In 1998, Land Rover conceived the Td5 (Turbo Diesel) engine. Designed in-house, Land Rover engineers went on to develop a series of engines in a range of cylinder configurations and capacities. Carrying the name of ‘Project Storm’, it took 5 years of development before this new range would meet all of the ‘Rover Group’s’ diesel engine requirements.
Photo: Andy Carter (Flickr)
The introduction of the Td5 engine created the ultimate Defender. BMW (Bayerische Motoren Werke AG), who owned Land Rover at the time, wanted to use one of their four- or six-cylinder diesels, as featured in the Freelander. However, as the Discovery’s engine bay was too short for the six-cylinder diesel, the Td5 project gained momentum. The development was left to the UK-based Land Rover engineering team.
The Td5 engine is Land Rover’s last in-house diesel and the only engine then available in the Defender.
At the outset of the project, the design team focused on reducing the overall running costs by extending the oil change intervals. The solution was to include both turbocharge and intercooling.
To control fuel consumption, the Td5 uses Electronic Unit Injectors to burn the optimum amount of fuel at any one time. When first released, this fuel efficiency meant that there was no need for an additional catalytic converter to meet emission regulations.
Land Rover intended to use the Td5 engine for both Rover cars and Land Rover 4x4s. However, the engine only featured in the Defender with over 310,000 engines being built between 1998 and 2007.
The Td5 is said to be Land Rover’s best performing diesel engine. High mileage was no longer an issue with internal wear being negligible with care. With reliable electronics, the Land Rover Defender Td5 was the ultimate 4×4.
‘Land Rovers never die, they simply become organ donors!’
Photo: Mark Bray (Flickr)
When original gauges for the Land Rover Td5 were no longer available, Caerbont Automotive Instruments (CAI) stepped in and developed a range of replacements. CAI has a rich history of designing and supplying gauges for Land Rovers under the ‘SMITHS’ brand, including the instruments for the first Land Rover in 1948.
The replacement range of Td5 gauges include:
For further information on gauges for the Land Rover or any classic car, please contact us on:
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Phone: +44 (0) 1639 732200