I have a 94 disco1 which recently blew its head gaskets. I am looking to just do an engine swap if I find that the block is damaged...I was talking to My land rover expert paul who told me that it's a possibility that I could drop a small block chevy in it, but that there would be a few things to consider including: a conversion plate, electronics, and relocating the engine mounts. Do you guys think this is possible and/or known anyone who has done it? Should I just try to find another gems? Thanks for all the feedback

 

Don't do it. The driveline won't support the HP, and it is a lot heavier.

If you want to spend money and get something bigger, there is a 4.6 shortblock made for a distributor motor. http://www.roverparts.com/Parts/9257F.cfm Or you can get a 5.3 from RPI.

I would suggest going back with the stock 3.9 Gems..

 

It has been done, infact there is a company in Australia that sells the components to make it work. It will end up costing more than replacing it with what you have originally though. If you are just looking to get going again then you find a replacement engine that can be done in a weekend and be back on the road. Unfortunately these are not CHevy's or old muscle cars that you just drop in about anything you wanted.

 

I think a GM 4.3 liter V6 from a Blazer or Astro van would be a better conversion. The AWD Astro Vans are comparable in weight to a disco and it gets 20+ on the highway. And becasue the the block is basically a small block V8 minus 2 cylinders. My 2 cents.

 

I wish I could just get a little bit more power.. If I'm going to be spending about 2k I just don't want to buy another 3.9 that going to have the same problems soon after swapping.

 

you put too much power to your drivetrain and you you will be replacing more than just the motor... the diffs are relatively weak, but can be upgraded, or u could sway in different axles, the transmission is a really tough unit though... but if you want more power than buy a 3.9 and do some work on the internals, port, polish, possibly bigger pistons, stuff like that, then you can have more power and not have to mess with making a different engine fit... it all depends on what you wanna do... u could always drop and LS1 in there and do wheelies...

 

That is still a cast iron engine, the Rover V8 weighs less than more 4 cylinder engines, so if you were to put in a V6 you will need to replace your springs.

If you want more power then do it right the first time, rebuild your engine, bore it and stroke it.
If you want to go cheap then just buy a used engine and drop it in.
If you dont like the power to weight ratio of the Rover then sell it and buy something else.
These trucks are perfect the way they are, they are purpose built, and the purpose is to go off road.
The throttle is set up for small inputs from the driver to crawl over rocks, drop the t-case in locked low and you can climb a tree, how much more power do you need?

 

Is it possible to bore the cylinders since it's an aluminum block with steel liners? Seems lie it would be easier to get a 4.6 short block like suggested earlier. LS1 is an aluminum motor but would cost twice (at least) what the truck is worth.

 

If you bore it, the cylinders will be too thin. Better to go with a 4.6 short block and build it up.

 

I am a fan of the Chevy 350. I think it is one of the best engines ever made. What I don't understand is why that is the first engine everyone wants to swap in. There are tons of engines in the world that are better suited to a Rover application than the 350.

At least take the time to do some research before asking us the same question that has been asked 100 times.

End of my rant. You may continue whatever it is you were doing.