Oh, I'm doing the swap if a kit becomes a reality and is affordable; that's a given. There are many threads here and in emails where I've spent considerable thought on the subject and everyone knows I'm not afraid to yank my engine out (and apart... with varying degrees of failure) twice in one day, cursing the entire time. I'll take pictures and maybe a video or two, comment, screw up, fix it... I've had my Disco for almost twenty years now and even my wife is resigned to the fact that I'm keeping it, so... let's go!

I just have to be honest here. The ethos of the Land Rover engine is really pathos in my view. It is the weak link in an otherwise well built machine. A cursory review of the forums proves the point.

A few examples of pathos: underpowered even with premium fuel. Prone to overheat and blow head gaskets. Normal mechanics won't touch them or charge triple. RESALE VALUE. Ridiculous thermostat setup. Coils basically inaccessible. If your oil pump flies apart you generally have to replace the entire front cover for an extra 400 bucks. All parts outrageously expensive unless you find a Hyundai equivalent. 4.6 prone to crack thin cylinder walls. SLIPPED SLEEVES. Green, blue, and red blocks. To drop the oil pan you have to jack up the truck like a circus acrobat. Diagnosing a fault requires a PhD.... And on and on. Everyone reading this has scanned Craigslist for Discos that were otherwise perfect but could he had for a thousand bucks because they have a bad engine.

My wife has asked me numerous times "can I take the Disco to Baton Rouge?" or "why don't [daughter] and I take the Disco to Dallas?" My mind's eye scans the truck for faults that will imperil my wife and daughter and unerringly focuses on the engine bay, the rest of the truck in a happily unfocused portrait view.

​​​Tellingly, when ordered to clean out the garage I scrapped thousands in Land Rover engines and engine parts (heads, upper intakes, cylinders...) I had accumulated, but kept the hp24 and its torque converter, and mounts... lying in wait, for this thread. I have double jointed Tom Woods shafts fore and aft, no rubber on my rear diff, a lift, engine crane and stands, tools, barn... ready. Like dgi 07 (a collaborator and provocateur on the subject), I am excited to hear of the progress.

 

 

Oh I agree. My beloved watch has been sent somewhere to be redone and when I see someone wearing the same vintage watch, or driving a Disco II, there is a a measure of respect that passes between us because we know the dogged determination, attention to detail, and expense involved.

An LS would lessen the respect due, but they'd have to get close enough to me to know I had one. Haha.

And a Turner engine is is a different league than my donkey 4.0, for sure.

 

Don't get me wrong, the LS is a far better engine than the Rover V8. The Rover was pushed well beyond it's design capability, plus coupled with the lackluster cooling system and emission regulations -- it was a recipe for disaster. The LS has the benefit of nearly 40 years of engine development on its side and it shows.

I have a built 4.6 in my garage and we considered using Turner before we started on this adventure. I know my way around the 4.0/4.6 well. They can be made (more) reliable, but it still has the inevitable disadvantage of being originally designed nearly half century ago and it's very expensive for what you get. You can swap the cam in the LS, add some speed parts, and make a lot more power. It gives you more options at a lot cheaper price. And you get get parts literally anywhere, for usually a quarter of the price, with plenty of aftermarket choices.

They are fantastic trucks, unfortunately let down by an engine that was pushed way too far. I wanted a permanent solution to the engine issues, so we went with the LS.

​​​There will be a lot more in the coming weeks. I'm putting together a photo album to show the installation process. This project has been a lot time in the making (2+ years). The trucks deserve better engines and this will provide an option that has been needed for a long time.

 

We’ve made some major headway on the swap this week. First, we now have patent pending status on the design. So I can show a bit more.

I am attaching a Google Drive link that has folders of pictures and info. The info section isn’t quite finished yet, but there are pictures in the one folder.

Some of the other pictures show earlier pictures of the install, including the temporary ‘dryer vent’ intake system and pulling apart the wiring loom. I am looking for other manifolds to use, as these weren’t the easiest to install on the final product.

After installing the lift kit, there is plenty of clearance with the front driveshaft and everything else. You could still use the factory springs, but it would be a little tight when off-roading.

We’re still making revisions. I’ve made some significant headway with simplifying the electronics. Big news with that coming soon.

 

You might want to take a look at the LS3 intake, it would considerably lower profile.

 

Yes, I agree, you could use the LS3 intake. However, the truck intake fits with enough room for now. It has about an inch of clearance in the back. Truck intake is supposed to help with more torque at low RPM, but I'm not sure if that is true.

 

You might want to look at the 98-02 Camaro air filter assembly also - they are front bottom breathers - replication of the SS radiator angle would help also - use the SS rad fans. Thanks for the pics.

 

I'm curious what others are thinking of using as engine sources? One of the things that appeals to me about the Turner is that it's a fully rebuilt engine. Does anyone know how the cost of a crate LS engine compares? I've been slowly comparing a Turner, the new Cummins R2.8 crate, and now this LS swap seems a viable option, I'm just not sure the best LS option in terms of reliability.

 

When I was hot on this project a few years ago I sourced them from a junk yard. With a 30 day guarantee they were running 500 to 750 dollars, complete.