V8i vs Tdi & LPG

[phippsey]

After selling off my 78 rangie & trading in the Statseman, I have a couple of Q's. The old man having had a 94 Tdi I was never really impressed with power.

1. So should I go Tdi or 3.9 V8i. I think sticking to post 94 is the best idea.
1.1 How well can I 'tune' up the Tdi without huge changes & Does a decent exhaust make a difference?

2. What's the go between Manual or auto in strength, etc.

3. Can I fit the LPG kit from my 78 Rangie to a 94-> Disco.

4. Would I be better to steer to a 90-> Rangie over a Disco?

My main intention for the vehicle is to make it a mild custom, say 2inch body, 3-4 inch suspension, 33 or 35s, etc.

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

[HSV Rangie]

RR.

THe ZF auto is excellent. far better than the manual LT77, R380 is ok but may not handle comp work.

Make sure you get RR with a LT230 t/case if not avail in the model year you want go with the Disco.

TD can be upgraded to 200+ KW.



Michael.

[stuee]

Just out of curiosity what sort of mods are involved getting a TDi to 200kw?

phippsey, I can tell you that a 3.9L v8 disco is no rocketship either when compared to the landcruisers and patrols, bit of a slug actually in my opinion. Thing is it uses the same fuel as the bigger cars when doing it too

I rekon if you could get 150kw reliably out of a 200 or 300Tdi you should go that option, but I have no idea about the earlier diesels. The awsome fuel economy appears much more attractive these days too.

[Bush65]

The strength of the R380 was improved in 1996 (K suffix in ser no), not long after it was improved again (L suffix and still current). J suffix have problems with shaft breakages.

I can't comment on the ZF auto, for all I know they may still be stronger than late R380.

A TDi can be made to perform well and you can easily do this yourself at little or no cost. But it is best to fit a suitable pyrometer to measure exhaust gas temp (egt) before you go to far.

Adjusting the fuel pump makes most difference and is free if you do it yourself. Let me know if you need details.

Boost can be increased by adjusting the waste gate actuator. Again no cost other than a boost gauge.

A larger intercooler and or exhaust system is needed if you want even more performance. Try a Toyota Supra or the like for a larger, low cost intercooler.

Torque is where diesels shine and they can make heaps right from idle. To get high power requires high revs, which diesels are not good at. Don't make the mistake of judging a diesel by comparing with petrol engine experience using kW measurements as a sole guide. If you had an auto box behind a good diesel that put out 200kW, you would be hard pressed to stop it from driving through your brakes when idling in low range.

[will_warne]

Very true. Don't look at power on diesels, look at torque. getting more out of a Tdi isn't hard but fuel ecconomy will suffer and if you go too far it will go bang in a big way. However, if your sensible a 30% increase in power and torque is what to expect. The major thing is keep the engine cool (a bigger rad & intercooler is a smart move) and change the oil regularly. If you really are going to do more than a little tweek, get an EGT gauge, that way you can lift off before things get to the point of melt down.

If you want to see exactly how to tune your engine up and read all the pros and cons, take a look here. It'll tell you pretty much all you need to know.

Now if you want a really nice motor, get your hands on an HS 2.8l TGV. Mines superb and I expect about 360lb/ft of torque once I've tweeked it a bit . Now that really should be enough for anyone!