discovery I engine swap

rover_junkie

New member
newbie on the forum owns a '95 disco I. was wondering if anyone knows of any small block v6/v8 swap for this truck? something with more torque
 

revor

Explorer
How much $$$ do you have?

I could tell you about tons of options, most of which don't make sense...
 

revor

Explorer
Alaska Mike said:
[There's also the 2.5L diesel if emissions aren't an issue for you.


Which one? 200, 300, TD5, 2.5 NA (gag)

These all cost $10K plus unless you have skilzzzz.

4.3 GM? Better to work over the old buick (=Cheaper)

Any other V8? The engineering will cost more than the truck is worth.

Put in some gears to handle those big tires? Now that makes sense..
 

Alaska Mike

ExPo Moderator/Eye Candy
That's the sad truth. I like the 4.3L as an engine, but the amount of adaptation is considerable.With as many cheap Discos there are out there, you can probably find donor rigs for much less than a swap would cost, with a lot less hassle. Even rebuilding that mill would probably take it well past the chassis' conceivable lifespan. Does anyone really believe we're going to be using rigs that get 15MPH (at best) in 15 years time? Based on fuel prices and the drive to more efficient travel, I'm waiting for my algae-based, bio-fuel jet pack.
 

AndrewP

Explorer
For an offroader, you could do worse than a 2F, but it does seem wrong to put a 2F in a Rover, though I've seen a Series Rover with Toyota mini-truck axles. It's kind of like mixing the DNA of pigs and chickens. If I owned a Rover, I'd just rebuild the stock motor and take care of it.

Since we're talking an offroad build, the 2F IS a good motor. It will live forever, it will run at crazy angles, and all the torque is available at 1000 rpm. It's a nearly ideal offroad motor. The down side is it's really long and heavy and so may not be the best thing for the front of a Rover. 14 mpg is about what you'd get. It is a tractor motor and used commonly in forklifts! It's hardly a boat anchor though.

I've got a couple hundred thousand miles of 2F motoring and they really grow on you. Don't be too quick to dis them. If you want power, speed, light weight and good fuel economy, get a Honda Civic.

Just thinking out loud-can you fit a Tacoma 4.0 motor in the engine bay of a Disco? That might be a really sweet swap. I seem to remember that Discos are fairly heavy, so you need a motor with some grunt to move it around.
 

Oilburner

Adventurer
revor said:
Are you suggesting a 6BT can fit?

No, I was referring to the Toyota 2F. I like non-USA 2Fs, they are a good engine (the NA ones have too much smog stuff), but they would be a really bad candidate for a swap, same as putting a GM 292, Ford 300I6, or another archaic engine in a newer vehicle. Compared to what's out there now, and can be had in terms of efficiency, power and mileage (Vortec, 5300/6000 GMs, for instance). I'm not dissing a 2F, I like them a lot (in a 1982 FJ60), but for someone to go through the trouble of swapping an engine only to get worse everything (mileage, horsepower, weight, etc). It makes no sense. The Rovr V8 is a pretty sweet off-road engine too, it's light, powerful, will run at any angle, compact, and parts are everywhere.

I've got a 200TDI swap in my shop right now, going in a 1999 Disco 1. The gentleman that is building it is a friend of mine and is renting out some work space. The amount of work is staggering. At least it will get 25+ mpg (or it should) when we're done. On the surface, it seems like a simple project, but when you get into this type of thing, it's hundreds of hours. He is finding it out the hard way. Engine swaps are just one of those things that get talked to death, but few seem to realise how much time, money and frustration goes in. It has to provide a huge advantage, or it's just not worth it. I agree with you Keith that in most cases the dollars are best put in the fuel tank and in some upgrades for the venerable V8. To get any kind of semblance of a return on investment, you really have to be able to get great mileage. A swap to gain 20hp or 2 mpg is just not worth it.
 

LC/LR4Life

Adventurer
Worse of everything except that one important word - RELIABILITY.....

My 2F in my FJ40 has over 400K on the clock. Try that with a Rover engine.
 

TeriAnn

Explorer
revor said:
Are you suggesting a 6BT can fit?


Anything can fit if your willing to work at it.

I once had a nice ride in a Hybrid that used a Disco frame, 2 Defender bodies cut lengthwise and welded back together a bit wider than the standard Defender and had a Jaguar V12 engine under the bonnet. We were towing a caravan to Billing and the vehicle accelerated very well.

It was a very impressive monster.

I've just been wondering which states would be willing to register a Disco hybrid without strict emissions requirements.
 

TeriAnn

Explorer
LC/LR4Life said:
Worse of everything except that one important word - RELIABILITY.....

My 2F in my FJ40 has over 400K on the clock. Try that with a Rover engine.

I'm getting soooo tired of this.

I've never understood why a bunch of Toyota fans hang out in the Land Rover section to very actively promote Toyota products and trash Land Rover products. I thought there was a section for Toy 4X4's and a Separate section for land Rover discussions.

Its kinda like having Seventh Day Adventists knocking on your door all the time trying to convince you that you have the wrong religion.

Why don't you guys just quietly watch us poor misguided Land Rover types go our own misguided way way in peace without evangelizing your rice burners and putting down our tea & crumpet burners???? If evangelizing Toy 4X4s & trashing Land Rovers makes you happy, why not do it in the Toy section?

Let us have our poor delusional fantasies that Land Rovers are good expedition vehicles in peace and please spare us from your feelings of product superiority.

It is not polite to build your marque up by putting another marque down.

Please, give us a break
 

Forum statistics

Threads
185,530
Messages
2,875,579
Members
224,922
Latest member
Randy Towles
Top