Conversion info leaving me confused.

Hi. I have a series III with a terminally knackered engine and a 2.t Td lump sat around doing nothing. I want to put the 2 together. I have spent several hours reading various forums, including this one, and I am more confused than ever. I have been told by some people that you have to change the engine mounts, other people say you don't have to. I have been told that you have to move the battery to under the passenger seat, again other people disagree. I have also read conflicting opinions as to whether or not you need to fit an oil cooler. Is there any one here that has done this conversion themselves, or does anyone know of a step by step guide on how to do it?

Is that engine and Sherpa/LDV one?

Hi If you are using a 200 TDI ie, disco or defender the lump
will fit the series 3 box and drop on the engine mounts without
modificationthe battery is moved so you have more room in
engine bay. your problems will begin with the exhaust.
I have started this conversionon my own series 2
A good site to get a step by step is to guide to google Glencoyne
engineering best of luck Stuart:doh::doh:

Hi, sorry guys, I didn't make it clear that the engine to be fitted is a 2.5 td landrover engine.

O/S engine mount will need modification.
Battery to move to under passenger seat and remove existing battery tray.
Throttle linkage needs modification,
Stop wire from ignition to injector pump.
Exhaust needs upgrading as Series one is too small a bore.
Electric Fan in front of Radiator as there isn't clearance for standard fan as 2.5 is longer due to timing case.

Ok, looks like I will be looking for a 2.25 petrol then.

The 2.5 TD will sit on the petrol engine mounts. Use the ignition coil live for the fuel stop solenoid.

I would suggest that modding a new 2.5 TD exhaust is probably the best route for that.

Fuel piping will need changing as a diesel will require a return pipe to the tank.

Battery tray needs removing and battery moved to under the passenger seat.

There is no intercooler to worry about and the oil cooler can be swapped for a 'bog brush' style one if you want to run the series rad and header tank.

Throttle is a cable on the TD but that can be linked up to the rod linkages on the Series fairly easily.

It is basically the same as doing a Sherpa/LDV conversion. They are all basically 2nd cousins to each other with the TDi in the same gene pool.

That sounds better, but still confused about engine mounts, why do some people say they need to be changed, and others disagree?

martin1512 said:

That sounds better, but still confused about engine mounts, why do some people say they need to be changed, and others disagree?

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You have to swap the mounts on the engine block for petrol ones to get it to bolt up to the chassis, perhaps this is where the confusion lies.

I used the old 2.25D mounts and the 2.5D mounts together, one of them upside down welded in place of the old chassis mount.

I've heard lots of conflicting opinions as to whether or not various Land Rover 2.5 diesel engines will fit into a series Land Rover without chassis modifications. I know one thing for sure (because I've done it myself): 200Tdi engines will fit into a series chassis without modifying the chassis engine mounts, however the engine mounts bolted to the engine block must be changed for the type bolted to the blocks of 2.25 perol or diesel engines. It is also necessary to relocate the battery, because in the standard position the battery and battery holder will foul the injection pump.

I think much of the confusion is caused by the fact that there are a number of variants of the Land-Rover 2.5 diesel engines which predate the 200Tdi. The Land-Rover 2.5 indirect injection non turbo engine fitted to 90/110 Land-Rovers is known as a 12J. The Land-Rover 2.5 indirect injection turbo (non intercooled) diesel fitted to 90/110 Land-Rovers is known as the 19J. Land-Rover also made derivatives of the 12J engine for use in taxis and Sherpa vans, which were known as 14J and 15J engines. The 14J and 15J engines differ from the 12J engines in that they have a different timing case (not sealed) which positions the fuel injection pump higher on the engine block.

It's my understanding that the 14J and 15J engines will fit onto a series chassis without modifying any of the chassis engine mounts. I'm not sure if it is necessary to fit 2.25 petrol/diesel engine mounts to the block, or whether it's necessary to relocate the battery.

I've heard from a number of sources and seen several photographs illustrating the problem of fitting a 12J or 19J engines into a series chassis. As far as I can tell the 12J and 19J engines will not fit into a series engine bay without modification to the offside chassis engine mount, regardless of what engine mounts are bolted to the engine block, because the low mounted fuel injection pump fouls the chassis engine mount. The battery will need to be relocated due to the injection pump occupying the standard battaery position.

I'll admit that I'm not 100% sure about this because I've never fitted any of the 2.5 indirtect injection diesel engines into a series. I suspect that the people who seem to say that the 12J and 19J will fit without chassis mods are confusing the installation requirements of the 14J, 15J and 200Tdi with those of the 12J and 19J.

I'd like to now the difinitive answer myself, because I'd possibly convert my '65 IIA to a 12J engine if it would go in without messing with the chassis engine mounts.

i have a series with a 19j engine in it, the offside chassis engine mounting does need relocating, the oil cooler was bypassed by plumbing the 2 pipes together (only to retain the new series radiator), the battery tray is too large as standard to clear the injection pump - cut down and with a modern h/duty battery fitted it is still in the standard position. Throttle linkage was solved with a link bar with 2 "wobbly" connections on - off the original series, fuel tank was drilled to accept a fuel return feed at the top. Fuel filter installed where ignition coil once was. Exhaust was made up out of some Disco pipes that where lying around - side exit just in front of rear wheel. Was well worth the effort to do.

I am not going to start messing about with the chassis engine mounts. I guess I am going to start looking for a 2.25 or 2.5 petrol engine. Thanks for the help guys, much appreciated.

martin1512 said:

I am not going to start messing about with the chassis engine mounts. I guess I am going to start looking for a 2.25 or 2.5 petrol engine. Thanks for the help guys, much appreciated.

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WHY?? Thats the easy bit! And putting a petrol engine in will be expensive in the long run..go diesel, pref the 200tdi unless you want to keep it original.

I cannot afford a 200 tdi, or that is what I would go for. I am going with a petrol because that gives the best balance between performance and economy on the budget that I have. I also know a 2.25 petrol will fit without any modification at all.

A petrol 2286 engine might set you back £50
A 200TDI might set you back £350?

The petrol does about 20MPG, the 200TDI about 30MPG

Petrol at 1.16/litre is about £5.27/gallon
Diesel at 1.18/litre is about £5.36/gallon

So the fuel cost per mile is 27p (5.36/20) for the petrol and 18p (5.27/30) for the diesel

The difference in fuel cost between driving petrol and diesel is around 9p/mile (27p-18p). After about 3,300 miles the TDI has paid back the difference. Anything after that you're in profit.

"cannot afford a TDI" ... are you sure?

Yes, the long term costs may be cheaper with the Tdi, but I don't have £350 to spend on an engine, and need the vehicle on the road asap.

just put a 200tdi in my 2a, paid £200 for it, took the turbo off and sold it on ebay for £60. So......got myself a nice N/A 2.5 kicking out about 80bhp. 30+ mph and none of the usual exhaust downpipe issues for £140.....
Originally it was a 6cyl so I DID have to move the engine mounts which was intimidating but actually very easy.....just cut them off and welded them back on, took about an hour after I plucked up the courage

martin1512 said:

Yes, the long term costs may be cheaper with the Tdi, but I don't have £350 to spend on an engine, and need the vehicle on the road asap.

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If you fitted a 200Tdi engine your fuel costs per mile would be about 20p, but with a 2.25 petrol it will be about 30p, so with the 200Tdi you'll save 10p every mile. In 1500 miles you will have saved £150. A 200Tdi engine might only cost about £150 more than a 2.25 petrol engine! You won't have to alter your chassis engine mounts to fit the Tdi, just unbolt the engine mounts from your existing 2.25 block and bolt them to your 200Tdi block and the engine will go in. If time and money is a big factor then A 200Tdi without the turbo is the way to go.

I know yuor situation mate, if you aint got the cash then you aint.
The 2.5 TD is sposed to fit on the original mounts, I researched it too, I never got to the bottom of it, some say you can some say you have to move the original mounts.
Maybe someone near you will help with snotting on the engine mount for you, its not difficult for a fabricator or seasoned car basher to weld up, I'd help but I'm 300 miles away.
I sold my petrol engine out of my landy on eblag, it fetched £140, look for a 5 bearing crank if you go that route.
Another possibility is a conversion to a tranny engine, or a pugrot 2.3D, both a bit slow, but you see conversions for little money on eblag.