Range Rover Mercedes Diesel Conversion - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

DIESELNATION · #1 12-23-2002, 02:52 PM

All,
I am a major G wagon and Mercedes diesel fan. Unfortunately I can not afford the G wagon so I bought a 1990 Range Rover with a blown engine. I believe that the 3.0 Turbo Diesel used until 1985 would be a great engine in the Rover, but I can't find a conversion kit so I will have to fab it all. Does anyone have any experience with putting these great diesel Mercedes engines in any Rovers or anything else? Any help is much appreciated

DieselNation

CarolinaMBZ · #2 12-23-2002, 04:16 PM

Check with Rovers North. They or some other outfit in Maine is doing Diesl conversions to Range Rovers. Not sure which engines they are using though. Keep us posted. I have 2 older Range Rovers and am interested in how it goes. As the Series Land Rovers and euro Range Rovers came with Diesels, there should be engine mounts that will come close depending on bolt-up pattern on block.

Good Luck.

dave240 · #3 12-24-2002, 12:32 PM

Dieselnation,

I am fancinated with your prospect of combining the tried-n-true MB diesel with sturdy Rover. However,I am curious as to which transmission you are planning to use. I would assume for 4WD purposes the Rover transmission is the only way to go. But will the marriage be possible? Also do you think the MB diesel will have the sufficient torque for moderate 4WD applications? Please post your findings and progress.
good luck
dave

#4 12-24-2002, 04:25 PM

The automatic Range Rovers of that era use a ZF 4HP22 tranny, which is a better performing unit in most every way than the Benz auto trannys that I've tinkered with.

Early 4HP22s had problems with the front clutch seizing due to a little design/lubrication flaw. They were fine as long as you did not rev them above ~2000 RPM for extended periods while in Park or Neutral... emission test procedures brought this little flaw to light.

Post ~1988 trannys were modified so the flaw does not exist. By this time, most of the original flawed units have been replaced OR rebuilt/modified.

Jaguar and Rover did not start using the tranny until 1988/89, and the clutch-seizing problem is pretty much unheard of in those makes. BMW and Peugeot were among the first to make use of the tranny (in 1985/86), and they exprienced many failures on their 1986 and 1987 model cars--thus giving the tranny an unfair bad rep.

They shift consistently, quick but gentle. There is no *stupid* vacuum crap to deal with, and they seem to handle high torque without falling apart.

My 190D could really do without that dumb POS auto slushbox that Benz blessed upon it. A manual tranny or a ZF auto would be sooooo much mo' better.

So... my advice is to try and retain the ZF auto if at all possible. The Benz automatics scare me. Or better yet, convert to a manual tranny--it could probably handle more abuse anyway.

Wasuchi · #5 12-24-2002, 08:26 PM

I know there is a company that can make adapter plates for just about anything.... can't remember the link or the name though. If anyone is a member of TDR (Motorhead?) do a search on the conversions section for adapter plate. I think that is where I saw it.

84300DT · #6 12-25-2002, 09:01 AM

i believe in europe some left hand drive range rovers have been equipped with diesel engines.

edit: checked with my friend the range rover he has was equipped with a bmw diesel.

DIESELNATION · #7 12-26-2002, 10:58 AM

Dave 240,
In response to your question about torque, the 3.0 TD has plenty of power for that application. In fact, there were many G-wagons that had the 3.0 without a Turbo. There was even some made with the 240 D motor. The trick is to have the right gearing. While in Low range, I believe a lawnmower engine would move the Range Rover up a hill. It is literally crawling. I don't expect to cruise at 100 mph, but I am sure it will run pretty good.

DieselNation