TexasTJ
Climbing Nerd
My old 300 TDI Automatic Disco could do 70 all day long I did have to drop a gear manual going up hill, but she would humm right along. By far the most Reliable Rover I have ever had.
Diesel engine options for classic Range Rover
- Thread starter REDROVER
- Start date
My old 300 TDI Automatic Disco could do 70 all day long I did have to drop a gear manual going up hill, but she would humm right along. By far the most Reliable Rover I have ever had.
buff
Observer
Ive got a 3 door discover 1 with a 300tdi/R380, which i bought 5 years ago for £350. The inner bodywork needed a lot of welding, it had 145,000 miles on it. Its now got 215,000, Ive done 1 head gasket and water pump/radiator in that time. It'll sit at 70mph at just under 3,000 revs all day long. Everything is standard on it, wouldn't swop it for anything. Ive done engine changes on other landies, V8's, 606 merc engines. And I'd still choose the 300 tdi.
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Deleted member 9101
Guest
6.0 LS swap.... But that's just me.
EricTyrrell
Expo God
200/300Tdi with a VGT/Intercooler upgrade meets your stated requirements, and is far more simple and affordable than other options.
REDROVER
Explorer
I am about 90% done with the conversion, but winter and work made me stop and finish other projects.
For while I am gonna drive with the 6.2 and see how it does, but I have new rebuilt Cummins 4bt ready as well as take out Mercedes diesel with its transmission just in case,
I should of gone with Cummins swap or Mercedes 300 initially,
rovers engine bay is so narrow, v8 is a tight fit.
Worst case I will change it, I know bunch about 4bt but no clue about Mercedes diesel.
I should start working on it again as soon as days get warmer.
For while I am gonna drive with the 6.2 and see how it does, but I have new rebuilt Cummins 4bt ready as well as take out Mercedes diesel with its transmission just in case,
I should of gone with Cummins swap or Mercedes 300 initially,
rovers engine bay is so narrow, v8 is a tight fit.
Worst case I will change it, I know bunch about 4bt but no clue about Mercedes diesel.
I should start working on it again as soon as days get warmer.
EricTyrrell
Expo God
lol. It's not every man that embarks on an engine swap by buying one sample of each option. Which engine are you 90% done swapping? It seems, you started on the 300 path, then the 617, but now you say you have a Mercedes diesel "just in case".
REDROVER
Explorer
Originally I was set on Mercedes diesel swap,
But I wanted to use attached LT 230 and I couldn’t find adapter for it, so I gave up on the idea,
I went with 6.2D nv 4500 and lt230 because adapter is available, that conversion is 90% done,
even though 6.2D is just as long as 3.9 gasoline engine, it’s much wider, that’s the part I don’t like, land rovers shock towers are always in the way.
The biggest hard part of any of those 3 engines I mentioned is making the engine and transmission adapters,
All 3 of those motors are mechanical injection diesels and no electrical involvement,
It may seem like a lot of work going from 3.9 to 6.2 then to Cummins or BENZ, but it really is not.
if I switch to 4BT Cummins or BENZ diesel, I have to make divorce mounted LT230. ( that means very short drive shaft going from 2 wheel drive transmission to LT230 and makes it full time 4x4.
I Putting 12.000 lb hydraulic lift in my garage now, I was hoping it would of been done by now so I could finish the exhaust system on the Rover.
But I wanted to use attached LT 230 and I couldn’t find adapter for it, so I gave up on the idea,
I went with 6.2D nv 4500 and lt230 because adapter is available, that conversion is 90% done,
even though 6.2D is just as long as 3.9 gasoline engine, it’s much wider, that’s the part I don’t like, land rovers shock towers are always in the way.
The biggest hard part of any of those 3 engines I mentioned is making the engine and transmission adapters,
All 3 of those motors are mechanical injection diesels and no electrical involvement,
It may seem like a lot of work going from 3.9 to 6.2 then to Cummins or BENZ, but it really is not.
if I switch to 4BT Cummins or BENZ diesel, I have to make divorce mounted LT230. ( that means very short drive shaft going from 2 wheel drive transmission to LT230 and makes it full time 4x4.
I Putting 12.000 lb hydraulic lift in my garage now, I was hoping it would of been done by now so I could finish the exhaust system on the Rover.
graniticrockmonster
New member
I wouldn’t go 617, going to be underpowered unless you get the injection pump redone, the benz transmissions from that era did not have lockup, tiny driveshaft sounds interesting though.
Theres a guy I talked to a while ago Getlost4X4 is his username on here, I think he made adaptors for the 617 to the zf. The 60X lines of mercedes engines are better than the 617 and there are adaptors that exist for them, a 605 turbo would fit and have some power but theyre hard to find.
Theres a guy I talked to a while ago Getlost4X4 is his username on here, I think he made adaptors for the 617 to the zf. The 60X lines of mercedes engines are better than the 617 and there are adaptors that exist for them, a 605 turbo would fit and have some power but theyre hard to find.
Byrd-Shooter
New member
Did this project ever get finished? Very interested to hear about it.
Roverchef
Adventurer
The 4BT will bolt directly to the NV4500 and there is an adapter already out there for the LT230 to bolt right to the NV4500 too so you don't have to divorce it. I did this conversion for a client almost 10yrs ago so I know availability of parts has only gotten better since then.
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