By Ashley Lucas It is seven years since the Td5 turbo-diesel engine was first fitted to Land Rover Defenders and Discoverys. Introduced in 1998, it has since had its fair share of fans and just as many who disliked it due to the electronic engine management systems and the drive-by-wire throttle. The five-cylinder Td5 was blessed with more power over its predecessor, the 300 Tdi, and was more refined but that was not enough to convince many long-time Land Rover diehards who longed for the good old days of a basic vehicle with a basic engine. There is now an alternative for Land Rover fans in the form of the International HS 2.8L turbo diesel engine, now available in New Zealand. This engine, made by International Engines in Brazil, is the big brother to the old 300 Tdi, increased in size to give a volume of 2785cc over the 300 Tdi’s 2495cc. The additional displacement won’t fill a can of your finest, but it does give better torque than the Td5 along with similar power. The Td5 Defender produces 90kW at 4200 rpm (101kW for Discovery) and 300Nm at 1950rpm compared to the HS 2.8L’s 99kW at 3800rpm 375Nm at 1400rpm. The block was redesigned to improve cooling and this also extended to the oil pump which is now water-cooled, negating the need for the external oil cooler found on the 300 Tdi. The bore was enlarged slightly with a new piston developed and produced by Mahle in Germany and the crankshaft is now forged and not cast. Improvements were also made to the bearing caps which are now secured to the conrods by through bolts which are threaded into the conrod instead of the 300 Tdi’s bolt and nut arrangement, and the cylinder head is sealed with a new steel laminate head gasket. Finally, a new Garrett turbocharger provides a further boost in power and torque. Using what is termed "variable nozzle turbocharger" (VNT) it harnesses variable geometry to alter the flow rates at low speed. It’s achieved by varying the angle of the adjustable vanes inside the turbine housing that direct the exhaust gases onto the turbine blades. Turbocharger design is often a compromise, with large units providing the large volumes of air that engines need at speed, though it won’t spin up to speed so quickly during low-speed acceleration, producing turbo lag. A small turbo will accelerate quickly but may be short on output at high speeds. Using the variable geometry allows a constant boost pressure available from idle so there is no delay or lag when accelerating. Coupled with the Bosch VP14 mechanical fuel system (no electronics), the end result is improved acceleration and maximum torque achieved at a low 1400rpm compared with 300 Tdi’s 1800rpm or the Td5’s 1950rpm. The HS 2.8 is compatible with the bell housings of all Land Rovers (Defenders and Discoverys) with four cylinder engines and an alternative rear aluminium housing is available to fit the larger bell housings of V8 models meaning no adapter plates are required when converting. Leaving one of the best features to last, the other major benefit the HS 2.8 has over other engines normally found re-powering Land Rovers such as the Nissan FD 35 and various Toyota engines of similar size, is the weight. The HS 2.8 weighs in at 208kg, around 50 per cent less than the Japanese engines. The International HS 2.8L is used by Ford in the Ranger utes sold in various parts of the world. To put the engine to the test, NZ4WD borrowed a recently converted Defender 130 from Forward Specialties in Henderson, Auckland. Eli Friedlander’s Forward Specs is well known throughout the country, having been in business since 1966 specialising in Land Rover repowers and refurbishment. Nowadays, Eli searches out the best from Australia, imports and refurbishes them to a high standard in modern workshops. Forward Specs is the New Zealand and Australian agent for the International HS 2.8L and has also supplied a couple to buyers in Canada. Incidentally, there is also a good market in Canada for the old Series Land Rover engines and a container is currently on its way from here full of such gear. The Defender 130 tested is a 1996 Australian-built version with the "extra cab" unique to Australia. The cab is extended behind the seats with an additional panel put into the roof, although on the test vehicle the roof was fibreglass, rather than the normal aluminium. Inside was a built-in overhead console for the radio and other items. It had been used in the Aussie Outback and had a large workshop-style box fitted to the alloy tray. With fully opening side doors this setup is ideal for a touring vehicle. It even had a stainless steel water tank under the deck and an ARB bullbar on the front. It has undergone a full rebuild with many new parts and a full repaint, so it’s virtually a new vehicle. Originally fitted with the 300 Tdi engine and R380 gearbox, Forward Specs fitted a HS 2.8 engine. Because of the huge torque now produced by the engine the company uprated the clutch and fitted the LT85 (Santana) gearbox. These gearboxes were only fitted to the V8 Land Rovers and are considered by many to be the best and strongest five-speed gearbox for Land Rovers. The only problem they normally have is noisy bearings but this one has been completely rebuilt with many new parts, including the bearings, making it a very smooth and quiet box. The other improvement is a larger intercooler to get the best from the new engine. It is also beneficial to increase the exhaust diameter to 2.5-inches and tweak the fuel pump, but only after the engine has done a few kilometres. The 130 Defender is not a lightweight at 2086kg (without the rear compartment) and definitely cannot be described as aerodynamic. There was no lag from the turbo and it pulled strongly from just off idle. On road the engine was continually willing no matter what the gear and would pull from just off idle up hills. It was almost like driving an automatic never needing to change gear. In the company of a 1998 Defender 300Tdi that has an increased intercooler and adjustments to the fuel pump the 130 pulled as well if not better up some of the hills despite having at least a 300kg disadvantage in weight. While the engine is not faster than the original, it has so much low-down torque it will pull truck loads all day long and this is why the clutch needs to be replaced with a heavy duty item. As for driveability, this engine doesn’t compare with the Td5 or the Tdis. Off road the extra weight and length of the 130 was a handicap especially in the sand dunes of our test location. Straight up and down the dunes was no trouble, but try going up at an angle and the weight would cause the vehicle to sledge in the sand. But this wasn’t anything to do with the engine, just driver technique and having to learn the capabilities of a longer than normal vehicle. Once rolling, the engine was more than happy to pull the 130 over the dunes in low third with only just enough momentum to stop the vehicle bogging down. Needless to say we were impressed with the performance, so much so that it transformed a vehicle that wouldn’t be given a second glance as an off-road vehicle for New Zealand. It would make a great workhorse during the week and even better tag-along touring vehicle for the weekends. The rear compartment could easily be converted to sleep in. While the initial cost of these engines has a tendency to frighten people off, it costs $8800 plus GST, the ever increasing price of petrol makes it a more attractive proposition than going V8. There are no modifications required when fitting in place of the 300 Tdi as it uses all the same engines mounts, etc. The only additional costs are when you opt for the increased intercooler and larger exhaust. The Defender 130 is for sale at Forward Specialties for $39,000 which seems pretty reasonable when you realise you are getting a refurbished vehicle with a brand new engine that will work harder, last as long if not longer than the new Td5 Defenders at twice the price.
To understand why the HS 2.8 is considered the big brother to Land Rover’s popular 300 Tdi you have to take a little (recent) history lesson. When the old 300 Tdi engine gave way to the Td5 in 1998, the engine lines were sold to International Engines. Part of the deal was that International would continue to supply Land Rover with 300 Tdi engines as required, as they were still sold in Defenders for many overseas locations. Included in the purchase were the rights to further develop the engine and it was turned into HS 2.8L with some redevelopment of the bore, crank, stroke and turbocharger.
