V8 v diesel

[ADDO110]

i,ve had my V8 85 county for a while now previuos owner spent a mint on it gal chassis n firewall 4.6 v8 on dual fuel r380 box and much more its a great truck.running cost aren't that flash even on gas.would it be worth while converting to diesel and any ideas on which would be a good option just saw td5 and r380 for $4500 dont no much bout them heard good n bad bout the isuzu and are the tdi's a good option any help and advice would be good.

[87County]

i,ve had my V8 85 county for a while now previuos owner spent a mint on it gal chassis n firewall 4.6 v8 on dual fuel r380 box and much more its a great truck.running cost aren't that flash even on gas.would it be worth while converting to diesel and any ideas on which would be a good option just saw td5 and r380 for $4500 dont no much bout them heard good n bad bout the isuzu and are the tdi's a good option any help and advice would be good.

start thinking about conversion costs; depending on how much is practical to do yoursself, I imagine $10k+ would be needed....

surely much simpler (and cheaper) to sell yours and buy a diesel (either a 4bd1county or tdi defender)

hope that helps - Laurie

[Grover-98]

Personally im running the 2.5 TDi :) great motor plenty of torque and economy is great! i average 10L per 100 around town but have managed as low as 7.7 on a long!!!!!! highway trip sitting on a happy 100kmph, that was with just average luggage for two!

I was shocked to the economy i got out of it!

The Td5 does have more power and torque but isnt as economical but if i had a choice id prob go with the isuzu as they are very reliable!

[Blknight.aus]

if you know nothing about spannering then selling and buying one with the diesel will be cheaper....

if your deft with the spanners then its not that bad if you want to goto a tdi a bit more involved for the suzi and forget it for a TD5 transplant. theres other diesels but you wont be able to take advantage of the swapability of parts to make the drive parts marry up.

there will be fire wall + radiator bulkhead mods and the custom fabrication of engine mounts.

all in all by the time you sell the one you have and buy one with what you want it is cheaper BUT if you have all the accessories you like and you like the particular truck youve got then it can get a bit sentimental.

[JDNSW]

As indicated, the cost to convert is likely to be around $10,000 by the time it is all done, perhaps less if you do a lot of the work yourself. With diesel about 20% higher than unleaded and around 100% more than gas ..... OK, you will get better mileage, and that helps with range. But that $10,000 will buy an awful lot of either unleaded or gas.

John

[ADDO110]

THANKS GUYS FOR ALL THE HELP I NEW IT WOULD BE COSTLY WOULD LOVE A DIESEL BUT CANT JUSTIFY THE COST JUST YET.ANY SUGGESTIONS ON BETTERING THE ECONOMY ON THE 4.6.BEEN WORKIN IN MACKAY THE GUYS AT LANDY SPARES UP THERE HAVE BEEN HELPIN ABIT BUT ALL SEEMS TO COST A PACKET.WAS THINKIN A KN FILTER AND SUM EXTRACTORS TO START WOULD THIS HELP.BEEN WITHOUT COMPUTER FOR FEW WKS SO THANKS AGAIN FOR YA COMMNTS IT ALL HELPS.

[LR V8]

I don't profess to know much myself..... but what about gear/transfer/diff ratios ? and for that matter, tyre size ?

If you do a bit of hwy km's it might be worth it.....

Good luck.

Pete

[abaddonxi]

Go buy a winch and a fridge.

Upgrade your headlight wiring, put in a second battery.

Lockers.

Oiled wheel bearings.

All great things to spend some mad money on and get a chance to fiddle with the truck.

I don't like V8's much, but it sounds like someone has done all the hard work already, and if it's all to the level of galvanising the chassis and firewall, then they have probably done a brilliant job of it.

I can't imagine there's a way to do a conversion to that level of finish, etc. and not be spending years worth of petrol money.

Though, gal chassis and Isuzu diesel does sound like a lovely combination...

:D

Simon

[mcrover]

I think the cheapest and easiest would be the Tdi and they don't go too bad, parts are easy to get and it all stays LR.

The think with the Isuzu I think is that you need to buy a LR fitted one to start with so you get all the bits you need, 12v starter, alternator, bell housing flywheel etc to make it worth while as if you were to do it from a truck version you then have to find all those bits and even though they are available (most of them I hear) they are not cheap (I also hear).

Although It is the pick of the engines for reliability, economy and grunt I also hear........and vibrations noise :wasntme:

As far as economy out of a V8.......it's impossible, there are folks with 3.5's and 3.9's that on one trip or another have got good numbers but all you ducks have to be in a row to get it.

Any load and your economy is shot.

Have you thought about putting it on LPG, the good systems these days get reasonable range and the price savings bring it in line with Diesel but you just wont have the range.

Also, the best quality leads and plugs you can buy, I'm sure one of the V8 owners will fill you in for what brands etc give the best results and make sure your ignition system is always working at a premium is more important to economy than you fuel mixtures so spend some time making sure all that is right before you do anything.

Chipping and reprogramming computers can give you power benefits but rarely do they translate into fuel savings.

And last but not least, you best fuel saving feature in your car is you right foot, the less you hear that wonderful bark out of the exhaust the more fuel your not wasting.......(but I don't think hearing that great noise is wasting fuel, it is worth every cent :D)

Hope this is helpful :D

[Grumbles]

Hmmm. Interesting ADDO110 about your claim of high running costs. Perhaps you might inform us of just how much fuel over 100 kilometers you are consuming. It may very well be that your expectations are a tad optimistic. Sometimes expected fuel economy ideas are dashed when the financial reality of owning a large four wheel drive hits the hip pocket. Or it maybe that you genuinely have a problem.

[big guy]

The 4.6 is actually more economical than a 3.9 if driven sensibly.
Take a look at tyre size, big fat treads make a huge impact, also roofracks do inflict more drag.
It takes a while to nut out best driving habits and economy but the motor you have is a ripper.
You will miss it should you swap to diesel.
Big cost for really only small savings.

Just my 10c worth.

[slug_burner]

Although I drive diesels I don't think that your going to get a return on investment if you already have your V8 on LPG. Strick with the gas. As said before what are you getting in terms of mileage? You may need to have some component serviced if your not getting the mileage that others have obtained.

[ADDO110]

im getting 23 -25litres per hundred on gas and bout 20litres/100 on fuel just had it tuned n serviced and he put in 4 pronged spark plugs he seems to think it runs pretty good so do i just would liketo get round 18 mpg is that unrealistic from this motor n box.

[mark2]

im getting 23 -25litres per hundred on gas and bout 20litres/100 on fuel just had it tuned n serviced and he put in 4 pronged spark plugs he seems to think it runs pretty good so do i just would liketo get round 18 mpg is that unrealistic from this motor n box.

Thats about right, the price of gas in Mackay is a rip off however.
In Brisbane at the moment its around 55 cpl which makes a big difference.

You'll never recoup the diesel conversion costs in fuel savings and the 4.6 is going to drive a lot better also

What rpm are you doing at 100 km/h?

[mcrover]

http://www.aulro.com/afvb/technical-chatter/68441-improving-fuel-efficiency-v8i.html

Check out this thread, might help you :D

[ADDO110]

i'll check out that thread thanks.after all the help and advice i've decided 2 just stick with th V8 n get the best i can out of it thanks for all the comments

[Grumbles]

Addo110. That consumption figure of about 20 litres per 100 klicks on petrol is about what I would have thought that they would do. A square box with the aerodynamics of a brick powered by a V8 engine. But still way cheaper than converting to another engine.

[LoveMyV8County]

Yep, as Mark2 and Grumbles have said, that fuel consumption is about right.

You may be able to lean the gas mixture a little more but otherwise it comes down to the use of the right foot, tyres / racks / load, type of driving you do and how fast you like to go.

I wouldn't have thought a diesel conversion would be worth it unless you needed the diesel for other reasons (range, towing) or your V8 went kaput.

[ADDO110]

the guy that tuned it from L/Rspares in mackay tuned it pretty well runs good on both fuels and i love the V8 n as these figures r bout rite i'll take off the rack and try some other not so expensive options.whats a good extractor and exhaust system to go for the one on it now is stainless bout 2'' but it is really quiet.the guy atL/R spares also said the fan is dragin alot of power to you can hear the fan from in the cab never had it on any other V8 i've owned. so i mite change to.as for the rpm im doin dont have tacho yet but i drive it pretty easy.

[lambrover]

trever at LR spares has told me that the stock exhaust manifold is the best and just go 2.5'' exhaust after the down pipes and a less restrictive muffler, I bought a 3.5 carby motor of him and had efi manifolds and down pipes. I asked him about extractors and he reckons that they will decrease the torque at the bottem end. it must be nice having that 4.6 i would love that.:D

[blackbuttdisco]

I have a Disco1 auto V8 running on LPG most of the time. It does 18l/100k. put the car trailer on and stick to 90k and I still get 18l/100k. For a cost comparison, work out what it costs to do a certain distance on LPG, then work out the cost for diesel. Then put the cheque book away.

[mcrover]

I have a Disco1 auto V8 running on LPG most of the time. It does 18l/100k. put the car trailer on and stick to 90k and I still get 18l/100k. For a cost comparison, work out what it costs to do a certain distance on LPG, then work out the cost for diesel. Then put the cheque book away.

Diesel isnt that expensive, you would think it was a million doillars a ltr the way you guys talk.

On a 730km run last weekend I used about 80ltrs (10.9ltrs/100kms) sitting on mainly 110kmh on the Hume in my lifted Disco with roofrack, 32" BFG All terrains and heaps of recovery gear, bullbar, winch, snorkle.

At 10.9 l/100kms it works out at $1.45 ltr for diesel at around 16c km which would be comparible if not better than most LPG systems and V8s.

On top of that, there are no plugs and leads, there is no electronics on a D1 like mine with 300Tdi where as the V8 has electric fuel pump, fuel injection and ignition computer etc etc.

Ive said before that it is comparable and that it is but I also liked the fact that after 730 kms I still have 1/4 of a tank (135ltr tank) so if I had to I could have driven to work all week and picked up the kids for xmas this arvo before having to fill up to go away tomorrow so the range is the best part.

Not much LPG in the middle of the bush or in the Simpson and thats why Ive got a Diesel.

[ADDO110]

that is one of the main reasons i wanted to change it ive had a couple of dare i say it toyota :twisted:diesels and just easy to look after n maintain.and i'd love to do some big trips sumtime and the range ive got at moment just wont do and had some trouble gettin gas even on the bruce hwy to mackay.i just really love this truck its mint and what ive been chasin for a long time and dont wanna sell it just to get a diesel 1.

[MacMan]

At 10.9 l/100kms it works out at $1.45 ltr for diesel at around 16c km which would be comparible if not better than most LPG systems and V8s.

BZZZZZZZTTTTT!

Works out about $0.12/km for me at the moment with LPG on a 3.9L V8. About $200 saving over 5000km.

BUT I do wish I had a diesel sometimes when I need the range. It doesn't happen all that often with the way we use ours at the moment - my daily transport when I need a car, weekend stuff, towing and trips around for a few days at a time.

[Bearman]

Hey Addo110,
What type of box are you running. By the vintage you should have a 4 speed LT95. If so what transfer ratio does it have. Standard is about 1.112. You can change this to the diesel one 0.996. That will drop your revs by a few hundred RPM. I am sure that big V8 would handle the ratio change....Brian

[clean32]

just back from a small trip, i run 33" BFG AT, 2X spears, tent, 2 push bikes on the roof, 100Ltrs water, 125 Ltrs Diesel and all the **** SWMBO can load up.
Gased up at Saff bio diesel at 1.21 a ltr, toped off at the local Coles when we got back at 1.27 Ltr. worked out to be 11.2 ltrs per hundred.

thats a 3.9 NA isuzu with 4 speed. most driving was rather flat no real hills, we followed the coast line basicly

[ADDO110]

im running a r 380 not sure bout tranfer ratio as not sure what previous owner got it out of or if he got it new i'd think the latter as everything else is new.is it stamped anywhere i could have a look.

[Bearman]

It will most likely be a LT230 transfer case. There are diesel ratios available for this box which will give you less rpm. I am surprised Trevor at landy spares Mackay didnt suggest this....Brian

[ADDO110]

i haven't really talked to him about it at this stage only had it in there once for tune up.but mite be sumthing i can look into had it done on my rangie and made sum difference just wanna get tacho 1st to see what revs im doin now...thanks brian

[Freestyler]

I have a V8 County 4.4 Lt and it's cheaper to run than the Isuzu, and nearly as cheap to run as the 300TDi. Have you driven one of these??? I have,they do go OK but I wouldn't swap my V8 for any of them. I am going to get the gas injected on my truck early next year to try and pick up a bit better fuel economy.

[p38arover]

At 10.9 l/100kms it works out at $1.45 ltr for diesel at around 16c km which would be comparible if not better than most LPG systems and V8s.

On a trip in the Rangie I get 17 litres/100km on LPG, around town, about 22 litres/100km.

Taking the worst, i.e., 22 litres/100km, that's almost exactly twice your diesel consumption of 10.9 litres.

LPG costs 43 cents/litre (yesterday and before the 4 cents/litre discount). Diesel was $1.45. Therefore the diesel cost 1.45/0.43= 3.37 times as much as LPG.

That means that it costs 10.9/22 x 3.37 = 1.67 times as much to run your diesel vs my P38A (in fuel costs).

That's not quite as comparable as you suggest.

If you add in the 4 cent discount the figures are even better for LPG as 4 cents off 43 cents is a bigger percentage then 4 cents off 1.45, i.e., 1.41/3.9 = 3.61. 10.9/22 x 3.61 = 1.79

However, under load, your diesel will not vary as much as my V8 will in consumption and your range is far, far superior.

[ADDO110]

no haven't driven a diesel landy i wanted to feul and gas inject mine but told was costly and a lot of wiring.nxt yr will tell i'll do few trips and keep gettin lots of different points of view of the aulro site and make some decisions.

[ADDO110]

wish i could get lpg for that price im home for Xmas lpg is 55c in mackay its 85c/ltr a bloody ripoff last time i fueled up with premium for 1.05/ltr so lpg is still a saving if ya can get it for a good price and cant do that in mackay.there should be an inquiry.:D

[DeeJay]

I just filled up wth LPG $ 37.9 less the 4 cpl :).
Mind you, with a chev 5.7 litre I just did 600klm at a cost of $64.50:eek:
I just looked at the RACV Fuelwatch site & Unleaded is $111.9 - Diesel $124.9
So at 3klm/ litre I'm still running around at 10- 12% less cost than Diesel @ 10klm/ litre.
Trouble is my 190 litre tank/s are needed to get the range.