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Which engine to replace a TD5


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The only solutions, sorry

Whilst i have a soft spot for LR's, and the aftermarket parts and indy back up is superb, they suffer too much with underbody rot, not helped by the vast majority of first owners not giving a crap about the undersides, though this applies to all vehicles LR's suffer more than they should have done given the cost and the number of previous models which rotted just the same.

 

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Have you been to the Outback or Africa to check?

 

Tellingly the Australian Army used Defenders but fitted big Isuzu diesels, LR were averse to fitting any strong diesels to their own vehicles, sticking with slightly wheezy sub-2.5 litre engines. Land Rover's own diesels were reliable if underpowered, then they fitted that ticking timebomb Transit engine to it.

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If you've had a good poke round the Aussie army Perentie then you'll know they've got more in common with a Series than a TD5.

Plenty of series LRs still in use in Aus but the saying there is "if you want to go bush take a land rover, if you want to come back take a Toyota"

 

The most recovered vehicle from the bush at the time we were there according to the towie who fetched us in were modern land/ range rover with electrical failure.

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Surely if you wanted to do any serious big-boy expeditionary stuff you'll be wanting either a Pug 504 or a W123 wagon?

 

As far as the TD5 is concerned a well-maintained one will run and run. They're not inherently unreliable but they require more preventative maintenance than perhaps LR owners were used to coming from TDi's and their predecessors which you could leave for years untouched. I tend to think of going from a TDi to a TD5 is a bit like going from an XUD to an HDi.

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An hdi couldn't be as incontinent as a td5 unless you left the sump and bottom hose off.

 

I'm not a td5 fan to be honest . They pull well ( esp with a chip ) but leak like a sieve so every Time you work on them you get minging.

They seem to lack bottom end grunt and stall quite easily .

I'd much prefer a tweaked 300tdi in a disco 2 .

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Didn't Hummers have the Cummins B series 5.9 in as standard?

 

It's Mopar wagons that have Cummins in, Dodge Rams etc.

 

What about that 2.8 litre Brazilian development of the Tdi engine?

 

What he said; the Powerstroke will be simple to fit and has similar power output so won't melt the gearbox/transferbox/axles. The only potential problem is if it will pass emissions rules.

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Plenty of series LRs still in use in Aus but the saying there is "if you want to go bush take a land rover, if you want to come back take a Toyota"

 

The exact thing my cousin said, but with added Nissan. He's a telecoms engineer in the outback. Although he reckoned the shitload of kit they carry occasionally 'broke the back' of an LR if they weren't careful.
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My TD5 Disco has been moderately reliable, but has had its issues and I have had to do a fair bit of work to it, including a OMGHGF a while back.  In fine Landrover tradition, there are a number of modifications and upgrades that you can do to improve matters, but it's always going to be a slightly-fragile computer controlled unit-injector engine, no matter what you do.

 

I am looking at an engine swap for mine too, and top of the list is a Mercedes OM605 or OM606 turbo engine.  They tick every single box as far as I can see:  Massively strong design, capable of absurd power outputs with no internal modifications (OM606 will make 500HP!!) Bosch inline injection pump, which is lubricated with engine oil rather than having to rely on it's fuel for lubrication, meaning it will run on *anything*.  SVO or filtered WVO will run in these out-of-the-box.

 

I currently also run an OM606 in a 1996 S210, and although the car is competent, it's nothing special.. the engine however is a corker.  Would be perfect in a D2.

 

The only issue you have is that the R380 is not really up to the torque from an OM.  The transfer box will be fine, and the axles will be OK, but you need a different box.  Favourite for me at the moment is the 6-speed manual from a 2.7CDi ML, which can then be modified at the back end to couple directly onto the LT230, but there are various options.

 

Have a look on superturbodiesel forum, and there is a facebook group called mercrovers specifically for fitting mercedes OM's into Landrovers.

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I had wondered if a suitable gearbox could be found for a legendary MB engine...

 

One other option which has come to light from a discussion with a friend of mine is the BMW engine family. Obviously the TD5 isn't a BMW engine as many internet experts will have you believe, but the R380 was used (in admittedly relatively small numbers) in the diesel manual P38. In South Africa you could also buy a 90 with the 2.8 inline 6 engine. Lots of part searching and cross referencing has shown that an R380 can be mated up to a 6 pot BMW lump (petrol or diesel) with the P38 bellhousing in the middle.

 

What I hadn't realised until yesterday is that the M57 TD6 3.0 engine used in the early L322 Rangie is common rail, but the M51 2.5D used in the P38 is IDI. As much as I dislike the P38 compared to my current L322, knowing that it will happily munch on WVO improves things somewhat.

 

If I was going to the hassle of slotting an M51 into a TD5 Disco, it would be tempting to try to put it in a L322. I don't think the original box in the L322 would talk to the M51 easily (and isn't the strongest anyway) so I'm not sure what could be done there. If it could be slotted in reasonably simply (dare I say it with a manual box?) then I think I'd have a very well developed and finished cruiser which would run on free fuel, albeit slowly...

 

The Disco 2 I had reminded me a lot of the Saxo I used to run, in terms of how well built it felt, all the switchgear, lack of adjustment in the seats etc. The L322 on the other hand feels much more like a Volvo and then some, and my current one is on 208,000 miles with everything working. 90s BMW isn't a bad basis for a car.

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Well in a somewhat bizarre turn of events - especially given what this thread is all about, I've bought back my Disco.

 

Rather than still being with the chap 15 miles away who I sold it to last October, it's now in Kettering. Balls. Still, he spent £3k on it and I've bought it back for less than I sold it to him for... If/when the engine dies I'll probably chuck an M51 in and get it running on veg.

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/04-Land-Rover-Discovery-2-TD5-Landmark-Manual-FSH-Diesel-Disco-Leather-12-MOT-/122717623133?hash=item1c928a535d%3Ag%3AqJMAAOSwxzBZma1f&nma=true&si=gmkE1BYltCO9QrVCVdfsao4w9JQ%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

 

53 plate Rangie Vogue on gas with 208,000 miles imminently coming up for sale... Free delivery to Kettering too as I need to pick up my Disco!

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