Leave the LS swaps to the Americans because the British would rather do engine swaps using heavy-duty construction vehicles. Too prim and classy to fuss with horsepower, they just want something reliable, dammit! I kid with the stereotypes—I have family in Surrey, after all—however, a UK-based performance shop did install an industrial diesel engine into a Land Rover Defender.
Luke Dale is the owner of Diesel Pump UK, which normally specializes in high-powered diesels of the Mercedes-Benz OM606 variety. In some circles, the lightweight 3.0-liter inline-six is called the 2JZ of diesels, and is found in legendary variants of the E-Class, S-Class, and G-Class. But a JCB diesel is not this. Not even close.
For starters, JCB manufactures equipment for construction, agriculture, military, waste management, and logistics—stuff you won’t see on Bring a Trailer. JCB is a leader in backhoe loaders, excavators, and, of all things, holds the Guinness World Records title for the world’s fastest tractor (top speed of 154 mph, if you’re wondering). The company is also very British and, thus, an ideal homegrown partner for a Land Rover project… which is the entire purpose of Dale’s extremely meticulous five-year build.
“The idea of this build is not for maximum horsepower,” Dale says at the 5:23 mark. “It is for a fully British—and reliable—machine.”
Early in the build video, Dale says he wanted something like the vehicle’s current 200 TDi engine but “without being rude.” He particularly wanted an engine that had a service life of 10,000 hours. Short of installing a burro in the engine bay, heavy-duty equipment vehicles seemed a good second option.
A 1988 Defender 110 serves as the base vehicle. From the factory, the vehicle was equipped with a 2.5-liter turbodiesel. By the time Dale purchased it, the Defender was powered by the TDi, which itself is replaced with a “new old stock” 2013 JCB TCAE-108. The JCB 4.4-liter four-cylinder turbodiesel produces 145 horsepower at 2,200 rpm and 413 lb-ft of torque at 1,500 rpm. For comparison, a 200 TDi for the Defender has an output of about 108 hp and 188 lb-ft of torque. A power upgrade, yes. A fits-like-a-glove crate engine, no.
Dale goes into detail at 10:40 on fitting the large JCB engine into the Landy, noting that its width was easier to accommodate (trim a little bit of the engine bay interior) than its height, which was about 200 mm too tall. Relocating the bump stops and installing a custom billet oil sump allowed the JCB engine to be positioned lower, and a new hood was fabricated for extra overhead space. Completing the powertrain is a heavy-duty clutch and “Stumpy” R380 five-speed manual that’s been upgraded so the JCB won’t “blow the gearbox to bits.”
Beyond the engine fitment, Dale also installed specially made pieces like a charge-air cooler and a stainless steel exhaust. He then rebuilt the axles, added a two-inch suspension lift, and installed a new galvanized bulkhead, chassis, and fuel tank because the originals had rotted out. He replaced all five doors because they, too, were “rotten.”
The final weigh-in for the brand-new old Defender is about 4,850 pounds (2,200 kg), which Dale quickly points out is “lighter than a new M5.” At this point, everything seems lighter than the new BMW. During Dale’s test drive, he gushes about the vehicle’s performance, handling, and how it’ll probably outlive him. To say he is happy with the final result would be an understatement as he concludes, “This may be the perfect Land Rover.”