Can I Bodge-Fit DIscontinued Parts on Old Cars?

Question

Hi Scotty - here's a dumb question.

Say I do something stupid and buy a 40 year old diesel Land Cruiser. Everything is mechanical. Can I just get an engineer to splice in a fuel filter from a newer diesel if the old ones are discontinued?.

What about the fuel pump? Is it a case of "it gets power from the battery and pumps fuel" so I can replace it with a similiar one from a later engine? As these old trucks didn't have computers.

Or am I buying a driveway ornament that at least makes me look like a connoisseuer?. Emphasis on splitting that word into the French part and the 'Sir' part. 🤣

Glen_stet · Accepted Answer

Some things - like the fuel pump, an alternator, exhaust parts - you can use non-Rover parts, but you need to do a little engineering, for example checking for desired fuel flow and pressure. You will also need to fabricate things, like a bracket for your non-standard alternator. Lots of folks who restore/play with old mechanical stuff do this. Now, doing this may require serious tools and skills - but the good news is other folks have had the same needs, and they can act as a resource - here are some:

https://www.google.com/search?q=land+rover+forums+usa&sca

https://landroverforums.com/forum/series-i-ii-iia-iii-land-rovers-62/

One thing to keep in mind is that old Land Rover parts may be more frequently available/reproduced in the UK and former colonies - they are all over the world, and after 40 years, they need parts just like yours.

MountainManJoe · Answer

Posted by: @alex-g Can I just get an engineer to splice in a fuel filter You mean an auto mechanic/fabricator?  Probably, but it won't be cheap.