Rover gas engines will last well into the 300k range without a rebuild.
I would imagine that the diesels would last longer, and with a DII you would want the TD5, ask Urban Panzer he has one.
Are you actually going to put half a million miles on the truck?
You will be spending closer to $5,000 to do the swap.
Even at $4.50 per gallon that is 1100 gallons of gas. Thats 15,000 miles at 14mpg.
At $2 per gallon that is 2500 gals. Thats 35,000 miles at 14mpg.
I have owned my truck for 2 years and I average in daily driving 15 mpg. That is real world day to day driving.
I am not saying dont do it, I just do not see the benefit to it, it is to cost and labor intensive.
Others have done it, roughly $5,000 for the engine, another $5000 for the other mods that need to be done.

 

I have to admit that this project isn't justifiable from a pure economics standpoint, mostly I'm a diehard diesel nut. My first car was a mercedes 300 TD, I've had two ford diesel trucks, two dodge diesel rigs, a vw rabbit diesel, and currently a passat TDI. Out of all of them I have developed the most respect by far for the cummins engines. The mileage you are getting does interest me though, if I find a smoking deal on a land rover 4.0 I may go ahead and put one back in here.
I would still contend the conversion cost a bit, as I mentioned before, we have a complete machine shop with cnc capabilities. I also do alot of repair work on equipment for three diferent scrap yards and I'm well connected with several parts yards. All that is to say, if I can't make a part I can likely scrounge one.

 

I understand being a diesel nut, I drove truck for over 10 years, the Cummins ICX was a good engine, 500,000 miles on it before I got a new truck.
You will need new springs, your diesel is heavier than the v8.
If you are making everything yourself you will save money, do you have a intercooler to put in?

As for MPG, like I said I get in day to day driving, thats taking the kids to school, going to work, the store, etc. 15 mpg, when we go on trips, over 20 mpg. We got 24 on a 700 mile round trip last year to Cleveland, did the trip twice in a month and got that MPG both times.

Keep us posted on your swap.

 

So your talking about the 5.9L Dodge 6 Cly diesel ?

 

I have seen kits from the UK that uses the GM 6.2 V8 diesel in the D-90.
Soit would work in a Disco Classic(one) as the drivetrain is the same.

I looked in to the diesel but I would have gone with the LR 300 TDi,,,BUT everytime
I would have needed a part I would have had to call the UK and wait a few weeks,
its bad that I have RPI on speed dial for my V8.

I have a VW Bora TDI (Jetta)that runs over a 130mph and still gets 50 mpg when I drive 70mph or so.
I like diesels and you can import a LR diesel that is 25 years old cheaper than building one by the time you buy a LR here.

 

If you guys keep giving me mileage numbers like that there might not be a conversion to keep you posted on. I'm a diesel nut but that doesn't mean I'm crazy, if these things will get that kind of fuel mileage I may just fix or replacethe engine that is in here.
As for the diesel engine, it was a four cylinder cummins out of a bread truck and the original application used an innercooler. I have no intentions of trying to cram one in a disco. More of the diesel drag racers and pullers are going to water meth injection in place of an innercooler all the time. It's a win win situation, more power, better fuel econimy, and less bulky plunder to install. I realize this is disregarding the hassle of installing an extera tank and plumbing, but I think the trade off is worth it.
About this idea that landzu mentions of using a 6.2 GM, I dont honestly think there has ever been a more worthless piece of junk installed in a diesel vehicle. When I was going to diesel school we had about 6 of those engines, and out of the whole pile there were only two that didn't have cracked blocks at the main bearings.
The disco I got is the one that was in the classified section that lost oil pressure and got cooked. The engine is seized up so I have to assume it is trashed. I found another guy who had the same problem, just lost oil pressure for no apperent reason. Are the 4.0 engines prone to that kind of problem or was that a fluke?

 

Well the 3.9, 4.0 and 4.6 litre Land Rover engines are all the same, just different stroke for each engine.
The only problem that I know of with the LR gas engine's is sludge build up because people use the wrong grade of gas.
The LR v8 requires premium gas, they do NOT have a EGR to keep the combustion chambers cool, so the oil in the heads and vally pan gets baked into sludge, clogs the oil passages and then eventually you will lose oil PSI.
Now keep in ind that your MPG is best when you use premium, and all of my numbers are with premium gas, Shell 90% of the time. They have "Super Tuesday" where I live, on Tuesdays shell premium is $.06 off per gallon.
Dont let the premium thing scare you, it is still cheaper than diesel.
You can probally rebuild that engine cheap. Just remember that it is ALL aluminum with steel cyclinder liners.
Heads, block, t-case, transmission are all aluminum.
Even the body panels are aluminum.

 

Wait, wait, wait...where in Douglas do you live?
Or should I ask, which Douglas do you live in, the one by Saugatuck or Onekema?

 

I was kind of scared of these things because it only has a little more than 100k on it and I figured it must be a pretty crummy engine to only last that long.
On another note I noticed you live a lot closer to me than most of the guys who have been posting on this thread so far, I live down by saugatuck. The reason I mention that is I don't know if you get on craigs list much but if you do you probably saw the 99 disco a guy was parting out in the GR section, I discovered that vehicle is in what used to be U Wrench It in Holland. As far as I can tell if somone contacts him needing a part he goes and pulls it off and then marks it up and re sells it, what an awsome racket! If you need any parts the last time I was in there the driveline was intact except for the engine.

 

I buy most of my used parts at www.autosportsunlimited.com, they are in Zeeland and I can pick up the parts without having to pay for shipping, all nre parts I order from www.atlanticbritish.com
My FedEx route went to south Holland, Saugatuck/Douglas, Fennville and Pullman.
I probally delivered to your shop at one point or another.
I figured that you didnt know much about these things, they are VERY stout trucks. Sold all over the world and over 70% of ALL Land Rovers ever made are still on the road.
60 years worth of making trucks and more of them are still being driven than any other brand.
I am 30 mins from you. We go swimming at Pier Cove.