200Di conversion in a Series

[jimkono]

Hi All,

I've read these threads with interest. Interesting to see the different schools of thought regarding the 200TDI.

I have a series III with a fresh 2.25 petrol, and frankly am satisfied with the performance, I did install higher ratio ring and pinion sets from Great Basin Rovers (US), and find highway motoring much more agreeable now and mileage improved. I'm not much a offroader so cannot report on thier effect there.

I digress.

Fuel cost of operating the 2.25 was is a bit high for my tastes even with the higher ratio ring and pinions and freewheel hubs, as I've always had 1.8L and smaller vehicles, so the Series was not used as often as I would have wanted.

My thinking turned to diesel/ biodiesel/ SVO in the middle of our fuel price peak last year.

Researched the stock series N/A units, no go, heard about the prima conversions, various difficulties/ negatives, came across Glencoyne, and was intrigued, made perfect sense to me, and the mileage claims were attractive.

As if by fate I there after came across a disco 200TDI without turbo advertised for sale in the UK, chatted with the owner in Oldham, struck a deal, and proceeded over the next year and half to have this relatively low mile turboless "200DI" make it's way to Liverpool, cross ocean to Richmond Virginia, then cross US, to Oakland California.

Plenty of time to read and see the debate about merits or lack thereof of turbos on motors for series rigs.

Dodge trucks here in the US use the bosch VE pump same as the 200TDI. There is considerable information regarding making internal adjustments for INCREASED performance. That got me to wondering.

For someone like myself, satisfied with "stock" performance, and paying homage to concerns about wear and damage to series drivetrains mated to 200TDI powerplants, what about the possibility of de-tuning a turbo equipped 200TDI to perhaps put out something midway between the stock 2.25 petrol HP and the full on 200TDI HP?

Would not fitting a intercooler work towards this end? What if any would be the adverse effect of this course? I've been told so far that emissions would be greater, true/ false?

As a postscript, I've now sourced a defender manifold turbo set up so ought to be able to attack the LHD aspect of the conversion head on. So here I sit on the fence-turbo/ no turbo, intercooler/ no intercooler.

I'd really like to hear from the diesel savvy as regards the detuning on the VE pump.

Really like what I've read on the forum so far, hope my post generates some thought.