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Petrol to Diesel?


hattymender

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The 'stately' progress you can make with a 2.5 Petrol pulling a 110 is beginning to pale. It's taken 3 years and 40k miles but I'm starting to take the hint.

I was thinking of a V8 with all the agro of exhausts & gear box but while mooching 'round a local scrap yard today (as you do) I noticed a 90 in the corner with a Discovery 200tdi. An unfinished project belonging to the yard owner apparently. Looks as it he's bolted it to the gear box but not much more. He may be willing to sell the engine. Mmmm....temptation.

I've done a search and found lots of advice on converting older diesels to TDi but not much on petrols. Looks as if engine mounts and gear box should be ok with a few mods. Radiator/intercooler a bit higher but can be sorted with a bit of cutting/welding.

But I've still got some worries:

Fuel system. Diesel filter in lieu of petrol one but what about the tank pump? Ok with diesel?

Exhaust. Know I need to make a new down pipe from turbo but can you use a petrol exhaust? It's quite new. And I'm tight. So I'd like to keep it.

Wiring. Glow plugs & all that. Petrol ignition switch ok? Glow plug relay needed?

What's compatible? I've already got a 2.5D (non turbo) alternator but will it and the steering pump transfer? (May be that they're ok on the donor but keeping a spare doesn't hurt).

Cheers

Rich

PS. Any good advice on getting another big spend past wife without agro much appreciated..........

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The 'stately' progress you can make with a 2.5 Petrol pulling a 110 is beginning to pale. It's taken 3 years and 40k miles but I'm starting to take the hint.

I was thinking of a V8 with all the agro of exhausts & gear box but while mooching 'round a local scrap yard today (as you do) I noticed a 90 in the corner with a Discovery 200tdi. An unfinished project belonging to the yard owner apparently. Looks as it he's bolted it to the gear box but not much more. He may be willing to sell the engine. Mmmm....temptation.

I've done a search and found lots of advice on converting older diesels to TDi but not much on petrols. Looks as if engine mounts and gear box should be ok with a few mods. Radiator/intercooler a bit higher but can be sorted with a bit of cutting/welding.

But I've still got some worries:

Fuel system. Diesel filter in lieu of petrol one but what about the tank pump? Ok with diesel?

Exhaust. Know I need to make a new down pipe from turbo but can you use a petrol exhaust? It's quite new. And I'm tight. So I'd like to keep it.

Wiring. Glow plugs & all that. Petrol ignition switch ok? Glow plug relay needed?

What's compatible? I've already got a 2.5D (non turbo) alternator but will it and the steering pump transfer? (May be that they're ok on the donor but keeping a spare doesn't hurt).

Cheers

Rich

PS. Any good advice on getting another big spend past wife without agro much appreciated..........

Hehe - the progress of a diesel is also "stately" compared to a V8......

Having driven both today I resolved to stay with the V8 - the power, torque and sound just does it for me...and surely they are cheaper to maintain in the long run - more simple?

Good luck, whatever case you put to your other half will find you in severe brownie-point debt at the very least and in the divorce court at the worst. ;)

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Having driven both today I resolved to stay with the V8 - the power, torque and sound just does it for me...and surely they are cheaper to maintain in the long run - more simple?

:blink:

err... squash bang squash bang

none of that horrible electrical stuff for starters. how you can argue a v8 is cheaper to maintain OR simpler is beyond me :lol: for one thing i reckon 'proper' rebuild cost of a v8 has to be loads more because of the sheer number of extra parts and extra cylinders, then there's the V8's very finite lifespan in comparison and they just dont love the water like a tdi

it's not even worth me bothering to defend the tdi's performance, it depends what you want out of your vehicle. but personally i would have my 200tdi over a 300tdi and the 300tdi over a v8 when it's my main vehicle. if it were a toy.... i could be swayed i think, but i like the water and i dont like computers running my car.

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As a Rescue Service working in floods , we have just swapped our V8 to a 300TDI , suffering withdrawal symptoms

from the lack of grunt and top speed. To be honest with a lemonade bottle on top of the coil , a shield in front of

the distributor , use of silicon grease , and cling film . Never had a flood rescue problem , where Diesel Cars

sucked water into engine with terminal damage. To be honest do not think we ever want t wade deep enough to

turn our headlights into gold fish bowls A V8 may be a little more thirsty ; but if you enjoy the burble of the

exhaust ,and brute power and a engine which goes on for ever . ENJOY

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Never had a flood rescue problem , where Diesel Cars

sucked water into engine with terminal damage.

Surely its not the engine's fault, if you venture too deep to get the engine to suck water you should fit a snorkel no? Else youre a ver very bad man! :(

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Oh, great help you lot. :rolleyes: I was positive a diesel was the way to go. Now it's a V8 again. Or not. Maybe. I dunno. Should have known better than to go anywhere near the petrol vs diesel subject

Think I'll decide using the usual scientific method. I'll buy the first that comes along within my budget. Then somebody will tell me that I could have got a better cheaper deal etc. Then I'll sulk...............

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Looks like a perfect plan! :lol:

If you want my 2p - I had a V8 and went to diseasel purely on the grounds of economy as the car became a daily driver.

If it was still a toy it would still be V8 no contest.

The TDi gets 24-27mpg being auto so would compare similarly with a gassed V8 on running costs.

V8 gas and megasquirt is the way to go I reckon.

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