1996 Discovery V8 - 300tdi conversion for Jerry in NC

     Here are a few shots of the work involved in getting a 300tdi turbo diesel engine into a Discovery Chassis.         The 300tdi has motor mounts in an entirely different place than the 200tdi or VM diesel (and different than the gasoline V8 engines, too)   so once the V8 lump was pulled out,   I had to cut off the existing chassis mounts and grind them  flat.     No amount of searching on the internet helped me find weld-on Discovery mounts for the 300tdi,   but I did invest $110 from Oliver at Overland Specialties for his 300tdi Defender mount kit, which was advertised with a jig to help with placement.   Unfortunately,   this was not applicable for a Discovery frame.   

    I had ordered several sets of 300tdi mounts to be cut off of the donor vehicles the engines have been coming from,  and cleaned up a pair and bolted them to the mounts on the engine.    I then fired up the forklift and carefully lowered the engine and gearbox in place and sat the oil pan of the engine on a block I had made special that rested on top of the front axle  while I crawled in back and bolted the gearbox/ transfer case to the frame using the original cross member and mounts.     With the rear of the powertrain securely fastened where it should be, and the rear motor mounts snugged in the center of their slots,   I raised the engine in the front with the forklift until it was level, making sure I had clearance in the back behind the cylinder head, under the oil pan,  and made sure the alternator would not hit the steering box (they are close).    The then marked the frame of the discovery and then removed the loose chassis mounts so I could rough up the frame and grind off any paint,  reinstalled them,   and welded them into place with the MIG welder.    Some of my angles of approach to the weld were awkward making for a not-the-prettiest of welds,   but the grinder will clean them up nicely and they are deep and strong!

   I them removed the forklift, and THERE IT IS,  the 300tdi sitting right where it should be!    Now,   *I* have made careful measurement to make my own jig for welding mounts in for the Discos and Range Rover Classics in the future, so I can remove and replace the motor mounts without having to use the entire engine and gearbox as a jig!

     This is getting close to being completed.    If anyone has any questions,  or is planning on doing this themselvez in the future,  let me know...