There are states that require emissions testing on vehicles that are 15 yrs old or newer, so they cannot do it if they want to drive it on public roads.
The cost of the diesel engine is very cost prohibitive.
You can rebuild your own engine for around $500 if you do the work.
You can get 4.0 parts all day long and for cheap, you can only get the diesel parts from a importer.
You can cross reference the oil, fuel and air filter but the timing belt and tensioner will have to be bought out of country.
You will need to change the shift points on the transmission or get a diesel transmission as well as get a diesel torque converter.

 

Ain't nothing shifting my gears but my left foot and my right hand ;-)

 

Oh here was the thread I was talking about earlier. Not sure if the idea ever went anywhere... but he sounded serious.

https://landroverforums.com/forum/sh...ghlight=diesel

 

I've got a buddy down the road with a 1990 defender 90 300tdi with full (and then some) 300tdi engine spare, and he can't give the damn thing away let alone sell it.....

If you want any parts sending over then i'd be happy to assist.

Darren

 

in 4 years time he can sell that to one of us for a few thousand quid.

 

Cost you as much to ship the damn thing

 

shipping is about $2,000 from the Mersey to NY. Defenders are so rare here they are worth a lot more than they are over in the UK.

 

Tdi conversions generally involve;
-unless you have a 4cylinder engine you will need to move and fabricate engine mounts on chassis I can do that easily.
-replace auto transmission with diesel one. Already have a manual.
-remove fuel pump in fuel tank Easy
-remove plastic insert in fuel filler neck Easy
-remove in line fuel filter Easy
-custom clutch lines if a manual transmission Easy
-custom power steering lines (both cheap at your local hydraulics shop.) Easy
-wiring loom can be tapped into to connect temp sender, oil warning light, alternator warning light, tacho, starter wiring stays the same, coil power goes to the injection pump. Easy
-diesel fuel filter mounted to firewall Easy
-radiator/intercooler drops in to replace V8 unit Supplied with engine.
-exhaust system is best taken care of by your local muffler shop I can do myself easily



I have the manual tranny already. The question is, why would I want to keep my 4.0? And no, parts are not easy to come by for me. You have to take into account that I live on a small island 600+ miles North of Seattle and 800 miles South of Anchorage. Shipping sucks, and there is only one other D1 on the island. And it has Oregon plates. To ship a parts vehicle, it will cost me minimum of $670 on a barge from Seattle. So If I want to ge to the dealership, its $1340 round trip for just the vehicle's shipping alone.

 

If I remember right, you have to swap both transmission and transfer case. The bellhousing for the TDI and the V8 are not the same, and gearing is not the same. And if I remember right also the length of the petrol/diesel transmission is not the same. If fitting a 300tdi you will also have to fit a new throttle cable. Check on www.britrest.com there is a good write up with pictures.

And if you live in Alaska you will need a good block heater. I'd go for one that circulates the coolant while heating it, similar to those used on tractors or other heavy equipment.

 

Thanks for the info. And no block heater needed her, just makes it nicer. My winter temps are between 25-35*F and summer temps are 60-70*F.