"200Di" diesel conversion - how to do it
Developed
for Series Land Rovers by Glencoyne Engineering
Part 2 - fuel, cooling and exhaust systems
Click here to return to part 1
The fuel system is pretty simple. If you are converting a diesel vehicle you already have almost everything you need. For a petrol vehicle you will need to add a fuel return line - your fuel tank may already have a hole for this (blanked off) so it is just a case of obtaining the correct tank fittings and fuel return line. You will also need a diesel filter - use the one from the donor Discovery. The plumbing is simplicity itself - the feed line goes from the tank to the lift pump on the side of the engine. From the lift pump fuel flows into the filter, and then to the injection pump. The return line goes from the injection pump back to the tank. The arm on the end of the accelerator pedal rod can be connected direct to the injection pump via a plain pushrod or, more elegantly, a ball-jointed rod, as per the photo below.
Cooling system - the heater can be connected up using 19mm diameter rubber cooling hose. The 200TDi engine does not have a heater control valve, but this is no big deal. Unless the heater fan is running, a Series heater will put out very little heat into the cabin. You can use the standard Series radiator which is plenty big enough for this engine in non-turbo form. If you salvage the thermostat housing from your old Series engine you can use the standard Series top radiator hose. You will need to blank off the aperture for the bypass elbow with a steel plate (see photo below) and fit the thermostat housing to the head using new gaskets and M6x70 bolts.
For the bottom hose you can use a universal flexible hose, 32/38 x 500mm. These are available from Halfords, part number HFH215. Alternatively you can make your own bottom hose using Series top and bottom hoses cut up and joined together with steel tube and jubilee clips. This is how I did my first testbed vehicle, and that has now covered 6,000 miles with no problems.
Cooling fan - the Disco fan is in entirely the wrong place and will not fit. In fact, you might as well cut the threaded stub off the end of the water pump and gain a bit more clearance between engine and radiator. There is then plenty of room to fit an electric fan, BUT... I have never once had to use mine. Not even in a 3 mile traffic jam, in hot weather, towing a trailer. So unless you live in central London or are planning to use your vehicle to tow heavy trailers up long steep hills, you probably don't need a cooling fan at all. These engines, connected to a Series radiator, run very cool - almost too cool. In winter, a radiator muff would probably be a good idea, although I haven't yet tried one on mine.
Exhaust. You can use the standard Series centre and rear sections, but you will need to fabricate a front pipe. For this you definitely need welding skills. For the first couple of conversions I made up a pipe which exited through the inner wing. This worked fine but I was worried about clearance with larger tyres, so I decided to develop something neater. The current version uses a Series petrol exhaust downpipe, a 90 degree tight bend in 1 3/4" tube (available from Demon Tweeks) and the mounting flange from the Discovery turbo (see previous page). I assemble the components on the vehicle, using slotted steel sleeves to join the sections, tack weld the joins, then remove the pipe and seam weld all the joins. It looks nice and neat when fitted, and seems to give much lower noise levels than my earlier design. I also fit an extra support to the rear end of the front pipe - Halfords sell a universal exhaust hanger which does the job and bolts to the redundant left hand drive handbrake mounting bracket.
Finally there is the air filter to deal with. After trying various systems I now use the Series air cleaner with a flexible hose from a diesel Series vehicle. I first cut off the end of the air intake, as it narrows at the outer end and I thought it might be a bit restrictive. Make sure you stuff the intake with rag before doing this, otherwise you risk filling the engine with metal filings. It is also a good idea to cover the alternator with a cloth to prevent bits of metal from falling into it and shorting it out. Even better, just remove the manifold (4 bolts) and clean it out before refitting it.
Now cut the air cleaner holder off its mounting bracket, grind the underside flat and secure it to the cut down battery tray either by welding, countersunk screws and nuts (brake drum screws with Whitworth nuts are perfect) or, if all else fails, lots of pop rivets. Make sure the holder is positioned so that the air cleaner does not foul the bonnet prop, and that the hose can reach the air intake without being put under too much stress. The crankcase breather hose can be connected to the inlet manifold - there is a blanking bolt which you can unscrew, and the Disco breather hose will then clamp onto the stub using a jubilee clip.
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I think that's about it. You should now have your very own 200Di. I will add to these notes from time to time, and I would be very pleased to hear from anyone who attempts this conversion, and will try to incorporate feedback into these pages.
If on reading this you like the idea of this conversion but feel it is beyond your own abilities, I will be happy to quote you for the work. A straightforward conversion, including second hand 200TDi engine fitted with a new timing belt and tensioners, plus all the other bits required, will probably be around £1,250 plus VAT.
Further reading: Teri-Ann from the Series 2 Club is putting together some information on 200TDi conversions. Her pages can be found at http://www.expeditionlandrover.info/200tdiconversionIntro.htm. The article by Glen Anderson (also Series 2 Club member), hosted by Teri-Ann, is especially useful - although it deals with a turbocharged installation, it covers some areas such as bellhousing, engine mounts etc in more detail than I have given above.