CLASSIC MOTOR....

[jatibb]

I HAVE A 91 CLASSIC WITH A 3.9. I'M SERIOUSLY CONSIDERING A MOTOR REBUILD (IF I CAN FIND SOMEONE WHO WILL DO IT) OR A SWAP. NEED TO KEEP IT PRETTY ECONOMICAL. MEANING, IF I WAS GOING TO SPEND 5-6K I COULD PROBABLY DO WHATEVER SWAP I WANTED,RIGHT?
WHATS YA'LLS OPINIONS ON WHAT MOTORS ARE BETTER, AS FAR AS LAND ROVER. 3.9,4.0,4.2,.....AND WOULD A GOOD REBUILD OF THE 3.9 BE JUST AS GOOD AS A 4.0 OR 4.2, OR BETTER? OBVIOUSLY A LAND ROVER SWAP OR REBUILD WOULD BE EASIER, AND CHEAPER.
CUURENTLY HAS 245K MILES ON IT, HAS A SLIGHT HEAD GASKET LEAK ANYWAY AND IS LOW ON POWER. IM BUILDING A POP UP CAMPER THAT WOULD BE AROUND 1100LB WHEN DONE. CANT SEE REALLY TOWING ANYTHING HEAVIER THAN THAT, BUT WOULD LIKE TO BE ABLE TO HOP IN AND GO ANYWHERE WITHIN A 6-7 HR DRIVE.
ANY INPUT IS APPRECIATED, THANKS

 

[David Harris]

I just installed a 4.6 long block in my 89 Range Rover. I'm also planning on doing some towing in the future and if you're going to the trouble I would highly recommend it. The difference in power and overall drivability is well worth it.

 

[Blueboy]

agreed on 4.6 engine. fits perfectly. have a RPI 4.6 in our '94 LWB and the difference between it and the 4.2 is significant.

 

[jatibb]

would love a 4.6, but isnt that an entirely different animal, as far as harness,ecu,.....? if i were to spend 5-6k couldnt i go diesel (6.2, or 4bt,...) and save $$ in the long run, or am i way off base....

 

[David Harris]

would love a 4.6, but isnt that an entirely different animal, as far as harness,ecu,.....? if i were to spend 5-6k couldnt i go diesel (6.2, or 4bt,...) and save $$ in the long run, or am i way off base....

The later cross-bolted long blocks (4.0 and 4.6) can be used in an earlier vehicle if you swap over everything else from the old engine to the new. Also, you will have to add a spacer between the crankshaft bolt and the balancer since the later cranks are longer. This is easily accomplished by grinding the teeth off of an old lower timing gear. It fits perfectly. Also, because you will still be running a distributor, you will have to swap the later camshaft with an earlier one set up to drive the distributor. On the rear of the crank the later engines have a locating dowel to the flex plate assembly which won't work with the earlier flex plate assembly, so you just cut it off flush with the crank and you're good.

 

[Howski]

Call Luke at The Shop over in Atlanta. I'm sure he could give you a few options. If you go diesel you shouldn't even consider a 6.2 IMO

 

[rwhitmo04]

What are you considering a "rebuild"? There's only so much you can do to an aluminum block before things get expensive quickly.

 

[MuleShoer]

Not sure why you think you can do a conversion for $5-6,000. Even if you did all the work yourself it would be tough to achieve swapping in another gasser add diesel to that and ouch the coust climbs quickly
You might want to find a low mileage take out and buy the whole engine. http://www.cws4x4.co.uk/engines:
A shop will charge $1200-$1600 to swap the motor. Having a quality shop rebuild the motor will be $4-6000. IMO anything less they are cutting corners, the rover blocks need extra attention that most shops aren't prepared for.

 

[roverandom]

If you go 4.6, look for a later block as they had less problems.

I'd sooner walk than fit a GM 6.2 Diesel.......it would be faster anyway lol.

Best non LR swap would be a GM 5.3 LS engine. But that has other issues that will quickly exceed the $5-6K limit.

Unless you feel you really need the extra power I would just rebuild the 3.9L with a better cam an perhaps some porting work.

My 2c.


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[David Harris]

If you go 4.6, look for a later block as they had less problems.

I know there are a lot of conflicting opinions on this, but if you're talking 4.6 engines, then the '03 and '04 blocks have had by far the most trouble as far as I have seen. Some of those have been blowing with cracked blocks at 25K miles or less, not to mention the oil pump problems on the '03's. Block quality after '99 seems to really go down. That's not to say that the earlier ones haven't had trouble too. I had a '97 4.0 block which was cracked behind the liner. It's kind of a crap shoot. The long term solution is to have the block rebuilt with top hat liners which itself runs about 2000.00. But then you know you have a solid foundation. Some, like Atlantic British, have top hat liner rebuilds in stock for all of the Rover engines, including a 4.6 which is already set up to run the dizzy, etc. for a '95 or earlier Rover. The prices are fair and I might just go this route if I ever have a problem with my 4.6 block down the road.

David

 

[roverandom]

Dang, I've heard many a story about the casting thickness at the rear of the block on the early blocks but I thought the vetting process for the later blocks was much tighter?


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