Subaru powered Disco 2

[AlbinoD2]

I'm new to posting but I've been lurking for the last 3 years almost. Bought an 04 Disco2 for the wife for $2k and we've loved it. We replaced our rotting Subaru Tribeca 3.0 with the Rover. Dealt with this issue and that but nothing challenging for my skill set. I just bought two Disco 2s for $1k neither ran one blown engine the other just unknown. The white one with unknown issues I got running in 2 days after dealing with the xyz switch and ignition switch problems. Now using push button start and reprogrammed keyless fob with my own. Rebuilt the xyz switch from part of another and sealed. (Did a depth test after dealing it. Underwater for 24 hours. under 3 feet of water and no water ingress) so truck one now know as the "Yeti" by my 3 year old now runs and drives.

Here is what I'm getting at with this post, I've got truck 2 which is a 2001 maroon blown engine good trans. I'm intending on taking the Subaru 3.0 ez30d motor from my daughter's old outback and dropping it and the auto transmission into truck 2. The Subaru motor was a joint venture motor with Porsche. Which if you research is the same one they put in the Porsche bi turbo. I have two new 73 mm sequential casting number turbos. The turbo pistons and the engine rebuild kit for the 3.0 which should put me somewhere around 600+ hp. Not sure if the trans will work out the best yet but still researching specs. I've seen all kinds of swaps done on these rigs ls, diesel, and some others. The Subaru motor once done will be a 3.6l twin turbo with standalone fuel management, turbo timers, standalone ECU, separate oil cooling, and second ac compressor for cooling antifreeze for the intercoolers and intake system. With the power output from the motor I'm not worried about hp loss or belt drag and heat in the engine bay will be none issue. I have everything already as I had planned on doing the turbo add to the car originally before my daughter lost interest in the car due to her then boy friend. I'm posting to see if anyone has done any engine swap and run into any miscellaneous items during swaps of other motors that I should be aware of. also there are a number of Porsche parts that directly bolt on to this motor and in the Rover engine bay I'd have room I didn't with the Subaru chassis without going to a tube frame design. I wasn't planning on making this rig for on road use but I just may do so if all works out.

Please any constructive information or thoughts ideas.

 

[4Runner]

I am all for seeing what people can make work. So just two initial thoughts. Not sure the axles would have any reliability with that kind of power. So you would need to budget for some exotic parts for those or different axles altogether. Which leads me to the more important point. Stopping. I would want different/ larger brakes if I had that kind of hp. I am sure people will have all sorts of opinions on other items. There was a person on YouTube that turned his disco into a BMW M3 but there wasn’t much left but the body. Good luck with your decision.

 

[AlbinoD2]

Those are great points to consider with large horse power setups. I'll address the brakes yes stopping power relating to ho is critical and hugely overlooked in the performance world. I used to see it all the time on the drag strip, road courses and drift tracks. In this regard I have found rovers abs system needs some adjusting. The calipers and discs are already on my list of things to swap with brembo brake calipers from a couple of sources. As for the axles I had intended on doing ring and pinion swaps for a better off road profile. Multiple other changes and upgrades throughout.

I didn't bring up some of the other changes with the truck as I was more concerned with doing the engine and trans swap to power the beast. Figured there's enough intelligent people or at least determined, that have worked with these trucks I might get some good input on swap process or other items they may have encountered doing various work or swaps.

Modifying the Subaru trans for rwd doesn't phase me done it before. Rebuilding the motor into a 1000hp beast done it before. Subaru trans should handle it as I won't need to run higher rpm ranges like I have before so may have to keep one 73mm turbo and toss a smaller one in the mix to spool properly.

I'm over the whole LS motor swap and Diesel, so many have done but also so many say they have kits and all that crap. But in reality you still have to fab this mod that or stand on your head while reciting some mantra to make it all work. I bought the Subaru for $500 and invested maybe $300 into repair for my daughter to drive it. So now I have a big paper weight sitting in my drive way with a gem of a motor sitting inside that has better performance from almost the same year this truck was built. Sad that this japanese boxer 6 cylinder kicks the V8 rover engine to the curb and stomps it's teeth in all while being stock. Modded this little engine is capable of 1000hp easily and surprisingly cheap too compared with taking oh say a 5.3 LS and trying to do the same.

In short truck with blown poorly engineered engine
+
Japanese boxer engine with complete car and harness
=
Super Rover.
(I have a three year old and his super grover book was next to me so I went for it)

 

[robertf]

whats the 1000 to 3500 RPM torque on this subaru engine?

I agree with the LS swap comment. I've yet to see a LS swap in a disco that didn't have some cringe worthy compromise to make work.

 

[rovercanus]

whats the 1000 to 3500 RPM torque on this subaru engine?

I agree with the LS swap comment. I've yet to see a LS swap in a disco that didn't have some cringe worthy compromise to make work.

But according to Facebook you can swap an LS in your driveway in three hours for 30 bucks!

 

[pinkytoe69]

There was a person on YouTube that turned his disco into a BMW M3 but there wasn’t much left but the body.

Are you saying he put an S54 in it? Or was it a newer M3 engine?

 

[4Runner]

There you go.

 

[salvvia]

I just want to see pictures specs and a video of you doing damn burnout . if it works out quote building me one of those 10000hp discos Im In....

 

[4Runner]

I know from past posts that I could probably be seen as a proponent of the LS swap. But if I could muster more time and motivation, my favorite V8 ( not including the exotics) is the Audi with the timing belt. Audi lost me with the timing chain set up on the back of the motor? Really?! Just haven’t been able to see an easy ish way of getting it in there without more fab work than I am able to do. But good luck if you can make a boxer work.

 

[pinkytoe69]

my favorite V8 ( not including the exotics) is the Audi with the timing belt

The old 4.2 (I assume?) is pretty solid eh?

 

[AlbinoD2]

Base Engine Size	3.0 l
Base Engine Type	Gas
Cam Type	Double overhead cam (dohc)
Cylinders	Flat 6
Horsepower	212 hp @ 6,000 rpm
Torque	210 lb-ft @ 4,400 rpm
Valves	24

Been a little busy with work. But here are the stock specs. I have somewhere the torque curve but probably on my computer at home. All of these numbers change once you change out for turbo grade pistons and at the turbo. Also will change final output numbers as I'll be using the factory automatic trans for the h6 but mod the transfer and trans for rwd only. But should give a general idea.

As for the LS swap, I have no problem doing one which is planned for my wife's 09 Pontiac solstice. Although for her car I simply ordered the brackets from Holden Australia to drop the LS in her kappa platform roadster so with that it's almost plug and play. For the rovers I've researched about 7 different LS "kits" and not one of them is even remotely plug and play including one of which they source the motor and trans for you and the whole setup they send you is like 25k or more for a damn 5.3. you still have to do cross members and a whole host of other fab work as well as an insane amount of wiring. Hell I already figured out how to reuse the Rover cluster with an LS and make it plug and play but would opt to just use the gm dash for ease of part sourcing.

edit: found the 3.6 specs which gives a little better idea of where I'd be with mine once the modding is done before turbo.
3.6 Liter DOHC Boxer (max torque 247 lb-ft at 4400 rpm)

1000 rpms = 178 lb-ft divide by 247 lb-ft = 72.1% of max torque
2000 rpms = 225 = 91.1%
3000 rpms = 237.5 = 96.2%
4000 rpms = 244 = 98.8%
5000 rpms = 242 = 98%
6000 rpms = 225 = 91.1%

And here are the Rover 4.0
ENGINE SPECS – 4.0 V8
CylindersV8Displacement3950 cm3Power136 KW @ 4750 RPM
185 HP @ 4750 RPM
182 BHP @ 4750 RPMTorque251 lb-ft @ 2600 RPM
340 Nm @ 2600 RPMFuel SystemMultipoint InjectionFuelGasoline

 

[4Runner]

The old 4.2 (I assume?) is pretty solid eh?

Yes. The 1998 thru 2003 S variety. Although the normal ones were also solid and well engineered.