Chance of a 300 TDI

At the mo I have 2.5 n/a in my 90, which overall I'm happy with - but I would really like the benefits of a more powerfull engine for longer drives, and the steep bloody hills we have around here.

There's a chance I could get a 300tdi, with gearbox.

Theres a couple of questions I'd like to know first though, before commiting.

It's a Defender 300, so is it really a simple swap over?
Or, is there some tinkering, I should know about?

I have limited mechanical knowledge, and only have the driveway to work on - is it a job for the garage, or could I do it myself in a couple of days?

When fitted, will the props, suspension,brakes and steering cope with the extra power - or will I be seeing increased wear?

If I do get the engine, should I budget for a clutch, timing belt, and zorst too - is there anything else?

I would appreciate your thoughts on this , Thanks

I'm not 100% sure but I think there's a bit of bulkhead chopping required to fit the gear box in correctly and a some welding required to move the engine mounts into the right place on the chassis. You're going to have to think about finding an engine hoist of some kind too! No need to worry about extra wear, my N/A can give a right jolt (as you may also know) if I go into gear too quickly. A 300TDI isn't going to cause any more problems. There are just a few extra bits and bobs in and around the engine to go wrong. Especially with the turbo block and power steering if you're getting that too.

I feel the same about the hill problems, but I have just uncovered a major problem with my fuel line which was allowing it to draw air in, which I'm hoping will get me from 10mph up hills to 30mph up hills!

How much can you get the whole lot for by the way?

Pos, it's a Defender engine, not a Disco Lump, so there shouldn't be any chopping needed.

Oh aye, sorry!

I'm about to do the same, but with a 200 into a TD - some of the links i've collected below might be of use - if only to put you off from doing it yourself.

Muddy Tyres - Yorkshire Landrovers

LR4x4 - The Land Rover Forum > Defender 200TDI timing belt change

200 Tdi conversion

:Nicksjungle.co.uk::

Putting a Disco 200TDi engine in a 90 - LR4x4 - The Land Rover Forum

Welcome To My Land Rover 90 County Web Site

Thanks Sean.

I have some of those links.

Thanks for others - nicksjungle is a usefull one.

yeh, I would love to the job myself, but having no garage, my truck is my only vehicle, and work vehicle too, would mean I need to do the conversion on a weekend, and have it ready for the next week

I'm willing to give it a go, but need to gather all the tricks, and now all the nastys before I start.