Good video! I fitted quite a few of these back in the day Few problems I had with them was the clutch needed better clamping pressure - the STD 300Tdi clutch assembly just was not up to the job M&D used to offer a 300Tdi radiator and intercooler with the kit but the radiator was too small for the 2.8 when pulling up long hills or working hard - I overcame this by fitting a stationary engine core to the Tdi rad tanks -25% more cooling Parts - Only M&D had parts and they knew what to charge - I know there are common 300Tdi parts, but these were not really parts that would break - the blocks look like a 300 Tdi, but the entry for the cooling from pump to block was moved from the 1st cylinder to between the 2/3 cylinder for better cooling (hence the difference in the head water passage) I had a turbo explode on one and that was a very expensive venture to fix - you cannot rebuild them - the vanes are ceramic coated and any damage renders the turbo scrap - so keep your air filter clean! The oil filter is a bugger to change - a better idea would be a remote filter A great improvement on the 300 Tdi but they were quite expensive - in 2003 the kit was £5000 They were fitted to the Ford Ranger in South America, but they could not come to the US for EPA regulations A few engines did make it to the US but had to be designated for 'off road use only' Those that fitted them and used them on the road did so at their own risk! (Federal offence = jail time!) Mike
@@lrworkshop I use it as my non-daily driver so it gets road use on the weekends and the occasional off-road park. The auto does zap some power out of the motor, but I play on installing a boost pin and diaphragm after I get my EGT gauge installed. The EGT is a little more difficult since there isn't a plate on the manifold like the 300tdi.
Really interesting video. Perhaps the engine the Defender should have had. I much prefer engines without computers controlling them. I know the tax laws meant 2.5 was always going to be the biggest in the UK but this would have been a great export engine.
Yeah me too. I know you can get more performance from ECU controlled engines, but i'm more interested in reliability. Not that electronic engines are always unreliable, but simplicity is something that can't be beaten
I’ve still got a completely NEW one standing for my project off road rallyraid Defender. 😂. Brilliant engine!! Just installed a double alternator from gwynlewis on the place of this aircon unit for the 3 winches. The engine has only the factory run time. Thanks for your upload.
I had no knowledge of land rovers before i bought mine. I was told mine had a 300TDi. In all the videos i watched on upgrading/fixing, I thought my engine looked a little wrong. But thanks to your video i now know i own this gem of an engine. Must say it's a pleasant surprise.
The alternator with the vacuum pump in the back is actually great since it replaces the old unreliable vacuum pump that had to be replaced every other uear
The other great non-electronic LR engine was the Isuzu 4BD1 3.9 litre which was fitted to Australian 110s and Australian Army Landies. This engine is the same as fitted to the NPR series of light trucks and has huge amounts of torque (spares are in abundance).
Thank you Will, its been a lovely walk through. I wonder cooling setup differences in particular, like raditor cores, radiator size, thermostat opening temp, etc. Cheers
Thanks for your great video, just bought one here in South Africa, with no experience on them, I'm hoping it doesn't let me down. Would appreciate if I can get like a Manuel or specs catalog for it. Very exited though. Thanks for your video, made me buy the Landy....
Thanks for the video Will. I always liked the idea of this engine, it seemed to offer it all, based on the well loved 300 Tdi motor but giving basically more of a good thing, I was tempted on several occasions... but availability of both the engine and spares scared me and guessing many more too.. Not to mention the "high torque" knock on effect to the transmission. Cheers Wayne.
I'd love to spend more time getting to know a Td5. They seem to be very versatile engines. It's good to know your thoughts seeing as you've got so many :)
That's a variable nozzle turbo. You can tell by the angle at which the actuator attaches to the turbo. If it's at 90 degree to the turbo shaft, it's a variable nozzle. If its line with the turbo shaft it's connected to a waste gate. That goes for all turbos not just these engines
interesting.. I definitely would like to see and learn more about this engine. MY rover currently has an 2.5 NA and been thinking on what engine to upgrade too 200TDI or 300TDI and what I want more is a reliable engine none problematic and easy to work on..
I think even going to a 300Tdi would blow your mind by comparison. The 300Tdi is perfectly capable of highway cruising, but can't push you into your seat when accelerating like modern diesels can. 200Tdis have similar power but it was only built for 4 years whereas the 300Tdi was built for 12, so spares are more readily available.
I've not done it but it probably is. The parts are mostly the same: www.lrworkshop.com/diagrams/land-rover-defender-engine/2.8-tgv-hs-mwm-international/timing-belt
i'm fiting one of these power stroke 2.8 in my series IIA 88, without moving the grill, the gear box is the LT77 with the short bell. also it has range rover classic suspention and disc brakes in the four wheels. any extra issue i will know in few months when its done lol.
@@piersyoung4957 I had to make space for the exhaust and the new gearbox, so I had to redo part of the floor and transmission tunnel, not big deal, after all it is a very good engine, it feels stronger than the 300TDI no problems at the moment
I have one of these, and not worth the $$$ IMO. They do have better timing gears like the 200Tdi. The alternators are one off and no other replacement available. The VNT turbo varibale vanes can be prone to caking up and breaking the linkage from the pressure actuator. Its not just the cooling system that is underdone on a Defender, but the intercooling is way underdone for 20psi. Intercooling plays an important roll in head temps and therefor engine temps. I had a 300TDI that had fuel mods, exhaust upgrade and the 2.8 was not the big difference the internet makes. I tow'd daily 1.8t and both were sub par.
In the Defender it was fitted to the R380 gearbox, with a 235mm diameter clutch plate, or the heavy duty version was 242mm diameter www.lrworkshop.com/diagrams/land-rover-defender-engine/300tdi/flywheel-clutch_53182#14
They will fit each other. Supposedly the 2.8 has extra cooling waterways in the head, and may or may not do in the block 🤷♀️, so it may be possible to fit a 2.8 head to a 300Tdi and not the other way round
