Thread: HS 2.8L TGV - any opinions ?

Originally Posted by Dougal

Is there any option to fit a larger radiator (petrol) and an intercooler in front?

Most tdi defenders have A/C, which means a condensor in front of the intercooler and rad as stock. My winch only has 10mm clearance from my condensor and that's after I removed the stock thermo fan and stock condensor and replaced then with a new condensor 6mm thicker and no fan...

There are slightly different options depending on ones priorities...but change any one thing and you will find change somewhere else..... And there is only one way to find out.

VNT Turbo, new manifold & gaskets, and exhaust down pipe from a 2.8 are available NEW in Melbourne for $2,700.

I'm told it's a 2 hour job to fit. The motor will be more powerful than a TD5, but not as powerful as a chipped TD5. Top speed won't change much, but the turbo will become effective at 12-14,000 RPM, so it will perform better off road and hold gears longer.

I'd like to drive one before saving up for one.

Originally Posted by Michael2

VNT Turbo, new manifold & gaskets, and exhaust down pipe from a 2.8 are available NEW in Melbourne for $2,700.

I'm told it's a 2 hour job to fit. The motor will be more powerful than a TD5, but not as powerful as a chipped TD5. Top speed won't change much, but the turbo will become effective at 12-14,000 RPM, so it will perform better off road and hold gears longer.

I'd like to drive one before saving up for one.

That would be one well balanced Tdi to spin at 14000 Rpm

I would want to drive one before spending $2700 on it as well.

Mine is pretty good with a tweaked pump, well tuned, clearances done and straight through exhaust.

I would like more for towing but so far Im pretty happy with it.

Before changing motors etc, get everything right first like the pump timing, valve clearances and make sure the intercooler is clean, intercooler hoses are in good condition and your exhaust flows and then get an EGT guage and start adjusting the pump to get the best from it and you will be surprised what you can get out of it.

Be aware that once you start fiddling with pump tuning you may do a head gasket and find other things like wear in the gearbox and clutch.

Still it's worth doing though.

Cheers Casper

Originally Posted by Michael2

Top speed won't change much, but the turbo will become effective at 12-14,000 RPM,

Man, that's fast.

Originally Posted by TonyC

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.

Tony,

fair point - and I'm quite a slow driver too. Used to be a big m/c user rushing everywhere at the sound of speed. After the Round Oz trip in 2008 in the Nissan Patrol I learnt the joys of cruising at 90 and not taking out a bank loan to pay for the next fill-up. That was when the fuel prices were sky high. 2.50 a litre up in the Kimberleys in some places.
Anyway, for odd reasons it suits me to use some Sterling saved up. Taking into account the crap exchange rate between Sterling and Oz $ now, I've calculated that if I sell the old donk for 2k, add on the 2k for work I might have done to it (or more) I can replace with a brand new 2.8 TGV for around 8k. I reckon that's alright. Yes, there are some issues with spare parts as has been pointed out, I might well regret this in the end and have to live with a fool's face... . Haven't completely decided yet, exploring some options, including keeping the engine. My mechanic says that's the best thing to do !

Thanks for all the comments - I'm in France at the moment and traveling around so not so good at replying. Great website. Has given me quite a few laughs.

Originally Posted by uninformed

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

SORRY SORRY SORRY, am traveling in France so difficult to reply to my own post. Thank you all. Good points above - I was under the impression that the larger radiator and intercooler just went straight in - according to MD anyway. I'll check with them and quote your post. Yes, all those gauges important - I fitted a Boost to my Nissan Patrol a while ago and only then realised the boost sensor was faulty - replaced it and cleaned the Maf and all ok since and gives peace of mind, especially in a 3.0L Nissan with it's dubious reputation
I reckon I can get around 11l/100k with the new engine after talking with a couple of people in the UK. If you can get 15l/100k towing 1.8tons at 100kph then surely I should be able to average 11 sitting on 90 with 800kg on the tray ? I get 11.5 fully laden with the Patrol. I rarely in a rush cos I can never find me specs
I've done a new calculation on the cost of replacement and I reckon it's 8k which isn't bad. The problem with the Isuzu 4BDIT I've found out is you can't put it in a '96 LR because of Emission laws - can't step back. This from KLR in Kingsgrove Sydney.
I'm looking into other options, including keeping the present motor, which is actually ok, according to my mechanic anyway. He wouldn't mind me replacing it because he wants it ! But he does say he thinks it's only worth it if I can replace at the right price.

By the way, I found a new 4BD1T for $ 6,500 here :
WE HAVE A BRAND NEW 4BD1T MOTOR $6500 HERE PH DON 0421253500
Regards,
DON MURRAY

Queensland Motor Recyclers
77 Randolph ST
Rocklea
QLD 4106

Ph (07) 3274 4200 Fax (07) 3274 4201

Motor recyclers australia
don.m@qldmotorrecyclers.com.au

Originally Posted by luke68

Can anyone out there tell the difference between the 300tdi and the HS2.8?
eg; Bore X stroke ?
Different head?
Or is it as simple as getting the 2.8 crank and doing a rebuild of the tdi block?

Cheers

If anyone wants info on the 2.8 TGV I have a folder full - please just PM or e-mail me.

Originally Posted by uninformed

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....

I avoided the TD5 because of some things I'd read in the past. But I have to admit, upon further investigation, that the TD 5 seems to be a pretty good motor. German friends of mine recently completed a 3 year round the world trip in one (110) without much trouble. My experience has been coloured by me owning a Nissan Patrol 3.0L ZD which some people hate and for good reasons - they can just go bang. I decided I wanted a simple non-electronic vehicle that can be worked on in most places. I do realise that replacing the standard motor with another that has limited parts availability could be seen as a contradiction by the polite and entirely stupid by the remaining 99%.

This is something I am working through ...... um .......