This thread was raised by a new member to seek some specific information. Misinformation and assertion is not helpful so I feel the need to address a few of the points raised by LRO53:
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It has been chipped and blows the Ford out of the water at the lights! Yes i have had a drag race with one.
Is that a fair race...have you drag raced a "chipped" Puma?
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The ford sounds like a old tractor compared to the Td5
Yes the Td5 sounds better but old tractor is not the sound I hear when I drive mine.
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I think one of the big reasons for problems with Pumas is that while a great engine and transmission it certainly was not designed for a land rover.
I'm not sure what the problem is? I find the engine/transmission very drivable both on and off road
However if the decision to use the Puma engine hadn't been made today there would probably not be a Defender as we know it....roll on 2012.
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Why the hell did they need to put a power bulge on the bonnet?
In part it was to satisfy recent Euro regulations for pedestrian safety that require a gap between the bonnet and the engine to minimise the risk of a pedestrian's skull contacting something harder than the bonnet. You might even find that if that regulation was in force at the time of the Td5 it may have had a bonnet bulge.
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Reason the engine was too tall and sump would foul the front axle
Yes in part. It was required to fit the motor into the existing structure without having to completely redesign the front end of the vehicle.
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(Even with this raised engine they still had issues early on with fouling)
That particular issue was limited. The fouling occurred at the brake fluid reservoir which happens to be completely seperate from the engine and nowhere near the bulge.
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I think a recipe for success is actually design the engine and gearbox for the land rover not the other way around. Sadly 2006 was the last year Defenders had land rover designed Engines and Gearbox's
As I have said above: roll on 2012 and lets see then what if anything Land Rover decides to do with its ugly duckling. :)
