New Rover: 2.25 diesel advice needed

[roverjohn]

I just picked up this 1967 (67' titled/65'build) over the weekend. I got it locally from the daughter of the original owner. The dad bought it new in 1967 and he ran a diesel service shop up until the mid-80's. He died in the early 90's and the daughter used it to plow snow up until the plow broke a few years back. She told me that it has not left the property (except being trailered to a mechanic's shop) or been out of low range for 18 years!

My plan is to just drive it and remove some of the "custom" accessories; starting with the plow stuff. It has a hydraulic gear box mounted to the engine for the plow. Anyone need it?

On the test drive, I took it about a mile up the road. It runs and drives and stops. However, on the test drive it was smoking REALLY BAD. I mean a cloud of thick smoke behind me that I could not see anything through it. I turned around and took it back. When I parked it and shut it off, the smoke kept coming out of the stack; yes, it has a smoke stack (factory Rover, right?!), Weird. I stood on the back hitch and smelled the smoke. It smelled like burning death. Something was cremated in there by me driving it.

The smoke has cleared up a little but it still blows some white smoke. I am a little concerned but I think I should drive it more especially after I remove the stack and get a new exhaust system.

Anybody have any other thoughts?

Also, it currently has a 1-3/4" exhaust on it, should I go a little bigger for better breathing? I have done this on other diesels but this is my first Rover diesel.

Any help is greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

[o2batsea]

Having lived with a 2 1/4 diesel for ten years or so, here's my advice:
Do all the fluids and belts. Check the brakes. Put some good tires on it. Drive it. I bet the white smoke will clear up as the injectors get some diesel thru them. It is a testament to the engine that the thing fired.
It will not go fast, no matter how much you futz with it or tune it. These engines are ridiculously slow. You'll see.
It is what it is. Learn to shift early and often and it will last forever.
Semi original LHD factory diesels are few and far between. There are some diesel-only parts on that truck that are simply unavailable anywhere at any price. Don't fool with it, please. If you want a custom Rover get a Series three and chop it all up.

[Wolf323i]

I like the stack I feel like I'm always gassing the people on the side walk!

[roverjohn]

Having lived with a 2 1/4 diesel for ten years or so, here's my advice:
Do all the fluids and belts. Check the brakes. Put some good tires on it. Drive it. I bet the white smoke will clear up as the injectors get some diesel thru them. It is a testament to the engine that the thing fired.
It will not go fast, no matter how much you futz with it or tune it. These engines are ridiculously slow. You'll see.
It is what it is. Learn to shift early and often and it will last forever.
Semi original LHD factory diesels are few and far between. There are some diesel-only parts on that truck that are simply unavailable anywhere at any price. Don't fool with it, please. If you want a custom Rover get a Series three and chop it all up.

I have no intention of customizing it at all. I like it for what it is; slow, stinky, and rattly and mostly original. I have had numerous diesels but always of the Toyota mark and as mentioned, this is my first Rover diesel so I am a little unfamiliar with them.

My plan is to:
1) clean all the years of grime and goo off of it. I know I will be opening a can of worms here as it will leak all over the place. However, I got to see what I have and what kind of shape it is in.
2) adjust things as necessary
3) drive it

I am with you, I am hoping that the smoke will clear up after running some fuel through it and getting it hot. I might try a fuel conditioner and injector cleaner to see if that helps. I might even try a set of injectors or have mine tested and/or rebuilt. My fear is that I will need a timing chain and gear set or worse.


Thanks for the advice o2batsea.

[o2batsea]

Oil changes and filter are by far the nastiest aspect of the truck. I assume it has the canister type filter. You have to undo the bolt on bottom as ink black oil goes all over everywhere. What a mess.
Hope the exhaust manifold is good with no cracks and is (hope) not so rusted up that you can't get it apart. These are unobtanium, but maybe available used.
The stock exhaust should be routed horizontally outward toward the fender and then follow the angle of the splashguard rearward. From there it is a straight shot thru the muffler and then out over the axle and takes a left turn out under the rear tub corner. It is slightly different from the petrol exhaust. The OE one lasts maybe 5 years before it rusts out.
You should have the pull stop cable on the lower dash panel. These are no longer available anywhere. The LHD throttle linkage is also not available for love or money. Ditto the hand throttle. You can get reproduction ones tho. The springs and some of the clips for the linkage are available from the UK. The Lucas CAV injection pump (as well as the filters) is pretty common and was also used on countless gazillion Perkins diesels. Parts are easy to get and you can often find them listed on ebay for a few bucks. These also came on tractors with Perkins, Lehman and Leyland diesels. Also unavailable is the diesel-only light switch as the petrol trucks had the ignition key in the light switch and the diesel start switch is on the lower dash. The pull switches that operate the dome light and the dash lamps are about impossible to come by. There are no reproductions of that switch. "Lucas" is no longer in business, so anything electrical that you try to find parts for are now Chinese knock offs. Same for the warning lights, they are unavailable except as reproduction. The diesel also has a low fuel warning light. The sender for the tank is no longer available, so lets hope yours is working. The 2A speedo cable and speedo for the diesel are reproduction now. if yours has the trip meter then you have a very rare unobtanium unit there.
If it has the "Rover Diesel" badge on the grille, you are in luck. The last time I saw one of them on Ebay it went for about $150.00.
Unfortunately the PO poked some rather inconvenient holes in your precious 2A doors to fit the truck mirrors. Perhaps the damage isn't so bad that it could be remedied at some point. The doors you have are extremely rare and unavailable.
The other rare items are the fender fronts with the two lights, and the upper tailgate assembly.
It appears that the truck was treated as most Land Rovers; as a tool to get stuff done. Consequently, it has been "ridden hard and put away wet". Not unexpected. Be glad it wasn't hauled off to the crusher when they were done with it.

[Wolf323i]

How much of the smoking can be mitigated. Everyone that sees mine pretty says yea it's an old diesel, but the old Mercedes don't seem to smoke nearly as bad.

[o2batsea]

What color is the smoke? White, grey or black?

[roverjohn]

The smoke is white. I feel like I need to get it out and drive and see if it clears up at all.

Unfortunately, the PO decided to do a few upgrades to the dash. The original headlight/key switch has been removed as well as the push button for the starter.

o2batsea: do you mind posting a pic of your diesel exhaust as well as the dash layout? I would like to see how mine has been altered. I know the exhaust is not factory due to the stack. As mentioned, this is my first diesel Rover but I am quite familiar with the petrol Series; just not the diesel.

As far as rust, this Rover is rust free. It is a clean Western Colorado truck that has not been driven in the winter except for plowing a driveway. The frame and bulkhead are immaculate.

It does have the Rover diesel badge. Kind of cool.

Here are a couple of more pics. Note the hideous door panel.

[SafeAirOne]

I wish you luck, but if you have plumes of WHITE smoke, I doubt it'll "settle in" by putting a few miles on the odometer. I'd just time the injector pump to the engine THEN once you've done that, cross your fingers and drive it hoping for the best...

[o2batsea]

Well, I wish I could send you a pic of my OE diesel exhaust. You're about 8 years too late for that. I put in a V8 a while back. Now I'm rebuilding it all as a coiler hybrid. There's a 200 tdi in it now. The dash you have is missing the light switch which was in the place where the square patch piece is. That dash is toast as it has holes now where you don't want them.
There is no push button start. The key has three positions, OFF, RUN, START. The light switch was like a petrol one, but had no keyway. Looks like they rerouted some wiring to a few pull switches out of a Chris Craft or something for lights.
It can all be put back right without too much trouble.

[SalemRover]

Having just gone through many parts of a 2.5 NA Diesel engine. I can say that there are tons of common parts between the 2.25 and 2.5. For starters the gaskets for the head and exhaust are the same, which would imply that the exhaust/intake manifold are interchangeable. The valve cover gasket is close but the 2.25 one had a strip in the middle I am unfamiliar with. Valve guides and valve stem seals are the same as well. I did not replace the rocker arm but would be shocked if they were any different, heck I would be surprised if the 2.25 gas had different rocker arms. After rebuilding the head on mine I was amazed at how many parts cross between the 2.25 and 2.5. I suppose it makes sense as they gained the .25 volume via the stroke if memory serves me well.

Good luck with the heavy clouds!

[I Leak Oil]

Having just gone through many parts of a 2.5 NA Diesel engine. I can say that there are tons of common parts between the 2.25 and 2.5. For starters the head and exhaust gaskets are the same, which would imply that the exhaust/intake manifold are interchangeable. The valve cover gasket is close but the 2.25 one had a strip in the middle I am unfamiliar with. Valve guides and valve stem seals are the same as well. I did not replace the rocker arm but would be shocked if they were any different, heck I would be surprised if the 2.25 gas had different rocker arms. After rebuilding the head on mine I was amazed at how many parts cross between the 2.25 and 2.5. I suppose it makes sense as they gained the .25 volume via the stroke if memory serves me well.

Good luck with the heavy clouds!

You mean the head gasket is the same, not the head itself right?

[SalemRover]

Yes, just the gasket. The heads are quite different.

[I Leak Oil]

I wasn't sure myself. Will the 2.5 head fit on the 2.25 and vice-versa?

[SalemRover]

Its a tough call as the hotspots are not the same and their volume dictates the compression more than the head. I know that someone on this board a few years ago had a hybrid 2.25 / 2.5 engine. Basically using the timing chain assembly / IP from the 2.25 on a 2.5 block with a 2.25 head. I have no idea how this worked out in the long run but it ran, so there is that. I have a hard enough time keeping mine in good order that I dont feel any desire to play frankendiesel. I do believe the injectors are identical as well, which means the crush and copper washers, spill rail, etc. are all cross compatible.