Best diesel conversion for a SIII?

Hmm. My '72 S3 SWB diesel needs a new engine. Driving from glasgow to sheffield at a maximum 31mph, venting loads of smoke (and not just from the exhaust) and loads of nasty noises has convinced me of this. Aside from the fact that it blew up on my drive the next day lol

I'm NOT fitting another 2286cc diesel engine, they're a load of old crap - reliable but no power. I want to fit a diesel.. Something more economical than a 2/300TDI.

Been looking at the Transit 2.5 Di - It seems a very economical lump, and i can get a nice one with a bosch fuel pump to run on vege oil. Now I've been looking at ordering a R380>series transfer case conversion kit from ashcroft, and i've got a VERY low mile R380 longstick defender box to go in, which i want to fit if possible. However, I've read a lot of stuff posted by people who say the 2.5Di has no power. Just how slow would it be, on the original 4spd box, and how much better would it be with a R380? Bear in mind this vehicle is mainly used on-road as the body and chassis are perfect - the body is like new and the chassis is new.

The other engines i've been investigating are:- Perkins Prima turbo - Love these engines, but they're getting rare and expensive now, and i kinda want to avoid turbos if possible.

Someone said Nissan do a 2.5 n/a diesel that's very good, and more powerful than the transit lump... I'd be interested in this, but frankly i'm loathed to get one if a transit engine will do the job.

I do want decentish power - At least to be able to keep up with modern traffic... can anyone help with experiences, advice on which engine to go for?, it'll have to be compatible with vege oil - I'm not bothered about V8 kinda power but I dont want to be embarassed to take my friends in it because i'm 5000x slower than anything else on the road - Want to feel the acceleration when i press the throttle - I'm also conscious of the fact that i dont want economy to suffer because of the lack of power and always having to nail it like i did the 2.25D...

Any help much appreciated

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wots wrong with 2/300tdi's as they both give me good mpg. why not fit an overdrive to your existing box rather than all the expense of the r380 conversion?

2/300 TDI's are not as economical as the 2.5Di - I read in LRO about someone who gets 44MPG!!!!!!!!! from one in a S3 like mine - there's nothing wrong with them, fine engines.. but if i had one i'd tune it for more power (i know i would, i couldn't resist it) and that'd not be good for economy.. lol

My existing box isnt all that great tbh - the car had a new transfer case just before i got it, but the gearbox itself is old and on its last legs. I've got the R380 box, I claimed it off a mate who didnt need it anymore, when my box started getting twitchy - the new box has done only 1700 miles (and it cost me £20 plus the price of 5 pints of stella), and i think it'll be better geared than a 4spd with overdrive.. AND a recon 4spd with o/d isnt any cheaper than the R380 conversion.

EDIT: just thought on.. Wouldn't i also need to fit a defender front end, to fit a 2/300TDI? Would they fit behind my standard S3 front clip? Other than that, is a 2/300 a bolt in? or does it need lots of work?

there is a perkins prima lump from a montego / maestro in the "for sale" section

stick a perkins prima in cheap as chips to run (forgive the pun )and loads of power on the road

I really want to avoid turbos, and 2/300TDI's arent economical enough. I do like primas but i was looking for alternatives - i'll get a prima or 200TDI if other engines are a lot of work to fit - I'm not bothered about adaptor plates n stuff but i don't really want to be cutting up and welding on a new chassis. If other engines require this, i shall fit a Prima. It does seem like the easiest option, though not the greatest on the economy front


what make of fuel pump do they use? hope it's bosch rather than a Lucas/CAV or Delphi...

oh yeah does anyone now how much torque @ flywheel a transit 2.5di makes? they're only 80bhp which is less than a banana manifold, bosch fuel pump transit 2.5di which i can get VERY cheaply because i know where theres a low mile transit thats been rearended and written off (structure knackered) - I could use the engine, and prob sell the rest of the salvageable parts for the same cost as the whole van, and getting rid of the rest.... (but then i could do the same with a rotted out montego..)

Can't seem to find out how much torque the transit engine has compared to the Prima - managed to find out prima's do 115 ft/lb stock..

isn't a prima a direct bolt in job too? What i mean is, i'm not against the prima, i love them, wish i had kept the one out of me dads old montego that got scrapped back in like 1999... But i'm a little wary of going for a 2.0 engine, tiz a little small for such a big, heavy vehicle.. and i'm not sure what the insurers would say to me having a turbo.. lol.. I know that primas can be tuned up with a little tweak of the injection system, and a big intercooler, exhaust, filter etc, i've heard 130bhp is manageable, our monty got about 110-120.. Other than the torque issues, i'd def fit one, especially if its an easy swap, does look to be so, looking at the "how to's" on the net - I kinda want to avoid turbo engines if at all possible, which is why i've been considering 2.5di's, nissan engines etc

Wonder if i could bolt a prima to the R380? Hmm... i see a call to ashcroft coming...

EDIT: Hurm... according to ashcroft's webby, the overall gearbox length is increased by 4 inches when fitting an R380. They say the easiest way to sort this is move the engine forward. Damn. Ain't cutting my new(well, year old, galvanised, properly protected) chassis. will have to find out if there is any way it can be done with brackets, different mount blocks etc

durn it allllll...

/cries

i dont want to cut my chassis... If i have to to fit that r380 i'll have to sell it n buy a 4spd & overdrive.. and break it quickly knowing my luck and those crappy 4spd boxes..

/cries more

Volvo-Penta used to use the prima and called it TAMD22. 105hp very reliable and would run allday flat out.

Yeah, we used to tow a huge, heavy, 19foot fully loaded twin axle caravan (which me and my dad built into a palace) with our montego TD (countryman 7st), With two trial bikes on a rack on the back (a 250 and a 400cc), three large dogs inside the car, and four large people, with enough stuff to take us on holiday for a year rather than 3 or 4 weeks...

I reckon the GVW was probably illegal, to do with a monty but i can remember seeing 80mph, and more, most of the way down from sheffield to weymouth (dorset) - And i towed my first rangie classic home with it... I learned to drive in that monty, was a great car - Didn't do much for my image (we had it from me being 12 to 20) being a montego estate but damn was it a workhorse. cheap to run too.

EDIT: now that i come to think about it... I wonder how my dad managed to tow that lot at 80 without snaking.. we did have a stabiliser bar but even so...

Hi,
I'm going down the Prima TDi route too. Just need to weld and finish machine the adaptor plate.
It uses the Bosch injector pump, and is ideal for veg. Will also take various intercooler options too.
There is talk that using a petrol flywneel is better than the sherpa, but I've made my bed on that one already so will have to wait and see.

For a really helpful forum for parts, piccies and info on the prima - try -
Prima Converters :: Register

Hope to see you there.

A friend of mine says he really rates the PSA XUD (peugeot/citroen) engine - and if he had a Landy he'd think about popping one in. I'm not sure if that's even possible or easy or what....

Linkage: PSA XUD - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I've never heard of the PSA XUTD being fitted. could be quite good though. Now i have heard of PSA's larger 2.3 and 2.5 d's going in, from the bigger van range. The Perkins Prima 2.0 N/A lump is not recommended for a swap with a landie, so i presume the N/A 1.9 XUD would also not be recommended (not enough power)

I also rate the XU engine very highly, It was probably the best car unit available for many years. It's refinement was unrivalled till very recently. The drawback as far as i can see are it's indirect injection - not good for economy, especially in a vehicle as large as a landie.

You'd definitely have to go for the turbo version (XUTD).

Thing is the Perkins Prima can be modded to about the same power a XUTD can be modded to, and it's a direct injection - bit rough but a better workhorse and more economical. definitely more suited to a landie than an XU.

You might be onto something though, those larger van engines could also be good... Hmm

Hi,
I fitted a 200tdi and gearbox/transfer box into my series 3 lightweight. it gave 35mpg easy and didn't need a power upgrade! Yes you would have to move engine mounts and cross member but it is easy especially on a new cassis as the metal is still nice and thick Used the prop shaft from the donor too, the front one onto the back and vice versa.Also used disco rad and intercooler,split them and nounted the intercooler flat on the left of the engine as many jap4 wheelers,just added air scoop to he bonnet for cooling. Didnt need to bring the front end out either just modified the rear of the front panel. Permanent four wheel drive, 5 speed and high ratio difs...fantastic!
regards
ian

hi i am fitting a prima to a s2. every one i speak to say they are realy good on fuel and the power is amazing. yes the flywheel of a petrol shepra is the one to use.

I have a daihatsu 2.8 n/a in my sIIa.It seems to fit well, runs through SIII box. I love it. Runs on 100% veg with heated fuel lines n a filter. Needs diesel 2 start tho.

I think the only better engine is the izuzu.