I was sitting here reading an old thread about someone's 2003 who puked an oil pump, and I had an idea. Granted, this is just an idea, and I am going to present this idea with the expectation that someone will tell me that it won't work, and why.

As we all know, a certain VIN range of 2003 Discoveries have casting flaws in the block that cause the gears in the oil pump to self destruct, often taking the engine with them. You can be proactive, and change the gears in the oil pump before they fail, but doing that every 40-50k miles might get to be a little old after a while.

Herein lies my idea. It's a very simple one, which is why I am suspecting it is flawed as well.

Is it possible to completely remove the internal oil pump, and fit an aftermarket, standalone, external oil pump?

 

thats a intresting idea... but remember oil pumps self destructing are not limeted to just 2003. I have a 04 that the engine went so i am rebuilding now. i took apart the oil pump on mine only to find the ring gear broke in half...granted that it would take a secound break to destruct as it is bound inside the housing but..again a POS part and design. The reason for the 03 engine replacement is that the dowls where drilled at a angle causing inproper alignment.

You also have to look at what a 03 is worth with this vin number is about $5,000.00 and with a blown motor..about $2,500.00...really not worth rengineering something already flawed....

 

Bull****, I disagree entirely. Once again, who cares what the monetary value of these vehicles are? Vandev I believe you miss the point with owning a Land Rover, perhaps I am wrong. Back to the point. If something can be engineered to fix the oil pump issue with the 03 motors, and the cylinder liners can be replaced with top-hat liners, what you have is a bulletproof discovery motor. With the little google search I have done on this subject there appears to be an external oil pump made for the buick 215 V8, whether it can be adapted to our motor I don't know.

 

how about removing oil pump and installing a dry sump oil system?

 

you can do that...its a free country....to a point a agree...but thats a hole different discussion....yes...top hat liners are a fix but not for waterjacket wall thickness that are out of speck....for a external oil pump you could try D&D..as they specialize in these motors as i am getting some of my parts from them. You would still have to fab or rework the front cover and that would be expensive....there are to many out of vin motors sitting at junkyards as well as donor trucks you can get for $1,200.00...

 

See, this is a type of answer I was looking for. I'm reading up on dry sump systems as I type this.

Seeing as how none of these trucks are going to be racing the 24 hours of Le Mans, I don't see why it would have to be too terribly complex. Just a simple dry sump system would probably be more than enough.

Or, what Tim had to say about an external oil pump for the Buick 215's. That is definitely worth taking a look at IMHO.

 

This has been suggested to me by someone that has been building racecars and runs a machine shop. There are not any more front covers to be had and there are not a lot of these sitting around in junk yards. If there are either, please let me know. My 03 has been parked in my driveway since January because I am too smart to drive it and can't find a new cover anywhere. I think I am gonna give the external pump a try.

 

Wonder if maybe some other little engine could be found that would be a feasible swap?