VM Italian engines

[lynallbel]

Yes, dreadful engine and fortunately never marinated to my knowledge. I was at LR when this engine was put into production. I much preferred the Gemini 200 and 300 engines.

200 is the mutts nuts, tough as old boots, I love mine, 300 also pretty good apart from some tit mounted the water pump at the top of the engine!

Td5 has a loyal following in lr circles, but lets just say there are always loads of td5 threads running at any time.

Sadly for lr every engine since the 200/300 has had issues, some of them quite serious especially cranks on the 2.7/3.0 v6 engines.

 

[vas]

P, you'll forgive me for not missing the opportunity to correct a native EN speaker, but I believe engines can be marinized, not marinated...

P, I think you're both right (or wrong) engines are marinized and THEN internally marinated in brine (where they typically and spectacularly fail...)

V.

 

[MapisM]

200 is the mutts nuts, tough as old boots, I love mine

I wanted to ask rafiki, but I forgot.
What's this 200 engine exactly? And on what car was it fitted?
Just curious.

 

[lynallbel]

Think later vms had one piece heads, pretty sure ldv vans had 4 cyl vms about 10 yrs ago, the van section of the wshop was always busy!

 

[rafiki_]

P, you'll forgive me for not missing the opportunity to correct a native EN speaker, but I believe engines can be marinized, not marinated...

Brilliant P. I think this engine would have greatly benefitted from some marinating.

 

[Bouba]

Having worked for Volvo and Mercruiser dealers for the past 25 yrs I can honestly say its Volvo that has payed for my houses, cars and boats. We experience very few problems with VM engines, they start on the first turn , don’t smoke and the 6 cyl is very smooth, I know there are more Volvos out there but even so I have never had to replace a head gasket on a VM or had to rebuild one, just the odd turbo and exhaust bend and ordinary servicing.

A few years back I was looking to get a boat with a VM engine. I did a lot of research and talked to as many people as possible and all agreed with your post! (ps I didn’t get the boat in the end because the wife didn’t like it!)

 

[B58]

I think my Vetus 250hp may be VM Based. Not certain though.

Its Toyota based

 

[B58]

Looking back to 2014 I'd forgotten all about the thread that told me my engine is a FNM. It's been in the shed waiting for the boat to be completed!

That's a Fiat engine JTD

 

[Billy no mates.]

I wanted to ask rafiki, but I forgot.
What's this 200 engine exactly? And on what car was it fitted?
Just curious.

2.5 litre 4 cylinder turbo diesel, used in early LR Discovery and Defenders. Later ones used the 300 TDI, basically the same, brilliant engines, reliable and last forever.

 

[CLB]

2.5 litre 4 cylinder turbo diesel, used in early LR Discovery and Defenders. Later ones used the 300 TDI, basically the same, brilliant engines, reliable and last forever.

many early defenders had VM engines. I think the 200 came in with the release of the discovery, so around 1990.

 

[Bouba]

I thought VM powered London Black Cabs

 

[Billy no mates.]

many early defenders had VM engines. I think the 200 came in with the release of the discovery, so around 1990.

I have never seen a Defender with a VM engine, the early Defenders i have seen had the 2.5 Turbo Diesel or naturally aspirated, i have seen the VM in early Range Rovers.

 

[Bouba]

Can I just say that being in a Land Rover is not a ringing endorsement for an engine

 

[CLB]

I have never seen a Defender with a VM engine, the early Defenders i have seen had the 2.5 Turbo Diesel or naturally aspirated, i have seen the VM in early Range Rovers.

You may be right. I have seen an 88ish defender with a VM and assumed it was the factory fit, as it was to the Range Rover at that time. If not, it appears that LR were fitting two different four cylinder 2.5 litre TD engines at the same time. I wonder why they did that?

 

[CLB]

Can I just say that being in a Land Rover is not a ringing endorsement for an engine

Not too much wrong with the engine, it did well in plenty of other applications. I blame the Brummies fitting them

 

[CLB]

Interesting line from RR history: Two VM-powered cars subsequently took 27 sprint and endurance records at MIRA.

Also interesting to see just how many cars have been fitted with VMs: List of VM Motori engines - Wikipedia and some that still are.

 

[Billy no mates.]

You may be right. I have seen an 88ish defender with a VM and assumed it was the factory fit, as it was to the Range Rover at that time. If not, it appears that LR were fitting two different four cylinder 2.5 litre TD engines at the same time. I wonder why they did that?

Probably an after market fit, pretty sure VM was not fitted in series/Defenders.

 

[CLB]

Probably an after market fit, pretty sure VM was not fitted in series/Defenders.

So do you know what engine was installed to the 86-89 era of TD defenders? I'm curios now as it seems odd to have two very similar engines in your lineup. Perhaps there was a difference in the output, or maybe the VM was considered more 'refined' than the other one.

 

[CLB]

OK, looked into it using the power of Wikipedia. It seems that LR themselves took their ancient 2.25 diesel and turned it into a 2.5 normally aspirated diesel. They then took this and turned in into a 2.5TD, so the 1980's defenders was still effectively using a 1960's engine. I guess it was a bit 'agricultural' for the RR, so LR probably wisely spent money buying in a more modern TD unit for its top-of-the-range motor,

 

[michael_w]

My 1991 Defender had a 200 tdi lump. Never had an engine that was so eager to start, the merest touch of the starter and off she went, even in the coldest weather. My Disco 1 has the 300 tdi, not as good IMHO.