Thread: Making a diesel Range Rover

Originally Posted by VladTepes

Yeah. Ours already has had, but I have little doubt the statement is STILL true of ours.....

Must admit my Jack has been extremely good so far (264,000km) but clutch is original, need new dual mass flywheel with the clutch, injectors are due, maybe all the engine sensors, valve gear recon too. You wouldn't tell to drive it though, it's sweet.

Originally Posted by bee utey

Of course the other thing wrong with a P38 conversion is that the LT230 transfer case won't fit as the drive shafts are on the other side. I'd stick to finding a good classic RR of a similar age to your donor engine.

Looks like I need to do a bit more homework. Didn't know about the wrong-side drive shafts. Maybe the older RR is the way to go, but the newer ones are just so much more comfortable. I want pampering.

Originally Posted by Dougal

I'm seeing maybe 5x as many V8 L322's for sale as diesels. It appears no-one wants to sell the diesels and no-one wants to keep the petrols.

There is a diesel P38 for sale right now in the classifieds. They're a BMW 6 cyl engine and while indirect injection appear to be still a good one.

Is that in NZ? I think over this side of the puddle the petrol-diesel ratio of RRs advertised is much higher than that. Premium price of diesel RRs is what has put me off going out and buying one. Petrol V8s are cheap. If you do a lot of long trips fuel cost for a year can be about the value of the vehicle. That's why they're cheap I suppose. Not green either even if you can afford the petrol.

Originally Posted by geo41

Thanks Dougal. I am put off by the very high prices those L322 diesels bring - around $16,000 more than a V8 petrol equivalent.

in that case a V8 would be about 10 grand or are you after a high spec super shiny one?

there's a few diesels around in the mid 20's, theres a nice one in SA I know off.

but are you looking at a 5K-7K P38 and then another 5K DIY conversion?

Then again I have the pov pack l322 and I still feel the P38 to be more comfy for someone of my build.

Originally Posted by Dougal

.......There is a diesel P38 for sale right now in the classifieds. They're a BMW 6 cyl engine and while indirect injection appear to be still a good one.

http://www.aulro.com/afvb/vehicles-s...diesel-dt.html

As Dougal says. So it's a 1999 not a >2000, but no hard work to do.

Originally Posted by sheerluck

http://www.aulro.com/afvb/vehicles-s...diesel-dt.html

As Dougal says. So it's a 1999 not a >2000, but no hard work to do.

Appreciate your interest and the trouble all of you have gone to putting forward your views. That diesel RR represents good value for somebody. But the diesel BMW 2.5 litre six only produces 280Nm of torque in its most powerful version does it not? I don't see that as enough to comfortably pull the vehicle and at least 1800kg caravan on unsealed roads, which may have sandy patches and steepish hills. That was why I was leaning towards the 3.8 litre Isuzu turbo in the first place. Quite possibly the P38A is a better starting point for my proposed conversion than the L322 (my notion of post-2000 could be either) but I think I need adequate torque at least 380Nm and I need manual transmission preferably 6-speed because I intensely dislike autos. 4BD1-T is reasonable for the engine, MT82 a logical candidate for the gearbox, LT230 for the transfer box. Original question was can I do that in a very nice RR without huge cost or insurmountable problems. No ****-weak engines, no old rusted out bodies and shabby interiors for me. And no autos.

Originally Posted by geo41

Appreciate your interest and the trouble all of you have gone to putting forward your views. That diesel RR represents good value for somebody. But the diesel BMW 2.5 litre six only produces 280Nm of torque in its most powerful version does it not? I don't see that as enough to comfortably pull the vehicle and at least 1800kg caravan on unsealed roads, which may have sandy patches and steepish hills. That was why I was leaning towards the 3.8 litre Isuzu turbo in the first place. Quite possibly the P38A is a better starting point for my proposed conversion than the L322 (my notion of post-2000 could be either) but I think I need adequate torque at least 380Nm and I need manual transmission preferably 6-speed because I intensely dislike autos. 4BD1-T is reasonable for the engine, MT82 a logical candidate for the gearbox, LT230 for the transfer box. Original question was can I do that in a very nice RR without huge cost or insurmountable problems. No ****-weak engines, no old rusted out bodies and shabby interiors for me. And no autos.

People have towed more weight for decades with less torque.

But if you want more the 2.5 BMW diesel is I think outline interchangable (mounts and gearbox) for all the other BMW 6 cyl diesels. It would be the start point and not the end point.
See if one of these will fit: [ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BMW_M57"]BMW M57 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia[/ame]

There seems to be a mismatch in your list of requirements and your budget.

Originally Posted by Dougal

People have towed more weight for decades with less torque.

But if you want more the 2.5 BMW diesel is I think outline interchangable (mounts and gearbox) for all the other BMW 6 cyl diesels. It would be the start point and not the end point.
See if one of these will fit: BMW M57 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

There seems to be a mismatch in your list of requirements and your budget.

Perhaps 280Nm would suffice on the highway (and maybe not), and a 2.5 litre LR diesel can do that. But I will be going off the main roads into the hills. Now my project is to take a cheap petrol RR and fit an inexpensive Isuzu engine perhaps ex-army, an MT82 gearbox and LT230 transfer box. Your proposal is to take an expensive diesel RR, upgrade to a larger and very expensive BMW engine, and to somehow engineer a manual transmission and transfer case. So we are talking about two different projects. No wonder we can't manage to agree. And no, so far I haven't mentioned any budget figure.