Someone needs to make a engine conversion kit

[roverpwr]

I need to rant for a few. With all the problems I see between all the rover forums, with the 4.0L v8 motor in particular, someone out there needs to make up a kit to adapt a GM 4.3L Vortex V6 into the Discovery chassis. All I ever see is problems with sensors, not running right, sticking valves, needing high test expensive fuel. You can find that GM motor everywhere in junk yard with low milage, it runs on cheap fuel. Just find a wrecked donor and get the motor and its computer. I love the ride and looks of my discovery, but it runs like crap, and I lack the deep pockets of many of you, or the technical expertise to figure the damn thing out. Nobody lives close and it would be over a $100 in fuel to go to Trailhead 4x4 in Cleveland to have them sort it out, besides the cost of the work. ok off rant now. Mike

[r0cj0c]

i feel ya man. its frustrating. n i don't know how to figure a conversion kit out. and someone could make some nice money if they could figure it out.

[jhmover]

Here ya go, in Australia, but this is the deal.


http://www.marks4wd.com/products/eng...overindex.html

[roverpwr]

right now I would be happy for someone to come to my place and get mine running better. Mike

[Buddy Lee]

Originally Posted by r0cj0c

and someone could make some nice money if they could figure it out.

Maybe in another country but not in the US. People here are too picky and everybody wants a different engine. A lot of people would want diesels. This guy wants a Chevy V6. Others would want a big V8.

Development and testing as well as tool setup for this would be so expensive that you would have to have a huge volume to make it cheap which is not going to happen when everybody wants a different engine. Otherwise it would run you 4,000-7,000 per kit to sell and then the person would still need to really know what they where doing to pull it off.

I have a friend that does this for Series trucks and he's looking at doing some Disco/RRC conversions also and his kits start at $4,500 and go up from there and he mostly just breaks even on his sales because he likes doing it.

[Rondo]

This is completely leaving out the fact that the engine you transplant into your Disco must be newer than the model year of your vehicle... Another feat in and of itself considering the computer systems involved.

[shartzer]

It is nice to hear someone else is not as crazy as me.

I am in the middle of this conversion now. I had a liner drop on my 4.0l and decided spending $3,000 on a short block of a poorly designed engine isn't for me (I am bitter and don't care if people have another opinoin). I have not ordered the late model 4.3l engine yet but will early July. I did recieve my Marks Adapters kit in the mail yesterday from Australia (took about 6 weeks, ~$1300 with flywheel). The 4.3l is easily available in tons of different configurations but I am hoping to get as late a model as possible but still have cable throttle. They still make this engine btw. As far as making a kit, I got to much going on right now but when I am done I will consider it after I see what all is required.

Major concerns:
Recalibrating ECU to: disable immobilizer, manual tranny, ect...
Exhaust fitting with catalyst (I am green)
AC and PS hoses
All the other electrical issues I will have to work out

PM me if you want to know more.

Sam

[jhmover]

Were I to do something like this I'd get the Chevy computers & whatever else was needed, rip all the computers and wiring under the hood out and start over from square one. I'd bet it would be less of a PITA than trying to get the LR stuff to work with the Chevy stuff. Regarding the trans, you have a manual, so why any computer is needed for that is beyond me if you dump the LR stuff. Any exhaust shop should be able to do the exhaust with proper cats and o2 sensors that work with the Chevy. I"d toss the immobilizer, too and just get an aftermarket alarm, or something Chevy has that works with the engine.

[pavel]

shartzer: please do many others a big favor and document your conversion as carefully as your time allows. There are many people in LR Disco land who will be very interested in learning from you. Lots of photos, item stock numbers, sources and detail on costs please. I hope the costs don't get out of hand.... Thank you very much in advance! I expect to be doing a similar conversion in about 3 to 4 years.

[roverandom]

Go for it, check out the web or 4x4/Hot Rod mag's for Co's. that make adaptor plates etc (lots around but I can't think of any right now). If you can spare the $$$ just take your truck to any good 4x4 fabrication shop or Hot Rod shop. The USA is king of putting big o'l american engine's in places they are not supposed to go. If you can put a 427cu" in a AC bristol and call it a cobra (thankyou Mr Shelby) then you can put a v6 or v8 in a Rover. (by the way the Chevy v6 and v8 have the same bell housing bolt pattern) After all the Rover v8 is not realy a Rover engine, it is a old Buick 215cu" discontinued in 1964 and sold to Land Rover. So even us Brit's don't mind swapping things around a little.

[92RRC100]

You could probably get the Chebby ECU running, but if I were going this way I'd do a Megasquirt ECU. If your truck is new enough to be OBDII, you would probably be screwed if you live where emission inspections are required because on OBDII cars they plug in to your ECU.

[roverandom]

Don't let the fear of engine management computers stop you. As every spotty, civic lov'in, NOPI race'in 17 year old kid knows that is the easy part. Also, if you can get a reduction in emissions with your new engine (not hard as the only thing that is "green" on a older Land Rover is the paint) you will pass that section of a inspection. OBD II connectors are universal, on the drivers side under the dash. Your Chevy donor car will come with all you need. I have swapped several Gen III Chevy engines into different older veh's for different reasons and as long as you do your homework and carefully match parts for the performance you want I think you will be happy with the result.

[shartzer]

Thanks for all the kind words. I usually avoid forums like the plague. I figured I would get flamed for speaking poorly of the Rover v8.

There are plenty of 4.3l v6s out there and many junk yards yank the engine out with all accessories, ecu, wiring, O2 ect.. My thought right now is to pull everything out of the rover engine compartment, repaint, and start from scratch.

There is no doubt I will need to reprogram the ECU. I will have to disable the immobilizer for starters. I am sure there will be other random diagnostic problems I will work threw so I will definitely have the diagnostic port wired correctly to play with that. The reason I mention the manual transmission is that most likely the engine I get will be an automatic. The ECU will be looking for communication from the automatic transmission controller and when it doesn't find it it will not be happy. One thought is to just buy an ECU from a manual truck and start with that because the calibration differences can be pretty difficult to figure out.

I really want to use production hardware for reliability. I want this truck to last a long time and be able to take me to some pretty remote areas. I am not new to aftermarket or production ECUs. I do realize gaining access to changing the calibration on some production ECUs can be difficult. I have back up plans though and people I can get help from. I am not worried though, It most likely runs a similar Delphi system like that of the LS1 and there is a world of aftermarket programmers for those. I can't say anymore then that but if someone is really seriously interested you can contact me privately.

Also I am not worried at all about emissions. If things go to plan and I can use the GM factory ECU with 02 sensors and aftermarket cats, the emissions should be much better then the 1996 4.0l Rover.

Unfortunately I have been spending money on other things recently and have not gotten up the funds for the new engine to really get started. I am thinking middle to end of July I will start though.

I will try to take a lot of pictures but don't expect a huge website detailing the install.

Sam

[roverandom]

You are on the right track wanting to use the GM factory computers as much as pos. Just choose the GM veh with the capability and performance that is close to what you are looking for in your Rover (eg. full size C/K truck v6 or bazer etc) with the transmission and gearing you need and go out and look for that make/model. I like to use newer, accident wrecked or roll over "totaled" veh's for mechanical parts rather than older high mileage junk yard finds as they are in better condition (assuming that is not one of the wrecked parts) cleaner and better serviced. Hope your project go's well, keep us posted.