Preformance+ Getting The From Your Defender

Hey Guys,
Ive Been looking at enhancing the preformance of my Td5 defender for a while now and ive been trawling your posts and i was looking in particular at a k+n air filter but im wondering if theres many of ye who have gone a step further with some more serious enhancements. please reply if ye have any suggestions

air filter will do do didily squit..to performance

you need to go for a remap to get any significant gains,then hoses,then intercooler,the list can go on dependant on money

First thing you need to do is dump the EGR valve. Costs next to nothing and will stop your engine choking on its own exhaust. Remove the viscous fan (worth a few bhp) and fit a leccy fan scavenged from your local scrappy.

If you want to take things to extremes then you should consider big bore free flow exhaust with no catalyst, upping the boost pressure but only in conjunction with a larger intercooler and a gizmo to fool the ECU regarding overboost, ECU remap (several available depending on what you need ie. more torque or balls out bhp etc), free flow performance air filter (not K+N as they dont flow any more than the stock filter).

It will never be a race car but it all depends on what you want to spend as to what you can gain.

Have a look here for some ideas and prices.
Alive Tuning - Land Rover Performance Tuning - Defender, Discovery, Freelander, Range Rover, TDi, TD4, TD5, TD6, TDV6, and TDV8
There are several other places doing similar upgrades at similar prices but as I have a TD5Alive package I'm a bit biased.

I f you want to go fast buy a fast car. A defender was never ment to go fast.

A nice Pungent 206 with a dustbin tail pipe - there ya go

Thanks 4 the info lads, shift, if u dont mind me askin, what work did u get done with alive tuning? i had a look at their site and im quite interested, but im curious as to whether it is worth it for the price you pay??

SCOTSMAN said:

I f you want to go fast buy a fast car. A defender was never ment to go fast.

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Really? I can get 130 out of mine on the motorway...

storm99 said:

really? I can get 130 out of mine on the motorway...

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kmh

fanatic said:

kmh

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Of course...anything else would be madness..

-Defender110- said:

Thanks 4 the info lads, shift, if u dont mind me askin, what work did u get done with alive tuning? i had a look at their site and im quite interested, but im curious as to whether it is worth it for the price you pay??

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I fitted exhaust, intercooler, and EGR bypass myself. Drove up to see Gary (500 miles round trip) and he did the ECU remap, turbo boost, and programmed two extra key fobs that I got cheap on eBay.

As I had an early type ECU he had to modify it to take the unplugable processor chips. We spent several hours trying different remaps on the road until we were both happy. I went for increased torque from low revs with a modest bhp increase as I didn't want or need a racing landrover.

The drive back was much more enjoyable and restful than going up there. I can now pull out of junctions just like so called normal cars and towing is so much easier with more torque to play with. On the way back I managed to wind it up to 101 mph as indicated on the sat nav but that was a one off to see what it would do. I can easily run at 70mph all day with no problems and I have not done the defender to disco transfer box upgrade yet. That may be my next move to give it slightly longer legs but I need to save my pennies first.

I would not say it was cheap but I had the cash at the time and was pleased with the changes. If you want cheap then buy one of them generic plug and play modules but be prepared for all sorts of problems. You get what you pay for. I have a custom mapping tuned to my engine and driving characteristics which is really what you are paying for. Gary now offers a "twin mapping" ECU option which would be even better if you wanted completely different mappings for different use.

My motor has passed two MOTs with the upgrades and the tester even commented positively on the emmisions compared to another newer TD5 Defender he had tested a few days earlier.

I should add that I have no commercial connection with TD5Alive other than being a satisfied customer.

In my landrover ive fitted a TD5 alive intercooler. they seem to be of a better quality to what allisports where. but he offers value for money allisport. i wanted the best allrounder intercooler for my purposes of a farm truck. i removed the EGR kit on my car with much avail this showed some noticeable upgrade in preformance. but i also went to td5 alive to see garry, absolute ledgend of a chap waited for me when i was late due to the distance and traffic issues. had him place a remap on my engine and before hand fitted a big bore exaust system with a centre box removal pipe. i am debating putting his stainless system onto my defender but im also concious of not advertising shiney things on it in todays theif reif climate, only seems to attract the wrong attention. Took my defender to a rolling road ill have to find the spec sheets for torques it was placing out but in the region of 192BHP from the engine and just murders most other cars on the road chavs in their corsas and tits in their shiney BMW's dont realise untill all 4 wheels are spinning and there left in a cloud of black diesel smoke and a very loud and sexy "BOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh". MPG has increased upto about 30ish maybe a little less.... but that goes out the window if i feel need for speed lol. (ALOT ;D ) i dont have a clue on top speed i dont go over 80 with the bfg mts 265 r 16' 75 remoulds on my lanny i dont feel safe. TD5 ALIVE ALL THE WAY!

I would recommend EGR removal kit as iv had limp mode problems (IRB DEVELOPMENTS Ian) comprehensive kit, Hes a very helpful chap & also stainless straight through exhaust system from him! all very easy to fit yourself.

Personally the new K&N filter gave me a little spurt more defiantly more air getting through.

I have an adjustable plug in module PSI with i think was about 450 ish? its set about 60% power a-posed to 100% power. hardly any black smoke at all there is at 100% tho

Turbo turned up only 2 turns or so

My towing is loads better 3 tone machine plus buckets, grab, pecker & drums or diesel no mither! with the back of the landy full of kit as-well

Not that im a racer but i like the speed & power & sound it gives me on a long run driving at 65MPH on the motor way i get 35MPG But i have tested & had it at 115 :-$ only once as my arse was twitching :-D But to honest the BFG AT KO were ace! & the Modded springs make it handle & tow like a dream