Defender Air Intake Modification

Hello Landy Zone ... I'm a novice so please be gentle with me!

I have a Defender 90 with a Disco 200Tdi conversion. Needless to say, the air filter and intake is a bit of a dog's dinner and I would like to tidy things up, so I'm looking for some help and suggestions.

The air filter is currently mounted across the front of the engine just in front of the thermostat housing. The filter box intake is just sucking the warm air in from the engine bay on the driver's side. The original intake on the passenger side wing is no longer being used. I am happy to leave the filter where it is but I would like to get a fresher flow of cool air into the filter. I have no intake on the driver's side wing but I do obviously have the wing top intake on the driver's side. It makes good sense for me to use this as there appears to be space for an intake hose.

Has anyone out there made this modification and if so can you let me know if it works, how you did it and what you used on the inside of the wing top intake to connect up to the filter box? Photos would be much appreciated.

Also, I need to replace the big air hose from the air filter to the turbo ... Can anyone tell me what ID and OD size the hose needs to be? There are loads of cheap universal intake hoses on Fleabay ... will these work or do I need to spend a small fortune on "proper" part?

Thanks for all and any help ... Clarky

I’d avoid using the top wing intakes as these will let in water and other crap, and you obviously want to keep the air filter dry. I know you can get valves to help prevent this, but I wouldn’t chance it.
I think the air hoses are 52mm ID?

Which filterbox do you have ? When I fitted a 200 in my 90 I fixed the airbox in more or less the standard 200 position in the n/s wing top. Do not fit to the wing top for reasons in above post.

Tbh I doubt the cool air will make much if any difference to a std tdi.

lynall said:

Tbh I doubt the cool air will make much if any difference to a std tdi.

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Every little helps!

bluedog333 said:

Every little helps!

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I would agree on a sporty type car, but on a defender.
Iirc early 90/110 didnt have any wing intakes at all, all their air was taken from under the bonnet.

lynall said:

I would agree on a sporty type car, but on a defender.
Iirc early 90/110 didnt have any wing intakes at all, all their air was taken from under the bonnet.

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Correct, the NA diesels just took the air in from behind the front headlight area

The problem with under bonnet air pick up is the dust that swirls under there.Not so much of a problem for a series with oil filled cleaner but can soon clog a paper one depending on where you operate.

bluedog333 said:

Every little helps!

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I got baulked into putting super plus diesel in the Defenderer the other week (you know when you're in a rush, the forecourt is rammed and you don't realise until you jump out?) I swear its performance has improved £1.55 a litre anorl.

tottot said:

The problem with under bonnet air pick up is the dust that swirls under there.Not so much of a problem for a series with oil filled cleaner but can soon clog a paper one depending on where you operate.

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Actually thats a very good point.
I once had a 300 D1 that I converted to twin batteries and to get the nearside batteyr to fit I had to cut off the 90 degree fitting that took in the air from under the wing and after that the air filter got very dirty very quickly.

lynall said:

Actually thats a very good point.
I once had a 300 D1 that I converted to twin batteries and to get the nearside batteyr to fit I had to cut off the 90 degree fitting that took in the air from under the wing and after that the air filter got very dirty very quickly.

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Clean air filter, who needs a clean air filter...???



Cheers

To the OP, I have a 200tdi fitted in my 90 and it has a snorkel. This removes any of the problems mentioned above.
The filter lays on the drivers (right side) and is fed from the snorkel.