Shackleton Posted June 14, 2016 Share Posted June 14, 2016 Ok I'm biased, but I've long believed this to be true... in fact I don't think it should be limited to the Defender. http://www.landroveraddict.com/land-rover-defender/36/the-best-ever-defender-engines (did search for this being posted previously so sorry if I missed it) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
V8 Freak Posted June 14, 2016 Share Posted June 14, 2016 Have to agree with the final verdict.. Although I loved my V8's and their low down grunt and that sound... Ohhh that sound..... I have to say I've loved my TD5,,,, Relatively powerful (especially when mapped and played with a little), torque'y at low rpm, revs well, sounds great (For a diesel) and when I looked at the bores recently when the head was off, still had clear honing lines with 130k miles on the clock..... Hoping for another 130k from this one.... Neil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mo Murphy Posted June 14, 2016 Share Posted June 14, 2016 Hmm the Tdi 200 was named after the amount of power it produced was it ? I would like to find one of those 195 bhp 200's that they are writing about. They mention the early 300's tendency to shred timing belts which was fixed very early on but no mention in the cons of how the higher water pump position exacerbates damage following coolant loss. I think they got all their info off one of the Land Rover Facebook pages ? Mo I like my 200 tdi. Its not fast but capable of the odd burst of speed, it likes to drink and it's simple. Much like myself ? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mmgemini Posted June 14, 2016 Share Posted June 14, 2016 Well said Mo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bowie69 Posted June 14, 2016 Share Posted June 14, 2016 Guessing they meant 200lb/ft, Mo Even so, sounds an odd claim. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
V8 Freak Posted June 14, 2016 Share Posted June 14, 2016 Seems strange they talk about it being 195 BHP and yet stats at the bottom of the section were considerably less... I rather ignored too much detail and scanned down..... I'm sure many on here could add a lot of cons to most engines.. No mention of the early TD5 plastic dowels, oil pump bolts coming loose, exhaust manifolds warping etc... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ozzy50 Posted June 14, 2016 Share Posted June 14, 2016 200Tdi ,sweet engine ,got one that has been in 4 different motors now ,a Disco ,a rr classic ,a 110 and finally a Disco again ,has to be over 1/4 million miles on it now with nowt more than a head gasket change (or two !) ,it's sat in a half dead Disco in the yard but I know that if i take a battery to it it will fire straight up with no heat ,proper engine . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shackleton Posted June 14, 2016 Author Share Posted June 14, 2016 Yeah I didn't want to spark a competition, there's no such thing as a production engine without some sort of foible or susceptibility to one issue or another and the Td5 has plenty of potential pitfalls. I suppose I thought it was an interesting feature and yes I fully agree there is better comparative journalism out there but I learned things about all the engines, not least the very interesting stuff about the development of the Td5's injection system. I raised an eyebrow at the 200bhp Tdi in Disco form too. It's just the Td5 is in most cases gets down played in favour of one or other of the Tdi's, partly because there's such a long standing Tdi following, but in many cases because it's perceived to be much more complicated and people are put off by the loudest majority. It just isn't the case. The extra electronics are bulletproof so any argument on those grounds is moot, and the Td5 is an easy and rewarding engine to convert to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mmgemini Posted June 14, 2016 Share Posted June 14, 2016 200Tdi. 200lb ft of torque Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FridgeFreezer Posted June 14, 2016 Share Posted June 14, 2016 1.8 K-series Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shackleton Posted June 14, 2016 Author Share Posted June 14, 2016 ...so long as it's in a Lotus Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mo Murphy Posted June 14, 2016 Share Posted June 14, 2016 No pissing contest here Shackleton ? you said you liked TD5s, I like the Tdi. Its just a matter of opinion ? Let the majority shout for the TD5 ? I was merely commenting on the poor research done for the article, written by a journalist whose experience of Land Rover probably extends to having been taken green laning once by the editor ? Mo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Early90 Posted June 14, 2016 Share Posted June 14, 2016 200 Tdi is the best engine when i`m in the 90 and the TD5 is the best engine when i`m in the barge .I could not choose between them, love them both for what they are. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madmatt Posted June 14, 2016 Share Posted June 14, 2016 I drove a TD5 at work for 60000 miles and hated every lousey mile. I would pick my 300tdi over it everyday if u could. My favourite LR engine most definately my 200TDI yep it was noisy but it never refused anything i asked of it including getting 44tonnes of artic rolling one evening. But then i look at a land rover as a piece of machinery to do a job bit like a tractor! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shackleton Posted June 14, 2016 Author Share Posted June 14, 2016 Thumbs up Mo Matt I came upon one of those 6x6 Tatra troop carriers broken down on the outside lane of an urban carriageway, causing a bottle neck in traffic whilst waiting for help. When I got along side I shouted up to the military man in the passenger seat to ask if they wanted a tow out of the traffic to the services about 100m away. He laughed at me like I was delusional, and his smile only dropped when he saw I was serious. They declined of course. Boo! What was so bad about your 60k Td5 miles btw? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anderzander Posted June 14, 2016 Share Posted June 14, 2016 I think I'd have to choose the 2.25 petrol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madmatt Posted June 14, 2016 Share Posted June 14, 2016 Thumbs up Mo Matt I came upon one of those 6x6 Tatra troop carriers broken down on the outside lane of an urban carriageway, causing a bottle neck in traffic whilst waiting for help. When I got along side I shouted up to the military man in the passenger seat to ask if they wanted a tow out of the traffic to the services about 100m away. He laughed at me like I was delusional, and his smile only dropped when he saw I was serious. They declined of course. Boo! What was so bad about your 60k Td5 miles btw? Lol. Mine was a loaded fuel tanker that lost drive across a round about in a ring road i wqndered down to pc plod 5 mins later they had the traffic held on the other side so i could cross the grass central reservation and come down the wrong side of the road. Low box and few revs and away we went into a side road. Td5 was a gutless heap that had no get up and go to tow. The gearbox sounded horrific first thing every morning, we had 6 at work and they all had the grumbling fly wheel before they hit 30k. We are on TDCI now not a bad motor but certainly not somethjng i would buy myself. Matt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
need4speed Posted June 14, 2016 Share Posted June 14, 2016 Pah!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Team Idris Posted June 14, 2016 Share Posted June 14, 2016 Yes, 2 1/4 for me too. You could tune the nuts off it for a start. Also, a crank shaft strong enough for a diesel in a petrol is always a good start point for a good engine. 3.9 cross bolted V8. Had some serious problems for sure, but with ARP studs and dry sump it's suddenly a great engine. Mega Squirt it and it's a baby LS. Td5 ? Same as the 3.9 V8 in that it is a cracking design let down by noncence unnecessary failure of key parts. The truth of it is that great engines have to have reliability and longevity. Will the last 2 1/4 still be running long after the last Td5? It's not a ridiculous suggestion Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
honitonhobbit Posted June 15, 2016 Share Posted June 15, 2016 I've had 7 200Tdi's now - 3 'company cars' (including a re-engine Ag-Rover) and 4 personal motors. I love them, I've also had Td5's, V8's, 300Tdi's, 2.4Tdci's, 2.0ltr Mpi's, 1.6 IL4's, 2.0 IL4's, 2.25 pet and oil burners, 2.6 IL6's. Oh and a TD or 2. They all have their good and bad points. For me the 200 will always be the best all rounder. Simplicity, reliability, forgiveness, excellent fuel efficiency (although not as good as either of my VAG motors). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garrycol Posted June 15, 2016 Share Posted June 15, 2016 What about the 3.9l 4 cylinder diesel fitted here in Aust in the 80s - not covered in that list. Why was that engine fitted? because whatever diesels were being fitted to 109s and 110s were not good enough. Many would say the Isuzu 3.9 diesel was the best engine fitted to a 109/110/Defender. Garry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
honitonhobbit Posted June 15, 2016 Share Posted June 15, 2016 Good point - Les Hiddins drove a 3.9 Diesel Donk 110 Also worth noting that LR SA fitted the M52 Beemer Donk in 2.8 and 3.2 litre form Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanuki Posted June 15, 2016 Share Posted June 15, 2016 They missed out the 2.6 6-cylinder IOE petrol engine. Alas it was nastily detuned in its LR application, but could be upgraded using "Auntie" Rover-95/110/Rover-3-litre parts (camshaft, higher-compression head, twin carbs, twin-downpipe exhaust manifold) so you could go faster and also use less fuel. IMHO the 2.6 straight-six is the best sounding of any of the petrol LRs. Under load at about 4000RPM it just purrs! Diesel-wise I agree on their choice of the TD5: quiet (for a Diesel), loves to rev, easy to maintain. If only they'd actually produced the 3-litre six-pot version that was part of the original project, and mated it to a kickdown-happy autobox, it would have been a damned good setup for a Defender. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tacr2man Posted June 15, 2016 Share Posted June 15, 2016 The best , for a defender got to be a V8 , not a lot of sound control in a defender so a rattly diesel not a good choice , for pure torque from the word go , and adjustable with the accelerator pedal , no waiting for turbo and revs to rise. Reliable cold start no matter how cold, only downside thirst for fuel , but then if its getting the job done then its something you can live with. I remember when the stage 1 came out it was a quantum leap, the first landrover that I could use straight out of the box without wishing for a bit more power, in various situations . The LR diesels fitted in defenders just couldn't replace it , that's why I had to go 3ltr BMW TD . JMHO Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed Poore Posted June 15, 2016 Share Posted June 15, 2016 Depends on what you want it for. I love the simplicity of my 300Tdi. However, if i had a choice my ultimate vehicle would be a 110USW with a TDV8 (probably 3.6 as I know that one and the 4.4 would be excessive). Coupled to the 6HP26X box and maybe air suspension all round. Basically my L322 with a Defender body. Would ditch the LR / Bosch conglomeration of ECUs in favour of my own bespoke one so things like the EGRs can be removed. One day... 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.