I have a few questions which I'm hoping someone can help me with. I have just got my disco 200tdi engine which is still on the garage floor, as I putting on the oil seals etc before taking out the V8 and putting this in. The person who sold me the engine simply cut the wires at a convenient place I guess when he removed it. I'm hoping someone can shed some light as to what these wires are for?? I have added pics. The green one I think appears to go to a sensor of some sort on the engine, one of the little white wires goes to the altenator, but does anyone know where the others go to at the other end of the clump I have in my hand? I Was hoping to put the alternator from my V8 on this engine, but the plug I have on it is a lucus type I think, which is completely different to the one on the tdi. and where does that little spade go attached to the white wire? (see below for back of alternator)
[IMG=http://img28.imageshack.us/img28/2056/dover2011102700046.th.jpg][/IMG]
Uploaded with ImageShack.us
[IMG=http://img829.imageshack.us/img829/9789/dover2011102800048.th.jpg][/IMG]
Also below, (see pic of starter) There was a white wire that had been cut off that goes onto a spade terminal on the starter. I took this off, and put on the brown wire that you see that is now much longer. Is this an earth wire that has to go onto the chassis somewhere? if not, where does this wire go too? the problem is here, as I said I'm replacing a petrol V8, so dont have the luxuary of noting the old TD wiring, so Am relying on help with the wiring at least.
[IMG=http://img16.imageshack.us/img16/3950/dover2011102800047.th.jpg][/IMG]
Now for the fuel side of things. please forgive the mish mash of pipes etc that is ontop of the engine, as that is how it all came on a pallet.
Can anyone tell me where this pipe that has been cut off has to go? (the thin black one below)
[IMG=http://img838.imageshack.us/img838/8551/dover2011102700045.th.jpg][/IMG]
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And this one below.
[IMG=http://img600.imageshack.us/img600/6714/dover2011102700044.th.jpg][/IMG]
Uploaded with ImageShack.us I'm guessing one of these is the lift pump, which I will have to run the fuel pipe from my V8 tank straight too taking out the old V8 fuel pump?
And do you think this oil cooler pipe should be replaced? it got squashed in transit, I did manage to pull it back out a bit without fracturing it, but it still looks a bit flat. I take it if it has to be replaced it is the standard discovery one that I will need that will go to the disco rad/intercooler that came with the engine?
[IMG=http://img607.imageshack.us/img607/6984/dover2011102700042.th.jpg][/IMG]
Uploaded with ImageShack.us Any help on any of this would be much appriciated! as I said, I'm at a bit of a disadvantage because I'm not replacing a td engine, but a petrol 3.5 rover sd1 petrol V8, and there is no write up I can find about that sort of conversion. I think it would be a lot easier if I could get my V8 alternator to fit on, and simply plug in the wires that are going from my V8 engine to that wouldn't it?

Your OP was ****ing me off, so I've sorted it

Although I cant be arsed sorting the pictures out so people will have to piece it together from pic and statement

landie man said:

I have a few questions which I'm hoping someone can help me with.

I have just got my disco 200tdi engine which is still on the garage floor, as I putting on the oil seals etc before taking out the V8 and putting this in. The person who sold me the engine simply cut the wires at a convenient place I guess when he removed it.

I'm hoping someone can shed some light as to what these wires are for?? I have added pics. The green one I think appears to go to a sensor of some sort on the engine, one of the little white wires goes to the altenator, but does anyone know where the others go to at the other end of the clump I have in my hand? I Was hoping to put the alternator from my V8 on this engine, but the plug I have on it is a lucus type I think, which is completely different to the one on the tdi. and where does that little spade go attached to the white wire? (see below for back of alternator)

Also below, (see pic of starter) There was a white wire that had been cut off that goes onto a spade terminal on the starter. I took this off, and put on the brown wire that you see that is now much longer. Is this an earth wire that has to go onto the chassis somewhere? if not, where does this wire go too? the problem is here, as I said I'm replacing a petrol V8, so dont have the luxuary of noting the old TD wiring, so Am relying on help with the wiring at least.

Now for the fuel side of things. please forgive the mish mash of pipes etc that is ontop of the engine, as that is how it all came on a pallet.
Can anyone tell me where this pipe that has been cut off has to go? (the thin black one below)

And this one below.


I'm guessing one of these is the lift pump, which I will have to run the fuel pipe from my V8 tank straight too taking out the old V8 fuel pump?
And do you think this oil cooler pipe should be replaced? it got squashed in transit, I did manage to pull it back out a bit without fracturing it, but it still looks a bit flat. I take it if it has to be replaced it is the standard discovery one that I will need that will go to the disco rad/intercooler that came with the engine?

Any help on any of this would be much appriciated! as I said, I'm at a bit of a disadvantage because I'm not replacing a td engine, but a petrol 3.5 rover sd1 petrol V8, and there is no write up I can find about that sort of conversion. I think it would be a lot easier if I could get my V8 alternator to fit on, and simply plug in the wires that are going from my V8 engine to that wouldn't it?

Click to expand...

Dr_evil said:

Your OP was ****ing me off, so I've sorted it

Although I cant be arsed sorting the pictures out so people will have to piece it together from pic and statement

Click to expand...

Ok thanks for that. I wanted to put the pics up like that, but wasnt sure what link to copy and paste. When I did it before I got moaned at by the moderators for putting on too bigger pics lol.

the link at the top of the defender page tells you what to do with the wires i think.. might be more difficult with yours being a v8.. wont have glow function and what not?? might eb abit of a nightmare by the look of it..

yes replace that oil pipe...

that fuel pipe pointing down with the big bend is the line in from your tank.. the one from your fuel pump is th return to the tank.

landie man said:

Ok thanks for that. I wanted to put the pics up like that, but wasnt sure what link to copy and paste. When I did it before I got moaned at by the moderators for putting on too bigger pics lol.

Click to expand...

Right click the pic, press copy pic address

Click the little mountain in the post reply box under the undo arrow and just paste it in there, job done


Yeah just don't use pics that are like 1900x2400 cos its a bastard takes ages to load and takes up the entire screen

Did my V8 to 300tdi late last year and had similar problems. I went to a local auto electrician and he suggested making up a new engine loom was far better.

Before you throw this away look at what you have to work with

Alternator main feed to starter/battery Charge light
Oil pressure sensor
Run solenoid (the old ignition feed)
Temperature sensor
That's it 5 wires !

Unplug the old engine harness and work out where the original wires go and either splice the new bits into them or as I did in the end cut them off and put a modern auto socket on the end. Then with the plug make up leads to the various ancilliaries.
You won't need to include the thick brown wire as that goes straight from alternator to starter motor.

Going new elimates the old wiring that has been cooking on your hot V8 over the years !

As to the pipes, yes that is fuel feed in and get that oil pipe changed before it fractures

Cheers Alan

does the 200 tdi fit a v8 gearbox ? always thought not , still I have been known to be wrong , ask the wife .

Karlos28 said:

the link at the top of the defender page tells you what to do with the wires i think.. might be more difficult with yours being a v8.. wont have glow function and what not?? might eb abit of a nightmare by the look of it..

yes replace that oil pipe...

that fuel pipe pointing down with the big bend is the line in from your tank.. the one from your fuel pump is th return to the tank.

Click to expand...

right thanks for that. I was told the 200tdi doesn't need the glow plugs, is that right? My ignition still has the 3 click one on it as it was orginaly a N/A before someone put in the V8, So is it just a question of putting a wire to mthe ignition to the wires that go to the glow plugs? also do I need most of those wires in that pic? Put it this way, what wires do I actually need to start the 200tdi motor?

elsie said:

does the 200 tdi fit a v8 gearbox ? always thought not , still I have been known to be wrong , ask the wife .

Click to expand...

My V8 was put on to my LT77 box via an adapter plate.

To be honest, I don't think you do really need to glow em much... But I'd like to have it just incase in deep dark winter. You will probably need all of those wires, but I haven't a clue which is which.. As wermy said id you may be better to make up your own loom. Or look for a written off disco and go and unplug the loom off that. Easy then..

wermy said:

Did my V8 to 300tdi late last year and had similar problems. I went to a local auto electrician and he suggested making up a new engine loom was far better.

Before you throw this away look at what you have to work with

Alternator main feed to starter/battery Charge light
Oil pressure sensor
Run solenoid (the old ignition feed)
Temperature sensor
That's it 5 wires !

Unplug the old engine harness and work out where the original wires go and either splice the new bits into them or as I did in the end cut them off and put a modern auto socket on the end. Then with the plug make up leads to the various ancilliaries.
You won't need to include the thick brown wire as that goes straight from alternator to starter motor.

Going new elimates the old wiring that has been cooking on your hot V8 over the years !

As to the pipes, yes that is fuel feed in and get that oil pipe changed before it fractures

Cheers Alan

Click to expand...

Thanks alan, very helpful. It may all becone more clear when I get the 200tdi in, plus as You said, I'll note where the wires go on the V8, as it will prob be obvious when Refitting them, and I can reuse what I have. I do have several bridges to cross before I have to worry about that anyway, like getting the engine fitted lol.

Aren't the engine mounts different?

Airways said:

Aren't the engine mounts different?

Click to expand...

the jurys out on that one. I,ve compared it with pics of another landy with the engine out, and mine mounts seem to be the same shape, and in the same place as that one.

I'm hoping because whoever put the V8 in used an adapter plate, that allowed them to use the original engine mounts that the N/A used to be mounted too. it will save me much hassle if they havent been changed. they certainly dont look like they have been.

wermy said:

Did my V8 to 300tdi late last year and had similar problems. I went to a local auto electrician and he suggested making up a new engine loom was far better.

Before you throw this away look at what you have to work with

Alternator main feed to starter/battery Charge light
Oil pressure sensor
Run solenoid (the old ignition feed)
Temperature sensor
That's it 5 wires !

Unplug the old engine harness and work out where the original wires go and either splice the new bits into them or as I did in the end cut them off and put a modern auto socket on the end. Then with the plug make up leads to the various ancilliaries.
You won't need to include the thick brown wire as that goes straight from alternator to starter motor.

Going new elimates the old wiring that has been cooking on your hot V8 over the years !

As to the pipes, yes that is fuel feed in and get that oil pipe changed before it fractures

Cheers Alan

Click to expand...

Oh Alan, I forgot to ask. that brown/blue stripe wire that goes to a terminal on the back of the starter thats coiled up (in the pic) I put that on and extended it in a coil. it was a cut off white wire. do you know where that one goes? I was thinking at first it was an earth. But I'm not so sure now.

earths will only be black ,any brown wire is battery live white is ignition live

jamesmartin said:

earths will only be black ,any brown wire is battery live white is ignition live

Click to expand...

Thanks for the reply. I have a coil with the v8 setup. Will that be scrapped now? if so will that wire that was white on the terminal on the starter (that I changed to brown in the pic as it had been cut) connect directly up to the live wire that was on the coil? as doesnt that live wire on the coil go to the ignition? What I'm saying is,do i take it off the coil, and splice it to that brown/blue wire I,ve put on the back of the starter?

I'm very stumped regarding the wiring. I think I've read up enough to understand everything else now, but there is still not any detailed wiring advice regarding changing from a V8 to a 200tdi. I would appriciate any help you could give me regarding those wires I have in my hand on the pic, or any help at all regarding the wiring. Apparently I only need 5 wires, but still not sure where they go, and what are those thin wires in my hand in the pic?

Also I have a full glow plug harness coming, as the one on my engine has been cut. will that connect straight to the ignition switch? as I still have the switch with the 3 click positions as it originally had a n/a engine in it, or will I have to put it through a relay in between the ignition, and the glow plugs? Sorry to be a pain, but I want to get this right.

I prob have all the wires I need on my v8 set up, it's just knowing where to put them on the tdi?

coil feed which would have been white goes to stop solenoid test with test light or meter its live with ignition and during cranking temp blue-ish ,oil pressure white with tracer test by fitting if right wire oil light will glow,alt feed white with tracer,starter solenoid usually white red ,a few brown wires will go to starter battery lead terminal as feed for alt and car

Well after much pulling, tugging, and hammering with a lamp hammer I managed to get the V8 out on my own. The reason why it was such a bitch to get out, was not only was it held in with the normal bolts, the adapter plate had an inch wide sleeve all around it that was tightly fitted inside the LT77 box! It took me half a day to get that bitch out.

I now have a nice empty engine bay to play with. One question I want to ask, is where my washer bottle went to the live on the coil, and the earth on it to the inner wing, Do I simply now run the live to it straight to the battery? as I dont have a coil anymore obviously.

I know there are a few people that like V8's, and dont mind the running costs, so I will be selling the V8 as soon as I get the new engine in and running so I can move the landy to get to it lol. It's a great engine with lots of new ancillerys to go with it,including a brand new V8 rad that has only been on the vehicle for 2 weeks. and it will bolt straight onto your LT77 box without having to move the chassis mounts by the looks of it. It has only done about 20,000, and is a twin carbed 3.5 unit. Let me know if your intrested, I'm willing to take sensible offers on it. Oh, and I will have the exhaust system to go with it which is part stainless. It runs like a dream, so if your after a good V8, you could do a lot worse than this one.