2.5NA to 300tdi to R2.8

Spikemd

Active member
It's been a long road but hopefully a light at the end of the tunnel. Imported my 1991 Santana/Defender Series 4....what u may ask? At the end of Santana life, they were building essentially Series 3 leaf sprung chassis with full Defender body/interior. I found a buddy in Barcelona and imported one over 4 years ago right before the market went ballistic.

Once home, the 2.5NA lump was pitiful...it couldn't even drive up the transport truck without putting it into 4low! My buddy Tim at Scully Offroad was getting into 110 restorations and engine conversions. He had a Brazilian truck with a 'good' 300tdi engine and we started building.
 

Spikemd

Active member
A few old pics from the beginning...can't believe it's been over 4 years and still haven't driven it 50 miles!
 

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Spikemd

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Work started and yanked engine in a few hours. I had some odd the front end updated while it was still in Barcelona.
 

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Spikemd

Active member
Started rebuilding axles and then opted to find some better ones. One of the front rotors cracked and I had a rough time trying to figure out replacement parts so decided to ditch the Spanish axles. The rear was huge! I guess it's the equivalent of a Patrol axle. I bought heavy duty front discovery axle and rear Salisbury with discs and both with ARB lockers. Cleaned and rebuilt them.
 

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Spikemd

Active member
The real fab work started converting this Series 4 leaf sprung chassis. Decided go go leaf over axle in the rear and keep leafs. Pickups are leafs and they do well with heavy loads. Decided to convert to radius arms and 14 inch front coilovers in front. This required some serious fabric work. We bent tubes and welded everything up to the chassis and axles to make it work.
 

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Spikemd

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I will jump to present day and post previous fabrication pics later. Found an early build R2.8 that wasn't installed thanks to Uncle Douglas. Received the QuickDraw kit from Chad this week to start the build. Ordered intercooler and radiator from Kraig today.
 

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Spikemd

Active member
Getting to work on the QuickDraw parts and modifications. My buddy Tim Scully, Scully Offroad, has done about 30 LS swaps and 8 Cummins swaps into Defenders. He mainly uses the Axis kit which comes prepared and ready to drop but costs another 4k? Axis also won't use the R380. Uncle Douglas has done about 40 R2.8 swaps and plenty of R380s without issues.

Thanks to MountainD for posting his pics and tips as I have already used a few.

Drilled out holes in the AC relocation bracket for the wiring loom and painted it. Went with a red close to Cummins red. Rustoleum Sunrise.
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Spikemd

Active member
Took off factory oil cooler plate to gain an extra inch. Unfortunately, the remote oil cooler bracket is thickest at the bottom where I need more clearance near the steering rack.
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Spikemd

Active member
Flywheel installed and torqued. Thanks again to MountainD for specs. 30nm on and then off and then on. Then 90 degrees. Marked and torqued. I need to order the clutch today.

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Spikemd

Active member
Clocking ring threw me a loop. It allows the intake to be turned so it is in alignment with intercooler and not sloping down. It is attached to a cooling line bracket that needs to be modified which was the first issue. When I was trying to install it first time, I reused the bolts and nuts and one hole apparently wasn't lined up perfectly. As I was tightening, it didn't feel right. Took it all apart and sure enough I started to gum up some threads. Luckily it is tapped all the way through and I was able to clean up the threads from the back side. Use the Allen bolts for the clocking ring to engine and original bolts for intake pipe to clocking ring.

That aluminum is soft! I deliberately did not use any power tools.

It also appeared that the intake hose wasn't seating properly and that's when I noticed 2 o rings on it. One original on the tube and one inside the clocking ring. Called Chad @quickdrawbrand and he said only one needed. The clocking ring gets really close to the electronics on the MAF but doesn't hit.

Still need to figure out how to modify the cooling pipe bracket and secure it.
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Spikemd

Active member
Modified solid bracket and made it work. I will most likely be removing the rear solid cooling hose anyway and replacing with regular hose.

Got bellhousing on. Installed clutch and have clutch slave cylinder.


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Spikemd

Active member
Test fit was promising! My biggest worry was the front steering box but it looks we will just clear it.

But now I have an issue with the QuickDraw engine mounts. They seem too big! They stick out really far from the block and sit over the frame instead of in between. I may use Axis or fab my own.

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Spikemd

Active member
It's been awhile but much progress has been made.

I had one of the engine mounts in upside down so they fit fine correctly (doh!!). Made cardboard templates, cut out the metal and buddy welded them in.
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Radiator/Intercooler setup from Kraig Mackett was damaged in shipping. Bought exhaust expander and massaged radiator back. Crossing fingers as I can't pressure test it yet.
 

Spikemd

Active member
Grinded off old radiator mounts. Was able to create new holes directly in the cross member as my frame being originally a Santana is a bit different from a proper Defender. Thankfully I have just enough room for the condenser, intercooler and radiator without needing a 'bump' grill. Barely clears power steering box!


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Spikemd

Active member
After all the work installing the clocking ring and modifying the cooling pipe, none of it will work. It's actually a straighter shot to the intercooler without it. Granted, it wasn't a ton of work, but when it almost straps the threads and needs to be recapped. Looked like it didn't fit at first, tried different bolts, took it on and off prob 5 times, I spent too much time on it. The bracket required measuring, new bolts, cutting, priming and painting only now to be tossed...it's how all projects go...

Bought a generic 2.5 intercooler kit on Amazon because it has a bunch of straight and turned aluminum pipes, silicone adapters and clamps. I used a few of them and cut a few to make them work. Had to buy a couple 45s and got everything plumbed.

I used the S cooling pipe in another thread and cut it down to for the upper radiator hose. Used a silicone S pipe for lower radiator hose we found d around the shop



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Spikemd

Active member
Got a 2.5 inch to 3 inch 90 degree and cut it down coming off the turbo outlet to a straight 3 inch and 90 degree to MAF pipe. Still need to figure out where the airbox is going to be. I really want a snorkel but it may be challenging. I have 14 inch coilovers and custom hoops up front with defender arms. Rear is Salisbury on leaf springs.

Using the Quickdraw remote TPS throttle position sensor which mounts where the rigid cooling pipe I modified would mount. It's tossed now. Had to cut down the cable to make it fit and get much longer bolts.

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Spikemd

Active member
Got the Jeep Wrangler slave cylinder installed underneath and plumbed to master.

Took old rigid steering box line and rebent it to the other side. Made up some high pressure steering pump lines and plumbed them last night. Need to get a long lower pressure hose to finish off that circuit.

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Spikemd

Active member
Pushed dash wiring through firewall but not using much of it. Will add a Check Engine light to dash rather than reuse an existing light. Murphy gauge is where my Madman EMS 3 was in the cluster gauge.

Reused some firewall holes with M6 bolts and spacers for the ECU.

Drilled some new holes in battery box to run grid heater wires. Planning to mount it on firewall near middle fusebox. Need to make a new wire from starter to alternator and hook up starter to main power.

I installed a Ministry of Defender dual heater/AC box but for a 300tdi, the ports go out forward. They make another box for the LS conversion that go out the side which is better routing for the heater hoses. I may be swapping out the box.
 

Spikemd

Active member
Been awhile since I updated and will try and keep things in order. Had a MAJOR issue with the remote cooler plate from QuickDraw. It was simply machined wrong and pushed on a wrinkle in the fornt cover casting. After weeks of diagnosing, I finally took the whole front cover off to see the crack inside which wasnt visible outside. I took remote plate off, new gaskets, put old cooler on, used gasket sealer, stripped out 3 bolts and had to be drilled and retapped. Literally, took a few weeks as I am working on the truck after work. I also swapped out the AN6 fittings for AN8 because I thought the pressure was too high, but that wasnt the issue in the end.

Doug sent me a new front cover and I machined out the plate to fit properly and it finally sealed up. Will attach some pics soon.

Mounted the remote oil filter in front of the engine down low.

Mounted cone air filter in the right fender and created a box around it with aluminum to keep it dry. Temporary fix for now.

Swapped out all 4 brakes for Wilwood 13 discs all around to help stop the 37s.
 
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