Nigel (wife named him) needs a new heart beat.
2004 disco se, 114K runs strong but I am getting tired of wondering. A few small issue here and there but it starts and drives fine probably better than most. Needs valve cover gaskets, and a rear main seal (just did front and a speedy sleeve)
I know I should just run it into the ground right, but I would rather bullet proof it than deal with it. want it reliable, dead certain reliable we do a lot of offroading (400 miles in the colorado back country this year alone). We just did a fairly heavy day of snowbusting and he came home with a new tick and spewed some radiaor fluid past the upper heater hose where it meets the block. I will be ordering a new tophatted motor or doing an LS swap almost immediately.
I am capable of doing either install,

so which one? I now this discussion has lots of responses but some of the those suppliers are no longer available
tophatted motors:
turner, doesn't seem to have a long block option
sharper edge, does not have a Bosch block option
JE robinson, not a lot of info on their site
GPR, out of business
Atlantic british, seems to be the easiest option

Other option is an ACE swap kit, the motors are easiest enough to find. Already sourced several options. I saw on completed install that seems to get dismal mileage, i am getting 14 out of my rig now, at 9000 ft.

The tophat option appeals to me only for expedience so is there a place to get them done? i called some engine builders in Denver, they have no interest in doing it, I called the biggest land rover service center (independent) in the area, they do not have a source for engines (how can that be?)

Opinions on value? better to have a tophatted all original disco or an LS swapped disco?

 

LS swapped without a doubt. To me this is a no brainer. The ACE kit addresses every major concern I have for your average Discovery 2. Very nicely designed kits from what I've seen.

Even if you have a tophatted block, that does not address the head gasket delicacy, cam bearing walk out, or notorious Crankshaft Position Sensor failures. The crank sensor will leave you stranded with no warning and the cam bearing will walk out and ruin your new motor with little to no warning (rare, mostly on prior overheated engines).

There is also no guarantee that you will not experience oil pump failure after 100k miles or so, taking out the costly timing cover when they go.

On the flip side, LS motors regularly run past 300k miles with no issue, and parts are plentiful and cheap. I have one in my '00 Tahoe with 298k miles that is legitimately still like brand new. Idles with 40psi oil pressure (warm), and makes 65-70 psi running down the interstate. Never been torn into.

 

Just remember the LS swap is a lot of work and not quite a straight forward as is often suggested. The Rover V8 is not a terrible as many make it out to be, in the UK they put blowers on them twin turbos etc. The problem is we have old tired engines, the youngest is 18 years. many of which have had poor maintenance.

So getting a "new" Rover V8 and taking proper care of it would be a perfectly good choice.

Personally if my V8 goes before I am ready to retire from off-roading I would get a td5 Spanish import and be content.

 

if you're capable of doing the LS swap, it's a no brainer. you'll be free of so many issues.

 

That's what I was thinking also.
In reality the ACE kit is an LM kit as their go to engine is a am LM4 from an envoy.

 

Still waiting on a Rover V8 to die a truly horrific death on me. 22+ LR's from 94-04 under my belt so far and 0 Rover engine failures. Yes the LS is a nice option, but you have to also consider your local state emission laws. Just slapping in an LS does not make it legal in some states. Also not every LS is flawless. The 08 5.3L V8 I had in my Hummer H3 Alpha = normal to use up to 1qt per 1k and it did just that...... My 97 XD with 175K on it (many of those were extremely hard miles before I got ahold of it) and yes it uses some oil, but 175K vs the 08 which was basically brand new and GM considered 1qt per 1k to be totally acceptable. 00-03 54.8/5.3L were good, but not sure what LS these kits allow you to run in a LR. Then there is the HP to stock transmission, or using a GM trans, then adapting the TC to it, and figuring out the shifter linkage business.

Personally for me I honestly prefer LR 3.9, 4.0, 4.2 engines to the 4.6 and with that being said maybe that's why I haven't seen one die a horrific death yet. I have certainly worked on enough 03-04 4.6L turds in my day. The GEMS 4.6L would be as far as I would go. Any 4.6L in Bosch form = I'll pass.

 

I support a proper rebuild of the stock engine. But I also think this would be really nice and probably cost twice as much. Boulder Charles is in.... Boulder CO! Check out the below thread under engine swaps and watch the TFL video.

5.3 LC9 engine / 6L80 trans.Discovery 2

 

Ok Richard. I need the specs and build sheet on a blown Disco. That is my next project!

 

Very nice Disco. For what it sounds like you want, the LS sounds like a good option. It's really the only way to absolutely get rid of the Rover engine problems. And all the little issues that go along with it, like the leaks, etc.

As for the fuel mileage, I saw an increase after the swap. From around 11 with the 4.0 to 14-15. If you want the mileage, you really should have someone do a custom tune for it. These hot-rod tunes that a lot of the LS swap ECUs come with are not good for gas mileage. The 2wd Silverado tune is also not particularly well-suited for the Disco.

I'd say an LS swapped Disco will have the same value if not more than one with a well-rebuilt factory engine. I know multiple people with LS swaps that have agreed-upon values with insurance for sizable amounts.

The newer LS engines (Gen 4) with the displacement on demand had issues with oil consumption and lifter issues. The Gen 3 engines that the ACE kit uses (99-07) are much simpler and more reliable.

The 6L80 is nice, but it raises the price substantially to do in a D2 and easily doubles the complexity. You have to use a Gen 4 / 5 engine and control system, which is a double-edged sword. Todd at ACE, doing his Gen 5 L83/6L80 swap, has discussed how you really have to move back the transfer case to do the swap correctly on a D2, and the shifter setup and electronics being a particular issue. It's an option for high priced restomod-style builds, but not for most people.

 

I watched that TFL video, he has a nice rigs for sure, proper tuning was of course in the mix, I have a tuner i have used before, does good work.

The tophat engine will be more money it looks like and i lose my 4.6 engine altogether with a core charge, but if i do the ACE kit LM4 then i could in theory take my engine in to be freshened up and sell it. Or maybe find another blown up disco and pair it up for a tidy profit....