SLROC Forum

Hi all I'm looking to see if anyone can help with some advice I currently have a 1986 defender with a 2.5 19j engine. I have bought a new Richards chassis for a 300tdi as I have a discovery 300tdi and an r380. I have read loads of posts regarding this and I'm getting mixed answers. I'm pretty sure someone on here will have done this and hopefully will be able to give me some first hand advice on a couple of things. All help/advice welcome. Cheers Kiltie

shouldnt be a problem but you will need some more bits than engine and box, fitting a 300tdi into a 19j results in the engine being in the wrong place, but you have a new 300 chassis so that fixes that issue and using the correct gearbox helps too, you may need propshafts not sure on that one. you will need a different tunnel as the gear stick is in a slightly different place, the tunnel can be bashed out a bit though. you are better to fit the 300tdi fuel filter housing, 300 exhaust is different from the old but presume you are renewing anyway.
rad is different, make sure you use the 300 rad and intercooler setup which may also need some brackets altered, i have seen one done using the 19j rad and separate oil cooler but looked crap.
the temp gauge will read wrong on the dash i got round this with a new gauge and sender from mgill motorsport on ebay £15 as a 300gauge was much dearer

will go in no problem, not long done it to mine. did not have new chasse converted mine that was a 2.5 na then a 200tdi and now 300tdi with r380 box. (I just moved the mountings.....) unsure where the fully fabricated engine sits in the chasse the only major problem I came across was the rear prop needed to be longer, and as piper said a bit of metal work needing done around the gear box tunnel.

Hi

Did mine last year using the original LT77 gearbox so everything sat in the same place.  Had to cut the original mounts off the chassis and weld on new brackets, thereafter used the Disco radiator and inter cooler.  Had to extend the oil cooler pipes and remove the cooling fan so it didn't the steering box.

Other than that it was a case of finding hoses and pipes etc to suit and also modifying the exhaust.  Elsewhere on the forum Alasdair is selling his very tidy 90 that he retrofitted a 300 tdi to.  There are pics of his engine compartment that show where everything sits.  He used some Steve Parker bits to do the conversion properly.

As yet I haven't had to fit an electric cooling fan, but that's not hard to do.  As mentioned earlier, you have to do something with the temperature gauge and can either get a proper sender from Steve Parker, but what I did was get a 74p variable resistor from Maplins and fitted it in line to get it to read correctly.

Hope this helps Duncan

Cheers lads. I bought a doner disco so I have the rad and inter cooler and all the other bits and bobs that's required. My main issue is the tunnel I want to make a proper job of it and not a botch up I'm getting the part from Ashcroft that puts the gear sticks in the correct place so that it all looks good on the inside.

If  you are going to use the disco radiator you will need to lower the bottom mount brackets by about 10mm so that the slam panel will sit in the correct position or the bonnet will sit 10mm higher at the front , I went from 19j to 200tdi then to the 300 all with the lt box and kept the chassis engine mounts in the same place by making a new engine mount to rap around the oil filter but as you have a 300 chassis this won't be a problem .

Also regarding props I think it all depends if you have a short or long r380 box and what prop will need to be longer or shorter.

Cheers IAIN

Cheers lads. I bought a doner disco so I have the rad and inter cooler and all the other bits and bobs that's required. My main issue is the tunnel I want to make a proper job of it and not a botch up I'm getting the part from Ashcroft that puts the gear sticks in the correct place so that it all looks good on the inside.

Evening Kiltie

I you want to make a "proper job" of it, you will need to find a seatbox, bulkhead plate and transmission tunnel from a 300tdi or td5 90/110 to give you the correct interior trim.

If I remember correctly the 300 defender and discovery use different temperature senders and the 19j guage does not match the 300 def sender.

You can use the disco front exhaust section then defender to the rear

Standard 300tdi defender front and rear prop shafts will work as will the disco rear axle BUT you may need to change the input flange to match the defender shaft.

Are you comfortable doing the wiring?? Remember all joints should be soldered and then heat shrink to protect them!

Any question just ask.

Bob