I was offered a (second ) 1999 Discovery with at least one bad HG as well as leaking rear main seal and a slew of other issues - for $500.

I'm used to BMW's where there is a ton of info out there on the web about things like: Are these interference engines, porting/polishing, boring, stroking, valve, cam & head work, oiling mods, etc. etc. etc.

I already agreed to purchase the second Discovery since it's worth more than $500 in scrap value and it's a 1999 like the other one (so I have a parts-car worst case).

If I rebuild the motor & transmission on this thing what do I want to do? Stock power is fine with me - 100% fine. I'd be after anything I could possibly do to increase fuel economy/decrease fuel consumption.

Are there better pistons that you guys use?
Are there better camshafts?
Better oil pumps and/or windage trays inside the pan?
Anything that you guys do to torque converters?
Porting/polishing of the heads?
Transmission gears?? I had an OD in my Series that made a huge difference - it went up to 50mph vs. 35-40 LOL.

I'm trying to put together a rough budget on what it would take (and if it's possible) to rebuild the engine in such a way that it **might** get better fuel economy; or if it's better to just do a stock/OEM rebuild with possibly a cam and a bit of head work.

This 10-12mpg thing is really a buzz-kill.

I understand it's a 4wd brick but I'm going to drive it 65-75mph on the highway, going to tow with it, going to (at times) not be so feather-footed, etc.

If what I'm asking isn't possible please just tell me (nicely) to stop asking and just deal with it.

Thx.

 

There's no mpg in the motor. Throttle control makes a big difference, and you could get quite a bit if you lowered overall weight dramatically, reduced frontal area (lowered the car), improved drag coefficient, and reduced rolling resistance (narrow high psi tires). But most of those things are antithetical to a Land Rover which is why the factory paid a heavy price to deliver abysmal economy that only the people determined to have a Land Rover would be willing to accept.

A motor swap can net a lot of mpg, but in most cases you would sacrafice a lot of power or money as in for a diesel.

What the Rover v8 can do is make a lot of power. Before the LS, it is probably the best lightweight v8 out there, often tuned to 600hp or more (just not in Land Rovers). The problem is that most of the tuner cars with it were not imported to the US, and now with the LS established on the market, there's not much interest outside the UK. Building one out for a Land Rover doesn't make a lot of sense. Off-roaders would rather have the diesel, and everyone else would rather spend the money on a later model Range Rover.

 

Why??

 

Because you can carry enough fuel cans on the roof rack to go 2500 miles overland.

 

So this sounds oddly familiar to my 1976 International Scout II. They offered a 6-cyl diesel motor that was desirable by the off-roaders (Isuzu made it) and then there were 4-pots, 345 V8's and 392 V8's. The only difference was that all of the transmissions either bolted right up to any motor or the bell housings were interchangeable to the actual gearbox and spacing was the same across all motors.

Rather than spend a bunch of $$ on an engine conversion is it possible to find diesel disco's here in the states? If not what's the process to swap a petrol over to diesel?

Is it just fuel tanks, pumps, lines, motor and a few electronics or is it also gearbox, tcase and about a bazillian other things (like dashboard lights for glow plugs, etc.)?

Not sure if you guys have this conversation over & over with n00bs or not but I appreciate the responses.

EDIT: Also, for purposes of towing and actual power, is the diesel motor only desirable for off-roading and MPG's vs. making towing power? I'll take a look at the manuals to see the specs but what are the diesel motors?

 

LR never offered a diesel in the US market (but they did in every other country in the world). I see the main problem with swapping in a diesel (you could probably find one and the necessary ancillary parts) will be a legal one. Depending upon where you live, you may not be able to pass emissions testing, some states don't require the test but you would still be in violation of federal DOT regs. I wouldn't have a ghost of a chance where I live, but you may live in an area that isn't so strict. Mechanically it's not a real difficult deal, but......................

 

What years & counteries did a LHD diesel Disco exist in?

Outside that, would I be dumb to just do heads & HG and get the #2 disco up & running rather than an engine rebuild?

 

https://landroverforums.com/forum/pr...300-tdi-52400/

Is it worth converting? No. The gasoline motor has the most bang for the buck. You will never pass slower traffic again with the TD installed, just like the Isuzu 6 in the Scout II's.

Your best bet is just do the head gasket work and call it a day.

I've been around for over 4 years now and there is allot of information on the net about swapping a NAS truck over. It's nauseating how many times it comes up. Unless your expertly skilled you'll have an expensive pallet sitting on your garage floor. There's a whole lot more your in for than just plunking the motor in, nothing is straightforward about the swap.

Research it out for yourself. I don't have the patience to explain why it's not a great project. These are high maintenance vehicles, nothing will change about that ever. They are British made, nothing from across the pond has ever had great reliability except for the mechanic who services them and that's questionable as well.

There are forums galore on the subject of converting over to diesel, any diesel. Most conventional wisdom goes with the 6.2/6.5 GM's. Shoehorn fit but they are cheap, plentiful, no computer and are less prone to breakage although I see them scattered all over our maintenance facility like cow pies on a diary farm. Merc's are the other toy around favorite motor. Good luck finding adapters.

For $500 I'd fix the gaskets and run it into the ground.

 

I have a few friends over in the UK and I could easily get a RHD model back to the states but obviously not road legal. I have a nice condition 1999 that will stay petrol and it's almost done with all the maintenance, etc.

I did have an Isuzu engine on one of my Scout's - it was just "OK". I assumed that a LR diesel would be a little more powered appropriately than the IH/Isuzu combo but perhaps not.

Sorry for bringing it up yet again, I'm sure that petrol to diesel conversions do come up quite often.

Thanks for the help & feedback.

 

No need to apologize, I've considered it seriously many times. I haven't found the right combination of mileage and power that will suit the truck's weight for the way I drive... There is allot of information on converting LR's. Google it and you will be in conversion heaven. It's allot of work no matter what option of diesel gets plunked in.

I drove a Dodge/Merc Sprinter with the OM642 variable vane turbo, variable valve timing and it went like a scalded cat but it was an electronic nightmare, always in the maintenance garage. Besides that it would break stock LR axles like toothpicks.

I then went to the Isuzu's (Cummins)- 4BT2T which you find under Isuzu cab overs. I even considered the Binder diesel, the Nissan SD33T and the Case/IH TDi 2.8 4 banger made in Mexico. Yep, I've done allot of reading.

I've even considered the GM Northstar engine since it runs on regular with an output of 300 plus ponies. Limits hit again on stock driveline.