Converting to diesel

[fred98050]

I will be converting my 1964 88 s2a 2.25 petrol to diesel within a few months. I am now gathering all I need for the conversion and need some help with my list of things to get.

So far:

2.5 NA
Starter
Alternator
New electrical harness for diesel.
Fuel filter housing
Diesel ignition switch
Fuel lines (for return line)

Whatelse?

Thanks

[superstator]

I don't know what all your harness includes, but make sure you have some kind of relay for the glow plugs. Even if you aren't blowing fuses constantly, they'll work much better with a beefy dedicated circuit to the battery.

[Jim-ME]

I ended up using a 70A relay directly wired to the battery. The circut is protected by a 50A maxifuse. The relay is turned on and off using the cold start switch on my choke cable. It is not on a timer so I count to ten in the summer and 20 in the winter before I start it. I'm also using the regular petrol ignition switch with the white wire that was originally connected to the coil now connected to the fuel solenoid on the injector pump. It works very well.
Jim

[I Leak Oil]

..ear plugs... gas mask...welder for the motor mount...thick skin because the drivers behind you are going to just love you...:D

[Jim-ME]

Come on now they aren't that bad but you will need to modify your motor mounts. I ended up using the round 2.5 NA rubber mounts which seem to result in less shaking and vibration as compared to the square diesel mounts for the 2.25 D.
Jim

[SalemRover]

Is your vehicle RHD or LHD? If you are LHD then you will need the gas pedal out of a 90 and the corresponding cable to go with it. I have read that a RHD can modify its linkage to work, but I read that somewhere ... I think... ymmv.

I think "I Leak Oil" has been stuck behind me one too many times. As 2.5s go you can see me coming from a few states away. Are you keeping the 2.25 exhaust system or updating it? On the brightside I don't worry about tailgaters anymore... they are a thing of the past with my rover diesel's patented driver be gone smoke system.

For the glow plugs I used a generic solenoid from NAPA and when you wire to each of the glow plugs, wire them in parallel NOT in series. It will make for a much easier start. I used 10 gauge from the solenoid to each plug.

[mongoswede]

Land Rover Diesels are just designed to keep the air from rusting. it really is a valuable service :D

[I Leak Oil]

Land Rover Diesels are just designed to keep the air from rusting....

Ha! That's good! On the otherhand it's not just Rover diesels. Had a friend in high school who's family insisted on driving mid 80's volvo's with diesels. Those smoked just as much....

[fred98050]

Is your vehicle RHD or LHD? If you are LHD then you will need the gas pedal out of a 90 and the corresponding cable to go with it. I have read that a RHD can modify its linkage to work, but I read that somewhere ... I think... ymmv.

I think "I Leak Oil" has been stuck behind me one too many times. As 2.5s go you can see me coming from a few states away. Are you keeping the 2.25 exhaust system or updating it? On the brightside I don't worry about tailgaters anymore... they are a thing of the past with my rover diesel's patented driver be gone smoke system.

For the glow plugs I used a generic solenoid from NAPA and when you wire to each of the glow plugs, wire them in parallel NOT in series. It will make for a much easier start. I used 10 gauge from the solenoid to each plug.

Thanks

It is a lhd and i did not know about the pedal.
For the glow plugs i was thinking about installing the relay and fuse of a mercedes with 617 engine. Also wired in parallel.

Thanks again

Fred

[Moose]

I've just been through this. For the alt. you can just use the one off the 2.25 petrol. If you don't know the history of the diesel engine, do the timing belt before installing. Much easier. And seeing as they are right there and accesable, new clutch plate and throw out bearing. Glow plugs and ignition switch, what Jim said. For the exhaust, you will need the the flange/coupling and a few inches of down pipe from the 2.5 NA to graft to you 2.25 exhaust system. You will need a fuel pick up tube for return line into the tank. You will also need an electric fan or modify the mechanical fan from the petrol and use it.

Some pix here.

http://www.roversnorth.com/forums/showthread.php?p=54963#post54963

Brett

[ignotus]

You will also need a stop switch. My diesel is LHD and uses the standard pedal.
Is the 2.5 complete? If you change the timing belt be careful you don't move the injector pump while the belt is off. You will need a diesel fuel filter system and a diesel fuel only sign on the filler. Patience of Job. Change to the 9.5 diesel clutch. The petrol fuel lift pump it too weak you need the diesel one.
Set up right it shouldn't smoke too much. If the motor is in good nick.
welcome to the club!

[SafeAirOne]

Um....Let's see...Stop switch. Use the white (coil) wire as mentioned earlier and your ignition switch is the run/stop switch. No modifications/additions necessary.

If I'm not mistaken, all petrol engines except the 2.6 had the carb/throttle on the left side, so you'll likely have to be creative in actuating the throttle on the 2.5, which is mounted on the right hand side of the engine, with your existing LHD accelerator linkage.

Rotate that fuel injector pump pulley as much as you want with the belt off. Have fun with it. Just make sure the timing marks are properly aligned when you decide to install the belt.

I don't know if the water pump was previously mentioned. If your 2.5 has the viscous fan-type water pump, the fan won't fit without striking the radiator. Either install an electric cooling fan or modify a 2.25 engine-driven fan to fit the viscous water pump in the ingenious manner that Moose did.

It's not too difficult to swap in a 2.5 diesel. All obstacles are pretty easily overcome. Don't worry too much about it, you'll be just fine. This swap has been done hundreds and hundreds of times.

Moose is probably your best source for info--He just did his. It's just a fading memory for the rest of us...

[fred98050]

You will also need a stop switch. My diesel is LHD and uses the standard pedal.
Is the 2.5 complete? If you change the timing belt be careful you don't move the injector pump while the belt is off. You will need a diesel fuel filter system and a diesel fuel only sign on the filler. Patience of Job. Change to the 9.5 diesel clutch. The petrol fuel lift pump it too weak you need the diesel one.
Set up right it shouldn't smoke too much. If the motor is in good nick.
welcome to the club!

Thanks,

The engine is complete. I am planing on replacing the timing belt. I will also use the 2.5L engine mounts.

Did you use any special linkage with your original pedal?

Fred

[ignotus]

Fred,
I am not sure how SafeAir electricly shuts down his motor. On my 2.25 and my friends 2.5 there is a pull lever, mine uses the choke cable. This cable is connected to a fuel cutoff located in the bottom of the distributor pump.
My linkage/diesel was installed by the PO. It runs across the bulkhead and over to the pump. It uses standard Rover parts. See the pics.
I looked on our hosts web but could not find whether or not there is a LH/RH accelerator mount. The best I could find was; http://www.roversnorth.com/store/searchadv.aspx?IsSubmit=true&SearchTerm=accelerator+&SearchTerm_Vldt=%5Breq%5D%5Blen%3D3%5D%5Bblankaler t%3DPlease+enter+something+to+search+for%21%5D

gene

[Jim-ME]

Mark's 2.5 is the same as mine. There is a solenoid at the rear of the pump which shuts off fuel flow when the engine is turned off. That is all I've ever seen on a 2.5 which doesn't mean that there can't be a different arrangement.
Jim

[superstator]

I think from the 2.5 on they came with a solenoid, but mechanical shutoffs can be retrofitted at least through the 300tdi. They are nice, since it means you can run the thing entirely without electrics if need be (as long as you can get it started). That saved my bacon at least once when I had a dead alt & battery.

[SafeAirOne]

I think from the 2.5 on they came with a solenoid, but mechanical shutoffs can be retrofitted at least through the 300tdi. They are nice, since it means you can run the thing entirely without electrics if need be (as long as you can get it started). That saved my bacon at least once when I had a dead alt & battery.


Yeah--the 2.25Ds had a manual valve whereas the 2.5Ds have the solenoid shutoff. Gene, I've never seen a 2.5 with the mechanical shutoff--Did your friend install it or was it already there?

Adrian (or Gene)--you wouldn't happen to know a part number or source for a mechanical shutoff that'll fit the 2.5 injector pump, would you? I've been casually looking for one for a few years now, for just the reason mentioned.

[SalemRover]

I would like to second the desire for a mechanical 2.5 shutoff. The less wires the better!

-Jason

[superstator]

I think you have to kind of make it up as you go. The Bosch VE pumps on the TDI's have mechanical shutoffs already, in case the solenoid fails open - you just have to disable the solenoid and fab up some kind of linkage to the mechanical lever. The 2.5 pump (CAV DPS) might have something similar, or worst case I bet a local diesel shop could figure something out if you took it to them.

edit:
According to this (http://ww2.justanswer.com/uploads/mcodi/2008-10-31_134419_Rotary_Fuel_Pumps_Timing_to_engine_steps .pdf), the DPS should have a mechanical shutoff, and an activate-to-stop solenoid is available. Again, a good diesel shop should be able to figure it out.

[fred98050]

I think from the 2.5 on they came with a solenoid, but mechanical shutoffs can be retrofitted at least through the 300tdi. They are nice, since it means you can run the thing entirely without electrics if need be (as long as you can get it started). That saved my bacon at least once when I had a dead alt & battery.

I'll keep that in mind.

I don't know much about the Rover diesel engine at this point. I have some experience with older Mercedes diesel which use vacuum to shutoff. I really like the idea of a mechanical shuttoff vs electrical though.

Thanks

[ignotus]

The mechanical shut off was on the vehicle when he got it. I'll take a look next time I see him and find out what we can.

gene

[fred98050]

New to 2.5L diesel....

I have been browsing on the net for a while now and it seems that some parts, injectors, glow plugs, fuel and oil filters are common to the 2.5 and 2.25 diesel. Is that correct?

Thanks

Fred

[superstator]

Yes, they're very closely related.

[SafeAirOne]

...some parts, injectors, glow plugs, fuel and oil filters are common to the 2.5 and 2.25 diesel. Is that correct?



The answer is "sometimes" or "it depends".

From what I read, they used 2 different styles of glow plugs on the 2.25D Early series-wired plugs with 2 wires and later parallel ones with one wire.

The injectors are similar, though 2 different part numbers were used. Don't know if they were different parts or one superceeded the other.

Not sure about the fuel filters on 2.25D-equipped series vehicles. I know that the 2.25D-equipped 90s used the same filter assembly as the 2.5D-equipped vehicles. At least the diagram in the WSM indicates this.

As for oil filters--Did the 2.25D series rovers also use the canister-type oil filters, just like the petrol 2.25s? The 2.5 P&D engines have always had the manifold for the spin-on filters, to my knowledge.

The good news is that 2.5 parts are plentiful, available and relatively economical (at least for the diesel).