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[300bhp/ton]

I just don't know what to say ---- I'm gobsmaked.


Muddy - 200Tdi parts are plentiful and easy to get. Catillar is the biggest parts uspplier and everything is still available.

And 200tdi's might be rarer but they are cheaper than 300tdi's as a rule.

Now as to which is a good setup? Well it depends on your point of view.

Remember the Tdi units are not very powerful, 300tdi only has 111bhp and 197lb ft of torque. So a 4.0 litre V8 will be faster and more powerful.

However add a big intercooler and adjust the injector pump on a tdi engine and you'll see a 35% increase in power. Statistically the V8 still has more power but it is the power delivery that's key. A tuned diesel is very different to a V8.

My brother had a 90 V8 with a factory 3.5 V8 (carb), he now has a 3.9 EFI Range Rover. My 200Tdi Discovery is with a few mods is an easy match on the road in terms of accelaration. Only top speed is limited by comparison.

Off roading I much prefer the diesel, it has instant low end grunt which makes it very useful. But you do need the big intercooler and injector pump tweaks to see this.

Unless you are looking at a late 300tdi unit there are NO electronics at all. Very reliable and very easy to work on. All parts are available mail order from the UK, so all you US guys have no excuse in parts availability.

Now, because the Tdi has less HP I personally wouldn't run it with an auto box, in stock trim it will become a slug. Air con can sap a decent chunk of HP also. Modded it's not so bad.

Basically don't perform a TDI swap and expect a massive improvement in performance. What you can expect is to be able to match performance with better off road capabilities and water wading (with snorkel) with the ability to turn in 24-8mpg as a regular average.

If you don't mind the fuel costs it will be cheaper and easier to get more from a 4.0 V8. And yeah it's more than plenty enough, remember earlier Land Rovers 90/110 used the 2.5TD unit as its main powerplant and that has way less than 100HP.

As for other engines, well I personally don't care for the GM 6.2 V8 deisel swap. 1) It's not actually that powerful, 2) its expensive, 3) It's massive and often suffers over heating issues, 4) it's weighs as much as elephant and will make the vehicle very nose heavy, 5) Most reports I've seen over here people don't tend to get better than 18mpg out of them. So the Rover V8 isn't really much worse mpg wise.

The only engines I'd look at otherwise for a swap would be the new Jaguar/Land Rover V8 (4.0, 4.2 or 4.4) probaby with a blower. Doesn side very expensive and I don't know of it being done before.

Or a Chevy LS1. It's small, lightweigh has 350bhp stock and will be more economically than a Rover V8. SBC and Ls1 swaps have been done before.

I really like the TDi's engines and overhere is my preferred choice. But could I really justify recommending one for use in America on American roads?

Probably not.

BTW - I'd look at sourcing the engine youself in the UK and shipping it back. I got a 200tdi with 80k on the clock (these engines are good for over 200k) for £475. You could even then buy all new internals a ported & polsihed cylinder head, recon turbo and a big intercooler for far less money than some of you guys are talking about.

You can buy a COMPLETE running (road legal) 200 or 300TDI Discovery for about £1500-1800.