300tdi into a 90

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IamRobbie

IamRobbie

Well-Known Member
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Derbyshire, j28 M1
Humour me here.... Been searching and the info online is hit and miss.

If I ordered a galv 300tdi defender chassis from Richard chassis could I drop in a discovery 300 tdi engine with discovery r380 gearbox?

Im led to believe that the gearbox would mount onto the gearbox mounts correctly because it's the same box as the defender. The engine would drop into the correct position. The level is short stick however I could use the lt77 top housing and the ashcroft adapter to replace this?

The gear stick and diff lock would be opposite way around (like in the discovery) however would pop up in the correct place
 
No I haven't. I won't be ordering a chassis until next year. I can't see why it would differ from a defender setup. The gearbox is the same and the engine is the same.
 
Flossie said:
I always thought the disco box was longer? Bell housing and input shaft specifically.??
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That's the slight hurdle I'm facing. If mounting in the 200position you can use a stumpy r380 but this engine will sit in the correct position. Bit of an expensive experiment if I were to jump in and buy the chassis first lol
 
I'm not 100% but I think if you use 300 mounts in the correct Defender position the disco box is obviously too long but you can use the Ashcroft kit to sort the levers but the prop will be too long then. Shortened prop could sort that but it may? End up too short to work properly. Less of an issue with a 110.
If you have the mounts fitted further forward to make the prop good, levers in a better place(no kit?) Then I think you won't have room for the rad etc?.
I'm finding this interesting because I'd like to go 300 R380 disco in the future.
Just my perceived take on what you want to do, don't take it as gospel!!
Someone on here will know though I'm sure.
 
Pretty sure the disco has a long bellhousing & input shaft & defender is short, so while the gearbox is the same the bellhousings are different. Also the disco transfer box has higher gearing than defender, not a major problem unless you do a lot of towing (especially heavy loads i.e. 1 1/2 ton or more), you will find you are changing gear regularly or rarely using 5th gear compared to the defender set up. So the answer to your question is yes you can use the disco box with a bit of faffing BUT it ain't the best solution by a long shot..........
 
I
puddlejumper said:
Pretty sure the disco has a long bellhousing & input shaft & defender is short, so while the gearbox is the same the bellhousings are different. Also the disco transfer box has higher gearing than defender, not a major problem unless you do a lot of towing (especially heavy loads i.e. 1 1/2 ton or more), you will find you are changing gear regularly or rarely using 5th gear compared to the defender set up. So the answer to your question is yes you can use the disco box with a bit of faffing BUT it ain't the best solution by a long shot..........
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I have the -1.4 transfer box that could go on the back of the disco box so not much of a problem. It's just the bellhousing and input length question
 
It won't.
Defender box is shorter than disco:rolleyes:
Easiest option is to source a Defender R380 then the chassis can be ordered factory 300.
The disco box is the same as a Defender box more or less Except the disco box has a longer input shaft and a longer bell housing to suit. If you can source a shorty Defender bell housing and a Defender input shaft you could get a disco box rebuilt to Defender spec but that won't be cheap.
Disco 380 don't go for much but Defender 380 does cos everyone wants one (including me).
Get it out of your head that they are the same :)
 
Think the seat box is different too for a 300 setup. Don't you have a 200 tdi at the moment? Why not stick with that. The 300 is a fine engine, but offers zero advantages to the driver, or even the mechanic looking after it. Same power, same torque, same rev range, same performance, same economy and overall no easier to work on and no more reliable.
 
IamRobbie said:
I'm sure this is 300 Into lt77 so the engine sits further back than standard. I'm talking about engine sitting in factory position and so gearbox moves forward and so do the props (hopefully all to factory position) if the gear box is correct and the same as the defender r380
Click to expand...

I plan on doing this in my 110 for the long term. New chassis in a couple of years but to factory 300 spec. 300 props and seat box but hopefully keep my current transfer box. I already have a good 300tdi and r380 from a disco. I keep an eye out for defender r380's but there isn't much in the way of cheap. I do wonder if my lt77 can be made to fit in 300 position, 300 props, 300 seatbox, 300 engine and reverse gear where it belongs! Lots of threads about this but I easily suffer from an information overload.

300bhp/ton said:
Think the seat box is different too for a 300 setup. Don't you have a 200 tdi at the moment? Why not stick with that. The 300 is a fine engine, but offers zero advantages to the driver, or even the mechanic looking after it. Same power, same torque, same rev range, same performance, same economy and overall no easier to work on and no more reliable.
Click to expand...

The advantage I see is that there are more parts for these engines both new and used, and often cheaper. I could buy a good used turbo for peanuts for a 300 yet a 200 disco let alone defender are getting rare/expensive. Pas pipes, oil pipes, easier to source for 300. Then there's even the possibility of upping that to a td5.
 
Sorry I don't believe parts are rare or difficult to buy. It's a Land Rover, built by the tens of thousands for plenty of years and not all that long ago. Must be 1000's of specialists and parts suppliers across the U.K. too.

If you had something like a 1960's Toyota not sold in the U.K. Then I might concede on parts availability. But a 200tid... you are having a complete laugh ;)
 
300bhp/ton said:
Sorry I don't believe parts are rare or difficult to buy. It's a Land Rover, built by the tens of thousands for plenty of years and not all that long ago. Must be 1000's of specialists and parts suppliers across the U.K. too.

If you had something like a 1960's Toyota not sold in the U.K. Then I might concede on parts availability. But a 200tid... you are having a complete laugh ;)
Click to expand...

Have to say, I haven't found landrover parts hard to get. My Ninety is 27 years old, and I can buy almost every part for it, usually in a choice of qualities, from my local parts indie.
Any exceptions, as you say, masses on the internet, genuine and aftermarket. With the exception of a few very old or rare ones, they must be one of the easiest classics to get bits for.

Our boat has a Ford XLD, basically the industrial version of an 1800 Escort diesel. Only from 96, many parts are already discontinued. And Ford are a massive operation.
 
So we are still no further forward from finding out if the standard disco setup with the addition of the ashcroft conversion for the stick, will work perfectly with the standard 90 300tdi chassis lol
 
It's no laughing matter when you need a high pressure pas pipe and despite paddock, island, craddock and LR direct all listing them (ntc6731 I think) and even taking your money they can't actually supply. Exhaust manifold? Yeah right. Turbo? Not a chance unless you've won the lottery. What about a head? So yes, while water pumps and timing kits are aplenty, the bigger more expensive stuff isn't. There's a lot of disco 200 engined defenders out there that look like some school kids put them together as a result, mine included, and all I want is to lift the bonnet and it look factory, without costing the earth and with long lasting spares supply. I stood in paddocks after a 3 week wait to be politely informed by an expert in the market of Land Rover parts that anyone still considering chucking a 200tdi into a defender, be it from a disco or a defender, was daft as a brush because parts specific to a 200tdi are running out.
 
Discokids said:
It's no laughing matter when you need a high pressure pas pipe and despite paddock, island, craddock and LR direct all listing them (ntc6731 I think) and even taking your money they can't actually supply. Exhaust manifold? Yeah right. Turbo? Not a chance unless you've won the lottery. What about a head? So yes, while water pumps and timing kits are aplenty, the bigger more expensive stuff isn't. There's a lot of disco 200 engined defenders out there that look like some school kids put them together as a result, mine included, and all I want is to lift the bonnet and it look factory, without costing the earth and with long lasting spares supply. I stood in paddocks after a 3 week wait to be politely informed by an expert in the market of Land Rover parts that anyone still considering chucking a 200tdi into a defender, be it from a disco or a defender, was daft as a brush because parts specific to a 200tdi are running out.
Click to expand...

I can buy pas pipes, and I easily got a Turbo for mine from Turbo Technics, give them a ring, if they don't have one, they will recon your old one.
Cylinder heads for 200Tdi are hard to get, I would agree. Bet there are still a few new and used available for private sale, though.

To an extent, I do agree that Tdi conversions aren't the way to go now, but more to do with the fact that most have done 200k plus miles and many not been well looked after than necessarily to do with parts.
 
You see I was always under the impression the disco box was longer until someone (I forget who) told me they was the same other than the selector shafts.
Now this may make sense as if you go on some of the gearbox suppliers websites they sell disco to defender conversion parts kits, which is basically selector shafts and the quadrant to go on the end.
Still a little confused myself and not 100% on it, but if I have to change the input shaft then so beit, it isn't that much of an issue.
 
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