ve installed a new fuel filter, and the throttle is opening fully. The 200TDi conversion wasn’t done well. When I got it, everything was held together with zip ties. There’s no intercooler, and the intake pipe to the turbo just goes to a K&N type filter in the wing. While I understand this setup would affect power, it shouldn’t be to this extent.

I haven’t tried adjusting the fuel pump yet. I don’t need a race car, and I’m quite happy with a bumbling slow 110, but I don’t want to be slowing down to dangerous speeds every time I hit a hill, which is all the time here in Wales.

The lift pump appears to be working. By which I mean when you depress the lever you get resistance at the last 10mm or so and get a decent squirt of diesel, I assume this is correct.

I’m new to Defenders, so I might ask some stupid questions. I'm Hoping one of you can diagnose my problem and save me a headache.

Maybe remove the turbo intake hose and look at the end float to see if the bearing is worn or indeed seized. My 110 would do 60 on the flat and need knocking back a couple of gears on long sections of uphill. I just used to sit behind trucks in the slow lane. When I checked my turbo it is worn and needs a cassette of complete replacement spose at 205.000 miles it’s to be expected.

I doesn't sound right to me.
An intercooler will likely help when the engine has warmed up.
The intake sounds OK, the K&N shouild allow enough inflow.

Fitting a new CHRA/core to your turbo may make all the difference, the seals may have gone so you are just blowing air back into the exhaust.

Thanks both, I guess I'll try that next. Is the 300tdi cartridge interchangeable? Seems to be half the price of the 200tdi.

I put my compressor set to 10psi in the actuator pipe this morning it opened instantly. So I turned it down all the way and gradually turned it up, opened at roughly 2psi but this could be the chinese gauge on my compressor at fault, regardless it still feels like all the boost is escaping though the exhaust even when I clamp the waste gate closed. So could be both are knackered.

I'll go with the new turbo cartridge first and if there's still a problem try a new actuator too. The 200tdi actuators are hard to find by themselves.

mjr92 said:

Thanks both, I guess I'll try that next. Is the 300tdi cartridge interchangeable? Seems to be half the price of the 200tdi.

I put my compressor set to 10psi in the actuator pipe this morning it opened instantly. So I turned it down all the way and gradually turned it up, opened at roughly 2psi but this could be the chinese gauge on my compressor at fault, regardless it still feels like all the boost is escaping though the exhaust even when I clamp the waste gate closed. So could be both are knackered.

I'll go with the new turbo cartridge first and if there's still a problem try a new actuator too. The 200tdi actuators are hard to find by themselves.

Click to expand...

Get a turbo shop to rebuild it, they will be able to throw a aftermarket actuator on also

Get that K@N filter off first, while they breath well when clean they can soon clog up if in a bad place and not maintained.. [ not a fan of them] I recommend standard air filter
Also have a look down the air intake pipe, they can delaminate inside and block the air flow.
Check the little pipe from turbo to injection pump.
Simple[cheap] things first.

tottot said:

Get that K@N filter off first, while they breath well when clean they can soon clog up if in a bad place and not maintained.. [ not a fan of them] I recommend standard air filter
Also have a look down the air intake pipe, they can delaminate inside and block the air flow.
Check the little pipe from turbo to injection pump.
Simple[cheap] things first.

Click to expand...

I did check all the pipework, will go over it again though to make sure, I'd be kicking myself if I bought a new turbo and there was a kink or hole in a pipe.