L Series Turbo diesel into a maestro

[H48HPE]

There's an MG ZR with an L Series Diesel in it in the family - it might end up as spares - so i was wondering about dropping the engine into my maestro. i love the A series in it now, but when i use the Maestro it's mainly for work and thats a 60 mile round trip mainly on the A1.

I'd have to look into insurance and MOT implications etc, and what the implications of informing the DVLA its gone from Petrol to Diesel would be... (starting to talk myself out of this already)

is it a reasonably straigt forward project to fit it in a Maestro?

Andy

[countrydude]

with some thought and good planning it shouldn't be too bad. ETV has converted his van with a similar ecu to a zr unit. I've put an sd mechanical unit in mine which was much more straightforward wiring wise. I'd have a good look into engine mounts too as it would be best to try replicating what is on the engine in the zr into the maestro as the torque factor will be quite big over the a series. Your main issues will be the change in tax and insurance. If you do 60miles a day then the fuel savings should cover it. 50-60mpg isn't unheard of. I get 40-50 but that is either with a fairly leaded foot or heavy loads, or both!

[E_T_V]

Have a read

http://www.roverdiesel.co.uk/forums/...php?f=16&t=206

Hardest part is making the exhaust, the offside engine mount and the wiring and piping.

[Guest]

Also, make sure you get the same driveshafts and gearbox mount, i.e. O-series PG1 mount and shafts or Perkins mount and shafts, don't mix and match or nothing will line up right.

I'd originally wired my van up with a full 200sdi interior loom as it's got an R8 dash, but now I've bought a ZR for it later engine and loom as I want a bit more power, although the fuel pumps are a bit temperamental, hopefully an in-line low pressure pump will help it out. I also want to change the lower engine steady to use a sump-mounted ZR one rather than the heavily thinned-down Perkins one.

[countrydude]

I found fitting a new saxo gearbox top bush helped a lot with the conversion. Not sure if the clutch is 100% as it could have been that but a new gearbox top mount has stopped any knocking I was getting.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/3308306599...84.m1497.l2649

You just need to drill out the 2 securing bolt holes to m10 and it fits like a glove!

Not sure what you mean about driveshafts as they are all the same length. I'm using a petrol short side on my derv with no issues.

[Guest]

Hmmm, I tried to temporarily fit some petrol shafts whilst rebuilding my original diesel shafts and they would not fit, as if they were ever so slightly too long to swing the hub back down on to the lower ball joint. Assumed the different gearbox mounts between petrol and diesel PG1 boxes was due to engine lengths and the shafts were different to suit. Sure they had a different part number also.

[countrydude]

that is odd. Pretty sure they share the same shafts, certain on the cv joints and short side shaft as I have one fitted. I'd be surprised if the long side didn't fit. I had diesel shafts on my t16 maestro (although that was a conversion obv!)

Only know of auto shafts that would obviously cause issues.

[E_T_V]

Mine also has a diesel long shaft and a petrol turbo short shaft (its what I had kicking about)

The modified prima engine mount is also still beefier than the L series one

[Guest]

Prima mount is ugly as hell though! Won ZR td on eBay last night with a minor front end, X-power grey which is a bonus as I need some XPG panels for my streetwise, grand total of £366!

[E_T_V]

Ugly but functional. Much like most of the maestro!

[countrydude]

are you talking about the prima gearbox mount being ugly? it's just a big bush in a solid housing, nothing to be ugly about that. It's form perfectly fits the function. I don't follow you

[Guest]

I'm on about the Prima engine mount, at least I thought that's what Dan was on about!

[countrydude]

oh i see cambelt end.