Thread: series III - with 300tdi's

Originally Posted by chazza

In my case I have a S3 LWB with no engine. It struck me that I could make a cheap ute out of it and it seems a really good idea to fit a Rover diesel at the same time. ...

Series 1 Discos to wreck out are as cheap as chips these days and using the 5 speed disco gearbox will overcome the problems of the Farey overdrive to compensate.

Even the ratios may not be such of a problem. I did the calculation on changing the 1.53:1 helical transfer box in an F/C for a regular 1.2:1 series T/F and the numbers came out the same as swapping the 4.7:1 diffs for 1.354:1 diffs. With 7.50/16 tyres and the 1.222:1 disco transfer in a SIII with 4.7:1 diffs will give you a diesel with plenty of pulling power and a .75 overdrive for reasonable highway speeds. (Remember the County T/f is 1.41:1 on 7.50/16 tyres)

Diana

Thanks Diana Precisely the sort of information which is invaluable.

All I have to do now is find a Disco, which doesn't seem so easy in WA

Cheers Charlie

I bought a 1993 Disco with a 200TDI for $3500 in Mandurah. I was looking for 1 week, so they are around. I had spent the previous 3 weeks looking for just the 200tdi and had a lot less success. The best quote I had was more than I paid for the whole Disco!

I'm currently rebuilding a S3 88''. http://www.aulro.com/afvb/series-3/7...3-rebuild.html

I'm fitting it with the 200TDI and the 10 spline 3.54 diffs out of the Disco. The 200tdi will bolt onto the S3 4 speed box. The 300tdi will not. The 200tdi has the same power and torque with slighty better fuel economy. I have read that the Disco 5 speed box is longer, needs the mounts moved and the gearstick ends up behind your elbow unless you move the engine forward, which means moving the radiator support forward as well and fitting a Stage 1 bonnet. offroaders rantpage and landrover site

With the S3 transfer case ratio of 1.15:1 (unless it's the 1-ton 1.53:1), 3.54 diffs, in forth gear on 7.5 tyres at 100kph I should be sitting on less than 2700rpm. The Disco gearbox, transfer case ratio of 1.22:1,and 3.54 diffs in fith gear would have the engine at 2500rpm at 100kph. That means going to a lot more effort putting in the Disco box, transfer case and modding your front axle to handle full time 4wd will only benefit you 200rpm at 100kph.

Land Rover gear ratios

Transfer Case Conversion

Hope this helps chazza. It's certainly been wrecking my brain the last couple of months! The conclusion is that fitting a 300tdi into a S3 is certainly not for the faint hearted, while fitting the 200tdi is relatively easy.

Top info TJ

Cheers Charlie

Chazza

If you want to go the whole hog with the conversion and not worry about the spicer joints in the front axle flogging out, then you need a 3 way merge.

The Disco Tdi and use Stage 1 running gear - same 3.54:1 ratio as the Disco and same springs and track as the Series 3.

Diana

P.S. there are a lot of people who worry about Series 3 1 ton box ratios in Australia. You have more chance of winning the Lottery than of finding an S3 1 ton in Australia. There may have been two, a prototype that arrived as a private import and possibly one trialled by the Army.

Perhaps the easiest thing for me to do (and possibly the cheapest) is to fit a 200tdi to the S3 box and change the diff centres to 3.54 Disco ones. The rest of the car can remain unchanged.

The rationale behind all this, is that I have two engine-less S3, 2 door LWB utes - one of which I would like to register as a tray top ute - because Defender utes are ridiculously expensive in WA, even if you can find one to buy. There is a distinct possibility I could have a sound, registered ute on the road for around about $5000, which is $13 000 less than the last Defender I saw advertised, which had 190 000km on the clock and probably needed several thousand spent on it

Thanks for all of the advice so far

Cheers Charlie