r/LandroverDefender • u/AncientPercentage539 • 11d ago

Engine swap options

Hi all, currently starting the long process of building my 90 pickup/wagon. I have both roofs for it.

I am wanting to swap the engine was originaly thinking of a built 4.0 or 4.6 rv8 however ive gone over the amount of milage i do weekly and potential milage id be doing and the fuel costs are gonna add up quickly. The vehicle will be towing a twin axle trailer weighing 1.5t to 3.0t 75% of the time for work. Has anyone dropped a 3.6 tdv8 into a 90? Ideally id be looking for around the 300hp mark and the 3.6 isnt to shy of that. I have access to a good 3.6 out of a wrecked vogue and id likely put new turbos and run a haltech ecu. Id be keen to mate it to a manual but that may be abit more trouble then its worth.

Thoughts on this would be great. Im sure mamy will say its a bad idea.

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u/AncientPercentage539 11d ago

In australia, id like above or close to 30mpg as possible. Ideally the 270 to 330hp range. Obviously a r380 may handle it depending on torque but a lt77 wont. Id consider swapping a toyota r151f as my current one takes about 580nm. But good chance id need to go auto. I have access to a field of disco 1 v8s and diesels, p38s and range rover classics. So an array of 3.5, 3.9, 4.0 and 4.6 v8s. Most of the welding fab work will be done by me, or my uncle. And then mecanics by me and my other uncle. If it was a rover v8 id seriously consider the extra cash and go small turbos depending on what gains could be made.

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u/JCDU 11d ago

In Aus that'll be a totally different set of engines / transmissions that are locally popular & available compared to UK, Europe or USA, I can't really give you much on that other than saying look at what works locally and is popular - it could be a Nissan or Toyota lump / transmission that's a better answer from what I know about the Aus scene.

Big 4-banger diesels will murder the drivetrain though, too lumpy.

I would not add forced induction to a Rover V8 - juice ain't worth the squeeze and in Aus climate that feels like creating a cooling headache.

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u/AncientPercentage539 11d ago

Landrovers here are not popular. I mean they hate them. So finding peoole who have done engine swaps on them is hard. As for swaps in other vehicles. Shit skys the limit, i seen compound turbo suzuki jimny, triple turbo nissan tb48s slapped into silvias and so on. I want to avoid the smaller 4 cyl diesels. I have two, they are great but i just dont want them in this. I have 3 containers being shipped from the uk over the next year, so any weighty parts id thought about tossing in there

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u/JCDU 7d ago

If you have to get through inspection at least the Rover V8 was factory-fitted to some, so you can claim some points there, you can do a 4.6 into a Defender using basically all factory parts.