Can anyone recommend a shop that does a lot of engine conversions for Discovery 2's? A 5.3L Vortec motor was recommended but the gentleman is out of state and I would prefer to have it done locally. This is is the planning stages and I am looking into the options and costs. Thank you.

David

 

You might want to take a look at the LS Conversion thread. I believe there was someone that had done the swap in / around Houston. They might have some recommendations on local shops.

 

Was there not some guys selling the kit than gave up because it was such a pain

 

The only reason I would do this is solely for mpg anything else not worth it

 

ACE never stopped selling to shops. They stopped selling to individual people for a while, but has been back at that for probably over a year now.

I'd say significantly better engine reliability, a lot more power, better fuel economy, and parts availability in that order.

 

thats good to know about the kits

but I’m assuming it’s not cheap I looked into this before. Your looking at close to 8 k and your getting a used LS with who know how many km.

power means nothing to me personally in my disco

 

It was significantly cheaper than 8k USD. I would say a pretty average price for parts while doing it yourself would be about $5k usd. Don't know about engine prices in Canada though. I'd trust a used LS for ages over the Rover V8. I did some minor updates, like new water pump, etc while the engine was out.

With a stock Disco, not a ton of need for extra power over a 4.6. But power is really nice for cruising in the Disco once you load it up with offroad gear.

 

Hey Captain, Curious what your seeing in MPG improvement over the stock Rover motor.
Remember, all men lie about two things - gas mileage and...

 

Haha, that made me laugh.

My gas mileage went up. Before with the 4.0, I would struggle to get 11-12 mpg even on premium because my truck is so heavy with bumpers, roof rack, etc. I had to really work the engine especially in the mountains, etc. With the 5.3, it improved to about 14.5-15 on regular. But then I added a bunch more weight and wind resistance with new rocksliders, steering guard, etc, so its come back down a bit from there. I also know I drive faster with the 5.3, so there’s that too.

Hard to consistently say how much it would be on a specific truck given driving style, tire size, weight, and airflow-reducing mods, but I'd say that mpg will improve some.

 

I would think the LS should do better being a more modern design, etc. I am curious about where it makes power and how that works compared to the stock engine, in my case a 4.6. I bought my D2 with a LS swap in mind but am now leaning towards a stock rebuild with top hats. The stock engine makes great torque down low. Looking at torque curve comparisons maybe more low end torque than a 5.3 LS. The LS bringing in more above 3000 rpm. I could also be wrong as only did a quick google to see some torque charts. I am still impressed at how little throttle tip-in is needed to move the truck . Full disclosure I am not a power-speed guy anymore, especially with the D2. I like that the Rover gets around fine with little throttle effort and cruises nicely at 65-70mph. I have been getting around 12.5 mpg before and after lift and tires.