New here with diesel engine woes.

[The_NK_Guy]

Hey everyone. I am new to the Land Rover world with a 1965 series IIa diesel I bought a few weeks ago. On the whole it is a very good rig, with lots of work done, and it is equipped with an interesting engine: a 2.5 NAD MOD bottom end, with a 2.25 head and injection system. When I checked it out, it ran great, with no problems, but when I got it home it started exhibiting head gasket symptoms (bubbling coolant). I kept an eye on the coolant level, and continued driving it for another 100 miles or so before it started blowing clouds of white smoke. Bummer. I tore the engine down last night and found a few problems:

1. The head is cracked visually in two locations, #2 from the intake valve to the pre-combustion chamber and also #3 same place but not all the way through yet.
2. Head gasket (2.5l) beginning to burn through on #2 steel ring. Also #4 was notched under the pre-combustion chamber so it allowed it to rattle around damaging it, the piston, and the block.

Major bummer. I think the block and the damaged piston will be fine, and the rest of the bottom end looks really clean. My questions for the group are:

1. Anyone else here run or hear of someone running a 2.5l bottom end with a 2.25 top end and injection? Have any problems with it?

2. Anyone have a good location for finding a new or remanufactured 2.25l cylinder head?

3. Any other tips or suggestions for reassembly?

4. Any other tips for preventing this from happening again? From what I understand the head was crack checked when the engine was rebuilt 10 years ago, but only 1700 miles ago! What would make it crack with such low mileage?

Thanks for your help,
Jeff C.
Portland, Oregon.

[SalemRover]

Hi and welcome Jeff. You have a curious engine there. I have a 2.5 NAD as well, however it does not have a 2.25 head on it. These engines are a bit uncommon here in the states. You may want to try asking this on a UK forum. Here is my reccomendation for your questions.

http://landrovernet.com/

They had tons of good info on my oddbal 15J series engine and most likely some bloke has been there and done that for your situation. A good start point is to figure out which flavor of 2.5 you have by getting the serial number off the block. SHould be 12J if it is a proper defender bottom end or 19J for a turbo variety. Finally the 15J is the red-headed stepchild of rover engines aka the sherpa variety.

My only guess is that the 2.25 diesel's have a higher compression than the 2.5 engines. 23:1 on a 2.25 to 19:1 on a 2.5 roughly. My numbers may be a bit off, but the 2.25 is higher than the 2.5 by a decent margin. That may ... and I stress *may* be part of your problem.



Best of luck! Would love to see some photo's if you could.

Cheers,

Jason

[rovertek]

it could be that it was overheated and some one added cold water at some point,oppertune time to switch to petrol.....

[The_NK_Guy]

I took another look at the engine tonight, and couldn't find a serial number. I thought it was supposed to be stamped on the flat plate near the water pump. It did have a casting on the side of the block just above the starter: K 15J 7. Does this indicate that its a 15J or do all 2.5 diesels have this cast mark? It has duel drive pulleys like a military engine. I am thinking of returning the engine to all 2.5L but keep the CAV rotary injection system as I am worried that a new 2.25 head will just crack again in a few thousand miles. Any idea if the injectors are interchangeable from the 2.25 head? How about the manifolds, valve cover, and glow plugs?

Thanks for the help! Once I get the engine sorted out it should be a very nice Rover. I can't wait to start taking it on some adventures!
Jeff C.

[friar mike]

I also have a 2.5 in my SIII it just came from england with it in there. it is a VERY bad install Iam fixing the screwed up motor mounts now and hope it will be a good engine right now nobody has identify the air cleaner. by the way mine is a 14J
Well I did some looking on the web and I have found out this engine is a Sherpa engine and so is the air cleaner.

[The_NK_Guy]

Thanks for the help! I put some pictures up here:
http://picasaweb.google.com/TheNKGuy/1965LandRoverSeriesIIA88Diesel

Jeff C.

[SalemRover]

Hey Friar Mike. That is definitely Sherpa material. Welcome to the club

I find the photo's you posted NK_Guy a bit confusing. The Injection pump is mounted the way a standard 2.25 Diesel engine would be mounted and you definitely have a 2.25 manifold by the way the front exhaust pipe is sitting. I think all 2.5 blocks have the injection pump mounted so that it runs parallel with the block and not vertical (although at a slight angle). The reason I say this is that the 2.5 introduced a timing belt as opposed to chain. This mandated the need to have pump parallel with the block. Unless I dont know what I am seeing, but that yellow thing with all the hydraulic fittings is you injection pump right?

-Jason

[The_NK_Guy]

Yes, you are correct. I didn't know this when I bought it but a correct 2.5 liter should use an injection pump mounted low driven off the front timing belt. This one is most definitely a 2.5 liter bottom end, but for whatever reason, it was rebuilt using 2.25 front timing components, a 2.25 cam driven injector pump, and 2.25 head. Quite an interesting mess it is turning out to be.

Jeff C.

[yorker]

CCKW353A1
on the Landrover UK forum is pretty good with these and can probably help you out:

http://forum.landrovernet.com/member.php?u=15464

[LandRoverRo]

I also have a 2.5 in my SIII it just came from england with it in there. it is a VERY bad install Iam fixing the screwed up motor mounts now and hope it will be a good engine right now nobody has identify the air cleaner. by the way mine is a 14J Well I did some looking on the web and I have found out this engine is a Sherpa engine and so is the air cleaner.

My engine is the Sherpa motor too. Not sure if you're asking, but I found a pretty good replacement air filter from NAPA. Part# 6070 if you're interested.

[friar mike]

My engine is the Sherpa motor too. Not sure if you're asking, but I found a pretty good replacement air filter from NAPA. Part# 6070 if you're interested.

Yep I didn't say it but thats somthing I was trying to figure that out thanks. and my wiring is much cleaned up sence this photo. that timer on the firewall is gone it was screwed up and not the better way to glow the heaters.
Mike

[The_NK_Guy]

Things just got a little more interesting. I found the serial number just above the lift pump, and could barely make it out. The bottom end is: 12J360350. Sounds like it is a 12J from a Defender? This might make sense as it has duel drive pulleys like a military, and I know a lot of the 2.5 diesels here are ex-MOD. Anyone know for sure? Also the pistons look like new (other than the damage caused by dropped hot spots). They have the following stamped in the crowns:
AE A350422 +0.508 HVF.

Unless a reasonably priced 2.5 head with injectors and rockers comes along, I suspect I will have to replace the 2.25 head with another 2.25 head. Anyone know the difference in injector timing between the 2.25 and 2.5 diesel engines? I suspect the timing may have been too advanced and contributed to the head cracking.

Thanks for the help!
Jeff C.