Here is my final word on this, not that my word means much if anything...the Rover V8 is no different in design that a Ford Triton, Dodge Hemi or Chevy Vortec, all are pushrod "V" engine's, single center cam, 2 valves per cylinder, timing chain, fuel injected and electronic ignition.

As for the longevity of the engine, Bill Burke had over 325,000 miles on his Defender before he went nose first through ice while driving across a frozen lake and drowned his 200*F engine in 32*F water.

In Europe the Rover V8 is THE hot rod engine to use, its light, reliable, easy to work on, parts are plenty and cheap and its plenty "buildable", meaning it can be bored and stroked and milled and super charged and ported and whatever else you can think of.

Every engine has its Achilles heel.

 

Wonder if the "achilles heel" was just the US spec model.

 

They seem to hot-rod the older engines more from what I have seen on the web, probably largely due to availability. But practically every build mentions the sleeves. Keep in mind that when the engine was first introduced the idea of an engine running over 100,000 miles was pretty far fetched. Carburetors that washed the oil off of the cylinder walls and diluted the oil, iffy machining and crappy ignitions made the engines wear out quicker, and the car rusting away around it made people not feel too bad about it when the engine stopped running well. The fact that Rover was able to stretch the life out of the engine design that it did is pretty impressive.

These engines are pretty flexible and can be used in many applications:

They don't even use a cooling system!

 

my chainsaw's headgaskets are leaking

 

There's another video linked to the one I posted where the engine specs are discussed. It's out of a 1987 Rover, bored .040 over (?), runs 118 octane fuel and turns at 7,000 rpm. And with the zoom pipes, you can't hear it tick.

 

its great out all the UK folks wish they had v8 Discos and the US folks all wish they had Tdi Discos

 

JE Robison Service — the blog: All you ever wanted to know about . . Land Rover V8 Engine Failures

JE Robison Service — the blog: The last word on Land Rover liner failures - I hope!

JE Robison Service — the blog: Flanged or Top Hat Liners in Land Rover Engines

 

We should work something out then.....

 

The Rover is definately one of "the" hot-rod engines in GB - it is the SBC of the V8 junkyard horsepower for sure. However, in the past several years the UKP/USD exchange rate has meant many over the water have discovered the real horsepower potential of the LS motors, expecially the (I forget what designation they are) alloy block versions, which make more reliable HP on the factory management than a Rover V8 will even after you throw a LOT of money at it.

I agree it is strange about wanting a Tdi for your disco, or perhaps a defender. I grew up over there, had countless economical diesel cars, and owned several landrovers over the years, but never thought anything of it. They were everywhere, and nothing special. But every time I saw anything American, even something "boring" like a boggo Fox 5.0, I'd instantly want it. Even moreso if it was something like a big GM or Ford pickup with a muscley V8.
Then I move to America, get the big V8 truck, and next thing I am immensely bored of it, and importing a defender, simply because I can't "have one" over here... Then I remembered how damn slow, noisey and uncomfy they are, sell it, and three years later I am considering importing another as the (different) pickup in my driveway is so damn 'ordinary'.

The TD5 is a cool engine, but in no way a "stellar" performer - especially linked to the ZF. Sure, they can be chipped and played with, but nothing like the shove from idle, of the 4.6... Hook a trailer behind them and they really show how asthmatic they are.
If anyone really was keen on going through the hassle, I;d definately recomend a $800 round ticket and see if you can blag a drive of one first. You just might change your mind!
Now, the 2.7 is very much a step in the better direction - these genuinely are better engines. You can get stand-alone ECU's to control them from Specialist Components in the UK. Not sure about mating one to the ZF though, but they did mate this to a very nice six-speed manual... :-)
If you wanted to keep the autobox, then a BMW diesel will mate to the ZF, and be just as easily controlled with the SC typhoon management.
http://www.twinkam.co.uk/shop/page/5


In the end though, a 4.6 built around a block without the bad pump dowels (early 2003) and top-hat liners, will last for a long, long time, especially if treated to regular oil changes and a shot of ZDDP every oil change to keep the cam from wearing out prematurely. If you shop around, you can probably rebuild your existing motor for under 3K with TH liners, and that is using quality parts (stay away from anything other than Glacier main and rod bearings). I never appreciated how fast and sprightly these engines are when they are "new" until I fully rebuilt mine.

 

No, the engines were all made in a different building on the same grounds as the trucks, the engines had no idea where they would spend their lives.
They only changed the ECU and exhaust based on where the truck was going to be sold.