Sacrilege - Rover P6 turbo diesel?

Willy Eckerslyke (Willy Eckerslyke ) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying:

That's going to be a difficult circle to square, especially if you add in "Preferably a RWD fitment" to avoid complications with ancilliaries & sump. You're definitely wanting something pre-common rail. Is a 1.8 really going to be up to something the size of a P6?

I think I'd be looking towards Merc - perhaps the five-pot 2.7 from a rotten mid-late 90s E-class or battered early Sprinter?

Yes-ish. The P6 has a pretty large engine bay. The main restriction is the crossmember/subframe which means an engine has to be no longer than

23" to sit behind it or no higher than 21" if it sits over it. There's a width restriction of 18" at for the rear 6" or so, which could be awkward. The Mondeo engine would fit behind the crossmember OK, with a slight question whether the exhaust manifold fits in the 18" gap. It's an inch too tall to sit any further forward.

Definitely, for simplicity and cost.

I dunno, I'm thinking our Mondeo estate must be a similar weight to a P6. Its 1.8TD pulls it along well enough once the turbo's kicked in and returns 40+ mpg. The 2000TC's not the quickest car in the world so I reckoned it would be a reasonable match. Worst bit would be the turbo lag when pulling away in low revs. Dunno if this can be improved or not.

Nice thought. It would last forever too. Assuming it doesn't weigh a ton, the deciding factor would be how tall it is, as a 5 pot would be too long to sit behind the crossmember. Hmm, I've just had a click around and found photos of a 2003 Sprinter engine, which has a very deep sump at the front. Unless it can be reversed or earlier ones are very different, that would be a non starter.

2.3TD Carlton?

Simon H

Willy Eckerslyke (Willy Eckerslyke ) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying:

Same engine as in 2.7 diesel C- and E-classes.

2003 would be the later common-rail, though. A mate's got an R-reg pre- CDI 2.7 Sprinter - very civilised, and plenty quick.

I'll definitely have a look then, thanks for the suggestion. I've just remembered where there's a pleasant backyard mechanic with a collection of old Mercs, so I'll head over there tomorrow with my tape measure.

Same as the Frontera then? I was a little put off them by one I scrapped last year after the engine had cost a colleague a fortune in parts before expiring. Are they more reliable in the Carlton? If so, then it could be an easy option.

NOOOOOOOO. There wouldn't be enough power in that to even set off.

One of the 2.5TDs from a Transit.

Willy Eckerslyke (Willy Eckerslyke ) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying:

Just over a ton _less_ than a Disco3...

Or about three times a 2cv.

Same engine was used in the P100 pickup, and can be used as a turbodisiesel that way. Also had a 5-speed rwd as standard. Badger.

Have you had any thoughts about the rear axle ratio?

Ron Robinson

Personally, I think it'd be a nice idea to put a petrol V8 in, something around 3.5 litre would be ideal.

I think the one from a Range Rover might fit :-p

Pre-PD VAG TDI?

Nice, simple engine, fitted longitudinally in Audis, so ideal for a RWD car.

ISTR you can get bellhousing kits for the Sierra gearbox, too, as the block has the same bolt pattern as the 1.8T which is gaining popularity with kit car builders.

Best part of it is that you could have a P6 that'll do 50mpg and have more power than the V8.

I had a late eighties 250D until a few months ago and having had a P6 in the past, I'd say you'd have to extend the engine bay to get that thing to fit.

The bloke who's building the Westfield Diesel in PPC is using an Audi Turbodiesel engine, but I can't remember at the moment what kind of gearbox he's using.

AFAIK the Carlton 2.3 lump is exactly the same as the Fronty. At least a Carlton lump would come complete with a suitable gearbox. Not sure if the Fronty box has the transfer box bolted on the end. Hmmm, a 4X4 P6 perhaps? There must be some RWD pick-ups that are being overlooked. Weren't there 2WD versions of the Mitsi L200 and Toyota Hi-Lux? And something similar by Nissan and Mazda (B2500 or summat?). If you're going to desecrate a P6 by sticking a diesel lump in it you might as well really p*ss off the purists and put a Jap motor in... In any case, you might like to consider how the P6 diff ratio will get on with an engine that hits the red line at around 4000 rpm...

Simon H

If it was, then they've changed the packaging quite markedly. I had a P100 TD and the engine looked completely different to the lump in our Mondeo. It was also an awful lot slower, only some of which could have been down the the extra weight of the pickup.

Good point. Some scope for mixing and matching perhaps. Though P100s are becoming pretty collectible themselves now.

That's one reason why I was after a 5-speed 'box rather than trying to adapt the engine to the Rover's 4-speed. And if all else fails, the V8 P6 had a taller diff ratio, so I could easily fit one of those.

Hehe! I suspect that could actually involve even more work than fitting a diesel. The 4-pot P6 has a different shaped front crossmember among other things.

But a Triumph Stag engine would provide a nice touch of irony.

Aha, I didn't know that. Thanks Steve, this is one that's definitely worth investigating.

The stuff of dreams! My target is 35mpg to make it worth bothering. Performance not really an issue for just plodding to work every day, but obviously not something I'd turn down.

Quite. I remember the petrol Carlton's gearbox also had the advantage of a very simple single rod linkage to the lever that could be altered in length and position very easily. I'd assume the diesel one would be the same.

Hehe!

A major issue is the engine's weight, which is why I haven't been considering the chunkier pickups. I assumed the L200, for example, would have basically the same engine as the Shogun/Pajero, which is a pretty hefty lump. Otherwise, I've nothing at all against using a Jap motor. Bottom line is, I'm saving this car from the scrapper, so the purists can get stuffed. And as long as I don't chop the metalwork around, it can always be converted back again.

I seldom go over that with my 2000TC anyway. And I could always fit a V8 diff.