Gas to diesel disco2

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Horse Soldier

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I have a 2004 disco2 and I am thinking of pulling the v8 gas engine and replacing it with the ford 6.9 idi or the 4 ntb. Any suggestions on the swap might help.
 

Tinker

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The 6.9 I've heard of, but I'm not familiar with the second choice, you mean 4BT perhaps? ...as in Cummins?

1) If you're doing it yourself, have plenty of time available.

2) If you're having a shop do it, have plenty of money ready.
 

Ben Cleveland

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As much as I love diesel swaps, that 6.9 is massive. And I don’t know the numbers but isn’t that adding a ton of weight to an already heavy rig?

I don’t remember specifics but aren’t there a couple of 4 and 6 cylinder Cummins engines used in tractors that are popular for jeep swaps?


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Horse Soldier

Rank V
Launch Member

Pathfinder I

1,798
Louisville Ky
First Name
B
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Davis
Member #

12114

Horse Soldier

Rank V
Launch Member

Pathfinder I

1,798
Louisville Ky
First Name
B
Last Name
Davis
Member #

12114

The 6.9 I've heard of, but I'm not familiar with the second choice, you mean 4BT perhaps? ...as in Cummins?

1) If you're doing it yourself, have plenty of time available.

2) If you're having a shop do it, have plenty of money ready.
Yes the 4bt will be the one I install, I have the time. The entire drive train will change along with the center console. Starting with a pair of dana 60 axles and a atlas transfer case, I will get my drive shafts from Tom woods. I just get tired of Europe, Australia and Africa getting all the get diesel vehicle options. Thank you for replying.
 

Ben Cleveland

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Yes the 4bt will be the one I install, I have the time. The entire drive train will change along with the center console. Starting with a pair of dana 60 axles and a atlas transfer case, I will get my drive shafts from Tom woods. I just get tired of Europe, Australia and Africa getting all the get diesel vehicle options. Thank you for replying.
Sounds like a fun build! Totally agree with you on the other continents getting the cool diesels. I've always been a diesel fan.

Sounds like you have a good plan for parts. Are you anticipating issues with needing custom parts outside of driveshafts, or do you expect this transplant to be pretty straightforward?
 

Tinker

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Yes the 4bt will be the one I install, I have the time. The entire drive train will change along with the center console. Starting with a pair of dana 60 axles and a atlas transfer case, I will get my drive shafts from Tom woods. I just get tired of Europe, Australia and Africa getting all the get diesel vehicle options. Thank you for replying.
Hell yeah! That sounds awesome :smiley: & totally feel you on the "getting away from computers" comment, is one of the major driving ideas of my whole build. I hope you keep us in the loop so we can appreciate all the work that goes into a process like that.

Feel free to shoot me a message if there's anything I can help with when you dig in, since I'm in the midst of a 4BT Disco swap currently.
 

Horse Soldier

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Hell yeah! That sounds awesome :smiley: & totally feel you on the "getting away from computers" comment, is one of the major driving ideas of my whole build. I hope you keep us in the loop so we can appreciate all the work that goes into a process like that.

Feel free to shoot me a message if there's anything I can help with when you dig in, since I'm in the midst of a 4BT Disco swap currently.
The 6.9 ford v8 diesel only weighs about 100 lbs more than the Cummins. Now that is funny. Thank you for the offer on advice and help.
 

Horse Soldier

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Sounds like a fun build! Totally agree with you on the other continents getting the cool diesels. I've always been a diesel fan.

Sounds like you have a good plan for parts. Are you anticipating issues with needing custom parts outside of driveshafts, or do you expect this transplant to be pretty straightforward?
R and D but hoping for straight forward.
 

4wheelspulling

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Unless you are willing to do the work of the swap yourself, an engine swap like you are thinking about is expensive. Even doing it yourself, you are going to be $7000+ maybe even double that. Is it worthwhile, yes. But, when done realize it’s something you will never get your money back out of it. Most shops will not touch it, if you need work after the swap, good luck finding a mechanic to work on it. I really don’t mean to throw a wet blanket on doing a engine swap like that. If you have the time and money and know everything will cost more than you think, go for it. Look at my build on this forum, my Jeep Cherokee has an 85’ 5 cylinder Mercedes Benz turbo diesel in it. After everything I did to it, I put to low of gears in the axles, now have to regear to get the power I want. Do I like the diesel, yes. Would I do it again? Maybe. Benz.
 
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4wheelspulling

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Had a thought I forgot to mention. To import an diesel rig to the USA. It has to be at least 25 years old. You may have better luck and even cost less to find a Disco in Canada and import that. If you find one in BC along the coast, they do not salt the roads. If you find a good deal on a diesel Disco engine, maybe you can swap them your gas engine. Funny, the gas engines are hard to find overseas due to fuel prices, but in demand. There is a shop in Seattle, WA. SoDo Motors or something like that, that specializes in bringing in overseas diesel trucks, SUVs. Mostly Japanese vehicle’s but others as well. Hope this helps you! Benz.
 

Horse Soldier

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Hell yeah! That sounds awesome :smiley: & totally feel you on the "getting away from computers" comment, is one of the major driving ideas of my whole build. I hope you keep us in the loop so we can appreciate all the work that goes into a process like that.

Feel free to shoot me a message if there's anything I can help with when you dig in, since I'm in the midst of a 4BT Disco swap currently.
The good before the bad. First I very much enjoyed watching your YouTube videos, now the bad. While the wife (also called tinker) and I were in Miami I got a call for Henry county police and the disco was stolen and burned to the ground. No more diesel swap and no more disco. Life is not happy right now.
 

Horse Soldier

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Had a thought I forgot to mention. To import an diesel rig to the USA. It has to be at least 25 years old. You may have better luck and even cost less to find a Disco in Canada and import that. If you find one in BC along the coast, they do not salt the roads. If you find a good deal on a diesel Disco engine, maybe you can swap them your gas engine. Funny, the gas engines are hard to find overseas due to fuel prices, but in demand. There is a shop in Seattle, WA. SoDo Motors or something like that, that specializes in bringing in overseas diesel trucks, SUVs. Mostly Japanese vehicle’s but others as well. Hope this helps you! Benz.
First the disco was stolen and durned to the ground. Look at au to USA auto sales. Sale plus tax and brokers and shipping a 12000.00 dollars Nissan patrol diesel will cost about 20,000.00 dollars. I have a mate that lives in Perth and he is looking for me a really good deal.
 

4wheelspulling

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The good before the bad. First I very much enjoyed watching your YouTube videos, now the bad. While the wife (also called tinker) and I were in Miami I got a call for Henry county police and the disco was stolen and burned to the ground. No more diesel swap and no more disco. Life is not happy right now.
Sorry to here about your fire! You know what, the same thing happened to my Disco 2! It really did. Stop at the video store to get a movie for the with my kids, dad weekend, and my son came running in saying the Disco was on fire! No one had a fire extinguisher and that Aluminum hood got hot and warped fast. By the time the fire department got there there were flames coming through the firewall and into the cabin. That only took like 5 min. too. They think a high pressure fuel line broke. Sorry to hear you went through something like that! Like me, hope everyone was okay? Benz.
 
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Tinker

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The good before the bad. First I very much enjoyed watching your YouTube videos, now the bad. While the wife (also called tinker) and I were in Miami I got a call for Henry county police and the disco was stolen and burned to the ground. No more diesel swap and no more disco. Life is not happy right now.
Aw man that sucks :( ...and hopefully they catch the scumbags that did it!

I hope you can find a replacement before too long! They're not too hard to find for cheap thanks to the frequent issues with that generation of gas engines. To be honest I've been tempted to buy a whole spare Disco on a few occasions when I've spotted them for sale, just above scrap prices, with nothing wrong aside from the engine.
 

Horse Soldier

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Aw man that sucks :( ...and hopefully they catch the scumbags that did it!

I hope you can find a replacement before too long! They're not too hard to find for cheap thanks to the frequent issues with that generation of gas engines. To be honest I've been tempted to buy a whole spare Disco on a few occasions when I've spotted them for sale, just above scrap prices, with nothing wrong aside from the engine.
I payed 800.00 for it with a knock in the motor and replaced it with a 1990s Camaro 350 tpi. All in I had 3000.00 in it with lift, tires, winch and used arb bumper. The bumper survived and will be in my work shop soon.
 
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Horse Soldier

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Pathfinder I

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Davis
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Aw man that sucks :( ...and hopefully they catch the scumbags that did it!

I hope you can find a replacement before too long! They're not too hard to find for cheap thanks to the frequent issues with that generation of gas engines. To be honest I've been tempted to buy a whole spare Disco on a few occasions when I've spotted them for sale, just above scrap prices, with nothing wrong aside from the engine.
Ok new update own the vehicle search. Check from insurance company and a little from savings and for 8000.00 I now have and 03 Rubicon and I am already looking at a 1.9 vw turbo diesel swap.
 

Motohead1

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Ok new update own the vehicle search. Check from insurance company and a little from savings and for 8000.00 I now have and 03 Rubicon and I am already looking at a 1.9 vw turbo diesel swap.
You will love the TDI. An ALH is the best bang for the buck out there. If you can find a BHW for cheap even better.
 

Horse Soldier

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Sorry to here about your fire! You know what, the same thing happened to my Disco 2! It really did. Stop at the video store to get a movie for the with my kids, dad weekend, and my son came running in saying the Disco was on fire! No one had a fire extinguisher and that Aluminum hood got hot and warped fast. By the time the fire department got there there were flames coming through the firewall and into the cabin. That only took like 5 min. too. They think a high pressure fuel line broke. Sorry to hear you went through something like that! Like me, hope everyone was okay? Benz.
I now have and 03 Rubicon from the insurance check.
 
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