Sound Insulating a Land Rover Defender

My Defender 110 is noisy so I decided to try two sound dampening products to see if either could help reduce the sound levels in the cab. The two products I chose were; Noise Killer's Acoustic Engine Blanket and Dynamat's Hood Liner. I have already sound insulated the rear of the defender using thick open cell foam and heavy rubber matting on the floor and wheel wells. Only the engine area remains untouched. This is the result.

[@BryanWells]

Thanks for posting this video. Based on your findings I'm going to start with the firewall, footwells and under the seats first with Dynamat.

[@pkd444]

Great video, good tests with the before and after DB meter.

[@edwardchester1]

Thanks for this! Found so little good information on these products in general and the lead blanket in particular (i like the idea of it as it requires basically no fitting). I was actually thinking about buying a whole load of products and doing just such a comparison video but you've beaten me to it.

[@petermenzies1714]

A reduction of 3dB represents a 50% reduction in noise level which is significant if still not enough. Best to stop noise getting from rear of engine & engine bay through the bulkhead by damping engine side first if possible. Next is reducing/damping it within the cab by fitting carpet/liner around bulkhead firewall, then stopping noise reverberating around by fitting soft carpet or closed cell like covering on large van sides & roof. It seems that it takes a combination of reductions to achieve a good result with a great but noisy engine. Have a look at the noise reduction material in a Disco to see how it's achieved with a quieter 300tdi.

[@neilsewell9191]

Line the bulkhead with Dina mat, or bearmach liner, line the inside of the pedal box, the gear box housing and the doors, behind the cards. This makes a noticeable difference. Also lining the rear tub will help along with the roof. A lot of noise whilst moving is from the road. Lining the bonnet will make only a tiny bit of difference, as you found out. Nice video and a nice Lanny too.

[@Shadey88]

Hey, I have an ex-mod Defender and found that most of the noise comes through the firewall and the transmission, especially around the gear shifter. Once this is taken care of the hood and engine blanket is the icing on the cake.

Great and informative video! I am planning to buy one 110 and upgrade it to a level so it could be nice daily driver, one of the issues I will be dealing with is noise, and obviously this engine makes a lot of it! Back where I live it's almost impossible to get petrol Defenders so I guess I'll have to stick with diesel.

[@richardtedeschi9290]

Dynamat inside the cab as well, also soundproofing floor mats.

[@maddogmcfly5504]

just a suggestion and what i did with mine ( 200tdi defender) was that i also did the footwells and transmission tunnel where a lot of the sound gets in to the cab with the dynomatt type stuff. i also did the upper part of the bulkhead inside the engine bay and the underside of the front floors. i also have the 200tdi engine blanket and very heavy duty rubber floor mats (about inch thick made from recycled car tyres). with all that in place, its not bad, but its still never a car like experience. will see if i can get an app to record the sound level sometime

[@anth7354]

If everything else fails,removal of ears is the final solution

[@kosmonautik639]

To reduce the inside noise you must make some heavy carpeting and on top of that some large, cut to measure rubber carpets, plus you need to make a much ticker roof lining, with insulating materials, like the one from recording studios. The Def is like a large hangar, the noise from the engine will enter, but you may reduce the echoing. It worked great with me

[@gordonwilly]

Great video. I found that the biggest improvement in my 110 was to soundproof the bulkhead on the inside of the cabin, the floor and the seat box. This makes a big difference. I am about to Dynamat the underside of my bonnet (hood), but I'm not sure I'll get much benefit. I also use a pair of noise cancelling headphones (Goldring at £69). They make the most difference and I can still hear the radio.

[@9058476441]

That's great. I've put in heavy floor mats and have done some padding around the seat box but probably not enough. I have series doors on this unit and have recently insulated and added a heavy check plate finish. I think that this has helped. Insulating the bulkhead is a bit daunting. I'm not looking forward to pulling everything apart.

[@gordonwilly]

I used the Exmoor Trim matting system. Expensive and heavy, but was very effective. Here's a copy from their website: R380 MOULDED MATTING SYSTEM BLACK Excl. VAT: £380.00 Incl. VAT: £456.00 PRODUCT ID : EXT009-13O INSTALLATION ADVICE A great way to improve your relationship with your Land Rover! Moulded Matting System The Moulded Matting System has been specifically designed to increase ride comfort by greatly reducing heat and road noise. The 3 piece matting system is manufactured entirely from black cast dense polyurethane using precision injection mould tooling. The black floor matt is a one piece floor section that covers the driver's / passenger's foot-wells and the gearbox tunnel. This design feature ensures maximum soundproofing and heat suppression. The black one piece seat box cover encases the 3 open sides of the seat box to also greatly reduce noise and heat. Once the supplied firewall section is installed sound and heat reduction will be drastic. The kit is available for Series IIs & IIIs standard gearbox and for all Defenders both with *LT77, R380 and *ZF Automatics & the new Puma *NOTE: Some trimming is required when installing the Moulded Matting Systems in LT77 and Automatic 90s and 110s. The kit is also supplied with a bulkhead panel and the seat box cover is one piece and will require specific fitting. Exmoor Trim also offers a kick plate and seat box soundproofing rubber hardura kit with an acoustic foam backing as originally fitted to Defenders. This is a great and very simple kit to install with good acoustic properties and great value as an alternative option. Key Features: Water repellent - Flame retardant- spec - Supplied as a 3 piece kit - Extra thick cast rubber on average1/2" thick - The whole mat is one piece from one side to the other - The bulkhead section is simple to install and is held in place by floor section - The driver's and passenger's foot well have noise suppression foam panels underneath - The seat box section is also one piece and will require cutting to suit your particular vehicle

[@riboid]

Look at insulation suppliers for acoustic insulation rolls. Rubber mixed with Cork. I would have used thin sound deadening rubber first, which is 1.2mm thick and glued onto the bulkhead and floor. These would stop vibration noise on the panels and stabilise them. I'd do a decibel test after 1st layer and if minimal change, apply a 2nd layer. If that wasn't enough, I'd then top it up with armaflex rolls, preferably closed cell and built in vapour control layer. The more layers the better but it's all about space. On the cabin I'd do the same and 1" armaflex would give you good insulation protection. Wouldn't use it on the floor though. Dyna stuff is butyl which I've used a lot and it is expensive though.

[@9058476441]

Thanks. I followed the installation instructions from Noise Killer but will try reorienting the blanket to see if that makes a difference!

[@nangidkram8652]

It's important to get the engine sound of your Land Rover dampened as much as you possibly can so you can clearly hear what your wife is saying.

[@TheBendalina]

Nangid Kram in that case I'm going to remove my bonnet and windscreen. 😉

[@cherrypicker8897]

Are you crazy.

[@9058476441]

I recently had a chance to pull the blanket right down to the top of the bell housing - which wasn't easy! I've found the decibel level is now around 83 which is an improvement from the 86-88 it was running at before. Overall I've seen an improvement from the original 88-93 decibels with no sound dampening.

[@mossysmithlee]

I would venture to guess that 90% of your engine noise in the cab is coming through the transmission tunnel and some through the firewall.Given the location of the headers to the transmission shifter opening I suspect a large part coming from there. I own a 84' 110 and I have done some extensive sound deadening on the interior using butyl rubber sound treatment on every surface i can reach then overlaying that with a thin dampening material on the floor that is fibrous on one side and plastic on the other. Over that I laid the Exmoor trim carpet set and it really did make a remarkable difference. That's not to say it's "quiet" but it really helped. I currently have the engine out of mine and I am about to remove the entire dash. While they are out I am going to coat them both with sound dampening paint and Raptor lining to close as many holes as possible and also to block as much sound as possible. This will be extremely necessary due to the fact that I am putting an American Small Block V8 Ford motor in the 2.25 liter's place. Follow along on my channel Denton Defender. Would love to help others and offer what I can to keeping Defenders on the road.

[@asambi69]

Yeah i'd 100% sound insulate the floorwells and bulkhead and a lot of this noise would be gone. Although a lot of water tend to run in through the vents in the firewall so, its gonna get wet and moldy.

[@ryanmicro]

You needyo put a sound deadener on your large panels like bonnet fire wall, doors and floor, the vibration of your engine is vibrating large metal panels. So get some buetyle sheets and thatll make all the difference for that car. The foam and fiber glass is good for noise reduction from a noisey object. The heavy damping sheets are good to stop your car acting as a drum( panels, door skins , dash, glass cant do much bout glass though)

[@davetaf1323]

I think the blanket supposed to go side ways on the engine essentially covering the injector pump where the noise comes from

[@natethuli]

Great video comparison! Were you able to find anything which had more significant difference? Looks like both of those products were a little disappointing, especially at 80 km/hr.

[@jofher007]

Have you done any sound dampening inside the cab?

[@evronetwork]

MLV - Mass Loaded Vinyl ...use a lot and see a difference, also use closed cell foam or felt(if the engine bay doesn't get wet) - Noise can be reduced by absorption(e.g. with felt or closed cell foam-if it's wet) or blocking(more efficient but introduce weight) with MLV

[@antonheidebrink7716]

the firewall in every car acts like a fleece of a drum and the car itself is the drum damping the fleece/ firewall means less sound in the car

[@somelegend1526]

I know this is old now but if you want to get the best performance out of the lead blanket you need to tuck it behind the engine as much as possible (between engine and bulkhead)

[@DreamCarGarage1]

If I understand correctly adding the sound insulation under the bonnet actually increased the noise?!! How is that even possible?

[@JAG_09]

Mark, some advice from my initial thoughts I had as soon as you started the engine and stood next to the bonnet outside, it appears to me that your chequer plate is riveted to the bonnet and I swear I could see some high frequency vibrating/movement in tune with the engine idle. Did you line the underneath of the chequer plate with a thin membrane between plate and bonnet top? I had some advice about doing this when installing my chequer plate and I even added a generous amount of black heat resistant sealant (might be pain to get off but that shouldn't be for years to come). Sealant coupled with a 1/2/3mm membrane should eliminate all rattling......plus maybe more fixings to bonnet? just a thought.

[@JAG_09]

Plus your going to want to check the firewall and plug/cover any holes big or small to really help the internal

[@georgepatton8693]

A thick carpet or mat set should help a lot

[@DreamCarGarage1]

Did you soundproof the bulkhead inside the vehicle, or use any other interior soundproofing?

[@onwheels8232]

My i suggest you sir the top 3 engines that this vehicule should have: 1) the cummins 5.9 = lots of power and torque but you have to use an truck transmission. 2) the isuzu 4bd1t with the lt95 (in my opinion the best off road combination especialy if you can get some portal axles) 3) is the 300tdi: best kilometers per liter and decent power and torque between the 3 engines. The 300tdi and the isuzu are factory mounted so if you swap the 2.5 n/a with one of these two you souldn't have to omolagate enything.

[@gilbert7794]

Hoyt until you acoustic mat the floors roof and transmission tunnel and doors will you notice noise levels reduced

[@antonheidebrink7716]

the problem with sound in your car is your firewall if you can insulate it from the insight that is good but the better way is to take out the engine insulate your firewall with heat resistance insulation like dynacore and than the insight of the firewall that wil give it a giant sound insulation

[@DreamCarGarage1]

at 2:41 why is the bonnet pulsing like a 'heart'?

[@marco_au_boulot6747]

Thanks a lot to have made this test honestly. I have used during 6 motnhs every day my 200 tdi to go to work with 20 km of highway (in France). As you said at the end, the cheaper solution than i have found is to use this kind of helmet : www.leroymerlin.fr/v3/p/produits/arceau-antibruit-pliable-antibruit-3m-casque-auditif-pliable-e1401563588 An interesting thing is that with this produce the radio is now audible :) I think that the dynamat need to be put inside the cab too to be efficient for the driver :)

[@9058476441]

Thanks for your feedback Marco. Too often these videos are about selling a product or just installing it. I want to help others by giving my honest opinion based on some reasonable research!

[@saintsuperfluous]

What engine are you running?

[@9058476441]

a 2.5 Naturally Aspirated engine

[@ungurdani8346]

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[@EduardoBach01]

Sound deadening is all about "mass", if there's no mass reduction involved, then all the work is in vain. ;)

[@9058476441]

The only other sound proofing I've done so far is in the rear of the vehicle. It may not be obvious but this is a 110 Hardtop so I have a lot of side wall space. I laid heavy rubber matting (1/2") on the floor wheel wells and insulated the sides with foam and paneling so the road noise is pretty low in the rear. The majority of the noise is coming through the front foot wells and doors. My next project is to insulate and panel the doors with aluminum check plate and find heavy rubber mats for the foots wells.

[@richardtedeschi9290]

I've got three layers of soundproofing mats on the floor, a lot and not the best for water ingress but they do a nice job of quieting the inside of the cab, 1995 300Tdi Defender.

[@evronetwork]

butyl on the doors, trunk, etc with combination of felt(if it's a dry area) and MLV(mass loaded vinyl) to get best results ...use each material at the appropriate place at the appropriate quantity :)

[@benfulton1265]

That isn't tracing paper, that's just brown paper. Tracing paper is semi transparent. But good video.

[@jimjardine4705]

pLEASE GET A WIND SOCK FOR YOUR SOUND IN CAMERA!

[@MrBodyforma]

So....basically then.....a complete waste of time and money -unless you want to pay to keep your neighbours happy :-( - ! It would appear to me, given that the db figures actually went UP with the insulation fitted to the hood/bonnet, that the vast amount of engine noise is coming through the bulkhead.

[@thorgrimb2416]

Useless internal comparison as you have zero sound insulation on bulkhead and floor. As others have said you need to soundproof roof, doors sides rear floor. To give you example wife has a Renault Koleos 4x4 and that is pretty quiet inside but she had a small bump on rear passenger side so for a day or two that internal panel was removed ( remember this is just ONE plastic panel ) and sound level was way up. The external test was fine and showed the stuff worked but that engine mat looks soo stupid and amateurish, stick with any of the actual linings that fit to the underside of the bonnet. When I come to do mine as I will be doing a full strip down I will soundproof everything and I am even looking into a paint on application that may help for areas unsuitable for padding. Other than that not a bad video and should be helpful, at least everyone can see how crap that mat looks and so hopefully avoid buying it.

[@josepeixoto3384]

POS car,is it not? Not finished yet; More like an agricultural machine... But for every pot there is a lid...

[@garyfindlay5503]

If you want a quiet car that can do what a 110 does buy a Jeep Grand Cherokee