Defender 300tdi conversion

Just a quick one. Want to do a 300tdi conversion. If I buy a 300tdi disco will I have all I need except gearbox? My 90 is a n/a so can I use disco rad/intercooler/steering box etc. I know I need lots of conversioin stuff for the exhaust but will the donor have all the rest. Also... if I buy an auto can I use the box in a defender, where does it line up to when fitted?

depends what you want i allways fit 300 as it would have been by lr and use 300 tunnel floor plates props etc auto would fit in same position disco box can be altered to def geare change

jamesmartin said:

depends what you want i allways fit 300 as it would have been by lr and use 300 tunnel floor plates props etc auto would fit in same position disco box can be altered to def geare change

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Have pm'd you, dont understand last point re auto box. What do you alter in the box?

"Want to do a 300tdi conversion."

Unfortunately the LR Genuine Parts 300TDi conversion is no-longer available or you could have gone for one of them, they stopped them about 3-years ago when the 300TDi finally went out of manufacture.
They contained everything you needed including brand-new engine, gearbox, transfer-box, crossmember, propshafts, exhaust system, air-box, tunnel & floor-plates, wiring harness, radiator, intercooler, engine-mounts etc etc. Price included dealer fitting and it came with the standard manufactures guarentee.

if you fit 300 in proper place you will need more parts but they will all be standard ,like exhaust ,disco and def front pipe are the same ,disco front prop same as def 300 ,pas box etc same ,rad intercooler the same but needs 2 x locating studs removing from bracket and fastening direct to lower frame and both side brackets removing ,you would need to source rear prop ,tunnel,floorplates etc gearbox crossmember bolts into def with original def mount holes needs some metal removing from seat box support,300tdi and v8 gearbox fit in same place which is about 2 inches further forward than 200tdi and 2.5s ido know someone with 300 tdi auto gearbox it would fit the same as manual r380 ,disco r380 i change to def spec by swapping selector shaft and fitting def gear change housing lt77 one can be used, i would be willing to show you how

Is it easy enough to swap the bits on a disco box to fit a defender, I have the defender R380 but it is on its way out and i can pick up a disco box a lot cheaper so is it easy to swap the bits over

it is possible without major surgery.
just done this conversion and we needed;
na engine mounts will fit the 300 block, BUT, you will need to chop the rh one to clear the oil filter. the standard downpipe won't fit, but if you use the flange for the turbo, cut the downpipe off, then use the s bend from the 300 defender front pipe you can make a pipe to clear it.

the flywheel housing off the n/a won't fit the 300 block because of the crank seal, so you will need to cut off a couple of studs, it's easier to do this if you remove the clutch and flywheel from the 300, take the housing off, then offer it up to the gearbox first (and of course you can change the crank seal at the same time)

after that it's just a case of plumbing and wiring (which is quite straightforward)

the only problem then is making the exhaust, as the gearbox crossmember is in a different place to the na one, so it's a tight squeeze between that and the gearbox, but with some offcuts of exhaust, and a 90 TD exhaust system it can be done.

still think they are better done properly but each to his own,its just nice when i see them to be done rigth all std parts than the collection of abortions you see whith bodged pipes everywhere

jamesmartin said:

if you fit 300 in proper place you will need more parts but they will all be standard ,like exhaust ,disco and def front pipe are the same ,disco front prop same as def 300 ,pas box etc same ,rad intercooler the same but needs 2 x locating studs removing from bracket and fastening direct to lower frame and both side brackets removing ,you would need to source rear prop ,tunnel,floorplates etc gearbox crossmember bolts into def with original def mount holes needs some metal removing from seat box support,300tdi and v8 gearbox fit in same place which is about 2 inches further forward than 200tdi and 2.5s ido know someone with 300 tdi auto gearbox it would fit the same as manual r380 ,disco r380 i change to def spec by swapping selector shaft and fitting def gear change housing lt77 one can be used, i would be willing to show you how

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sorry to drag an old thread up!! but is the 'proper' place for a disco further forward? weld new engine mounts on? if so and the engine is mounted further forward, will it still fit the original lt77 gearbox in the same place?

obviously there are many ways of doing 300 conversion ,i think if your doing 300 its better to fit r380 (which i convert disco to def spec) and tunnel etc from donor to make as 300 was when lr did it all std parts etc which has 300 sat forward ,other people just bung them on lt77 as is,and make up exhaust ,cooling pipes pas pipes etc,unfortunately 300 forward you have to find 300 rear prop front is same as disco,tunnel floor plates etc cross member/mounts from disco ,rad/intercooler and frame from disco some mod to frame ,need to source std 300 exhaust back pipes front same as disco ,air filter housing etc

Hmmm, the disco in mind is an auto and I really don't want an auto! If I keep my lt77, do I need to change tunnel etc.. and get modified hoses and exhaust and the like?

Or I could forget that disco and look for another donor. Do you use bits from the lt77 to convert r380 from disco to def?
Cheers

you can use lt77 top extension housing to convert disco r380 + def r380 yoke.if you want your lt77 leave box as is mod engine to fit

To mod the engine to the lt77 tho, do I need to move the engine mounts and use standard disco intercooler ect pipes and exhaust? Or is it like the 200tdi mods? Id like to keep the pipework standard, but I will have to look for another disco!
Cheers fella

unless you bodge original to your block ,still basically same block but drivers side wont fit + really want proper mounts from disco welding to chassis more power better mount,std rad intercooler from disco will fit frame needs mod,pipes ,exhaust ,pas pipes etc make to suit,as engine sitting further back ,when lr made 300 they made it fit in the same position in chassis and in relation to front axle etc as disco hence r380 been same length as disco lt77

I'm thinking buy a manual, do a proper job! Ta James, food for thought! Not sure if I should just get a 200tdi..

often go better

But then my gearbox needs a refurb anyway!! Ahhh landrovers! :-(

if you buy the parts i will help you do it

Nice one fella, just have to sell a td and a disco lt77 to fund! And may aswel turn my transfer box into a disco one and refurb that too! Just gotta sell a defender transfer box first...!

jamesmartin said:

depends what you want i allways fit 300 as it would have been by lr and use 300 tunnel floor plates props etc auto would fit in same position disco box can be altered to def geare change

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Would you have any photos ??