engine swap
 

Were thinking of a purchase of a 96-99 discovery. What I have been reading is there are alot of problems with older Discovery's due to lack of maintance. Is there any other engine that would mate up that has fewer problems? We really like the discovery but this will be a daily driver so I would just like to know if there are any options. Also in my area there are quite a few with blown engines but the rest of the truck is in great condition. Thank you in advance for your help Greg

engine swaps are babbled about but seldom seen thru to completion. If just head gaskets, $300 parts, machine shop to skim the heads, two weekends of wrenching, and you are good to go. My "Frankenstien" has 183K, 97, brought back to life with parts from the dead ones....

If I was a car salesman I'd say you'd look perfect in a tan Buick sedan......

You killed the Buzz.

Thank you Buzz for your input I will look into that direction. My concern is the block and droping the sleaves and a 3000 plus bill. That is why I am asking about a engine swap to get around the poor design of this block and its problems if not keeped up.

Please I am looking for real honest opinions and know I would not look good in a buick thanks anyway

Also read up on "pinning" the sleeves, to prevent movement.

It's funny you should say that as the engine you're concerned about started life as a Buick.

On a more serious note, DI's are getting so cheap it's possible to buy a couple to cobble together for a daily driver. HOWEVER, keep in mind you're talking about a vehicle that is at least 14 years old now. Yes, they can be used as daily drivers BUT they will likely be always in need of some work. I guess the best thing to do is try to get one that is a solid as possible. That way you stand a fighting chance of getting ahead of the curve with regard to the onslaught of issues you will have with a vehicle as old and as complicated as this one.

This is not to say don't do it. It is to reinforce a sense of reality about what you're stepping into. It you are not able to work on the vehicle either because of space or experience than I would rethink this proposition. If you're handy with tools, good with fairly recent automotive computer issues and have patience, by all means, proceed.

The reason why I say this is that I buy far too many vehicles from people who got involved with cars that had know issues and for a multitude of reasons, were never able to turn the corner on the troubles. In the end, what looked like a good deal turned into a nightmare. So, buy the best vehicle you can afford, with the least amount of trouble, have the truck inspected by someone familiar with the brand (unless, again, you feel that you have the knowledge and skills) and still prepare for some serious repair costs within the first six months.

I should give more information about why I am asking these questions. We are not huge off road type people even though we do go camping and such. What I like most about the truck is there built like a tank very safe for my wife and kids have the comfort features that she will like. Most trucks that I have seen look to be kept up pretty good. So I started doing a search on problems and why they are so cheap. Things that came up was window actuators, front driveline, sun roof, door locks and the engines. Dropping sleeves head gaskets there are others but not so frequent. So the one that scares me the most is the engine, my thoughts were to purchase a truck that had engine problems but otherwise was solid with the exception of the above list (this seems to be just requiring items). I am not sure but it would seem that there maybe a engine that has the same bolt pattern to mate up to the transmission and even the motor mounts I don't know. I was hoping one that does not have the internal issues that these engines have. Just looking for some ideas. I was also looking at a tdi swap but getting around epa in our area might be a problem. Thank you for your input Greg Tacoma WA

Getting around the EPA may be an issue with a gas engine swap as well. You are also not taking into consideration all the electrical issues involved with an engine swap. You have sensors, computers, alarms and a whole host of other issues to factor into an engine swap. As cars and trucks get newer, the concept of dropping another engine into the bay and motoring off happily every after gets harder and harder to achieve.

Yes, there are a handful of know issues with these trucks, issues that have been hashed over in these forums until they are veritable dead horses. However, there are a multitude of more obscure issues that can raise their ugly head with any 13-19 year old vehicle. Typically, those are the issues that do in the first time Land Rover owner, Honda owner, Ford owner, ect.

All i'm saying, like a broken record, is get the best specimen you can find. Hopefully, a solid truck will place you in a favorable position as you try to get or stay ahead of the curve as it relates to problems endemic in older vehicles. If you are seriously contemplating the use of a 14-19 year old vehicle as a daily driver, to me, this strategy is a no brainer.

interestingly, this doesnt seem to be the prevailing attitude on this forum.


i completely agree though.