What Engine?

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ollie283

New Member
Posts
6
Location
Essex
Hi all,
I am looking at buying my first long awaited defender which is listed as the following:
Land Rover Defender 90 SWB Diesel Turbo Defender 90.
It has a reg of 1989. I would like to know what engine is in it. According to the seller the V5 starts with 19J, which I thought ok, fair enough. I asked for a photo (which I have attached) however looks much like the 200tdi engine. Which is plausible after reading that these were installed after 1990.

So basically, can you guys tell me what engine is in the landy? May be obvious and I have been reading to much into it. I would love to think it's the 200tdi due to the air vent on the wing. But hopefully you experts will be able to tell me more :)

Cheers in advance!
 

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It's had a 200tdi from a Discovery put into it. You can tell by the low-mounted turbo- on a genuine Defender 200tdi it's in the same location as with the 19J. Used to be a common conversion due to there being plenty of neglected 19J-equipped 90/110s about, and plenty of rusted Discoveries with good engines.

Check that the conversion's been done well without any serious bodges, and it should be fine. Check that cooling fan- it looks like the original viscous fan has been retained, though possibly without the fan shroud which will reduce cooling performance a bit. It's common to fit an electric fan as a workaround rather than fit the proper defender viscous fan parts.
 
FlyingPete thanks for your speedy detailed response! I'm glad you reinforced my initial assumption of it being a 200tdi. Which is good, as I know the 200tdi is a very good engine compared to that of the 19J. Any personal thoughts on the 200tdi?

I will be sure to have a good look around the engine and vehicle (like chassis for rust, etc). But good shout on the fan, if I go ahead and get it then I will be sure to change it for the electric one. Whilst on the subject of inspection, have you got any further advice on what to look for? :)
 
The 19J certainly isn't a bad engine if properly cared for- I have one in my 90 and I like it- but the 200tdi is arguably a better engine. Which, being newer, it should be! The tdi will be noiser than the older indirect-injection 19J, with noticeably more 'diesel clatter.' But they are good strong engines in general. There's the usual old-diesel checks- it should start promptly, not too smokey on acceleration, no strange noises or leaks etc. They're fairly simple beasts really.

The viscous fan works fine if properly installed, but without the shroud it can just whirl air around rather than pull it across the radiator. You can fit the defender fan shroud, or what is usually the more convenient option and fit an electric fan. If you go for this option, do it properly- it needs a dedicated fused circuit, with a suitable thermostatic switch in the coolant hose switching it on and off via a relay. Personally I prefer the viscous setup as there's less to fail.
 
If the V5c says its a 19J and it isn't, I'd be checking the vin number and engine number. Caveat emptor and all that. If the engine has been changed, is there proof (ie an invoice) to show it is legit?
 
Wimblodriver - I will be sure to check that out for sure! And I hope he has some stuff to prove the conversion process.
 
Quick update guys. I went to have a look over it today and was a dream. Drove beautifully! A bit of oil under the sump which may be from diff due to being raised. But will be able to look more closely once cleaned up fully. Also the bulkhead looks to have had a fair amount of filler, but giving it's age not surprised. So yeah, i have my first defender and looking forward to all the good times to come :)
 
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