I own a 1988 Landrover 90 TD300 swap, I have owned it for quite a while and have started to realise just how sluggish it can be, now I understand it wasn't a vehicle intended for speed, but I'm thinking since I have such a attachment to it, what I can do to make it better, I am wondering what kind of engines I can get in without out too much hassle, I'm thinking petrol and preferably around the 200HP mark, so far I am considering the ford cosworth 2.9 engine but that is it so far, but I am open to any suggestions, Thanks!!
I suppose some things to ask are. Do you have a budget in mind? What is your intended use? And have you done anything like this before?
You can, in theory swap almost anything in. But actually getting it to mate up is a different question.
Choices are, retain current gearbox, or at least Landy gearbox, as it mates to the transfer box. This keeps the rest of the drive line simple.
So you need to look for engines that will mate to the box or ones you can get an adapter for.
The other options is replace the gearbox and or transfer box. But that might end up being a bigger project.
You may need to also consider other upgrades, such as suspension and brakes. But nothing too much to worry about. Land Rover axles are a bit weak, so if you off road, you'll likely need to address these.
As for power. Well the Tdi isn't that powerful, but a tweaked on will actually drive very well and it'll feel way faster than it is, assuming you aren't actually racing a car. Tweaking them can be done at home for good gains or on the cheap if you want a bigger intercooler.
So if you haven't done this yet, it might well be worth tweaking yours and seeing if you like.
Easy engines swaps:
-Rover V8. As a standard fitment engine to the 90, it's a pretty easy bolt in swap. A good 3.9 or 4.6 will make around the 200hp mark or more with relative ease.
-Td5. Ok it's a diesel, but a generation newer than the Tdi. And they remap very well. A real 170hp+ is quite easy from them.
-Rover T-Series. The 2.0 T-Series was fitted to Mpi Discoveries and some Defenders. So it's all bolt in. The standard 2.0 litre is 134bhp, so while it'd be quicker than a Tdi, it's not that much. But of note is the turbo variant used in things like the 620Ti and 820Ti. These make 197bhp stock and can easily make more. Although if you want to shoot for much more than stock power, you'll need to beef the internals up. This is probably a very good engine to consider.
More involved swaps:
-BMW 2.8i petrol. Fitted to S. African Defenders. So with a mix of bits from a p38a, it's possible to get this running. Similar power/performance to a 3.9 RV8.
-BMW 3.0 diesel. Similar to the above, just a bit more involved. Lower stock hp, but quite tunable. A potential notch up from the Td5.
Moving on from these. Other V8 swaps. The Chevy Ls1 can be done and there are adapters. But a lot more work and money. Lexus V8 is doable too. As is the BMW 4.4 used in the L322 Range Rover. But you are talking about quadrupling your budget or more over the other options and a lot more involved.
