Whats the best engine to use ?

My landy is a 1959 series2 its running a 2.25cc engine im thinking in changing it for more power and better mpg. Would putting a 200 tdi engine in be worth doing ?
I already have a 90 bonnett and grill flush with front wings. So loads of space.
What would you do or recomend.

200Tdi and putting the front back to normal...

200tdi, agreed, its a shame to put a deepender front on a series tho, should have more than enough room by just taking out the battery box and filter housing bracket, least move them foreward a touch. keeping the original look of the series

Thanks for your input.
So what do I need to buy and do to fit a 200tdi.

Patmans rates are quite reasonable

I would replace the front end of your series 2 with all the original and sell it as a classic. Then with that money buy a really good 90 with a 200 or 300Tdi already fitted.
No point in having a classic car with the wrong front end on it.

Or you can buy a cream crackered Disco with a 200Tdi in it and swap the engine over.

Will the 200tdi engine bolt onto the series 3 gearbox. ?

You may need to open up the holes a bit (metric instead of imperial) but mine went straight on metric studs.
There may be a dowl or stud needs removing, and yuo may end up with an extra hole, but as long as most are done there should't be a problem. (I've come across one with only two nuts on the studs, it was going fine, but I don't recommend it!)

Forgot to say, use the clutch to match the gearbox.

TDi motor can be a bit hard on series transmissions; its not the power, its the turbo power delivery. Before fitting a TDi I'd fully recon Series gearbox, though for preference I'd use Defender LT77 5-speed and an Ascroft adapter to the Series X-fer box.

So many people have done TDi conversions; but then so many of them have also wrecked their gear-boxes, over-drives, diffs or half-shafts, individually or in combination!

Loads of articles and features on the net on fitting TDi's if you google it; some-one should be able to find you a magazine clipping or too as well; LRO did one, if not two in the last few years!

But for the money; and given historic vehicle status; I'd stick with the 2.25; either do a DIY rebuild, or get a remanufactured engine.

Just replacing the (almost inevitably sloppy!) timing chain and gears is likely to give you something like a 15% power boost, and fully overhauled, you are likely to get 50% or more power out of it AND better ecconomy, depending on how tired it is.

May seem like a lot of money / effort, buit £ for bhp/mpg/mile of life put in, its about the best value you can get!

If funds allowed, might be tempted to incorporate a few 'tweeks'; if it doesn't have an unleaded head; I'd get an Turners stage 2; mildly ported, with hardened valves and a higher compression ratio, its worth about 10bhp or so, with better torque right accross the rev range AND a bit better MPG in 'normal' use!Possibly also a slightly less tame cam profile; again Turners do a faierly useful 'Hi-Torque' stick.

Possibly an electronic ignition; definitely a new Zenith carb/ possibly an SU conversion' probably a tubular manifold and exhaust.

Then for ecconomy, an LPG kit.

Ultimately less head-scratching as you are simply following the instructions in the book for everything; no silly questions by insurers or any-one, AND you maintain the 'Historic' value of the vehicle and hence it's classic resale value should you come to sell it on.

Worth a thought, anyway.

Ultimately less head-scratching as you are simply following the instructions in the book for everything; no silly questions by insurers or any-one,

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I would disagree with that personally. Tell an insurance company that you have an upgraded head, manifold, cam and fitted LPG and I reckon they are a lot more likely to ask more questions than a simple engine swap. Thats from my experience anyway.

rustyrhinos said:

I would disagree with that personally. Tell an insurance company that you have an upgraded head, manifold, cam and fitted LPG and I reckon they are a lot more likely to ask more questions than a simple engine swap. Thats from my experience anyway.

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IF you 'tweek' the motor, yes....sort of; but suggestion was to simply do a propper overhaul by the book.

Most insurers IF they know what you are talking about usually accept a Turner 2 head without grumble, as a legitimate change to be able to use 'unleaded petrol'.

Electronic ignition, doesn't normally raise too many eyebrows either; its a reliability and ecconomy mod, and again, to some degree can be justified as part of 'unleaded fuel conversion'

Cam?..... well, we're not talking about building a wild sprint or rally car here... just giving a very lazy old engine design a bit more enthusiasm! I'd probably 'forget' to tell them abouit it, unless I did go down the route of fitting tube manifolds and an SU......

But then that would give me the ACR 'Power+' spec engine, and I'd just tell them that it was an ACR P+, as again, it's a pretty well known quantity.

Just the head, and possibly the ignition, most insurers would class those changes as 'upgrades' rather than modifications or conversion, and be happy to accept it as a 'standard' car.

LPG I agree with you; many insurers wont even look at you, particularly the big 'stack it high sell it cheap' names, but then they often wont accept ANY modifications, even a change of wheels, and a lot of them wont insure cars that aren't in thier database; Ie anything over about 12 years old! They have to reffer you to thier 'underwriter'!

The 'specialists' or even just the more accomodating Ins co's, though are usually quite content, as they dont deem it a 'performance inhancing modification'.

But fitting an engine with a Turbo attached, even though its an oil burner will be deemed a performance mod, and specs on TDi rate it 110bhp which is a pretty significant increase from a 2.25's miserly 70odd!

(co-incidentally; 110bhp is about what you get from an ACR P+ spec 2.25)

i have a Turners head with less than a 100 miles on it here, awaiting possible use within the next 30 years - PM me if your interested in it

I might have a chance on a 300 tdi are these engine ok to go in ?

As before will the 300 tdi engine fit ? please someone.

landy1959/series2 said:

As before will the 300 tdi engine fit ? please someone.

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after doing a lot of research i have found that you simply cannot beat the 200tdi lump in it, if you are dead set on a new engine, like what has been said tho, you would be a lot better off without putting the turbo on, it seems quite straightforward.

it appears that the 300 tdi is a lot more work and thus renders it out of contention for me as i dont think the gains over the 200tdi would be worth the extra effort. if you google a bit you will come up with all the info you need, be warned tho people i know have had major issues with the turbo producing too much torque for the gearbox, i would strongly recommend that you listen to the wiser people here tho and do not fit the turbo!

on the flipside of the coin tho that 2.25 petrol can be a good engine when properly overhauled and in my opinion it would be a shame to see another classic down! if she is in good nick why not just sell her and get a 90 or something that already has the powerplant you want along with all the other mod cons (lol) like power steering, disc brakes and coil springs!

bear in mind tho that you WILL have to fully overhaul the brakes, suspension and steering to cope with the added power of the tdi engine.
my diesel 2.25 series 3 will cruise along at about seventy and that in my opinion is fast enough in the old girl and can even get a little hairy!

try looking at this mate.

follow the link

"200Di" diesel conversion for Series Land Rovers - by Glencoyne Engineering

Im not keen on selling to get a 90 as I quite like the fact its tax free !!