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2_door
24th June 2008, 02:40 PM
I have a 97 V8 Disco and I want to change it over to a diesel disco so I can run it on Biodiesel which I can make for obvious reasons ie running costs

Now, I have just spent a small fortune on my 'inherited' disco getting it bush ready so I am kinda reluctant to off load the car with all its bits as I will get nothing for it.

There are two options
a) buy the same series diesel disco and swap all the goodies over then off load the petrol one when its done
OR
b) buy a rolled/wrecked Tdi and stuff the engine and gearbox into it

apart from the obvious things that need to to be changed like hoses/filters etc which is just abit of fiddling around, does a 200tdi engine bolt into the V8 mountings or will I have to change the engine and gearbox mounts which is alot more bother and engineering

please, all w@nkers, please keep your opinions on diesel vs petrol thoughts to yourself, just want some engineering facts at this stage ;)

ta

incisor
24th June 2008, 02:57 PM
bearing in mind my memory is not 100%

engine and gearbox as best i recall as there are different bell housings and mainshafts used.

mcrover
24th June 2008, 03:31 PM
I can tell you they look the same but I havnt dropped a Tdi into a V8 disco engine bay to try it but if the rangie guys do it then there shouldnt be any probs doing it to a V8 Disco as they are the same set up.

Do a search as there was a Tdi into Rangie conversion photo's around a while ago that you may be able to sneak a peak.

It would be a lot easier to go V8 to Diesel than the other way around so it should be pretty straight forward.

2_door
24th June 2008, 03:38 PM
Thanks guys, I probably should have mentioned that my V8 has the auto box behind it.

I have been lead to beleive that the auto is different between the petrol and diesels with slightly different ratio's to suit the engines better. So therefore, I will change the engine AND gearbox at the same time so wont have to worry about input shafts etc

I am sure that the diesel will fit into the engine bay, but just dont know if they use the same mounts on the chassis or whether I would have to change the mounts on the chassis as well as changing the gearbox cross member ;)

if I get a whole rolled/wrecked Tdi then I can just change all the necessary bits and pieces over, easy as, just not sure if I want to muck around with welding new engine mounts to the chassis as they should be engineered etc

2_door
24th June 2008, 03:48 PM
eventualyl got the search button to work properly hint - use the advanced search, the other one is useless :(

found my answer here http://www.aulro.com/afvb/technical-chatter/50335-300tdi-into-v8-disco-3.html

'i converted my 95 disco v8 and installed a 300 tdi two years ago, it turn out more of a job than i thought, had to install the tdi auto box as the v8 auto doesnt fit which means the props as well, the gearbox subframe had to be changed as well, along with radiator, hoses etc, and the engine mounts of the v8 have to be cut off and the tdi welded in a diiferent place, the fuel tank and lines etc also replaced, the rad and intercooler fit almost straight in, the battery has to move unless you rewire all the loom, ( starter on other side) exhaust and mountings, throttle cable, servo pipe, autobox cooler, and so on on on... but i did it and its been fine and a fuel cost saver.'

looks like a bit of work :D but not impossible

Cap
24th June 2008, 04:32 PM
Either way Mark, theres going to be a certain amount of work in it. Ill help you as much as I can, but when JC Almighty comes back we can get some info from him.

p38arover
24th June 2008, 05:05 PM
What you need is my 300Tdi Disco. Do the changeover both ways and sell it afterwards with the V8. :D

2_door
24th June 2008, 05:45 PM
What you need is my 300Tdi Disco. Do the changeover both ways and sell it afterwards with the V8. :D

worth considering, will have to see the Minister for War and Finance first :(

funny how these things are ignored, she wants a house....I want a bush truck .... I know who will win :( and it aint me

DiscoDan
24th June 2008, 09:15 PM
I looked at an engine swap, td5 into my 300tdi, however the cost was going to blow out to more than I could pick up the car for.

Then the time to do it, I would be able to swap over most if not all of the extras.

The power drop going from a v8 to the diesel is huge as well, but some of the things I might be able to help on as a mate has the V8 and I the diesel so measurements etc could be taken and compaired.

The autos are different (bummer as I need one and mate has 3 V8 ones)but the prop shafts are not (mine is running a V8 Rangie rear shaft). I will check the engine mounting points for you later this week.

I converted a Falcon from 6 to V8 once and I am still dissapointed to this day with the outcome (20+yrs ago)

tempestv8
25th June 2008, 06:38 AM
Check the cost of insurance and whatever other compliance and regulatory hoops that you need to jump through. You may find that it's cheaper to buy a TDi, swap all the bits and then sell the V8.

discoveryseries1
12th November 2009, 06:34 PM
worth considering, will have to see the Minister for War and Finance first :(

funny how these things are ignored, she wants a house....I want a bush truck .... I know who will win :( and it aint me
not always true , i got a loan aproved by the minister of war and finance for 10000 to get twin lockers, warn winch used muddies and ome lift kit. gme radio ect. what you say is i want to explore australia with my wife and family i love. :) mine bought it. turns out the repayments are 92 per week over 3 years. its not worth saving for it because the car will be fkd after 5 years of saving. so buy the 10 year old car and do it up. then after your loan is paid the car wares fairly with the accesorys. ;)

2_door
12th November 2009, 08:06 PM
not always true , i got a loan aproved by the minister of war and finance for 10000 to get twin lockers, warn winch used muddies and ome lift kit. gme radio ect. what you say is i want to explore australia with my wife and family i love. :) mine bought it. turns out the repayments are 92 per week over 3 years. its not worth saving for it because the car will be fkd after 5 years of saving. so buy the 10 year old car and do it up. then after your loan is paid the car wares fairly with the accesorys. ;)

your lucky, that ones a keeper and the disco too ;););)

actually, I have sold that disco now, had 2 rangies a GQ and back to a Disco...all in 2 years so I am pretty lucky.... my old lady just shakes her head these days

Cap
15th November 2009, 10:19 AM
... my old lady just shakes her head these days

Yep, and so do the rest of us :p :p :D