Simon_CSK Posted November 14, 2021 Share Posted November 14, 2021 Have been wondering for a while now why engines from L319 and L320's (Discovery 3 and Roange Rover Sport) are removed with the body off. FOrever and a day I have been told and have no reason to question the convential thinking. I have wondered for a while why that is the case and having stripped a D3 for spares and have worken on the front end of a couple of Sports it occured to me that the engine could come out of the front. My Sports spares car I am slowly stripping and have been using much of the top eng of the car for a engine bay fire vehicle I am rebuilding. Previously I have stripped most of the front end, head lights, slam panel grill etc and today I finally removed the radiators. When I was finished I looked into how much space there was between the body cross member and the front of the block and got a dimension of 330mm, a foot in old money. WHen I translated that to the rocker covers they were may past the front struts. Looking at a photo of and engine block that would give more than enough space to lift the engine block clear of the bulkhead. There is not that much work stripping the front end off or taking the radiator out and is simpler to rebuild that removing the body. The question I have is what am I missing? Has anyone doneit this way and what were the pitfalls? The D3 has more foom because the TDV6 is a shorted block, minus 2 cylinders. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
western Posted November 14, 2021 Share Posted November 14, 2021 Just the way it's done in the factory body comes of one line complete & ready to fir while chassis & running gear comes from a 2nd line & the meet up & fit together in the quickest possible production line, with minimal heavy lift for the guys & girls working the lines. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave88sw Posted November 14, 2021 Share Posted November 14, 2021 I've no personal experience but i know a couple of people who have removed an engine out the front and they both said that if they had to do it again they would take the body off. I think, essentially, if you have a 2 post lift to facilitate lifting the body then the work involved to remove the body is less than the extra work you have to put in to take the engine out the front. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elbekko Posted November 14, 2021 Share Posted November 14, 2021 We took a V8 out of a D3 once. Doable, but I think I'd just take the body off. IIRC a bunch of components were just slightly in the way and had to be removed - steering rack and such. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blanco Posted November 14, 2021 Share Posted November 14, 2021 Recommend the LR TIME video recently appeared in the viseo section, he explains the difficulty is in stuff that goes over the back of the engine with little or no space to work....... he managed, but clearly it's a pain and he learned a lot and would do it slightly differently a second time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon_CSK Posted November 14, 2021 Author Share Posted November 14, 2021 1 hour ago, Blanco said: Recommend the LR TIME video recently appeared in the viseo section, he explains the difficulty is in stuff that goes over the back of the engine with little or no space to work....... he managed, but clearly it's a pain and he learned a lot and would do it slightly differently a second time. The stuff that goes over the back of the engine is connected to the engine and can come out as one unit. Once the fuel lines and the wiring loom is disconnected there isn't anything other than the flywheel and the gearbox. There is much more at the front with the bumper headlights grill radiators etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
missingsid Posted November 14, 2021 Share Posted November 14, 2021 But by your description you have taken a load of stuff off as and when you needed to. This has made taking the engine out seem easier. But you don't need to take it off to take the engine out if you remove the body first. People who have taken the body off have said how simple it is. The post above has said that people who have done it your way wouldn't again, so until you try it that way you won't know which is better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
landroversforever Posted November 14, 2021 Share Posted November 14, 2021 Not sure what access to the bellhousing top bolts is like with the body on either.... Having been in/around the crossover pipe... I wouldn't have thought access was that nice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon_CSK Posted November 15, 2021 Author Share Posted November 15, 2021 14 hours ago, missingsid said: But by your description you have taken a load of stuff off as and when you needed to. This has made taking the engine out seem easier. But you don't need to take it off to take the engine out if you remove the body first. People who have taken the body off have said how simple it is. The post above has said that people who have done it your way wouldn't again, so until you try it that way you won't know which is better. When taking the body off you need to strip out the headlamps and the slam panel anyway. The only addition is the radiator pack. I am taking the engine out oif my donor car anyway and a lot more has been stripped off to salvage anyway. I have one to try first as I don't have a two poster life I haven't really got an option for the engine but may determine what I do with the turbos on my project car. To know which is best I think one needs to do it both ways. 12 hours ago, landroversforever said: Not sure what access to the bell housing top bolts is like with the body on either.... Having been in/around the crossover pipe... I wouldn't have thought access was that nice. They do look nasty however for my fire damaged project I am taking out the wiring loom and lost of the stuff at the back of the engine which will allow me to get access. I am more worried about the bottom bolts as these are in amongst cross members etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HoSS Posted November 28, 2021 Share Posted November 28, 2021 I had a mate who worked in a dealer, and its body off for those models. I was surprised too, but he said its quicker, and i'm sure they would have costed up the options. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon_CSK Posted November 30, 2021 Author Share Posted November 30, 2021 On 11/28/2021 at 9:35 AM, HoSS said: I had a mate who worked in a dealer, and its body off for those models. I was surprised too, but he said its quicker, and i'm sure they would have costed up the options. What a dealer does in a fully kitted out workshop and what we can do on the driveway outside of the house are two different things. Time is something that isn't necessarily and issue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HoSS Posted November 30, 2021 Share Posted November 30, 2021 5 minutes ago, Simon_CSK said: What a dealer does in a fully kitted out workshop and what we can do on the driveway outside of the house are two different things. Time is something that isn't necessarily and issue. True. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daan Posted November 30, 2021 Share Posted November 30, 2021 I cannot see removing the body being easy if you don't have a 2 post lift. So that leaves the conventional way for the DIY spanner man. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.