What engine should replace the York 2.4 in my SIII LR?

[bullstanky]

So the little old york diesel in my SIII 109 Rover is great and all (when it starts), but slow and weak.

What should I replace it with? I've heard some later (more powerful) transit diesels have the same general dimensions and share the same bellhousing--anything that would give me more power without having to get an adapter or change around my engine compartment would be great.

Ideas?

[Luke]

2.5Di thats what you want

just which one ............ would you want a turbo or not

[captain hook]

I've had a S11a with a Transit engine fitted..

The best model is the 1988-1990 DI

Good ones are still about

[doggypaddle]

Isuzu 2.8, but you will need an adapter plate, or a landrover 2.5tdi. replaced the 2.5 transit DI in my landrover with a 2.8 and it goes like stink,
a 2.5 DI is OK in a transit but they are bloody awful in a landrover. they are noisy and dont go well at all.
i would go for a 2.5 200 series tdi. it will fit the series 3 bellhousing (two holes need tapping) and you can use 2.5 diesel 90 engine mounts onto the standard series 3 chassis mounts.

the easiest and cheapest as you already have a yorkie may be a late type DI ford theyre a bit quieter and go a bit better than the early ones. if you go down the DI route use the opportunity of having the engine out to fit lots and lots of sound deadening, then if you think you have enough add some more. I think driving a series 2 with an early DI on the motorway at 70mph is responsible for my hearing loss and tinnitus SERIOUSLY.
by comparison the TDI and the isusu are more powerful and quieter.

i put an early DI in a rangerover once........big mistake

[Ollie]

He he - putting a Di in a rangie, not a nice idea - why would 70hp and 2 tons look like a good idea anyway?
My range is slow enough with the original V8 so theres no way I'd halve the power......
As for the series - agree the Tdi is best really , and now that ageing discos are getting cheap its prob quite cost effective. Ive just bought an early 90 with a Perkins Prima in which is the a Montego turbo, And so far I'm quite suprised how civilised and smooth it is - and you can't knock 30+ mpg even if it is a bit weedy loaded up -but then the old Turbo and NA 2.5 where horrid anyway for towing.

Ollie

[bullstanky]

Isuzu 2.8, but you will need an adapter plate, or a landrover 2.5tdi.
i would go for a 2.5 200 series tdi. it will fit the series 3 bellhousing (two holes need tapping) and you can use 2.5 diesel 90 engine mounts onto the standard series 3 chassis mounts.

the easiest and cheapest as you already have a yorkie may be a late type DI ford theyre a bit quieter and go a bit better than the early ones. if you go down the DI route use the opportunity of having the engine out to fit lots and lots of sound deadening, then if you think you have enough add some more. I think driving a series 2 with an early DI on the motorway at 70mph is responsible for my hearing loss and tinnitus SERIOUSLY.
by comparison the TDI and the isusu are more powerful and quieter.
(

70mph - I'm impressed...I've never hit 60mph in mine, even going downhill. Do the later DI engines have more power than the york? How hard was it to install the isuzu - does it require fabricating motor mounts or cutting the bulkhead?

[doggypaddle]

There is a Kit to fit the isuzu engine, but i dont know if mounts are included, i made everything including the adaptor plate.
i run a 5 speed box and hi ratio transfer case and intercooled isuzu with 3.54 diffs. i could cruise at 90 all day long if it was legal(3000 RPM)
if you use an isuzu with the series gearbox you will probably shred the transmission(i did 3 in a year)
go for a 200 TDI out of a disco, and use 2.25 engine mounts on the engine and it will line up with the original series mounts. dont use the intercooler and reduce the boost slightly and the series transmission will live with that. you will need an overdrive and or 3.54 diffs to get the gearing nice.(or 65 will be your lot)
alternatively re visit the york, i ran one in my series 2 for years and can honestly hand on heart say is was far better than the early DI engines i had. starting could be a problem but with the inline pump with excess fuel and working heater plugs i never failed to start it. they may be a bit more stroppy with the Ve pump-i diont know.
If the engine isnt clapped out, and the timing is right, and you get the fuelling adjusted so there is just a whiff of black smoke it should go really acceptably.
My 109 with the york and standard transmission and overdrive would hold 70 all day (on the flat) in overdrive and creep up to 80+ occasionally when the wind was in the right direction. without overdrive no diesel is going to see 70. (maybe a perkins prima with max rpm of 5000)

[doggypaddle]

He he - putting a Di in a rangie, not a nice idea - why would 70hp and 2 tons look like a good idea anyway?
My range is slow enough with the original V8 so theres no way I'd halve the power......
As for the series - agree the Tdi is best really , and now that ageing discos are getting cheap its prob quite cost effective. Ive just bought an early 90 with a Perkins Prima in which is the a Montego turbo, And so far I'm quite suprised how civilised and smooth it is - and you can't knock 30+ mpg even if it is a bit weedy loaded up -but then the old Turbo and NA 2.5 where horrid anyway for towing.

Ollie

to be honest the di in the rangerover was OK (just ) once the transfercase ratio was changed for a more realistic ratio.
i think we went for a 1.4 transfer ratio in the end which geared it down to about 21mph/1000rpm in 5th it would do 70 on the motorway and 30mpg but it was as slow as a loaded transit on the hills. it got written off soon after it was finished anyway.
RE perkins prima.......one in my series 1 and a mate put one in a mk 2 transit swb. with intercoolers and a fuel tweak they both went well, the transit was incredible of fuel, over 40mpg with a vauxhall ventora overdrive gearbox and a zephyr diff.
They are OK in a landrover but as you say towing knocks the stuffing out of them, a massive improvement over most of rovers diesel offerings of the time though;

[bullstanky]

go for a 200 TDI out of a disco, and use 2.25 engine mounts on the engine and it will line up with the original series mounts. dont use the intercooler and reduce the boost slightly and the series transmission will live with that. you will need an overdrive and or 3.54 diffs to get the gearing nice.(or 65 will be your lot)alternatively re visit the york, i ran one in my series 2 for years and can honestly hand on heart say is was far better than the early DI engines i had. starting could be a problem but with the inline pump with excess fuel and working heater plugs i never failed to start it. they may be a bit more stroppy with the Ve pump-i diont know.
If the engine isnt clapped out, and the timing is right, and you get the fuelling adjusted so there is just a whiff of black smoke it should go really acceptably.
My 109 with the york and standard transmission and overdrive would hold 70 all day

I added another battery, and the york starts on 85% of mornings under 30 F. The engine runs fairly well when warm, but even with the fairey overdrive installed, I can't seem to get much above 65 (could be the 255/85 tires), so motorway driving is generally out of the question, and I'm not sure I'd trust the 11" drum breaks at all four corners to bring me to a stop anyway. A 200TDI will run me about $2000, and once I get a trans. and get the thing up and running, I'm looking at a $5000 investment into a truck that cost $8000.......Part of me says sell for what I can get and look for an early d-90 with a 200 tdi for $12-$15k

[doggypaddle]

I take it youre not in the UK then you can buy a 200tdi discovery over here for less then the price of a cheap sofa, £500 will get you one with a bit of tax and mot at auction. you can use the diffs too and get rid of that awful overdrive
what diff ratio do you run in the landrover? if its 3.54 it will be overgeared for a york with overdrive engaged, but if its the standard 4.7 diff then it should be OK.
do you run out of power on the motorway or do you run out of engine RPM? You could try fuelling the engine up a little, and advance the timing by a degree or two from standard. in my experience yorks go OK if they smoke a little, if the exhaust is absolutley clean they are really flat.(they start better too with the timing advanced a tad)
My 109 with a york once i twiddled with the fuel would do 70 with not too much strain.
The other thing to consider is your speedometer right? with those tyres it will be WAY out.
To be honest though perhaps youre expecting too much of a series, i can assure you even with my high gearing and 2.8TDi i wouldnt choose to do 70 for long, 60 is fine , its a job to keep the doors shut at 70 the wind pulld the tops away from the roof and the wind and rain come in:lol:
If you want a comfortable motorway cruiser buy a rangerover!!

[bullstanky]

Yeah, I'm in the states, which compounds all of my issues--imagine looking for a transit engine over here or parts for the york . There are few tdi engines here, fewer series rovers, and even fewer defenders, though more are being imported every day (since they have to be 25 years or older to be imported, '84 defenders are coming in daily, and fetch a good price). Nothing rover is cheap here, which I knew getting into this. I could have gotten a jeep, but that wouldn't have been half as cool--I get stopped all the time by people checking out the SIII

My speedo is definitely off, and never goes above 55mph, which I guess to be about 65mph. I'm not sure about the rear dif., but it goes okay in overdrive. My issues come going up hills. It takes 2 minutes to get up through the rpm range in third, I slap the overdrive, and then two minutes later I'm ready for fourth. By then, the line of cars behind me is really starting to get heated.

Replacing the tires with 235/85's will help. Buying a d-90 would help. Speaking of timing - I get white smoke on start up...running a little lean on gas, right? SO you're saying advance the timing and let her run a bit richer?

[doggypaddle]

it shouldnt be that slow, richen it up a bit! not too smokey though

[doggypaddle]

by the way if i remember correctly on the minimec pump you need to unscrew the fuel screw to give it more fuel. its the screw with a locknut behind and inline with the injector pipes. 1/2 turn at a time and try its not too smelly. dont alter the thrttle lever stop it will over rev and blow up!
do you use the excess fuel button on the stop lever to start it when its really cold? i always used to, really impressive smoke then