S3 conversion, what engine should i use?

Hello to everyone,
this is my first time owning a landy a s3, 88 petrol, could anyone suggest what engine to convert to as the 2.25 petrol is very tired with a bent push rod. I would like to convert to a diesel if poss. any ideas welcomed as i am a novice.
thank you for any help given
Dirk

Hi

Dirk i have just brought an s3 like urself
it is my fisrt car. I hads it gutted and rebuilt. I had a 6 ltr v8
Jaguar engine fitted it took me three months to fit. Now my landy has over seven times the power as before and 0-60 in umder five seconds.

E-mail me at my profile JOhn

http://www.combineworld.co.uk/cgi-bin/www.exe?Mode=Record&Dealer=No&RecNo=1

Mercedes 6ltr, V8 twin turbo 512hp and best of all it's cheap to run 'cos it's diesel . Just out of interest, what 'box are you running with that engine? and which "Jaguar" engine is it? Not taking the pi*s or owt but is that a F*rd engine? know of 6ltr V12 builds out of "proper" XJ-S engines, and SP250 was a V8 (2.5) but I'd be interested in a Jag V8 that big (and short).

Engine recommends - depends on how muckle you want to spend. Prima diesel (Montego - £50-100 for mot failure) ok in swb (£200 for conversion plate), 200tdi works Vwell, Mazda turboed version of Perkins 4203 excellent, LR 2.5 td quite good, Daihatsu 2.8td and UziSuzi 2.8?td worked for friends. Gassed hc Rover V8 cheap-ish to run (and modify) and good power

Why not rebuild the 2.25 if it's just a bent pushrod? Okay they're not startling but friend has/had a 2.25 with a Rovertune?(I may have their name wrong here) comper running unleaded - not much loss of mpg but it shifted!) 6cyl 2.6 from Rover (SD1) good and cheap (£40 for my last one - 38kmiles) but mods required (elec. fan etc) for clearance
If you give people some idea of cash & requirements, there'll be someone with a conversion that fits your bill

Here have shuftie at some of the stuff on my site:-

Modifying Your Land Rover
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/williams73/30_01_Body_02_ModRev.htm
Managing your 'Project'
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/williams73/30_01_Body_01_ProjMan.htm
Engine choices - what works well in a Series Landie
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/williams73/40_00_Body_03_Workshop_LandRover_EngineOptions.htm[font=Arial, Helvetica][/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica]Engines 'At a Glance'[/font]
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/williams73/40_00_Body_03_Workshop_LandRover_EngineList.htm

Should get you started.

Thanks to jonnyp, strangerover and teflon for your help, a lot of good advice there.
I have been offered a complete Isuzu 2.8 Turbo Diesel engine and bits from a friend, i wondered if anybody had any thoughts? I have been told the engine fits straight into the bay with no mods, its comes with a conversion kit for the S3 four speed box. Will the gearbox be ok with this engine.
I am not looking for outright performance more a GOOD STRONG LUMP with a better mpg for off roading, green laning etc.

Friend who did this reckons it's pretty good. Have to disagree with Teflon on 4203 through standard Landy 'box - got a 4203 in a vehicle and it's worked since day one (mot'd, taxed and run flat oot @50 mph) - has been trialled, used as farm vehicle (shunting sh**e) and never fails to start, always runs, and climbs hills like there's a 200tdi on the top . Gearboxes are like curate's eggs - some good, some bad (and with British Leyland, most were bad!) but SII/a bellhousing seems to help (more 'bulletproof') .
If you can find one, HC V8 'gassed' gives roughly the same mpg and can be modded far beyond 2.8td. My v8 (220bhp) was balanced/lightened etc but cost was prohibitive for most (unless you can do the work yourself -also see David Vizard's book also re: polishing ports/balancing etc) - I get 20mpg (no gas) @ 60mph but return <8mpg when I 'tramp'. Best (IMHO) 200tdi,santana 'box & modded propshafts (some chassis mods req'd too) - in t/e RR it gives just under 40mpg @ 60mph (RRdiffs), fits and serviceable by most LR 'independents'. - I no longer have to worry about mpg (for a few years) as I'm one of those drink-drive ars*s and only run off-road now. But ran said 200tdi for a while and was well impressed. Nissan 2.7td well worth looking at as well (goes on forever and good mpg) but cost sucks. (cost of finding one) If engine is cheap I'd fit it and 'suck it and see.......'