buying a 200 tdi

[bassguy]

hi my friends...wondering , firstly, what the cost of getting a 200 tdi(rebuilt) , secondly cost to install in an older 90?...just a rough guestimate would be great..thank you, bassguy

[binch]

The cost to rebuild it will depend on what machining is required and what parts are required.   Do you already have a 200tdi?     A full rebuild can go upwards of 4 to 5K depending on what is needed.   You can go cheap or you can do a good job.......it all depends on what you want to spend and how long you want it to last.

If you don't have an engine yet I would suggest finding a decent runner in the UK, bring it here and get any work you need done here, where you can get a warrantied job.    I brought my engine from the UK, changed the crank barings and oil seals and drove it for four or five years.   When the rear seal gave up the ghost I had a full rebuild done with oversized pistons and rings, new camshaft and all new bearing, hone the crank, redid the heads and replaced a whole lot of parts in the process.    parts ran me about 900 quid all told and the machining ran about a grand I think.  The rest was in labour, the fuel pump and injectors, which were all fully serviced.   

There are a couple of reputable shops in Alberta worth using and there are some 'not so reputable' outfits.

[bassguy]

thanks Bill...I dont have a tdi and ,yet to buy a rover, but I am very interested...the one I might be interested in is a 90 ex MOD,'91, and it has the old 2.5 NA that looks a little suspect with oil all over the engine or fuel?...yet to test drive that but might do this soon...but, if I can surmise from your reply and other info, its not too hard to obtain a 200 tdi or 300 perhaps...not cheap I know...,mike...bassguy

[Red90]

You want to get everything needed from a donor vehicle.  If you get all the Defender stuff with the Defender engine, it is about 12 hours labour to install assuming you know what you are doing.  If you get a Discovery engine, there is custom work to do and I would double the labour estimate.

If you are getting the Defender engine, get its gearbox as well as it will have the gearing and strength will match the engine.  If you have a 110 with a 1.6 transfer case, plan to change that to a 1.4 as well.  It starts to add up.

I'm not sure what other have paid for the used parts.  I think I paid $5000 or so.  Bill probably has a lot more recent numbers.  Rebuild costs depend a lot on what you do yourself.

If you are adventurous, Cummins is coming out soon with a repower kit using their ISF2.8 engine.  The price has not been released yet, but I would not be surprised if it came out on par with bringing in a TDI and getting it rebuilt.  Much more power and torque, brand new with warranty in an engine the same size and weight as a TDI.  Of course someone needs to figure out the detail of fitting it, but I don't think it would be much more involved than the work required for a 300TDI.

[binch]

John hit on a lot of very good points there, and he can educate you a lot more on all things D90  ;)

I've sent you a pm will all the ramblings of a fellow land rover addict....food for thought. :)

[Matt H]

I have read the 200tdi's are getting harder to find these days. Especially the Defender variant. And certain parts, like cylinder heads are scare indeed.

[Red90]

....like cylinder heads are scare indeed.

You can change to a 300TDI head, which can be bought new, so it is not the end of the world.

[Matt H]

I have no personal experience of this swap but from what I've read while the 300 head will bolt onto a 200 there seems to be quite a bit of additional work to get it to run properly?

Apparently the head would need to be complete with injectors and rocker shafts, Pistons need to be changed, 300tdi injection pump etc.

[Red90]

Apparently the head would need to be complete with injectors and rocker shafts, Pistons need to be changed, 300tdi injection pump etc.

You need the complete head with rockers and injectors.  The injection pump does not need to be changed.  Pumps are the same between engines.  Technically you should change the pistons due to a very slight change in injector tip location, but people that have done the swap without the pistons have reported no ill effects.  Spray patterns are identical.  300TDI injectors can be made to fit a 200, but not the other way unfortunately.

That all said, unless you do something really bad to the engine, there is no reason to ever need a new head.  My guess is people that kill the heads have run EGTs way beyond what one should.

The problem with starting off with a 300TDI in the beginning, is it requires a lot more work and a lot more parts to do it "properly". You might as well get the Cummins engine at the same cost and amount of work and have a lot better end result.

If you can get a Defender 200TDI, it is a quick bolt in engine swap.

[Matt H]

Ah-ha, I see. Good to know. Do the fuel injection lines need to be 300tdi as well in the swap?

This Cummins swap does seem attractive if the cost is not too crazy.

[Red90]

Do the fuel injection lines need to be 300tdi as well in the swap?

Yes, they use a different thread at the injector.

[ugly_90]

It seems like a great deal of labour, parts, and budget to buy a vehicle at what seems to be a high asking price, and trying to price a replacement engine presale. Its a bit like buying a damaged house in a bad neighbourhood, and then doing the renos yourself.

I do note that known good Defenders do come on the market from time to time through this club, and the BC one, at least once a year or so, sometimes near the asking price of that 90.

I also note, that other foreign landrovers, such as the Isuzu-engined Australian Perentie, seem to be on the market through gumtree.au for $10-15k CAD/AUS. This would bring your offer to 8-13k? A $7k shipping and duty bill to Vancouver? Now we're at $15-20k. Assuming it was an excellent inspected unit, I would expect the Canadian market value to be about the same as your costs, the unit to be more marketable and desireable than a tired Batus 90.

I also note there is a car dealer trying to offload a BATUS RHD 110 on Kijiji in Barrie, Ontario. I think its been on there for the last three years? He's asking $6900, offer should be less, my costs the other way for shipping a 110 on a truck were $1400. Maybe do the deal to allow him to pay for half or all the shipping out of the $6900. Perhaps you can learn to drive the RHD, and might enjoy it. Lots of Toyota fans suffer through it too.

It's better to wait a year for the vehicle you want, than to wait several years of the vehicle in and out of repairs, or downed completely.

[Matt H]

I would just wait and keep looking until the exact model/year unit comes up and then buy the best example you can afford.

[Matt H]

Do the fuel injection lines need to be 300tdi as well in the swap?

Yes, they use a different thread at the injector.

Also good to know. Thanks.

[bassguy]

so much valuable info on this sight...and great posts...thanks to all!!, bassguy