help with defender engine please

Scots_stalker

Well-Known Member
i have a 1992 landrover defender,she is solid but the engine wouldnt pull you out of bed:rolleyes:
i am thinking of replacing it with a reconditioned lump what would you guys recommend? at the moment she has a 2.5 diesel
 
ive had various the v8 petrol was awesome but horrendous on fuel but the td5 was very good i had an overdrive fitted so the fuel ecomomy was good but even without i prefer the td5 to the currant 2.4 puma engine which i currantly have
 
Don't know what engine you have but Td5 is a good lump but then again the trusty 300Tdi takes some beating! The Td5 takes an ECU remap very well, had mine done with a few other bits and was getting around 210 Bhp and still returned about 30mpg!
 
300tdi every time - reliable, economic (relatively speaking), drops straight in, plenty of spares around. Personally I'd avoid Japanese exotics and adapter plates!
 
Slap a 300 tdi in her, remove the cat and the egr valve.

You may need to get a new mnounting bracket welded in, but they are easily available and mostly come with a jig that fits onto the steering pump bolts to get it right.

Good luck.
 
I've had two 110's and two Disco's with 2.5 nat asp, 200 and 300Tdi.

Never owned a Td5 but did tow a heavy (3 tonne) boat all the way from Blyth to Nairn with one - the torque is unbelievable! You could put the foot down in fourth gear at 30mph and it just PULLED - all five tonnes of rig!

You should also consider though how hard it is to actually change the engine - I would suspect that the five pot may be harder to retro fit though - you might be better to peruse some LR sites to find this out. The chassis could require modification - the engine mounts certainly will. Also the drive train - to be honest I'm a bit out of touch there but I do know the 300 (BMW) boxes were crap - I had one and the dealer had to change the oil several times to get it to change gear. I may be wrong but I thhink the 200 should be a straight swap on the older (2.5) box. If you have to change the whole drive train this could be an expensive mod. Whatever you do you will need new radiator, exhaust, etc etc. The belts on all of these engines need regular changing or they WILL break - its happened to me many times.

If you are seriously considering this I'd suggest you look to an LR forum and ask a few questions.
 
I would replace the engine with the a 300tdi. Not to much hassle fitting, plenty of spare parts available and very easy to work on yourself. Ian
 
A few years ago, the usual upgrade from a 2.5NA was to a 200 or 300tdi from a rusty Disco. Which is best is the landy equivalent of which calibre is best - both are broadly similar in terms of power and economy but each have individual characteristics that endear them to some. The Tdi's are still the easiest way to go as the conversion is pretty simple and relatively cheap. If you look online, you will find many many step by step guides with photos. However, the supply of cheap 200tdi's is drying up fast, and I would expect the 300tdi's will be too - Landrover have stopped making rusty Disco's and many people have converted to use (and abuse) them.

The Td5 was shunned for a long while as being powered by black magic (such as an ECU) but is now accepted as a basically good engine (at least the post 2002 Storm 2 version) with slightly better power/economy and much greater potential for tuning (see the Twisted Performance website for comparisons). The conversion is considerably more difficult and parts are more expensive.

I would strongly recommend not even thinking about a Puma conversion - it is very difficult, expensive, and (in practice) not enough of an improvement over the Td5 as a conversion.

Which should you get? if most of your driving is offroad or relatively low (mostly 60ish) speed, and if you want the least expensive conversion route and subsequent maintenance and repair, go for a Tdi. If a significant part of your driving is faster (70+) or if you want something quicker and smoother, go for a Td5.

Regardless of which you go for, preparation can make an enormous difference to the ease of conversion and subsequent running. Hop over to Land Rover Owner Index page for all the advice you could ever want or PM me.

Knots
 
Another vote for the 300tdi engine.

I have a 1996 County 90 300tdi, bought from a friend who has owned it and worked on it since new. He would not let Landrover touch it though and it has never missed a beat.

More than enough power for everything, and has been said already parts readily available and cheap.

This is my 3rd Landy and compared to the 2 Isuzu Troopers and the L200 I have also owned the difference in repair costs and spare parts is a world apart!
 
Tdi, remember you will need the whole shebang, including the radiator.

Yes, by far the cheapest and easiest way to do a Tdi conversion is to get a dead Disco which can be foraged for just about everything you will need (and then broken to sell the remainder to offset the cost).
 
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i have a 1992 landrover defender,she is solid but the engine wouldnt pull you out of bed:rolleyes:
i am thinking of replacing it with a reconditioned lump what would you guys recommend? at the moment she has a 2.5 diesel

you can tweak the fuel pump on the 200tdi. That makes a bit of difference. I've had all the defender engines and the 300tdi is still the best. There that good the MOD still get them fitted.
 
Do a compression test on the block. If it is still good a set of injectors and a pump would save a lot of hastle and money.
 
Good question - I had assumed it was 2.5NA as every 2.5TD had self-destructed on its own sump oil but perhaps not...

aye mine done that lol. It was my first landrover as an understalker chuffed to bits with it. pulled up in front of the house turned the key and pulled it out and the bloody thing kept running. i just remember oil flying out the exhaust then pop.
 
Done this conversion myself. Had a 2.5na and changed it to a 200tdi engine and I could not be happier. The 2.5na was just shite no power and would be under pressure pulling a half tonne trailer. I used to be in 2nd or 3rd gear on a steep hill now she will pull up in 5th no prob.
She will pull 3 tonne no problem. The power in all the gears is very good. I could not recommend this enough. It will breath new life in to your landy. It will just be a whole new machine.
 
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