New 1989 Land Rover 90

SuperSquidky

Member
Mar 3, 2020
19
2
Louisville
I found this in Kentucky and could not pass. I love all old Rovers. This is a 1989 Land Rover 90 diesel, and I have a few questions as a new owner.

  • Does it have glow plugs, and any advice on cold starts?
  • I want to change the fluid. What is the best oil to use for this type of diesel?
  • Rover runs well anything I should watch out for?
I am so excited. I can't wait to fix the passenger door in the morning. Nothing better than bringing home a new classic Rover. Let's hope my wife does not go into the garage tonight.
 

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terryjm1

Well-known member
Jan 23, 2011
1,485
375
It does have glow plugs. When temperatures are cold, just give them time when you turn the key on to warm up and the light goes out.

I use rotella 15/40 Diesel engine oil. Any diesel oil should be good.

Also, I can’t say for certain from the photos, but that appears to.be a Santana 2500, not a D90. Santanas are Land Rovers made under contract by Santana in Spain. They are sort of a combination of a Series and D90. There is nothing wrong with Santanas but identifying and finding replacement parts can be challenging. Most parts are Land Rover but many are unique to Santana.

An easy way to check is look at the VIN plate. Also, Santanas have leaf springs, where the same year D90 have coils.
 
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SuperSquidky

Member
Mar 3, 2020
19
2
Louisville
It is definitley a Santasas. It has leaf springs. I was wondering why it had leaf springs. Thank you so much for helping me solve the mystery. Can I convert the suspension to shocks and coils? The ride is very mail-truck.
 

Tugela

Well-known member
May 21, 2007
4,754
561
Seattle
If the engine is turbocharged, let it idle for a minute or two before shutting it off after driving it. This lets the turbo cool down a bit and helps with longevity.

Nice find, keep posting photos.
 

terryjm1

Well-known member
Jan 23, 2011
1,485
375
It is definitley a Santasas. It has leaf springs. I was wondering why it had leaf springs. Thank you so much for helping me solve the mystery. Can I convert the suspension to shocks and coils? The ride is very mail-truck.
It can be done but it would require welding on a lot of brackets and other work. The Santana leafs are parabolic type and actually work pretty well. I’m not sure the juice is worth the squeeze to convert them.

While I feel bad promoting another web group, there is a place where some Santana owners are trying to network. There just are not many in the US.


While there isn’t a whole lot of information there, it is more than any other place I can find.
 

terryjm1

Well-known member
Jan 23, 2011
1,485
375
Here is just little informatiom:

More than likely, you have a 2.5 NA engine. It is very similar to a British 2.5 NA but is different enough to make sourcing parts challenging. The good news is a 200TDI engine will bolt up without modifying the engine bay. There is also a guy selling adapter parts to install a GM inline six cylinder engine. I think it is a good option but not one at the top of my list.

You also most likely have an LT85 gearbox which was used with V8 British built Land Rovers, although they are different versions and not interchangeable. Santana actually manufactured them and shipped them to Land Rover in Britain. The LT85 is a good gearbox but is kind of “tractorish” compared to an LT77 and an R380 is even better.

The 2.5NA in my Santana is very well worn. When I get to the project it will be replaced by a 200TDI and either an LT77 or R380.

I saw a Santana for sale a while back that had that conversion completed.

If you are considering such a conversion, my advice is to play the long game. Wait for a good priced 200TDI and gearbox to come up for sale. That is what I did and I now have the 200TDI, an LT77, and R380 standing by. Many are pulling then from 90s and 110s for LS and Cummins swaps. They come up for sale often. I was able to get very low mileage units at very reasonable prices.

Oh, you also mentioned you want to change fluids. The oil filter in my 1988 Santana is an odd ball. However, I was able to find it in stock from a supplier in Illinois. It is used on some industrial engine that is common in the US. I have a spare if you can’t find one as soon as you need it. Just let me know.
 
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pinkytoe69

Well-known member
Jan 14, 2012
1,689
181
minnesota
. Wait for a good priced 200TDI and gearbox to come up for sale. That is what I did and I now have the 200TDI, an LT77, and R380 standing by. Many are pulling then from 90s and 110s for LS and Cummins swaps. They come up for sale often. I was able to get very low mileage units at very reasonable prices.

Where are you sourcing these?

Like eBay, craigslist, facebook market or forum classifieds?
 

SuperSquidky

Member
Mar 3, 2020
19
2
Louisville
Everyone,
Thank you all so much for all of your help. I will change the oil this week and might need some help finding a filter. I Fixed the passenger door and some other odds and ends. Any recommendation on antifreeze? Can anyone tell me anything about my new engine? I love the truck and had a blast driving around this weekend. Runs great
 

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terryjm1

Well-known member
Jan 23, 2011
1,485
375
Antifreeze, flush the old stuff out. In Spain it never gets cold enough to need antifreeze. Who knows what is in there and how long it’s been in there. With any luck, it has already been done by the person you bought it from. I purchased mine direct from Spain. The antifreeze looked like rust coffee.
Id just go with the universal stuff. It makes it simple to top off later. It’s an old cast iron engine. It doesnt need anything special.

For the oil filter, if it stops snowing I will stop by my shop and get the part number.
 

terryjm1

Well-known member
Jan 23, 2011
1,485
375
Sorry for the slow reply. I have CRS (Can’t remember ’stuff’). If you haven’t found an oil filter yet, see below.
 

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