Which Diesel Engine is the best?

[Dr Strangeglove]

Just pondering a change from a 3.9 auto to a Diesel with manual box :?.

Which is the best to fit and why? :-k  
Which is likely to be more economical to do the work (cost of conversion plates etc) :? ,
Which is the most readily available? O:)
Which is the toughest? ](*,)
And finally which is nicest to have powering your drive? :twisted:  

Probably opened up a can of worms here but I am sure many will enjoy giving their opinion whilst many others will enjoy reading them.

Oh – and very important – which should be avoided and why? :shock:

Looking forward to an enjoyable discussion – thanks in advance for any advice given!

Oops - almost forgot - how much is it going to cost (ish) :(kerching):

Regards

Mick

[bezzabsa]

well my Factory 300 Tdi takes some beating ;)
usual conversion is to a 200 tdi as most disco parts bolt straight on.
also all the usual suspects -Daihatsu 2.8 / perkins (sloooooooooooooow), nissan etc .. basically anything thatll fit!!!
also consider the GMC 6.2 v8 diesel - what a beast of an engine  :twisted: ..
sure someone else will throw some info in

[davidlandy]

as has been said 200 or 300tdi

[extreme90]

200  :lol:
end off  :twisted:

[AbyssDJ]

200tdi. cheaper than a 300, and not really any different. apparently, 300's are quieter and more refined, which for most of the part seems true, HOWEVER our 200 is as quiet as a 300 for some bizarre reason.

plenty of power when you want it, and with a bit of tweaking even more so ;)

[extreme90]

my 200 is quieter than the disco 300  :roll:
it responds better
and is just generaly better
o and it starts easily without glow plugs in the morning unlike he disco coughs n splutters and misses  :shock:
and no there isnt air in the fuel its got all new lines  :lol:
200 for me anyday
dan

[Dr Strangeglove]

What kind of cost are we talking for second hand?  How easy are they to fit into the RRC (mine is a 1991 Vogue c/w 3.9 efi)? :?   Is their anything I need to look out for or to avoid when looking for one.

[gtomo2]

Just to open the can of worms a bit more i had a rangy with a mazda 3.0 ltr turbo diesel in it and it went like the stuff off a shovel and it had so much pulling power it was un real. It would do a 4 whell wheel spin from stand still on dry tarmac. and would crawl down any slope in low range no worries.

[The Fat Controller]

its down to choice and finances
this is what i fitted

it just fitted in place of the V8,new engine mountings and conversion plate needed to fit to manual gear box.engine came out of a nissan patrol

[waveydavey]

Personally I think one of the best Diesel Engines on the market is a MAN B&W 58/64 but that’s probably a tad large. The numbers refer to the bore and stroke.

There are countless options if you go non LR, if you stick with LR it can be easier, in fact there used to be a genuine parts conversion kit to 200tdi!

The big bonus of the 200 to 300 it is 100% mechanical; after that all the fast pedal does is tells a microprocessor to tell the engine to go faster. There are lots of plus points to that but mechanical links are easier to play with yourself and easier to retro fit. If you go all the way common fail rail give better MPG, torque, power, basically better everything but 100% computer dependant.

The same theory applies to non LR of course, the biggest question to ask is do you want the electronics? There are advantages both way.

[Range Rover Ron]

Hello guys,

Just throwing my twopenneth into the quagmire..................
For what it's worth................

I speak with a little bit of experience here.
I owned a V8 RRC and fitted a Isuzu Trooper 2.8Tdi engine into it a few years back,
the trooper engine was awesome,
many people say that that size is probably the best engine match to ever go into a RRC.

Since than I have had a 300 Tdi 110 Defender county staion Wagon which was OK.
Since 1995 I have owned a 200 Tdi Discovery.
The Discovery's curerent stable mate is a 300Tdi RRC soft dash.

My thoughts are this....
If you want the best engine, go Jap.
But and it is a big BUT,
you will be unable to enter any ARC events if the LR is not completely LR from top to bottm.
The 200 Tdi is better in many ways than the 300 Tdi,
it is more efficient, pulls better when cold,
is more responsive and it tows better than my 300 Tdi.
The 300 Tdi is quieter and more refined, do you want refined?
In most cases the 300 Tdi is definately more sluggish than the 200 Tdi.

So it is up to you, if you go to ARC like events don't touch a Jap,
If you want awesome engines and don't intend to do "official" events go Jap.
If it is between the 200 & 300 Tdi's, I'd personally prefer the 200 but it just depends on your use really.
The none turbos and the V.M. engines are good in their own right but are the for-runner of the better Tdi's.
The VM can be troublesome at times,
they have single cylinder heads on the four pots.
It can be both cheaper if one blows or more expensive if a terminal fault appears.
The none turbos can go on for ever with little maintenance.
The Tdi (Disco) that I have had for 12 years has had it's oil changed every 6,000 miles,
had the timing belt changed as LR suggest and is a great LR.
No major problems in all that time.
So look after what ever you get.
As I said above,
in the end it is what you will use it for that will decide for you.

Cheers............................ :lol:  :lol:

[Dr Strangeglove]

What kind of cost are we looking at! :shock:

[Guardian.]

isuzu 2.8tdi made my defender fly, loads of pull, better all round than and tdi, but, parts are more expensive and dealers dont want to know or help when you need bits if they know its in a landover, they give you the 'without a vin i cannot suply and parts' bull.
saying that, at least if its a tdi it can be easily tuned a bit, and bits are so cheap its unreal, and you can get them anywere, and also, and i stress this next bit only includes landrover parts department, not any other bit of the landrover establishment,
the guys in the parts depts are generally the most knowledgeable and helpful people you could come across.

[Range Rover Blues]

Refined, funny word.  Julie's is a factory TDi but I really notice the noise after being in the V8.  Plus I think it sounds strained running along at 70MPH plus, again after the V8.

A really good gas conversion will cost you just over a grand

[Bobtail]

What kind of cost are we looking at! :shock:

mate take a look on eblag in the parts section as well as the cars

you can pick up a 200tdi disco for less than £500

and this will provide all the parts you need to complete the conversion

eg engine/box/rad/intercooler/pedalbox etc etc

hope this helps

[Range Rover Ron]

Hello again,

@ 70 mph I'd say my 300Tdi RRC is a tad quieter then my 200 Tdi Discovery,
but there's not much in it!
They are both reasonable quiet when you consider it is a deisel.
If you compare a Tdi to any of Land Rover's earlier deisels,  
you will notice a remarkable noise reduction.

I know of a completely rebuilt 200 Tdi going for £500.
My Disco is for sale with 12 months MOT & 7 months tax for £1,000.
pm me with email address's and I'll send photos & details.

keep yer peckers up!

[Rich_P]

If you compare a Tdi to any of Land Rover's earlier deisels,  
you will notice a remarkable noise reduction.

Don't forget advancements in sound proofing.  ;)

"Almost reaching sixty miles per hour!  Put on the ear defenders if you value your hearing!" *cue diesel noise getting louder and louder and louder to deafening levels*  :lol:

[Range Rover Ron]

Hello there,
Noise reduction is noticeable between a Tdi and Earlier Deisels, whatever the reason.

Keep yer peckers up!

Cheers......................

[waveydavey]

Much as I am a fan of Diesel Engines I tend to go with the gas suggestion.

THe engine change needs a lot more than just an engine, the gas is still more environmentally freindly, will probably be as cheap to run if you look at £/mile instead of jus MPG.

Lots less work; you know the history of what you have and you keep the auto box.

Oh yes and you keep the V8, apparently they sound quite nice ?

[bullfrog]

I have had most variants over the years and for simplicity, ease of fitment and insurance of course, I would go for a 300 Tdi.
They can be bought for sensible money these days.
I had one fitted to my RRC 4 years ago for £1800 including a fair amount of other work and it had a genuine 12 month warranty. I can PM the garage details over as he is very reasonable.
He did a 200 conversion for us as well for £1200 including a zues bell housing (4 speed/overdrive) + other work.
The 300 has a better turbo set up and is more refined because of this. It comes in pretty much off tickover so is hardly noticable.
I found the 200s to be harsher .
You can get a complete disco 200 for around £500 these days if you are in a position to have the donor vehicle and do the work. It can work out cheaper and of course you will have parts to sell on and recoupe some costs but it is more hassle if you work full time and have limited space ??

[Dr Strangeglove]

Cheers for all the advice,

The reason for looking to change from the V8 is that I have only just got the Rangie and have managed to overheat it and the head gasket has gone.  As such I need to strip of the cylinder head and get it skimmed, get the gaskets and re-fit.  I am no mechanic but this does not worry me to much as I have friends who are.
I think the way I have managed to blow the head gasket is I managed to overcook the engine.  I bought the Rangie off eBay and when I bought it the top hose was split and after refitting I only filled it through the expansion tank (as I wanted to flush the system before re-filling with anti-freeze).  As I had drove it 45 miles back after refitting the (shortened) hose and it not having any overheating, I did not think I had a problem in that department (OOPS!!).  Apparently I may well have had an airlock which caused the over heat in the first place (though the top hose did seem to have coolant in it - I squeezed it to check before driving) as I had not topped up through the plug above the engine.  So the thing is - I don't know this engine anyway!  (As an aside - are their any things on the 3.9 EFI I should look or listen for as if their are other faults then I may as well save my money on the head gasket and look for an alternative engine).

Once again - thank you very much for all the comments - listening to information and opinions from people with all the experience the Mud-Club members have is invaluable - so please keep it coming

Regards

Mick