Genuine Defender 200 tdi conversion

After many years my TD is now dying - I've kept it going this long but the frequency of it being carried back on the back of a tow truck is now getting silly, and its slowly loosing power, not revving as well as it did and sounding rough, and a pain in the arse to start up - This demise may have something to do with it running hot due to a) the turbo pressure being cranked up b) the radiator being foooked

Anyway as the clutch is about as thin as a piece of paper now I've decided to swap the engine out, and have opted for a genuine defender 200 tdi engine.

After doing a search everybody seems to say that the engine should just 'drop in'

However my question is basically - what else am I going to have to do?

1) Is the new defender radiator going to fit without needing to grind down the brackets and re weld?
2) Will all the engine mounts line up?
3) Am I going to need to bodge/retro fit anything like hoses, cables, covers etc
4) Can I hook the turbo inlet upto my old air box or do I need to fit the 200 tdi one?
5) Am I going to need any extra bits (apart from the usually bolts hose clips and a new clutch/timing chain etc)
6) Should I be planning for more than 3 days to do the swap assuming it all goes to plan)
Many Thanks

James

Check out glencoyne website. If you buy a genuine defender 200 with all the correct parts it is apparently a 1 day job for a competent DIYer.

I did this last year.

Has to be a high mount turbo.

You still need to chop the chassis mounts at the radiator.

You want to get the 200tdi air box , makes the rest of the plumbing much easier , the 19j one is next to useless.

Engine mounts line up fine and the gearbox bell housing bolts up perfectly.

Oh , i changed the loom and ignition switch , fittted the glow plug relay system just to make it "right" and to get rid of the glass fuses.

You don't necessarily need to replace the engine loom- the old one from the TD will connect up and retain the key-operated glow plugs. Changing it to 200-spec would make it work the same as a standard 200 though. Blade fuse conversion can be done independently of the engine change and is a recommended swap, particularly if you want to add a few extra circuits. There's room in the central fuse box for three 8-way fuse holders.

All I'll say about the TD is that they just about cope with the standard boost level, and need the cooling system to be well maintained. Unsurprising then that yours has decided to expire... :/

I did this but naturally aspirated to genuine 200tdi.

2 of use did it in a weekend and managed to go laning the Sunday afternoon.

I didn't fit the relay for the glow plugs and it doesn't need any glow to go anyway.

I used the 200tdi engine loom.

I changed the exhaust hangers as the NA one are different to the tdi but I don't know about TD ones.

Use a tdi air box if you can, much neater install.

Standard tdi hoses all fit. If using disco oil cooler hoses they need lengthening.

I can take pics of anything you think you might need to see

Will the existing exhaust system require replacement? I don't know the answer but just a thought.

I think 19j and 200 system the same.

They are not the same.

Back box runs transverse on 200tdi and longtitutanally on 19j

But you can run the 19j if you wish,

You dont need to change loom but i wanted a factory style install as per the land rover power upgrade for the 19js in the early 90s

top drive said:

You dont need to change loom but i wanted a factory style install as per the land rover power upgrade for the 19js in the early 90s

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I do like a 'period upgrade' sort of modification like this. I'm mentally assembling a 2.5 petrol/19J turbo hybrid which I think would have a lot of potential if done right. Not really much point if you're after either originality or power, but vaguely period-correct to my 90 and it would certainly be interesting to try...

FlyingPete said:

I do like a 'period upgrade' sort of modification like this. I'm mentally assembling a 2.5 petrol/19J turbo hybrid which I think would have a lot of potential if done right. Not really much point if you're after either originality or power, but vaguely period-correct to my 90 and it would certainly be interesting to try...

Click to expand...

Do you mean using the turbo from the diesel on the petrol engine?

Jam1 said:

Do you mean using the turbo from the diesel on the petrol engine?

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Exactly that. The petrol's compression ratio is turbo-friendly, and the block is derived from the diesel. Low-pressure turbocharging could give good results.
You could replace a 19J with the petrol, but retain the manifolds+turbo from the diesel, along with the radiator with oil cooler to help keep temperatures under control. You'd need to get a little creative with the carburettor (most likely a draw-through straight into the 'standard' 19J plumbing, and live with the lack of intercooling) and provide an oil feed for the turbo. But nothing that couldn't be overcome.

In practical terms, there's other options for engine swaps that would give objectively better results. Either the Rover V8, 200/300tdi or possibly the Nissan 2.8 from a black taxi. But I reckon that executed properly, good performance could be achieved while looking vaguely standard under the bonnet. It would need to be done 'properly' though rather than just knocking parts together and hoping it all worked. Boost pressure and EGT gauges (and minor adjustments on the go) would be must-haves during the initial drives.

FlyingPete said:

Exactly that. The petrol's compression ratio is turbo-friendly, and the block is derived from the diesel. Low-pressure turbocharging could give good results.
You could replace a 19J with the petrol, but retain the manifolds+turbo from the diesel, along with the radiator with oil cooler to help keep temperatures under control. You'd need to get a little creative with the carburettor (most likely a draw-through straight into the 'standard' 19J plumbing, and live with the lack of intercooling) and provide an oil feed for the turbo. But nothing that couldn't be overcome.

In practical terms, there's other options for engine swaps that would give objectively better results. Either the Rover V8, 200/300tdi or possibly the Nissan 2.8 from a black taxi. But I reckon that executed properly, good performance could be achieved while looking vaguely standard under the bonnet. It would need to be done 'properly' though rather than just knocking parts together and hoping it all worked. Boost pressure and EGT gauges (and minor adjustments on the go) would be must-haves during the initial drives.

Click to expand...

Wouldn't be difficult to plumb an intercooler in and mechanical fuel injection and/or an lpg system

There was a stud in the flywheel housing on the last one I did that I had to remove to get the bellhousing to mate up but otherwise it was a straight swap.

I had all the 200Tdi bits and bobs (air filter etc.) which made it a lot easier.