No more K series for Freelanders!!

[MechPhil]

I am extremely proud of myself today! We started up a long-term project vehicle this afternoon.

It's a '98 LandRover Freelander, with the 18K4 motor. These engines give enormous amounts of trouble and are ridiculously expensive to repair, and even if repaired well, it's still a really rubbish engine!

So, some mechanics have started fitting different engines, anything from 1970's Datsun L-series to Lexus V8's. (Yes, really!) But all of these conversions involve replacing the gearbox with a gearbox that bolts onto the replacement engine, and an aftermarket fuel injection control system. All of the extras needed to get the car running again come to around R40 000, depending on the engine used. (That's about £3000)

Over the past few weeks, we have developed a conversion kit consisting of an adaptor plate that fits the LandRover gearbox to a Toyota 3S (2.0 16 valve) engine, and brackets to fit the LandRover ps pump, ac compressor and alernator to the engine. We also adapted the LandRover management system to run the Toyota engine! And it runs beautifully!!

We can now do this conversion for about the price of reconditioning the Landy engine, and best of all, it's in in the morning and out the same afternoon! (Well, maybe the next afternoon until we've had some practise). The cars still sell for about R85 000 so spending R15000 on an engine is good value around here!

I just had to post this story, I'm about to burst woth pride, because so many people said that it couldn't be done!

Phil

 

[Xtractorfan]

Sounds good indeed.. and should be a popular conversion in SA..
My one claim to fame many years ago was a V6 into a transit for a Showband .. only real problem was engine mounts .........

 

[jeffwebb]

I put a ford essex 3l in a s2 land rover and blew 3 gear boxes. oh well :Oops:

 

[tjamesbo]

Essex 3litre that was a torquey unit 3L capri and once you were at 15-20mph only one geaar needed ....Top!

 

[Pieter s]

freelander

Hi phil saw youre post any way i can get in contact with you please want to find out if you can do such a conversion for me and how much it wil cost have the same freelander with 18kengine thx
Regards
Pieter

 

[turbopete]

Sounds good indeed.. and should be a popular conversion in SA..
My one claim to fame many years ago was a V6 into a transit for a Showband .. only real problem was engine mounts .........

shouldnt have been too much of a problem. there were transits built with the V6 lump already in it!

 

[Frontstep]

Excellent, I applaud people who literally think out of the "Box".

 

[Xtractorfan]

shouldnt have been too much of a problem. there were transits built with the V6 lump already in it!

Apparently not Pete...cos I remember about a few months later the Belfast Telegraph had a big write up about fitting V6 engines to two of their tranists, so that their evening paper could be delivered on time throughout NI... and they said it was a first..now who am I to argue with the media and why would they get a conversion done if the original was available??
I later was speaking to the ford dealer who did the conversion and asked about the engine mountings.. they had used MK111 cortina mountings as recommended by Ford.. I on the other hand had 10mm discs turned and drilled to sit below the original V6 mounts to let the sump clear the cross member....

 

[turbopete]

Apparently not Pete...cos I remember about a few months later the Belfast Telegraph had a big write up about fitting V6 engines to two of their tranists, so that their evening paper could be delivered on time throughout NI... and they said it was a first..now who am I to argue with the media and why would they get a conversion done if the original was available??
I later was speaking to the ford dealer who did the conversion and asked about the engine mountings.. they had used MK111 cortina mountings as recommended by Ford.. I on the other hand had 10mm discs turned and drilled to sit below the original V6 mounts to let the sump clear the cross member....

ah i presume then that this was a mk1 transit? the mk2 and 3 came with them available as standard. commonly in early ambulances before the mk3 got the turbo diesel engine in the early 90's

 

[faizel]

I am extremely proud of myself today! We started up a long-term project vehicle this afternoon.

It's a '98 LandRover Freelander, with the 18K4 motor. These engines give enormous amounts of trouble and are ridiculously expensive to repair, and even if repaired well, it's still a really rubbish engine!

So, some mechanics have started fitting different engines, anything from 1970's Datsun L-series to Lexus V8's. (Yes, really!) But all of these conversions involve replacing the gearbox with a gearbox that bolts onto the replacement engine, and an aftermarket fuel injection control system. All of the extras needed to get the car running again come to around R40 000, depending on the engine used. (That's about £3000)

Over the past few weeks, we have developed a conversion kit consisting of an adaptor plate that fits the LandRover gearbox to a Toyota 3S (2.0 16 valve) engine, and brackets to fit the LandRover ps pump, ac compressor and alernator to the engine. We also adapted the LandRover management system to run the Toyota engine! And it runs beautifully!!

We can now do this conversion for about the price of reconditioning the Landy engine, and best of all, it's in in the morning and out the same afternoon! (Well, maybe the next afternoon until we've had some practise). The cars still sell for about R85 000 so spending R15000 on an engine is good value around here!

I just had to post this story, I'm about to burst woth pride, because so many people said that it couldn't be done!

Phil

how can i contact you to arrange for the job to be done?

 

[faizel]

I am extremely proud of myself today! We started up a long-term project vehicle this afternoon.

It's a '98 LandRover Freelander, with the 18K4 motor. These engines give enormous amounts of trouble and are ridiculously expensive to repair, and even if repaired well, it's still a really rubbish engine!

So, some mechanics have started fitting different engines, anything from 1970's Datsun L-series to Lexus V8's. (Yes, really!) But all of these conversions involve replacing the gearbox with a gearbox that bolts onto the replacement engine, and an aftermarket fuel injection control system. All of the extras needed to get the car running again come to around R40 000, depending on the engine used. (That's about £3000)

Over the past few weeks, we have developed a conversion kit consisting of an adaptor plate that fits the LandRover gearbox to a Toyota 3S (2.0 16 valve) engine, and brackets to fit the LandRover ps pump, ac compressor and alernator to the engine. We also adapted the LandRover management system to run the Toyota engine! And it runs beautifully!!

We can now do this conversion for about the price of reconditioning the Landy engine, and best of all, it's in in the morning and out the same afternoon! (Well, maybe the next afternoon until we've had some practise). The cars still sell for about R85 000 so spending R15000 on an engine is good value around here!

I just had to post this story, I'm about to burst woth pride, because so many people said that it couldn't be done!

Phil

please contact me ... very interested...

faizel007@hotmail.com
/0214225222/ 0713633422

 

[Frontstep]

I like that sort of thing well done.

 

[rich599]

the mk1 transit did do some with the v6 in them they were the ones with the bull nose
the ones without the bull nose had v4 engines

 

[Iain the gadget]

shouldnt have been too much of a problem. there were transits built with the V6 lump already in it!

Early Trannys were fitted with the Corshair's V4 aswell! V6's had the diesel front panel

 

[faizel]

contact details for mechphil

I am extremely proud of myself today! We started up a long-term project vehicle this afternoon.

how can I get in touch with mechphil? anyone or mechphil himself?
need to have this freelander conversion done.
thanks

 

[Naraic]

I am extremely proud of myself today! We started up a long-term project vehicle this afternoon.

how can I get in touch with mechphil? anyone or mechphil himself?
need to have this freelander conversion done.
thanks

I've PM'd him for you.

 

[faizel]

freelander conversion

Thanks
I await your or his reply.

 

[lks338]

Converting K series with Toyota 3S

Hi MechPhill,

It is so good to hear about this convention. MY FreeLander has been given me too much problems. Do you sell the conversion and brackets?

Is there any possibility to change the gearbox to other made?

Thank you.
LKS

 

[Juddian]

Tranny wise, yes i fitted a V6 in place in a twin wheeled pick up, needed the Diesel front panel to accomodate the extra engine length.

Clutch slip was the biggest problem i recall.

ISTR Securicor who had a massive fleet of Tranny vans had a good number of V6 engined panel vans.

Fantastic van of its day, in twin wheel form it could outcorner a real mini.

They did have the 2 litre Corsair/Zephyr engine but lower compression so didn't suffer head gasket problems.

 

[MechPhil]

What an amazing response!! Itks such a surprise to find out how many South Africans chance upon this thread.

To answer some of the frequently emailed questions:
A) Yes, I still do the conversions, and we are by now rather good at it!
B) Yes, I can replace the old 2.0 litre Rover turbodiesel with the same petrol Toyota motor
C) No, I cannot do the conversion to the BMW engined TD4's
D) For quotations and queries, email me @ philip.pienaar@yahoo.com, or send an email from these forums.
E) The gearbox in the Freelander is basically the same 'box as used in the Rover 75/ MG ZT and can as such handle vastly more power than the 3S Toyota motor can deliver.
F) The conversion will not render the 4x4 system ineffective, this was done by the designers at LandRover, and I have no need to compete with their stupidity.

Thanks for the encouragement from members of this forum. And thanks to the forum for the exposure!!!

Phil