Thread: The best most reliable Defender motors.

easy, 80s diesel 100, hands down

Something with a 4BD1 lurking under the hood maybe with a T.

Originally Posted by Kanga1

Hope I don't make a big hash of this, I have just joined this site and am looking at possibly buying a Defender in the 12 months. We have had a few Landrovers in the past and a Range Rover, in the last 10 years it has been Patrols and currently a HDJ78 Landcruiser Troop Carrier.
Hopefully some of the wisened ones here may be able to set me straight with some info on which would be the most reliable and capable of the Defenders up to and including the most recent models? Also knowing that the towing capacity is 3.5 Tonne, realistically, which would be the best model of Defender to pull a 2.5-3.0 Tonne caravan around the block most comfortably? Thanks for any advice. Kanga.

HDJ78... there is no [Land Rover made] Defender engine past, present, future that will ever be a patch on the 1HDFTE you already have.

You will be incredibly disappointed going to any Land Rover four cylinder after that, especially if towing. And 2.5-3t is some serious weight.

Ive had at least 15 land rovers, 3 diesel land cruisers and number of 2wd cars and by a long shot the TD5 (chipped) is the best engine I've ever had.

The TD5 has a few minor issues , once sorted are just bloody fantastic. More power than my V8 Landy and probably the most economical car Ive ever owned , 2wd cars included.

I would only swap it for another Td5.

Originally Posted by B92 8NW

HDJ78... there is no [Land Rover made] Defender engine past, present, future that will ever be a patch on the 1HDFTE you already have.

I used to think that until I had a cam seize on one & put valves thru 2 pistons in the Pilbara. I thought the Tojo diesels were great too but after living with the Td5 for a while now I'll never go back to a Jap 4x4.

Originally Posted by B92 8NW

HDJ78... there is no [Land Rover made] Defender engine past, present, future that will ever be a patch on the 1HDFTE you already have.

You will be incredibly disappointed going to any Land Rover four cylinder after that, especially if towing. And 2.5-3t is some serious weight.

Thanks, some coming changes in lifestyle and State of residence may mean going for a slightly smaller 4WD than the Troopy, which has been a brilliant vehicle for us, and if we were going to be continuously towing a 2.5T caravan I would keep it, but for what the near future likely holds I hope a Defender (very similar configuration to my Troopy bodily) would be a more practical vehicle for day to day, with the ability to cope with a yearly trip. Cheers.

Originally Posted by Nero

Something with a 4BD1 lurking under the hood maybe with a T.

Thanks, I think that is the Isuzu 3.9 litre 4 pot as in most of the current Army Rovers, I've heard mostly good things about them, Noise and 4 speed G/box only are the 2 negs I've been told. Kanga.

Originally Posted by goingbush

I used to think that until I had a cam seize on one & put valves thru 2 pistons in the Pilbara. I thought the Tojo diesels were great too but after living with the Td5 for a while now I'll never go back to a Jap 4x4.

Was it a 1HD-FTE?