Converting 2.5NA Diesel 110 to 200tdi?

[Snagger]

You can fit a Discovery/RRC 200 engine, but the fan will be in the wrong place and the manifolds and turbo will be very low, which may cause added work. You would also need to use the engine mounting brackets from the 12J on the Tdi block,, which i did when I converted my 12J powered 109 to Discovery 200Tdi. However, for some strange reason not yet understood by anyone I know, that results in significant engine vibration being transmitted to the chassis, even though the 200Tdi defenders used those very mountings and rubbers... The odd thing is that Series vehicles suffer very badly, 90s and 110 suffer quite badly, but factory fit Def enders are relatively OK (though not as smooth as the Discoverys). It might be worth considering using the Discovery mountings, including the chassis brackets, if you have the complete donor and don't mind the welding.

You would also need to be a little creative with the exhaust, since the turbo will be in the wrong position for a Defender, and the 12J's 2" pipe is too small and has a baffled muffler box, while the Tdi needs a 2.5" pipe and straight-through muffler. You should be able to modify a donor Discovery's front pipe and connect it to a Defender rear pipe.

The gear box will connect straight up, but you will need to work on the fuel and cooling systems. The radiator should be a simple swap, and you can just use the rad and intercooler from the donor. The rad includes an internal oil cooler (right hand side). The header tank would ideally be swapped for the donors, but it's not essential.

The fuel filter is a simpler affair with bigger pipes, and can just be copied from the donor. The throttle cable does not need changing.

With a little creativity, you can continue with your existing air filter and its mountings - you may just need some new large air hoses.

The Discovery/RRC fan sits very low in comparison to the 12Js, though a Defender 200Tdi engine uses a very similar timing case and the same water pump as the 12J , so would be in the same place, enabling you to continue using the viscous fan and probably the fan shroud from the 12J. I don't know if it's possible to fit the timing case of a 12J to a Discovery 200Tdi (the case will fit the block and the 12J sprockets would fit the crank and cam shafts, but I don't know if the injection pump will fit the casing in the right position or if the pump sprockets are interchangeable).

A Defender 200Tdi engine would be simpler to fit, but are usually much dearer.

A 300 Tdi is another option, but would certainly require new chassis mountings.

 

[Stock Tyres]

I'm hoping to spend less than 15K (cost of vehicle only, I'd spend extra later for an engine conversion, upgrades, etc.).

Keep in mind that I can also import up to the year 1995, so there are likely other engine choices available to me.

How much would you have to do the swap? Buying a hooptie that needs a complete tear down anyways is going to be the cheapest part.

 

[JSQ]

With that budget I see two options:

1) You buy the best complete truck your money can get. If you want a 200Tdi or Three Hundy then buy the best truck you can that came with that set-up. If you can import up to the 1995 model year that should not be a problem. Then over time sort out whatever it needs. I'd actually get the best cosmetic truck and work on making it right mechanically. It's much harder to dress the truck up than it is to get it running right. Furthermore you'll find that once you're in North America, the diesel parts you might need are slow to get and pricey. If you try to do a complete swap and find you don't have everything you need then the total cost will skyrocket. It will nickel and dime you to death. If you buy the truck you want with the powertrain you want the project will take a couple of months not a couple of years.

Personally, If I could import vehicles as new as you I'd be looking at a 300Tdi Disco1, not a defender...

2) You but whatever defender you fall in love with that's cheap and looks good (probably an older one) and then you additionally buy a complete newer Tdi-powered truck that won't pass MOT, chop it in half and ship it along. That's the cheapest way I've found to do a swap because it's the only way you get a totally complete set of parts. Canada has a slightly better parts distribution for Tdi's than the US, but it's not much better. You're still going to wait and it's still going to cost you. That said, there will be plenty on your parts truck that you'll want to replace, but at least you will have one of everything and you'll have a road map for your swap.

 

[Douglas S.]

You buy the best complete truck your money can get. If you want a 200Tdi or Three Hundy then buy the best truck you can that came with that set-up. If you can import up to the 1995 model year that should not be a problem. Then over time sort out whatever it needs. I'd actually get the best cosmetic truck and work on making it right mechanically. It's much harder to dress the truck up than it is to get it running right. Furthermore you'll find that once you're in North America, the diesel parts you might need are slow to get and pricey. If you try to do a complete swap and find you don't have everything you need then the total cost will skyrocket. It will nickel and dime you to death. If you buy the truck you want with the powertrain you want the project will take a couple of months not a couple of years.

This is the direction I'm beginning to lean in...

It's going to be a few months before I start seriously searching for something, so I have some time to make a decision on the route I want to take.

 

[Snagger]

If you're importing from the UK, then the advice to buy a factory fitted Tdi Defender is good - Defenders were fitted with 200s from 1989 to 1984 and with the 300 from 94 to 97, so you could get an early 300. The 300 is a nicer engine, quieter and smoother, with a fraction more power and torque than the Defender version of the 200 (the Discovery 200 version has the same performance as the 300), and a better crank-driven oil pump. You can also still get new heads for 300s, but 200 heads are "NLA".

Tdi Defender build quality was amongst the worst, so watch out for rotten chassis, bulkheads, doors and tub cappings/skins, but you should be able to get a fairly tidy 300Tdi 110SW for about £6-8000. Withams had a batch of "rest of the world" spec 300 tdi 110 SWs, which means they have the most basic electrical spec, white paint work, grey vinyl trim and, crucially for you, left hand drive. They may be worth a call.

 

[David Harris]

Defenders were fitted with 200s from 1989 to 1984 and with the 300 from 94 to 97, so you could get an early 300.

Don't you mean the 200 Tdi was offered from 1989-93 and the 300 Tdi from 1994-97?