1985 2.5 petrol defender 110

[Ahmad_sama]

Hello again everyone  I wish you all doing good this is the only place where I find answers for my questions

So

I didn't know you can add super or turbo chargers on carburetor 2.5 defender engine 

I wanted  to ask what is the safest   charger for my 2.5 carburetor  defender engine?   Is it turbo  or supercharger  if you can mention the name of it I will be so glad too

Like procharger for an example..

 

And after all that  here in Jordan a lot of people swap there 4x4 cars with 1jz vvti non turbo

 

Should I go that way ?  Is it worth it for daily drive  50km every day 

And for better mpg ? 

 

 I've been  in this storm for 2-3 years  just over thinking   about  what is the better swap for my defender  or should I keep it originally  or should I go to the 3.9 land rover (because some say its  most reliable defender v8) (The least engine has technical or mechanical problems, and I do not know whether their words are true)

 

I will be  so glad to read every reply  with all respect 

 

 

 

[Ahmad_sama]

I was thinking of the 2tr too like I said months ago but I realised that  1jz and 2tr have almost  the same fuel consumption    160km/20L for 4x4

And here in Jordan  you pay taxes  266Jod every year for 2001-2500 cc.  And 315Jod for 2501 -3000 cc

 

By the way here in Jordan  you make from 250 to 500 every month  and 1 liter  of petrol  is .92  like almost  1 Jod for  1L

And my defender  goes 90-100km/20L

And when I start working  mostly I have to go 50km every day 

 

And mostly I will get  300-350 Jod per month

 

And And I don't plan to sell it its a gift from grandfather... 

 

Now you know every detail  you need I guess. 

 Could you give me the best swap or best  options for my situation  

[steve b]

Good to see you here again. 

The main thing with any engine change or upgrading the current engine is cost against the financial gain in fuel consumption.

I sort of still fall on optimising what you have for best economy including tyres that are narrow and entirely road based to reduce drag. 

In line with that I would say a low boost supercharger might suit your goal for this. 

@Nonimouse has experience of forced air induction on  4 cyl. petrol engines I think

Steve

[Nonimouse]

The only time I've experienced fuel saving with forced induction is on Diesel engines. There are so many other issues that will effect the consumption - tyre type, size and pressure, atmospheric pressure and temperature, driving style, road type etc etc

Get the engine and gearing right first

[FridgeFreezer]

I think we already had this discussion a while ago... the 2.25 does have some scope for improvements as they were very under-tuned from the factory but adding turbos or superchargers is not a very practical idea, it's a bit like strapping rockets to a horse to make it go faster.

A 110 will accept any of the Rover V8's although you'll need the right gearbox and modify the wiring & cooling system etc. (but mostly using standard Defender V8 parts) but you can get ~2x the power of the 2.5 by just dropping a 4.0 or 4.6 in there, and with fuel injection it will not use any more fuel than the old 2.5 did unless you drive it like an idiot.

Of course anything is possible - you *can* stick a turbo or supercharger on anything, just like you can put any engine into any car if you're willing to pay. You need to define what you're actually trying to achieve here - a 2-ton brick is never going to get fantastic MPG or be super fast.

If you want much better MPG fit a turbo diesel engine. If you want to go everywhere at 100mph fit an LSx V8. But you won't achieve both at the same time.

[Ahmad_sama]

Thanks brother  Unfortunately, here in Jordan you cannot legally  swap from petrol to diesel.   

And I'm not looking for speed 

 

I only  want  a engine that will last for the longest time possible  with taking care of courses  and better mpg ...  but not looking  to drive fast  

Mine is going fine but on petrol?  Nope

Like I drive. 80 km/H and its not fast I guess 

Edited February 7 by Ahmad_sama

[Bowie69]

In Jordan, are you really worried about fuel economy?

[Ahmad_sama]

39 minutes ago, FridgeFreezer said:

I think we already had this discussion a while ago...  

That's true I'm really thankful for answering all my questions with your experience 

 

I respect you  a lot 

But some time you go in deep over thinking  

And you want a full answer 

 

For example  they say the 2tr fe can last forever  if you take care  it's

2700 cc 155hp  245nm 

 

But still I rather  to get  the better  engin from land rover  known for lasting so long (between land rover v8 engines 3.9 4.0 4.5 4.6) 

I know 2tr is best option  for me 

But I rather to stay land rover  ( original )

 

 And of course  the 2500 cc I have  the problem with it it's the fuel consumption  

 

And like you told me to do before  swapping  go overall the engine   I will sir

 

Thank you for reading all this

[Ahmad_sama]

1 hour ago, Nonimouse said:

The only time I've experienced fuel saving with forced induction is on Diesel engines. There are so many other issues that will effect the consumption - tyre type, size and pressure, atmospheric pressure and temperature, driving style, road type etc etc

Get the engine and gearing right first

 

Thank you  brother 

That's my first step  to clean everything  and change  some parts

 

I keep over thinking  like a sick man

[Ahmad_sama]

16 minutes ago, Bowie69 said:

In Jordan, are you really worried about fuel economy?

 

Jordan is not  uae or ksa hahaha  

 

Most of people is poor ... 

 

Most of people  takes between  250- 500 Jod  like

279 Pound  558 Pound between  them 

 

And one liter of 90 fuel is for 1 pound

 

Maybe in your country the fuel is more expensive  but I'm sure you get paid well in exchange 

[Bowie69]

Fair enough, I've been schooled!

[TD5toV8110]

I had a 2.5 petrol County in the UAE.

It was bad at first.

Then fully serviced, new carburetor, top end de-coke (remove head, clean everything, reassemble with new gaskets etc)

After this it was excellent.

So, I would just do this to your car.

Much cheaper than an engine swap.

Cheers

Dave

 

 

[Ahmad_sama]

46 minutes ago, TD5toV8110 said:

I had a 2.5 petrol County in the UAE.

It was bad at first.

Then fully serviced, new carburetor, top end de-coke (remove head, clean everything, reassemble with new gaskets etc)

After this it was excellent.

So, I would just do this to your car.

Much cheaper than an engine swap.

Cheers

Dave

 

 

You made me smile because I got county too 🤩  white colour with blue line in both  sides 

 

I'm  going to clean it for sure before doing any swap

[TD5toV8110]

My carburetor was corroded inside.

Cleaned it many times, but it was always giving poor running.

A new carb and it was like a new car.

Cheers

Dave

Carburetter 2.5 4-Cyl 87 On (Weber) ETC6350 Island 4x4 - Specialists in Land Rover and Range Rover Parts and accessories for all models. UK and worldwide mail order. (island-4x4.co.uk)

[FridgeFreezer]

If you just want to save a bit of fuel, mad ideas like supercharging are not what you need - you should be doing as honitonhobbit and td5tov8110 suggest - just do the basics and maybe make minor improvements like servicing & adjusting everything, getting the carb & ignition set up properly (or fitting upgraded versions), and there are improved cylinder heads available for the 2.5 such as the gasflowed performance one Turners sell:

https://www.turnerengineering.co.uk/cylinder-head-lfhp-225-25-petrol-metric-cou-exchange-c2x28348429

If you are not carrying heavy loads you *could* look at the gearing (even just tyre size) but the 2.5 does not have a lot of power to spare so taller gearing may not work out.

[Ahmad_sama]

15 minutes ago, FridgeFreezer said:

If you just want to save a bit of fuel, mad ideas like supercharging are not what you need - you should be doing as honitonhobbit and td5tov8110 suggest - just do the basics and maybe make minor improvements like servicing & adjusting everything, getting the carb & ignition set up properly (or fitting upgraded versions), and there are improved cylinder heads available for the 2.5 such as the gasflowed performance one Turners sell:

https://www.turnerengineering.co.uk/cylinder-head-lfhp-225-25-petrol-metric-cou-exchange-c2x28348429

If you are not carrying heavy loads you *could* look at the gearing (even just tyre size) but the 2.5 does not have a lot of power to spare so taller gearing may not work out.

 

Thank you  all 

 

You are doing good answering all questions   

May you have good healthy and happy life

 

If you don't mind me asking  what is best land rover v8 (over-all)   An engine that will live with me forever if only regular maintenance is done

[FridgeFreezer]

1 hour ago, Ahmad_sama said:

If you don't mind me asking  what is best land rover v8 (over-all)   An engine that will live with me forever if only regular maintenance is done

4.6 - there's no substitute for displacement especially if you've got a 110.

[miketomcat]

3 hours ago, FridgeFreezer said:

4.6 - there's no substitute for displacement especially if you've got a 110.

Apart from the crippling fuel cost. As with all V8 options.

Mike

[FridgeFreezer]

33 minutes ago, miketomcat said:

Apart from the crippling fuel cost. As with all V8 options.

I think you get about the same whatever you fit - the MPG is largely decided by your right foot, and the 4.6 gives you the most torque which is what you need to move a 2-ton brick about the place.

Certainly I can get the same or better MPG from the 4.6 as I ever did from the 3.5, and I sure as hell have a more relaxed drive and get there faster

[Arjan]

A good set up 2.5 ltr. petrol is a joy to drive and should last you a very long time.
Like the others said, give it a very, very good ervice and, in doubt, lift the head to see inside and overhaul it while it is off.

Most V8's you'll find now are oldish units and will need work - so you might aswell keep it simple and keep that 2.5.

Any chance of pictures ?

 

 

[Daan]

An increase in compression ratio will make it more efficient. I was running my 2.5 petrol on a 9:1 ratio (from 8:1) by using a 2.25 head and skim it enough to get the right volume in the combustion chamber. I ran it on LPG, not sure if that is an option in your area.

Electronic ignition, try to get rid of the points will also help. I found the ignition to wander quite a bit over time and it was missing on tick over. So a stronger spark that keeps the timing will improve things.

Perhaps mega squirt it, but that is obviously more involved.

Is your driving low speed or does it involve motor ways?

[deep]

I think the last two posts nailed it.  I had a 2.5 petrol for a while and it was a lovely engine, with the caveat of not being motorway fast.  I believe they are as tough a motor as Land Rover ever made and lasted a long time, albeit with the old school need to lift the head and do a valve grind every 80,000 miles or so.  Also worth doing the timing chain at a similar mileage, as they get sloppy.  With the Weber carb and higher compression, they can be reasonably economical (20 mpg when not bogged in traffic or tackling big hills or soft sand).  From my experience though, you will eke a bit more out of an injected V8 if driven placidly.

So yeah, a very good service, starting with a compression test, then fit electronic ignition and consider lifting the head for a decoke and also doing that timing chain (both easy task with that engine).  You should already have the Weber carb but make sure it's clean, not work, set up properly and protected with a good fuel filter.  Skinny tyres (7.50x16 ideally), get rid of any excess weight, roof racks or anything else that creates drag and drive it with a soft foot.  That will work out cheaper than any engine change and you keep that lovely four pot with its bottomless torque!

[Nonimouse]

Or you could fit a Ford V6....

[Ahmad_sama]

15 hours ago, Arjan said:

A good set up 2.5 ltr. petrol is a joy to drive and should last you a very long time.
Like the others said, give it a very, very good ervice and, in doubt, lift the head to see inside and overhaul it while it is off.

Most V8's you'll find now are oldish units and will need work - so you might aswell keep it simple and keep that 2.5.

Any chance of pictures ?

 

 

[Ahmad_sama]

15 hours ago, Daan said:

An increase in compression ratio will make it more efficient. I was running my 2.5 petrol on a 9:1 ratio (from 8:1) by using a 2.25 head and skim it enough to get the right volume in the combustion chamber. I ran it on LPG, not sure if that is an option in your area.

Electronic ignition, try to get rid of the points will also help. I found the ignition to wander quite a bit over time and it was missing on tick over. So a stronger spark that keeps the timing will improve things.

Perhaps mega squirt it, but that is obviously more involved.

Is your driving low speed or does it involve motor ways?

 

I don't like driving fast  so most of time I drive like very old man from 70-80 kmph

 

Like 50mph

 

 

Is it safe to fit 2.2 head on 2.5?