"Nanuuq" my Land Rover Discovery 2 diesel swap, ...forever a project!

[Tinker]

my understanding of that front "cross member" is that it was there just to keep the stock driveshaft (that liked to fail) from dropping in the front and then pogo sticking back into the transmission. It's held in with what 4 M4 bolts and its so thin walled I pulled mine a while back to keep driveshaft from hitting it and I've seen zero frame twist and I routinely wheel my Disco pretty hard.

Yeah that's what I keep hearing too, & I have been running mine without it ever since I installed the lift kit. Good to hear.

 

[Tinker]

this scares me. there does not appear to be much spline left. am i seeing this right?

It's okay! It is out less than half it's travel & just a bit more than the front shaft. It's actually sitting just like my old front driveshaft used to at static ride height.

 

[Tinker]

The full driveshaft work/tomfoolery:

 

[CaptainBuilt]

Legit as always. Love your videos.

 

[CaptainBuilt]

Saw this guy at the junkyard the other day:

 

[Lanlubber In Remembrance]

Saw this guy at the junkyard the other day:

What a shame, it's ready to build for off road.

 

[Tinker]

All too common

I used to see plenty of them for sale on the side of the road & on craigslist for near scrap prices, but now I'm seeing them more frequently in yards & at the crushers. I'm guessing people are getting fed up with trying to unload them for less than $1000, so they're just getting them out of their back yards & dumping them off at the junk yards.

Lately I've been thinking it might be worth scooping up a handful of them & setting them up with LS-V8's now that the AC Engineering guys have their swap kits complete.... might be fairly profitable since you can get 4.8 & 5.3's for less than $500.

 

[Lanlubber In Remembrance]

All too common

I used to see plenty of them for sale on the side of the road & on craigslist for near scrap prices, but now I'm seeing them more frequently in yards & at the crushers. I'm guessing people are getting fed up with trying to unload them for less than $1000, so they're just getting them out of their back yards & dumping them off at the junk yards.

Lately I've been thinking it might be worth scooping up a handful of them & setting them up with LS-V8's now that the AC Engineering guys have their swap kits complete.... might be fairly profitable since you can get 4.8 & 5.3's for less than $500.

You don't find them out here in the SW for that kind of money. I bought mine in February for $2000 . It was a one owner with 101,000 miles. I was lucky because they go for $4000- to $6000 around here. Being an old race car builder changing engines is no problem to me.
But I'm happy with my 4.0 L, it's strong and healthy from a loving previous owners care. The only reason he sold it was he got the new jeep itch, already had a new corvette and a two car garage. He rented rooms to his buddies so he didn't have any room left at his
House to park cars. Do you know anyone with some spare body trim parts. Hail ruined some of my A and C pillar trim and I'm looking for them.
Your project should be an inspiration to all of us LRD2 lovers out here. If my engine ever goes I plan to swap in a HP 300 ci inline Ford engine.

 

[CaptainBuilt]

All too common

I used to see plenty of them for sale on the side of the road & on craigslist for near scrap prices, but now I'm seeing them more frequently in yards & at the crushers. I'm guessing people are getting fed up with trying to unload them for less than $1000, so they're just getting them out of their back yards & dumping them off at the junk yards.

Lately I've been thinking it might be worth scooping up a handful of them & setting them up with LS-V8's now that the AC Engineering guys have their swap kits complete.... might be fairly profitable since you can get 4.8 & 5.3's for less than $500.

I almost went in and asked how much for it. I's do a LS swap if I could use AC.

 

[Lanlubber In Remembrance]

I almost went in and asked how much for it. I's do a LS swap if I could use AC.

They make aftermarket a/c kits for anything.

 

[EXPO_D1]

You don't find them out here in the SW for that kind of money. I bought mine in February for $2000 . It was a one owner with 101,000 miles. I was lucky because they go for $4000- to $6000 around here. Being an old race car builder changing engines is no problem to me.
But I'm happy with my 4.0 L, it's strong and healthy from a loving previous owners care. The only reason he sold it was he got the new jeep itch, already had a new corvette and a two car garage. He rented rooms to his buddies so he didn't have any room left at his
House to park cars. Do you know anyone with some spare body trim parts. Hail ruined some of my A and C pillar trim and I'm looking for them.
Your project should be an inspiration to all of us LRD2 lovers out here. If my engine ever goes I plan to swap in a HP 300 ci inline Ford engine.

The "4.9l" fuel injection version? Cuz that's a sick idea[emoji481]

 

[JDavid]

Hello @Tinker!

Dropping a line with props for the great work on the Disco and belly-laughter-sparking videos. Two thumbs up!!
Thanks for sharing the journey. Please do keep it up!
All the best!

All too common

I used to see plenty of them for sale on the side of the road & on craigslist for near scrap prices, but now I'm seeing them more frequently in yards & at the crushers. I'm guessing people are getting fed up with trying to unload them for less than $1000, so they're just getting them out of their back yards & dumping them off at the junk yards.

Lately I've been thinking it might be worth scooping up a handful of them & setting them up with LS-V8's now that the AC Engineering guys have their swap kits complete.... might be fairly profitable since you can get 4.8 & 5.3's for less than $500.

Wow! If only I were across the pond...
Using the elbow-grease-heavy approach you are taking, maybe I'd loose one more screw... (Or two ) and consider 4-or-6BT resto-modding a D2.
Or maybe a 5 Door D1.
Or a LWB Range Rover Classic (I think it was named "County" in the US).
Or just get my head screwed on the right way, go for a 5door Rubicon and prevent some serious elbow tendinitis
(end ROVERy musing)

 

[Lanlubber In Remembrance]

The "4.9l" fuel injection version? Cuz that's a sick idea[emoji481]

Within the past month I posted on Ob forum, 5 - LRD I found for under $3000 located mostly in Ariz., NM, Co, Ytah, Nev, regions. My daughter bought a 1996 In Coos Bay Or. the other day for $1000. They are here if your still looking. All wer on Craigs list.

 

[Lanlubber In Remembrance]

The "4.9l" fuel injection version? Cuz that's a sick idea[emoji481]

No, it is a 2000 model LRD2 with a 4.0 L , and a good one, No problems mechanicly, and a one owner out of SW NM.

 

[Tinker]

Hello @Tinker!

Dropping a line with props for the great work on the Disco and belly-laughter-sparking videos. Two thumbs up!!
Thanks for sharing the journey. Please do keep it up!
All the best!


Wow! If only I were across the pond...
Using the elbow-grease-heavy approach you are taking, maybe I'd loose one more screw... (Or two ) and consider 4-or-6BT resto-modding a D2.
Or maybe a 5 Door D1.
Or a LWB Range Rover Classic (I think it was named "County" in the US).
Or just get my head screwed on the right way, go for a 5door Rubicon and prevent some serious elbow tendinitis
(end ROVERy musing)

Thanks!

They sure teach you a lesson in patience, or at least their engines do! And a 6BT would be very interesting, although you need 2 of the cylinders inside the cabin I think haha!

 

[Tinker]

Slacking on updates! I am happy I managed to get all 5 of my projects running this year, but at the same time I'm probably even more scattered then usual. But anyway, updates:

Ran into an interference with the Land Cruiser steering gear's pitman arm running into part of the original Rover panhard bar frame bracket. I already have the most ideal pitman arm for that sort of issue, but at full passenger-side lock it would have to cut nearly halfway thru that bracket to clear. Shouldn't be a huge deal to slice off the old panhard bracket & fabricate something:

Here's an initial sketch for an idea I had using tube that'll allow full swing of the pitman as well as retaining the original panhard location. May end up using 4 tube legs, or even plate like original, can't say for sure until I build a fixture to hold the panhard location steady for the initial fabrication work:

And another sketch, this time of the throttle cable routing ideas. A friend was checking out the build & suggested that rather than building a custom bellcrank throttle linkage with springs & all that... instead maybe I could wrap the original Rover cable over the injection pump so it'll simply & directly pull the throttle lever forward. Great to have extra eyes on a project!

This laser etched gem came from a guy who's working on his own Land Rover Discovery Cummins swap project that sounds like it'll be a real tank when it's done! He came up with what was in my opinion by far the best name for a swap in one of these things, Land Rummins. It looks so much like the original emblem! Will make for an awesome sneaky replacement of what's been attached to the Rover's since the original Series trucks in 1948:

 

[Lanlubber In Remembrance]

Slacking on updates! I am happy I managed to get all 5 of my projects running this year, but at the same time I'm probably even more scattered then usual. But anyway, updates:

Ran into an interference with the Land Cruiser steering gear's pitman arm running into part of the original Rover panhard bar frame bracket. I already have the most ideal pitman arm for that sort of issue, but at full passenger-side lock it would have to cut nearly halfway thru that bracket to clear. Shouldn't be a huge deal to slice off the old panhard bracket & fabricate something:

Here's an initial sketch for an idea I had using tube that'll allow full swing of the pitman as well as retaining the original panhard location. May end up using 4 tube legs, or even plate like original, can't say for sure until I build a fixture to hold the panhard location steady for the initial fabrication work:

And another sketch, this time of the throttle cable routing ideas. A friend was checking out the build & suggested that rather than building a custom bellcrank throttle linkage with springs & all that... instead maybe I could wrap the original Rover cable over the injection pump so it'll simply & directly pull the throttle lever forward. Great to have extra eyes on a project!

This laser etched gem came from a guy who's working on his own Land Rover Discovery Cummins swap project that sounds like it'll be a real tank when it's done! He came up with what was in my opinion by far the best name for a swap in one of these things, Land Rummins. It looks so much like the original emblem! Will make for an awesome sneaky replacement of what's been attached to the Rover's since the original Series trucks in 1948:

Just based on my fabricating experience your tripod bracket will be insufficient and will get ripped off the bottom of the frame. The design needs to be very similar to the one that exists to obtain the strength you will need.

 

[JDavid]

They sure teach you a lesson in patience, or at least their engines do! And a 6BT would be very interesting, although you need 2 of the cylinders inside the cabin I think haha!

Sounds about right! Hehe So...

...something more defendery ?

Good luck with the panhard bar frame bracket situation.
PS LOVE the Rummins badge!!!

 

[TheBigPurpleOne]

Thanks!

They sure teach you a lesson in patience, or at least their engines do! And a 6BT would be very interesting, although you need 2 of the cylinders inside the cabin I think haha!

6BT Discovery 2 here in the UK

 

[Tinker]

Just based on my fabricating experience your tripod bracket will be insufficient and will get ripped off the bottom of the frame. The design needs to be very similar to the one that exists to obtain the strength you will need.

Yeah I have 2 other designs that may be more suitable that I didn't have handy for the posting, with one having 4 legs & the other boxed in more like original.