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aka "thedude"'s 1999 Land Rover Discovery VW TDI swap build

aka "thedude" · 1999 Land Rover Discovery (D1)

Amongst the breast of Discovery, a VW TDI swap build

Read the full write-up at Amongst the breast of Discovery, a VW TDI swap build ↗

Photo: Amongst the breast of Discovery, a VW TDI swap build

A 1999 Land Rover Discovery rebuilt twice, then swapped to a VW TDI diesel

The owner, who posts as "thedude," chronicles a long-running saga on a Florida-sourced D1 Discovery: first fighting an ailing stock V8 through a failed hot-rod rebuild, then committing to transplanting a Volkswagen TDI diesel and gearbox into the chassis. The thread is worth reading for its honest account of dead ends, improvised cooling and wiring work, and a budget lunchbox locker experiment, rather than a polished finished build.

Specs

As stated in the original write-up.

Engine
Volkswagen TDI diesel swapped in place of the factory Rover V8, tuned with an immobilizer delete and stage 2 tune (claimed around 180hp/280lb-ft)
Suspension
2 inch lift with aftermarket springs, Gwyn Lewis HD rear cranked radius arms, Terra Firma 3 degree front radius arms
Wheels & Tyres
285/75R16 tyres
Rear axle
Factory Land Rover diff fitted with an eBay-sourced "Blokka" lunchbox locker
Cooling
Custom water-to-air intercooler setup built in place of an air-to-air unit due to space constraints

Parts used

Parts named as used in the original write-up, grouped the way the Parts page groups them. Where one of the shops we index lists the same thing for this car, it is shown underneath with a link to the shop.

Engine 2

Fuel & Ignition 3

Cooling 1

  • Water-to-air intercooler setup

    Built in place of an air-to-air core due to lack of space up front

Gearbox & Drivetrain 2

  • V8 automatic torque converter

    Retained from the original V8 drivetrain for use with the TDI swap

    In the shops
    Bolt, Torque Converter ↗Moss Motors – Triumph TR6/TR250· $1.18 USD
    Torque Converter Cover ↗Motaclan Limited· £0.00 GBP
    Torque Converter Lock Tab ↗Moss Motors – Triumph TR6/TR250· $0.59 USD
  • Blokka lunchbox lockereBay seller (Russia)

    Fitted to the rear differential for extra traction, required clearancing the carrier to install

Suspension & Steering 2

Body & Trim 2

Electrical 2

Photos

75 pictures collected from the write-up, in the order they were posted, shown from Amongst the breast of Discovery, a VW TDI swap build. A picture opens larger here, with the way through to the page it is on.

Amongst the breast of Discovery, a VW TDI swap build - Land Rover Forums - Land Rover Enthusiast Forum 30this post at Amongst the breast of Discovery, a VW TDI swap build ↗

Discovery as purchased with lift and tyresPhoto: Amongst the breast of Discovery, a VW TDI swap build
Early trail outing with the V8 DiscoveryPhoto: Amongst the breast of Discovery, a VW TDI swap build
Winch bumper fitted to the frontPhoto: Amongst the breast of Discovery, a VW TDI swap build
Work in the shop during the engine swapPhoto: Amongst the breast of Discovery, a VW TDI swap build
Detail of V8-era engine bay workPhoto: Amongst the breast of Discovery, a VW TDI swap build
TDI diesel engine during the swapPhoto: Amongst the breast of Discovery, a VW TDI swap build
Water-to-air intercooler fabricationPhoto: Amongst the breast of Discovery, a VW TDI swap build
Photo: Amongst the breast of Discovery, a VW TDI swap build
Underside view of the swap workPhoto: Amongst the breast of Discovery, a VW TDI swap build
Photo: Amongst the breast of Discovery, a VW TDI swap build
Progress photo of the DiscoveryPhoto: Amongst the breast of Discovery, a VW TDI swap build
Photo: Amongst the breast of Discovery, a VW TDI swap build
Photo: Amongst the breast of Discovery, a VW TDI swap build
Vehicle during ongoing build workPhoto: Amongst the breast of Discovery, a VW TDI swap build
Photo: Amongst the breast of Discovery, a VW TDI swap build
Photo: Amongst the breast of Discovery, a VW TDI swap build
Photo: Amongst the breast of Discovery, a VW TDI swap build
Discovery shown mid-buildPhoto: Amongst the breast of Discovery, a VW TDI swap build
Photo: Amongst the breast of Discovery, a VW TDI swap build
Photo: Amongst the breast of Discovery, a VW TDI swap build
Later build progress photoPhoto: Amongst the breast of Discovery, a VW TDI swap build
Photo: Amongst the breast of Discovery, a VW TDI swap build
Photo: Amongst the breast of Discovery, a VW TDI swap build
Photo: Amongst the breast of Discovery, a VW TDI swap build
Photo: Amongst the breast of Discovery, a VW TDI swap build
Photo: Amongst the breast of Discovery, a VW TDI swap build
Photo: Amongst the breast of Discovery, a VW TDI swap build
Photo: Amongst the breast of Discovery, a VW TDI swap build
Photo: Amongst the breast of Discovery, a VW TDI swap build
Photo: Amongst the breast of Discovery, a VW TDI swap build

Amongst the breast of Discovery, a VW TDI swap build - Land Rover Forums - Land Rover Enthusiast Forum 18this post at Amongst the breast of Discovery, a VW TDI swap build ↗

Photo: Amongst the breast of Discovery, a VW TDI swap build
Photo: Amongst the breast of Discovery, a VW TDI swap build
Photo: Amongst the breast of Discovery, a VW TDI swap build
Photo: Amongst the breast of Discovery, a VW TDI swap build
Photo: Amongst the breast of Discovery, a VW TDI swap build
Photo: Amongst the breast of Discovery, a VW TDI swap build
Photo: Amongst the breast of Discovery, a VW TDI swap build
Photo: Amongst the breast of Discovery, a VW TDI swap build
Photo: Amongst the breast of Discovery, a VW TDI swap build
Photo: Amongst the breast of Discovery, a VW TDI swap build
Photo: Amongst the breast of Discovery, a VW TDI swap build
Photo: Amongst the breast of Discovery, a VW TDI swap build
Photo: Amongst the breast of Discovery, a VW TDI swap build
Photo: Amongst the breast of Discovery, a VW TDI swap build
Photo: Amongst the breast of Discovery, a VW TDI swap build
Photo: Amongst the breast of Discovery, a VW TDI swap build
Photo: Amongst the breast of Discovery, a VW TDI swap build
Photo: Amongst the breast of Discovery, a VW TDI swap build

Amongst the breast of Discovery, a VW TDI swap build - Land Rover Forums - Land Rover Enthusiast Forum 26this post at Amongst the breast of Discovery, a VW TDI swap build ↗

Photo: Amongst the breast of Discovery, a VW TDI swap build
Photo: Amongst the breast of Discovery, a VW TDI swap build
Photo: Amongst the breast of Discovery, a VW TDI swap build
Photo: Amongst the breast of Discovery, a VW TDI swap build
Photo: Amongst the breast of Discovery, a VW TDI swap build
Photo: Amongst the breast of Discovery, a VW TDI swap build
Photo: Amongst the breast of Discovery, a VW TDI swap build
Photo: Amongst the breast of Discovery, a VW TDI swap build
Photo: Amongst the breast of Discovery, a VW TDI swap build
Photo: Amongst the breast of Discovery, a VW TDI swap build
Photo: Amongst the breast of Discovery, a VW TDI swap build
Photo: Amongst the breast of Discovery, a VW TDI swap build
Photo: Amongst the breast of Discovery, a VW TDI swap build
Photo: Amongst the breast of Discovery, a VW TDI swap build
Photo: Amongst the breast of Discovery, a VW TDI swap build
Photo: Amongst the breast of Discovery, a VW TDI swap build
Photo: Amongst the breast of Discovery, a VW TDI swap build
Photo: Amongst the breast of Discovery, a VW TDI swap build
Photo: Amongst the breast of Discovery, a VW TDI swap build
Photo: Amongst the breast of Discovery, a VW TDI swap build
Photo: Amongst the breast of Discovery, a VW TDI swap build
Photo: Amongst the breast of Discovery, a VW TDI swap build
Photo: Amongst the breast of Discovery, a VW TDI swap build
Photo: Amongst the breast of Discovery, a VW TDI swap build
Photo: Amongst the breast of Discovery, a VW TDI swap build
Photo: Amongst the breast of Discovery, a VW TDI swap build

Amongst the breast of Discovery, a VW TDI swap build - Land Rover Forums - Land Rover Enthusiast Forum 1this post at Amongst the breast of Discovery, a VW TDI swap build ↗

Photo: Amongst the breast of Discovery, a VW TDI swap build

How it was done

Starting condition

The owner bought a 1999 D1 Discovery that had spent most of its life in Florida, so it had little rust. It arrived with a 2 inch lift, big blue springs, 285/75R16 tyres, Gwyn Lewis HD rear radius arms, Terra Firma 3 degree front arms and a front skid plate.

Early V8 troubles

After building a winch bumper and running mild trails, the V8 overheated and showed signs of low oil pressure. A cam, lifters and timing chain were replaced, but a folded tin bumper from the winch setup was also discovered. Power loss led to finding a silicone-clogged oil pickup and bearings worn to copper.

V8 hot-rod attempt

The owner rebuilt the V8 with new cam, main and rod bearings, a Crower cam, a 1995 timing cover, Buick HEI ignition and an Edelbrock four-barrel carburettor. The engine ran stronger but was unreliable, stalled off-camber, still overheated, got poor fuel economy, and eventually blew a head gasket, effectively ending V8 reliability.

VW TDI swap

The owner moved to swapping in a Volkswagen TDI diesel and its donor wiring loom, trimmed down to essentials. The Beetle ECU was sent out for an immobilizer delete and stage 2 tune. A water-to-air intercooler was built since there was no room for an air-to-air core, using the TDI turbo with a Discovery muffler and tailpipe fabricated from V8 downpipe scrap and shelf exhaust parts. Repurposed A/C fan wiring now runs the intercooler pump and fan.

First drives and fixes

The diesel-swapped Discovery was first driven in the rain with no tail lights and a half-finished dash, and the owner reports it was far more powerful than the old V8. Later issues included a destroyed flexplate (running the original V8 torque converter), a loosened power steering line, and a loose front prop shaft found after a wheeling trip.

Locker experiment

Looking for cheap traction, the owner fitted a Russian-made "Blokka" lunchbox locker to the rear diff, bought on eBay for under 500 dollars, needing the carrier clearanced to fit the internals. A trail test showed it worked, with the familiar clip-clop noise under turning, though the owner remains unsure how durable the cross pin, carrier, and axle shafts will prove.

A summary in our own words. The full account, with all its detail, is in the original write-up: read it at Amongst the breast of Discovery, a VW TDI swap build ↗

Worth knowing

  • Do not mount a winch plate behind the stock tin bumper, it will fold on first use
  • A lunchbox locker requires clearancing the already thin factory carrier, raising durability concerns
  • Space constraints up front can rule out an air-to-air intercooler, making a water-to-air setup necessary

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