Thread: HS 2.8L TGV - any opinions ?

Hi Hokoman,
You seem bent on getting rid of the 300Tdi. Why is that?

The 300Tdi is a good motor, There is some suggestion that they might wear big end bearings sooner than they should, I've heard of a couple of sets needing changing around the 250-300,000 Km mark, but it's a wear issue not a fail and leave you stuck on the side of the road issue. Valve lash caps is the other thing that has cropped up a few times, but their tiny and cheap, carry a spare set and change them along with the timing belt. Some folk advise a head gasket change "just in case" at around the 250,000 Km mark.

Fit a VNT to a 300Tdi and you will get a lot of the bottom end gain that the MWM has, kits are available.

The thing that will catastrophically kill a 300Tdi or a MWM 2.8 or a TD5 or quite possibly an Isuzu 4JB1T is a massive over heat, what ever motor you run you need:

1: A real temperature gauge, I run a VDO mechanical
2: A low coolant alarm, Engine Saver Land Rover Page , not what I run but, advertise on this site and people say good stuff about them.
3: Possibly a block temp alarm, for when you are not looking at the temp gauge.

If you are overlanding across the world, then it's not a race, the 300Tdi will be fine.


Tony

PS: I use to have an 4BD1 Isuzu County, loved it, and still miss it. A great big slow reliable under stressed lump of cast iron.

yes to Rick, Vac pump is on the back of the alt.

food for thought...how, in a 300tdi will you fit a larger Rad and intercooler? How close to a well working engine, given the whole engineered package of a 300tdi 130, is the tdi at stock??? ie start playing with it and you will see probelems you didnt see before, unless you spend $$$ as much as your 2.8....adding bits to an old engine even with rebuild, is not a new engine (like your 2.8 would be.) torque will still be different etc etc.

IMO I would price up to do an Isuzu option (3.9t) PROPERLY and see where that puts you. One thing I would do in the 300tdi if going to rebuild or put in a 2.8, is to get the Ashcroft short bellhousing and move the engine back...it will allow for a full width rad and full width intercooler without stacking forward of the stock location.

have you considered rebuilding a TD5? these seem to have a good rep as a well built engine, and most of the guru's here will know the idiosyncracies of them now....

remember more power = more fuel. My 2.8tgv returns 15lts/100km with a 1.8t dual axle trailer and this is 100km/hr hwy driving....this would be approx the same for no trailer running around town.

what a LR def needs is an engine about the physical size and weight of a tdi but producing 500nm. I know some of you will laugh and think that a ****, but if you use your defender as a work truck/4x4 and not a around the city statement you will understand....

the thing with LR is that you want more power, but the cooling system, clutch and gearbox are not up to it long term so need looking at also.But atleast the T/case, rear diff and front diff is.( dont worry about the front being weak in normal driving even with some more power)


must do's no matter what:

new aftermarket temp gauge, aftermarket EGT gauge, free flowing exhuast.

You may find your 2.8 running a bit hot in a unladen def with stock rad and intercooler no matter how good a condition they are in. You can get a lower cracking thermostat and get some cooling happening in the engine bay buy cutting some breathe holes in the guards.

good luck