Please note: We only perform diesel conversions on Defenders for off road use only.
Sadly, we are now at the end of our diesel conversion program. We are going to leave this page up for reference.
We plan to explore the upcoming 3.2 diesel, but depending on how that engine is configured (possible exhaust filters and urea injection) it may not be viable to transplant into a NAS Defender.
Thank you for a great run and many years of 300 Tdi installs!!
Here at ECR we've had a love affair with the Tdi (or turbo diesel) Land Rover engines for many years. We've seen these engine perform all around the world for many years, and we've tested them on some of the toughest terrain and conditions that North America can offer, from remote wilderness exploration and temps. well below zero during Maine winters, to the extreme trails of Moab, Utah and 11,000 foot high passes in Colorado in the summer heat! We have found these engines to be robust, fuel efficient and one of the single best things you can do to upgrade your Land Rover Defender. Other world markets from Africa to Iceland have known for decades the benefits of diesel power, but the USA has always been left without vehicle manufactures selling high quality diesel versions stateside. We now offer Tdi engines for Land Rover Defender 90s and 110s of all types. No matter what your requirements we can install reliable, efficient, quiet, long lasting diesel power in your Rover.
ECR installed 300 Tdi in a 1994 ECR Defender 110 3 door
The benefits of the a turbo diesel engine are too numerous to mention,
so we'll cover just a few basics about the engines.
LONGEVITY:
The Tdi not only requires fewer services to stay in top
shape, but the cost of doing those services is less than with a Rover V8.
There are no spark plugs or ignition parts to fail or wear out. Other than
oil changes the only service items that need professional service are roughly
every 12,000 miles. Just as any truck driver in the USA will tell you,
diesel engines last a long, long time. A Rover V8 starts to show some pretty
major wear at just over 100,000 miles, at that time the Tdi is just getting
warmed up for a long life in your Rover. With proper care the engines will
probably out last the rest of your truck.
SIMPLICITY:
Imagine a world where engine sensors, ignition amplifiers, spark plugs, computers and engine ECU's no longer play any part in your engine's performance. How may trips to your Land Rover dealer this year would that have eliminated for you?? The Tdi engines installed by ECR have no computers, no ECUs, no complicated wiring, and only simple sensors for items like temp. gauges and such. In fact, the Tdi can be run by one wire in a worst case situation. The fuel cut off solenoid is the only vital system on the Tdi, and you could limp your Tdi Rover home with just one wire and a battery. The engine does not require an electric fuel pump, or any computers aids to run, and it has no electronic ignition. Once installed the Tdi can be serviced by any skilled diesel mechanic as its design is simple and it does not require a computer to find or repair troubles that it may have down the road.
ECR installed 300 Tdi with Air Conditioning and raised air intake
in a 1994 Defender 90 soft top
ECONOMY:
The Tdi engine under typical US driving condition gets roughly 26 mpg. This saves you money as even a great running V8 can't come close to that figure. The V8s typically get about 12-15 mpg. So you'll save on your fuel bills. You'll also save on your repair bills by not making so many trips to your dealer for that nagging "EFI" light that keeps turning on because an Oxygen sensor is bad, or some other engine electronic device that keeps your Rover for performing its best. No "codes" to reset, no need for the "dealership only" diagnosis equipment means that you are free to roam the planet at will, without worry.
RANGE:
Those of you who own a Defender 90 you know the downfalls
of having roughly a 200 mile range in your tank with the V8. The same fuel
tank is utilized in our Defender conversions, and the Tdi will extend the
range to over 350 miles in the same vehicle! You'll stop for fuel less
and if you go off roading in remote places you won't have to carry as many
cans of spare gas. Think of the range in your 110!
USER FRIENDLY:
Gone are the days when most customers would have been scared off by diesel engines. Today's turbo diesel engines are powerful and efficient. They do not smoke or give off offensive diesel smells. The days of the leaky old diesel under the hood that won't get out of its own way are long gone. The Tdi's and Powerstrokes runs without a trace of smoke, and only give a slight "poof" of smoke when cold starting. The Td5s don't even have that, they are virtually smoke free. Operation of the glow plug starting system is now fully automatic as well. Turn the key to "on" and then wait for the glow plug warning lamp to go out, and start the Rover as you would any other. The new systems start the Rover in the coldest temps and the hottest days with ease. There truly is no down side.
OFF ROAD ABILITY:
It is hard to convince those who haven't driven a Tdi off road just how
superior it is to the Rover EFI V8. The general idea seems to be that because
Land Rover installed the Rover V8 in the Rover, that it must be the best
thing going. In our opinion this is not the case. (actually Rover hasn't
installed the V8s into the Defenders (other than NAS spec units) since
the mid 1990s!) The low end torque of the Tdi (195 ft. lbs. at just
1800 rpms) means instant ability to climb any obstacle with plenty of power for anything a Rover can do. Who needs a V8! Those who do "mud bog" or "monster truck" type events may want V8 power to "put the hammer down", but we find that rock crawling, trail riding, expedition work and all aspects of off roading that most Rover owners are into are all greatly enhanced with the Tdi. The Tdi has so much torque at idle that you'll no longer need to rev. up your V8 to get into the power band, this makes your driving smoother and even saves your clutch. The engine can idle over almost anything, and it will lug down and just keep going even without your foot on the clutch or the throttle. One of the small benefits of the Tdi off road that is a welcome relief is the fact that is doesn't overheat, and it doesn't build heat while idling on the trail. This means you'll no longer bake your feet from V8 exhaust heat! The Tdi is very happy to sit and idle on the trail all day long if you are on a trail ride with a large group, and it won't pump heat into the cabin while it idles. Now lets talk about water and mud... Try taking your EFI V8 up over the headlights in water and letting it idle there. In a few minutes or seconds the EFI computer will fill with water, short out and you'll be swimming for your buddies winch cable and trying to figure out how to tow your rig out off the trail and back to your dealer. With the Tdi's lack of ignition parts it just sits there begging for more, if you don't drown your air intake you're all set.
These two images show a recent on road trip that found us in Northern
Maine with a river that had washed out a bridge and the road, flooded its
banks and covered the road completely! Fortunately we were in a Tdi Defender
so it meant we went right through. Yes, that is water breaking over the
hood!!
For expedition work and off road events don't take our word for it. Look
at some of the real world testing. Tests of endurance and vehicle ability
like the Camel Trophy and numerous expeditions all use Tdi power. In fact,
if you contact Land-Rover UK itself today and explain that you want a bulletproof
expedition Rover, they'll suggest the Tdi.
ECR installed 300 Tdi in a 1973 Series III 88" Coil Sprung Land-Rover
Why should you choose ECR for your turbo diesel
install?
The same aspects of ECR that make our service and restoration the best in the industry also apply to our turbo diesel installs:
Experience, Quality, Value and Attention to detail.
Experience: ECR has been installing turbo diesels in Defenders since early 1998 and we've done more than all the other shops combined. We also live with Tdi's everyday. We've tested these engines on a daily basis from the coldest days of a Maine winter to cross county highway driving at interstate speeds. We've had them on some of North America's toughest trails like 21 Road and Helldorado and driven them to the high peaks in Colorado. So if you want real world testing and the background to do your install correctly, don't trust it to a first time installer. Go with years of experience... ECR.
ECR4: Project Tdi Defender, tackles sea level trails in New England daily, and is just as happy heading up mountain passes. The images above show ECR 4 (our 1995 D90 300 Tdi project) on the way back from Utah and Colorado, loaded with gear, at almost 11,000 feet!
Here is a great shot of the 300 Tdi installed in ECR's test mule 1995 Defender (ECR4) while it was in Colorado at the Twist Off 2001 (ECR 4 won that event). Much more than just "conversions" our installs are fully set up "Re-powers" that perform right and look right.
Special thanks to Gregory Hren for the image!
Quality: ECR uses only new, Land Rover Genuine parts in our work. We know that these mean a better final project for your Rover and the best warranty going.
Value: Although Tdi installs are definitely not cheap, they can be the best thing for your piece of mind and your Rover's ability and longevity. At our labor rates, and numerous Tdi installs already done, ECR will be the fastest, best alternative if you compare apples to apples. The old adage, "you get what you pay for" really applies in this case. You don't want the lowest bidder installing a new drivetrain in your Rover that you plan to count on for many years to come.
Attention to detail: Tdi installs are not only done with Genuine parts, by skilled mechanics that have years of experience with those unique Tdi parts, but the work is done here at ECR! This means that our entire staff, with our award winning restoration background, is doing your install. We pride ourselves on our unmatched quality of work, and as we are Rover fans ourselves, we want you Rover to look and perform perfectly, even more than you do! We all drive and love Rovers.
We do it, we live it, we love it!
Installs!
The diesel converions at ECR go beyond basic conversions. We strive to make each Rover that we convert just like it came off the assembly line that way. You won't find odd looking parts, or bits that look out of place. When you show off your Rover with an ECR installed diesel in it, we want people to say," Wow! I didn't know the factory made an NAS diesel Defenders!" and we go the extra mile to make sure that happens. We offer the correct air intakes through the fender, the correct wiring set up, the correct ratio transfer case, the correct dash module (that shows you a glow plug warning light) and much more. More than just backyard engineering conversions, we do complete factory style installs.
ECR installed 300 Tdi in a 1995 NAS Defender soft top
ECR installed Td5 in a 1993 NAS Defender 110
For more images of other ECR diesel conversions check out these pages: (Click the image)
1993 NAS Defender 110 #116 300 Tdi automatic!
1993 NAS Defender 110 #337 Restoration and 300 Tdi conversion
1993 Defender 110 #12 Restoration and Td5 conversion
NAS 1993 Defender 110 #312 Restoration and Td5 conversion
NAS 1993 Defender 110 #4 Restoration and Tdi conversion
NAS 1994 Defender 90 Tdi conversion
NAS 1993 Defender 110 #403 Restoration and Tdi conversion
NAS 1993 Defender 110 #157 Restoration and Tdi conversion
NAS 1993 Defender 110 #132 Restoration and Tdi conversion
NAS 1993 Defender 110 #313 Restoration and Tdi conversion
NAS 1994 Defender 90 Soft top Tdi conversion and upgrades
NAS 1997 Defender 90 Station Wagon Tdi conversion and upgrades
NAS Defender 110 Station Wagon Tdi converion and upgrades
NAS Defender 90 Station Wagon Tdi conversion and full restoration
NAS Defender 90 Soft Top Tdi conversion
NAS Defender 90 Station Wagon Tdi conversion and upgrades
NAS Defender 90 Tdi conversion and upgrades
NAS 110 300 Tdi and Expedition conversion
ECR built Series III 88 Tdi
ECR built Defender 110 Tdi
ECR built 1995 Defender 90 Tdi: ECR 4
Options and Upgrades: INTERCOOLERS AND TURBOS
Because of ECR experience with Tdis we have a line on the best way to make your Tdi perform even better! Items like correct 300 Tdi raised air intakes, larger intercoolers, upgraded turbos and special tuning are all part of the program at ECR. We offer performance diesel parts from Allard Turbosport and many others. These items mean that if you want V8 performance with all the benefits of the Tdi we can handle that too. A Phase 2 intercooler or a larger turbo are no problem for ECR as we have already done the installs, and tested the products on our own Rover everyday.
The Allard Phase 2 intercooler (shown above) makes a world of difference. At more than twice the size of the stock intercooler you'll feel seat of the pants performance when ECR adds this upgrade to your Tdi install. You can even take it further and combine it with upgraded turbos and increased fueling. The only limitation is your imagination.
The options that we can set your 300 Tdi up with are almost endless. In the image below you can see our latest addition to our 300 Tdi performance line up, the Phase 3 liquid cooled turbo.
We recently installed this Phase 3 turbo onto ECR 4, our project Defender. We also increased the fueling and set up the boost at 16 psi for maximum performance from the 300 Tdi. The yellow fitting you see in this image on the turbo are hooked up into the Defenders water jacket to give the ultimate in protection to the turbo and its bearings. The silver lines are the factory oil lines. This larger turbo pushes more air into the engine and gives almost the same performance as the V8s, but still delivers upwards for 21 mpg on ECR4, even with its 35" tires and 4.11 gearing!
We also offer special coatings for manifolds to increase performance, as well as porting and polishing of intakes, NOS systems for a real shot of performance and much more. Diesels can be "hot rodded" just like any gas engine.
Let us know if we can help you set up your Tdi!
Tdi raised air intake on an ECR installed Tdi. Notice the correct Tdi outlet fender, but modified to take the NAS side market light. No detail is too small to get your Tdi Rover "Perfect"!
We also offer complete rebuild and repair services for all Tdi/ Td5 engines. It doesn't matter if we installed it or the factory did, we have all the equipment to correctly diagnose and repair your turbo diesel powered Land Rover, no matter what the job requirements.
We can now offer performance tuning for the Td5 engine that can take your HP from 123 to 170! and your torque from 214 to 245! and its all done with a simple install into your computer.
So let ECR know if we can help you with any of your Tdi needs, and as one of our customer's says, "Think Tdi!"
East Coast Rover Co.
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