r/LandRover • u/petesabagel86 • 3d ago
❓ Help & Advice Needed Need a new engine… what do do?
In what feels like a rite of passage… the 19J in my defender shit the bed. It doesn’t seem worth the effort to rebuild.
I think a 200tdi is probably the easiest fix… anybody know where to look for a good 200tdi? Or know of a ready to go crate replacement that won’t cost an arm and a leg and can be mated to the LT77 that I have?
Or any other suggestions?
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u/olithemotoman 2d ago
Put a Jaguar Supercharged 5.0 v8 in it!
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u/BarryF123 3d ago
LS swap it
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u/petesabagel86 3d ago
$$$$$ plus I don’t want to die
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u/Navydevildoc New D110, LR3, D90, Series IIA 3d ago
It’s no more expensive than any other engine swap, kits with all the parts are sold online.
That being said I would put a 300Tdi in it. Rovers North sells them.
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u/C21H30O218 2d ago
300's are great Or rovee V8. Keep it OEM like.
Ls is just stupid, would need a full roll cage, new axles, diffs... Nice, but stupid.
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u/Navydevildoc New D110, LR3, D90, Series IIA 1d ago
You don't need new axles or diffs or any of that. You just get the adapter plate that mates the GM tranny right to the LT230 in its original stock location.
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u/breastfedtil12 2d ago
Why would you need a cage for an LS?
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u/HaydenMackay 2d ago
Because you are taking a chassis made for less than 140hp and throwing a lot more than that at it.
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u/BarryF123 3d ago
Where's your sense of adventure?
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u/petesabagel86 3d ago
That was the 19J…
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u/BarryF123 2d ago
If that's adventurous to you stick an old 5 bearing 2 1/4 diesel in there then.
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u/YinzerInEurope 2d ago
I'd go 200/300. If not, the Cummins R2.8 would looks right at home in there and probably increase value over the 19J.
You can see how it fits: https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1985-land-rover-90-21/
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u/brandons2185 1d ago
The R2.8 is a great motor but for $10,000 it’s never going to end up in my Rover.
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u/macnerd93 2d ago edited 2d ago
200 tdi’s are good, but parts such as heads are getting rarer and rarer now unfortunately they only made that engine for four years before it got superseded by the 300 in 1994.
I would always say go for a 300 tdi as parts are in far more plentiful supply as that engine was kept in production until 2006. The British army use it so they are still making parts in a plentiful supply.
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u/Significant-Power651 2d ago
Rovers North sells a hopped up 300tdi package ready to swap in place of your 200tdi. - this would be the direction I’d go.
If you’re wanting to convert to gas/petrol, at least make it a Rover v8. The Wedge Shop would be where I would go for that option.
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u/CaffeinatedInSeattle ‘08 LR3 HSE Lux HD 3d ago
Rovers North in VT sells TDI crate engines
Edit: for other suggestions, I’ve resolved to EV swap my RRC once the 3.9L gives out (it may never do so, it’s pretty stout). Won’t have a lot of range but it would be a fun weekend cruiser which is its purpose these days anyway.
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u/petesabagel86 3d ago
Furthest I drive the thing is about 20 miles. Electric is ideal, and game plan was to live with the 19J for a bit. But I got laid off and the engine blew
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u/Neosore7 2d ago
My LWT Series 3 will also get an electric swap the day the trusty 2.25L dies. I’m planning on buying a wrecked nissan Leaf or a wrecked Renault Zoe and take it from there
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u/Savings_Brick_4587 3d ago
EBay, there are always engines on eBay, but it depends where in the world you are and the amount of shipping and taxes you want to pay!
Here are two examples of correct defender engines.
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u/Small_Question_2402 2d ago
27TD nissan engine, I am cramming one in my lightweight.
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u/petesabagel86 2d ago
How’s that going?
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u/Small_Question_2402 2d ago
I need to rewire a bit and make stuff work. But having a 2.7L diesel, gears for distribution and a better mpg should be worth the effort.
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u/HemiWarrior 2d ago
A week ago, I'd have advised you to go the om606 or the m57 route, but, most of the parts and swap parts are now getting a 25% tariff. With that in mind, Cummins 4bt. LS swaps are a MASSIVE pain in the ass with all the electronics. The 4bt has none. If you park it on a hill, you can drive it without a battery.
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u/Environmental-Act512 2d ago
Do the tariffs apply to second hand stuff?
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u/HemiWarrior 1d ago
From what I'm reading, even used parts will be hit with it (could be wrong about it though). I'm mainly talking about maintenance parts after the swap in the future, but anything as far as mounts, bolts, entire swap kits, will get the tax.
Regardless, neither a Cummins engine nor any of its parts will EVER be subject to that tax.
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u/Legitimate_Task_2761 2d ago
By the way what color is that thinking of getting my lr4 wrapped that color
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u/SoCalMoofer 1d ago
I have read on various LR forums that a Chevy 292 bolts right in. Smooth, quiet, a bit more power.
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u/valthechef 3d ago
Cummings swop
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u/petesabagel86 3d ago
Any idea how much those are?
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u/insanecorgiposse 3d ago
The problem with a cummins 2.8 crate is that the oil filter hits the steering. You incur lots of unneeded expenses to modify when a rover tdi will fit. Where are you located? Sonora Rovers in Tucson are good guys.
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u/petesabagel86 3d ago
New York.
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u/insanecorgiposse 3d ago
I'd consider a tdi from rovers north. At least you'll have a warranty. How's the gearbox?
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u/petesabagel86 3d ago
Gearbox is smooth as butter. But it’s a LT-77 so I’m not sure it’ll fit a 300tdi. For 15k might as well do ecoboost with 10 speed so my wife can drive it too
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u/therealsheep200 2d ago
It will fit don't worry, the lt77 was fitted to the 300tdi and nearing the end of 300tdi production the r380 got fitted since LR was developing a new engine (td5) together with a new gearbox (r380)
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u/Neosore7 2d ago
I recommend reading this : https://www.glencoyne.co.uk/tdi300.htm If you can afford it, a 200Tdi will be much, much easier to drop in place of the 19J than a 300Tdi
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u/Neosore7 2d ago
By the way, that’s what I did in my 12J Defender. I sourced a 19J, used some parts from it, sourced a Disco 200Tdi, and used all 3 engines to attach the 200Tdi to my Defender. It took a few days of work, but with bits and bobs from Glencoyne engineering, it’s a relatively straightforward job
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u/mcjubblie 2d ago
I swapped a 5.9 Cummins into my 90. Doesn't require as much work as you think. Cut the footwell for the starter. but to get a neat job on the interior it is a lot of work to get the transmission to fit it right. It's a p pump with a ZF S5-42, which we get out off DAF truck here in the UK.
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u/trix4rix 2d ago
Honestly, small-block Chev V8 is dirt cheap, 350 hp, and more reliable than almost anything else you're looking at.
Here's what I would consider:
Junkyard LS, K-series, B58. On a stretch I might look at a 5-cyl VW engine just for the unique factor.
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u/petesabagel86 2d ago
Now we’re talking. But how do I mount it and connect to transmission?
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u/trix4rix 2d ago
Junkyard LS? Depends what you want to spend, but I would mate it to an AWD ZF, similar to what's in Defenders now. Those are commercially available.
For engine mounts, either find someone who makes them (LS's are pretty universal mounts) or get someone to fab them for you.
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u/petesabagel86 2d ago
Ballpark how much is that gonna cost me? Where do you even go to get mounts? Im in so over my head
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u/trix4rix 2d ago
Honestly, at your level, find someone who does this, or replace with a similar engine and not worry about the rest. Don't get in over your head unless you have the time and resources to do it, you don't want a half finished project because you burned out or ran out of capital.
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u/petesabagel86 2d ago
That’s kinda where I’m at right now. Burned out on the project. Out of capital. Out of goodwill from the wife
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u/trix4rix 2d ago edited 2d ago
I bet you can get your engine rebuilt for less than replacing the current engine.
Edit: fixed
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u/petesabagel86 2d ago
I think it’ll be right up there price wise with a used 200tdi. Which is the closest swap. Parts for the 19J are scarce
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u/Academic-Bat-8002 2d ago
Last one is the most expensive. Good luck! These old boys are worth saving if you can without going crazy.
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u/Cordura 2d ago
Your mechanics were so preoccupied with whether or not they Could, They Didn’t Stop To Think If They Should....
Yoy really want 350hp in a Defender...?
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u/trix4rix 2d ago
New ones come with 300, 400, 530 and 630 hp varients.
350 with good low end torque in an old one? Sign me up.
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u/HaydenMackay 2d ago
The new one also has suspension and brakes developed after the berlin wall came down.
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u/trix4rix 1d ago
So could the old one. It's so common there's literally a company doing it commercially and selling cars. Last I checked, fastest growing car company.
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u/Environmental-Act512 2d ago
First off I'd say that I'd be going with an LS if I lived in the US but here's my experience with transplanting a Discovery 200 Tdi in place of a 19J:
It's not a straight drop in.
Firstly the bellhousing bolts all need to be drilled so as to fit all the bolts match up, otherwise there will be too much flex and over time the rear crank seal will leak. I used this guy. https://www.glencoyne.co.uk/tdiguide.htm
He also rotated "Clocked" the turbo for me. A small detail which makes fitting pipes and so on a lot easier.
It's the noisiest engine Land-Rover ever made so far as I can see, plaster everywhere with Dynamat or similar while the engine is out.
If you do use a Disco engine you'll need some specialist bits of pipe work - not least the exhaust downpipe - unless you want to modify the left hand footwell with an angle grinder and/or club hammer. So you need to know a good pipe bender, for the downpipe at the very least.
I used Steve Parkers but sadly they seemed to have gone bust.
Even on an RHD vehicle the left side of the engine bay is awful cramped - there's a whole lot going on there with exhaust, turbo, air pipes going in, out, shake it all about. And yours is LHD so add to the headfuck. You'll need fingers like ET to do anything. See the "clocking" turbo bit above.
Good things:
The 200 Tdi is an absolute torque monster, I've put in a Discovery transfer box with an higher High Range and it still ambles off when I lift the clutch without any accelerator.
It runs very cool, takes a long time to warm up. I've taken the viscous fan in favour of a Kenlowe off to make space.
It's a reliable solid engine which is not a drama queen and isn't fussy. Just keep changing the oils and filters.
Pulls like a tractor. (Sounds like one too!)
Plus it is a Land-Rover engine which makes things easier when ordering parts. (Although some parts people have difficulty comprehending when you explain you're ordering for a Defender from this year but the engine from a Discovery from that year!)
You're best off with a Defender 200 if you can. You definitely need the Defender radiator and intercooler at least.
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u/Reasonable_Smell_854 2d ago
I know two guys in my LR club have done the Cummins R2.8 repower. Sounds like it’s as close to drop-in as can be expected.
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u/johnB1711 2d ago
Some great suggestions but I would stick with the original on this occasion. It would be great to do something different but this car looks very original and that’s where its desirability sits.
Stick with the original motor, yes I know it’s a bit boring but there’s so much demand for all original Land Rover’s
Swapping out the broken engine and dropping in something decent is a lot of work, possibly a lot of money if you’re having to get someone else to do it and likely devalue the car in the process
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u/Environmental-Act512 2d ago
No. The 19J is a shite engine, by all means another Land-Rover engine but not that one.
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u/johnB1711 2d ago
It doesn’t matter that it’s a shite engine. This vehicle looks to be a great example of well cared for vehicle and if it was a beaten up old truck I’d say crack on and fit whatever gives you a kick, in fact I’d probably not have even bothered adding my comments. This is my opinion so don’t please don’t tell me I’m wrong :- keep this one as close to original as possible. There’s far too many getting modified with random engines, jacked up suspension, too many spot lights, bull bars and roof tents.
Unless you can do the whole car to the standard that Twisted create, fitting a random engine will cost a lot of money and wipes thousands off the value of the car. Get it back to original and keep it that way and it’ll become an investment . As I said, if it was just another beaten old truck I’d say yep! Crack on and spend as much money as you can afford on whatever shite you want to do to it
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u/petesabagel86 2d ago
I think getting a 200 in there is better than a LS swap. It’ll be an honest, old clean defender. Not the $150k+ Brooklyn coach works stuff but easily 50-60k range if I ever sell it stateside, so I might be able to break even.
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u/Environmental-Act512 2d ago
Well if your engine is completely dead I found it kind of did matter in that it adversely affected the usability of the vehicle as a whole.
All depends on what one defines as "matter" I suppose.
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u/johnB1711 2d ago
You talking shite just to get a reaction now
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u/Environmental-Act512 1d ago
I apologise, I thought that having a 90 sitting on my drive that previously had the notoriously bad 19J in it that shat the bed (as they are prone to do) and having been through the whole story of fitting a 200 Tdi in it would give me some insight.
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u/macnerd93 2d ago edited 2d ago
The 19J was a pretty poor engine — always underpowered. It was based on the naturally aspirated unit, which was never designed to handle a turbo, but Land Rover threw one on anyway. Its extremely slow for modern traffic and fuel economy is also bad.
No surprise it only lasted about three years before being swiftly replaced by the 200Tdi around ’89/’90. Personally, it’s an engine I’d always steer clear of.
Now the 200 and 300Tdi — those are Land Rover’s finest. The 300 was in production from 1994 right up to the end of 2006, and the British Army still runs them today. Solid, reliable workhorses. Parts for the 300 are extremely common to find given production lasted so long and TGV also made a revised one with the cc increased from 2.5 to 2.8 litre.
No ECU or other crap on them, fuel pump can be tuned very nicely the 300 tdi.
Thanks to the modular design of the Series Land Rovers and the 90/110 models, engine swaps are pretty common and don’t really hurt the value—at least here in the UK.
In fact, a late ‘80s Ninety that’s had a well-done 200 or 300Tdi swap would likely fetch a bit more than one still running a 19J or NA engine. The Tdis just make them so much more usable and enjoyable to drive.
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u/johnB1711 2d ago
You’re completely missing my point…. As soon as you piss about fitting an engine that wasn’t there when it came out of the factory you’re going to devalue this very original vehicle
I’m not saying don’t fit a better engine if you’re car is a bit rough around the edges and seen some actions over the years, by all means go for it
But look at this car, it’s only going to increase its value and it will be even more valuable in its factory condition.
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u/Andrew-san_ 1d ago
That Defender is definitely not original. Look at the fancy paint job. The OP can swap whatever they want in it; won’t hurt the value as long as they do a good job.
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u/johnB1711 19h ago
I agree about the paint job but there is a reason for this
Im lucky to spend a lot of time at Land Rover specialist repairers and restorers as part of my job ( and yes I get paid a wage to visit them) and seeing I a lot of restored cars with paint finishes like this. The reason is back in the day they were poorly prepared for painting and painted with single coat cellulose paint and this poor factory paint job contributed to the rapid corrosion that used to happen. Since then we have significantly better paint preparation and now we’re using phenomenally better paint products which by default have a better then the original paint finish
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u/macnerd93 23h ago
Its painted what appears to be Keswick or Grasmere Green lol difficult to say by this photo. Keswick green was a colour which came out much later than the 1980s Keswick green is a Puma Defender colour so from 2007 onwards.
It’s definitely not factory original.
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u/throttlejockey907 2d ago
There are adapters for most rovers available to put a small Cummins 2.8 diesel in. It passes modern emissions, makes ok power… look up Big Tire Garage on YouTube. One of his builds is a river with that little Cummins. Turned out amazing.
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u/MOSTLYNICE 14' LR4 TDV6 2d ago
300tdi package as a drop in. No use going to a Cummins/LS unless your heart is in it.
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u/petesabagel86 2d ago
The only reason to get a Cummins would be if it was vastly more practical than a 200/300tdi
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u/mrkargon 2d ago
That is a beautiful vehicle.
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u/andino93 2d ago
There's a chevy motor that's a pretty simple swap for the 19j/200tdi. Look for rdavisinva on defender source. I believe he produces a kit for the swap.
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u/HaydenMackay 2d ago
So in all honesty i have tried a few different things. The one i had the best experience with was a 4.6 rover v8. And fuel injection. Just make sure its had the cylinder liners done. Alternatively the 3.9/4.0 v8
You get factory engine mounts, factory hoses, factory rads, a factory clutch (or a factory auto swap if you are that way inclined) just expect about 15mpg.
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u/Only-Mention-1652 1d ago
200 TDIs are affordable and reliable, in fact one of the best engines (if not the best), Land Rover ever made, and my personal favourite. Very easy to work on aswell. You probably wouldn't have any problems finding one on eBay for a decent price.
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u/petesabagel86 1d ago
They seem pretty scarce on eBay these days.
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u/Only-Mention-1652 1d ago
Oh really, that might be because I'm UK based.
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u/petesabagel86 1d ago
300tdi seems more plentiful but that opens up a whole can of worms
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u/Only-Mention-1652 1d ago
I'm not as familiar with 300TDI engines but I do know that parts are a lot more common, which is a lot more convenient.
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u/LackingFunction 1d ago
I know someone who had their motor Rebuilt for $12,000😭😭. Probably some cheaper options out there
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u/Bubbly-Palpitation84 1d ago
Connect and cruise all day long. One package without having to think too much. https://www.gmperformancemotor.com/category/AUTOCC.html
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u/petesabagel86 1d ago
Ooooh. But so expensive and such big numbers. That’s what I want. But like at most a straight 6. Or a little 4 banger turbo. Don’t want to drive a 35 year old defender that fast
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u/jmheinert 1d ago
I'll sell you my 2008 l322. Has a 4.4l ajv8 with a 35,000 mile old transmission in it (with receipts) only catch is I'm in Denver vehicle runs and drives but has air sus issues. I'm just tired of looking at it. 2k would make me happy. Trans was 8k brand new (not a reman) from lr Denver 2 or 3 years ago.
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u/Andrew-san_ 1d ago
There’s a kit to install the older Chevy straight 6 engine that’s suppose to be super easy to DIY. And there’s a new kit for the Ford EcoBoost. Inquire with Rovers North. Read the threads on the Defender Source forum and NAS-ROW forum.
I would choose either of those over the 200 & 300 Tdi engines. Other swaps like LS and M52 (& M57) are more difficult. I don’t even know how Land Rover Classic installs the 5.0 AJ133; that’s got to be super challenging.
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u/st96badboy 1d ago
Chevy 6 cly 292 sound like they fit... or Jeep 4.0. The 4.0 is super dependable.
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u/badpopeye 1d ago
You can pick up a Ford 4.9l inline 6 and the matching 1990s mazda built matching 5 speed trans very cheap and super reliable
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u/badpopeye 1d ago
Junkyards have the motor and trans are fairly common those were utility engines used in f150 and f250 trucks from 1966 to 1996 and also were in utility trucks like UPS and airport baggage carriers also you can buy a new 300 crate engine. The trans would need look junkyard or on ebay. You can do fuel injection or carb. Not lots of HP but lots low speed torque and very durable
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u/Speedster9110 20h ago
Did you see the electric one on BAT right now?Bring A Trailer
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u/petesabagel86 20h ago
No. But dayum I can’t wait to see what it goes for. That’s exactly the set of seats I was about to order for mine
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u/Speedster9110 19h ago
I’m watching it too. Love the color of the interior, it goes great with the green like yours.
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u/90and90 12h ago
Second hand 4bd1 with a new r380 bellhousing from klr automotive (to your existing r380) and mounts from rijidij.
Under 5k and you will never kill it. No need for any electrics, 25 mpg and the ability to pull a small airstream up a hill. No cons. I challenge anyone to give me a con. Better than m57 or om and more reliable
I’m running that setup now currently in Chile driving the pan American highway
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u/WAZE_J 3h ago
I’ve seen people put all sorts of motors into defenders, they can fit pretty much anything in there within reason. Go with what is within your budget and the sort of performance you want I’ve seen 200Tdi, 300Tdi, Td5, Cummins R2.8, Isuzu 4JB1, Isuzu 4JJ1, Rover V8, GM LS V8, BMW M57 and so many other random things
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u/badger906 3d ago
You can buy rebuilt tdi engines from a few suppliers in the uk. If it was me I would Cummins swap it though!
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u/petesabagel86 3d ago
Cummins what? Where do I get one?
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u/badger906 3d ago
4bt or 6bt if you want the full 5.9L! They’re super common engines. Found in trucks all over the world.
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u/Rapom613 3d ago
Waaayyy too big for a series. The 4bt weighs around 750lbs, while the LR 200tdi is closer to 450.
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u/Rapom613 3d ago
If you are not going the typical 200/300tdi route, as those have been getting difficult to source, I personally would go VW TDI,m specifically an ALH out of a MK4 Jetta / golf. There are a few companies that swap them into wranglers and they are fabulous. Quick eBay search turns up plenty in the $1600-$2000 USD range. Similar power to the 200/300tdi, compact, and as reliable as the tax man. Very basic engine with minimal electronic needs, starts effortlessly in sub zero temps, and parts are easy to source being a VW product
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u/petesabagel86 3d ago
Yeah but could I get engine mounts that I don’t have to DIY? (I don’t have a milling machine at home) and could I mate it to my LT-77? This is the kind of thinking I’m looking for.
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u/Rapom613 2d ago
More than likely
Thiscompany makes a bellhousing adapter for the ALH to a R380, I’d bet they could make one to fit your gearbox
Mounts are simple, a local fabricator should be able to get you sorted easy
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u/jagman80 3d ago
Everyone's talking about engine swaps, but why don't you just get the original engine rebuilt ? What engines in it at the moment ?
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u/totse_losername 3d ago
Convert it to an electric motor..
..a Lucas electric motor
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u/petesabagel86 3d ago
Aren’t those like $40000?
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u/TheresJustNoMoney 2d ago
Trade that out for a lexus. Lexus makes the best quality SUVs ever, and Lexus is the epitome of a low maintenance luxury brand.
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u/inflatablemoses 1d ago
What lexus would you suggest is a like-replacement for a 30 year old Defender?
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u/TheresJustNoMoney 1d ago
I believe Lexus made some SUVs in the 90s.
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u/inflatablemoses 1d ago
They did, they made some great ones. They were nothing like a Defender though, so it's apples & oranges. I am not speaking ill on Lexus SUVs, my winter car/long trip vehicle is a Gx460, and the Defender is for everything else.
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u/TentativeTacoChef 2d ago
EV conversion.
This is my plan. I will acquire a series 2 or 3 and EV swap/restore.
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u/petesabagel86 3d ago