Count me in the "I'm Interested" category

Shade Tree, Great Thread. Wondering how much simpler this would be for those of us who are thinking a 2 wheel drive daily driver would work just fine.

My 2003 Disco needs an engine rebuild at nearly 200K, and I don't plan on doing any four wheeling. Thinking it would be fun to have a hot rod 2WD Disco.

Brian in Austin

Shadetree I've watched your thread for awhile and admire your jump into it attitude. It sounds like you've had great success.

I've watched a YouTube video by a guy who put an LT1 in a Disco II and apparently used the ZF transmission. He also used all of the rover electronics. What really caught my attention was that he put a crank sensor over a wheel attached to the crank pulley rather that at the back of the engine and a throttle position sensor on the throttle. They were land rover parts but he made some little brackets to hold them.

I'm sure I can make or buy an adapter for a chevy to ZF and a fab shop near me could make the motor mounts and extra brackets. Id have to figure out the flywheel and flexplate. A pilot bearing is no big deal.

Your thread and the video I watched (Google 4.3 chevy disco) caused me to think that with any self regulated engine (like old diesel or distributor controlled engibe) with a crank sensor and throttle sensor, I should be able to use my ZF transmission, have rpms, etc. on the dash, without using any other engine bay sensors. I would just have to figure out shutoff. It should run and shift, anyway, though the SES light would have a fit. But I wouldn't care because the output from the Bosch system could go jump in a feep, cold, lake for all I care, with a self regulated engine. The transmission needs rpms , throttle position, transmission oil pressure and temp, and speed.

Can I get your thoughts on this? I have another thread about sensors needed to make an engine start with a rover ecu and the transmission shift but I haven't received a specific response. Not many people have done what you've done (or if they have, they are secretive bastards).

That's all fine and dandy if your vehicle doesn't have to be state inspected in any way. Emissions testing/inspections are (in my opinion ) a far greater hurdle than any other mechanical modification.

I've watched this thread and viewed a bunch of videos on this topic. I'm confident I could make something work with enough time and money invested. But then I run into the state laws...and I'm screwed. Only state that I know of is Florida. No emissions or inspections. Then it's game on.

I would think that making a swap where the Rover electronics and transmission are used would make the final project pass emissions. The Bosch electronics and injectors are pretty decent pieces. They do a great job of making a very unsophisticated engine perform well in my opinion. You could pretty easily make them work on something like a Ford 5.0 or a smaller displacement Chevy engine and end up with no lights on the dash and the ability to pass inspection. But you would still likely end up more than you would if you installed a top-hat Rover engine. And no matter what you do, you will ultimately end up with a truck worth $4 to $5,000 like all of the others.

I'm really starting to consider this swap. Hmm, I wonder what the value of my partially rebuilt 4.6 and two zf4hp24s is... I could include a set of hedman headers, the first half of an exhaust system, and two sets of computers. Might break near even.

No emissions testing where I live. Just a once over and short drive. Trouble codes don't matter.

I don't think it would be that expensive. The engines are cheap. Wire is cheap. Little brackets are free if I have something in the garage. The adapter is expensive but I can make one. It is virtually guaranteed cheaper than a reman rover engine.

I know my Disco isn't worth much but I'll never sell it anyway and mine is a nice truck that I've put thousands into after buying it new. I let it sit in my garage for five years straight rather than get rid of it when it had a major problem. It's my pal. I think it would be happier with a less crappy engine.

I get it, clearly none of us are very rational otherwise we wouldn't own one of these things. There is something to be said for working your way through a swap like this and making it work but that being said, the only way to really justify it is to admit that you are doing it to prove you can.

I definitely would like to see someone make another engine work with the Rover electronics so that it can pass emissions. Maybe something with a camshaft profile, lifter style and rocker design from at least the second half of the 20th century.

The ultimate mod for your list.