Reconditioned engine

[GB]

Hi,  I bought my 2a in November last year and so far have really enjoyed trips in it especially in the summer. In June I took it to Bristol and did 500 miles in it in a week without any problems (except using a lot of oil).

I took it into my local series garage and he did a compression test with all the cylinders being low (about 110). He suggested that really the problem is that the whole engine needs reconditioning. He suggested removing the engine and sending it to Turners engineering for reconditioning and changing the cylinder head to an unleaded head. Has anyone had their engine reconditioned? I would be very keen to know how it went/if you would recommend it and am also interested if anyone has had any dealings with Turners engineering.

Thanks very much

[Wittsend]

It won't be cheap having your engine professionally restored.

Turners are very good 

It rather depends on how deep your pockets are and if this vehicle is a keeper

110 psi is on the low side of good, more so if you have a high comp head.

If there are no ominous deep down bearing rattles you'll find that just a head re-furb is all that's needed.

Remove the head and inspect. A local engineering shop can fit new valves and guides and skim the head for around £400. Your engine would then be good for many more thousands of miles.
If the bores are worn, then a bigger rebuild would be in order, bores cleaned up, pistons, ring and bearings - it all starts to get expensive then.


 

[GB]

Hi, Thanks for your reply. I have re added photo as I think it was very small.
It has a galvanised chassis so I do plan on keeping it for a while. Other than the chassis and series 3 radiator whcih I bought it with I am trying to keep everything as original as possible, hence reconditioning rather than engine replacement.
Is changing cylinder head to unleaded head worthwhile if the engine is off?

[NoBeardNoTopKnot]

ACR would be my choice, they're both much of a muchness. Never clear why, yet Turner's seem to grab the glory. It's a Pepsi vs Coke thing.

[Wittsend]

Is changing cylinder head to unleaded head worthwhile if the engine is off?

Yes - in that if an engineering shop replace and cut the valve seats for new valves, the valve seats will "automatically" be suitable for unleaded petrol.

Turners have a justifiably good reputation over many years of trading 

There are of course plenty of other engineering shops, some local who we won't necessarily have heard of, who can do an equally good job.

[geoff]

Options on what to are MANY !!!!

I'll leave options alone and comment on Turners

They have a decades long history and an equally impressive reputation, costs are commensurate

I've had Turner full engines in the past and also just a new head ( cylinder despite what some say )

I will say there is merit in a diy rebuild if you have some skills

Enjoy your Land Rover and don't worry about burning oil unless the speeds achieved are problematic

If so move to Wales for 20 mph limits

Grrrr !!!!!  😶😶😶

[Wittsend]

How much oil is it using

1 pint per 1000 miles is good.
1 pint per 500 miles is tolerable.
1 pint per 250 miles is bothersome.
1 pint per 100 miles is a problem.

And then is it making visible smoke

And are you using a good branded 20W50 mineral oil and NOT a synthetic oil ?

What's the oil pressure like

A half decent run in engine should give you around 50 psi when in top gear cruising at 40+ mph. This will drop to around 20 psi on idling.
As the oil oil gets warmer the pressures will drop a tad.
The oil warning light comes on at about 5 psi. Slopes and steep angles will/can bring on the warning light - as can a low oil level in the sump.

The first problem is to ascertain that the oil level on the dip stick actually relates to a full sump of oil. Drain the oil, fill with 11 pints of good oil and see where the level is on the dip stick. Over 60 years, dip sticks could have been swapped around and /or the dip stick tube could be wrongly set. Set the tub so the dip stick shows full/high when the sump is full. And take it from there.

  

[Larry S]

One of the main parts suppliers here in the States sells the Turner 2.25 petrol.  They sell them for $11,985.00.  It comes with all the auxiliary parts attached.

I will need to be rebuilding mine as well, we know the pistons/bores are right at that point they need to be redone.

[Serious Series]

Unless you take the head off you will have no idea what needs doing engine may have already been rebored to the limit.
Quite easy to remove head and examine the valves re grind them etc check piston sizes examine bores of cylinders then refit and see if compression has improved.

[GB]

How much oil is it using

1 pint per 1000 miles is good.
1 pint per 500 miles is tolerable.
1 pint per 250 miles is bothersome.
1 pint per 100 miles is a problem.

And then is it making visible smoke

And are you using a good branded 20W50 mineral oil and NOT a synthetic oil ?
 

Thank you for your reply. It is using 1.5 litres of oil every 500 miles. It doesn't smoke much, occasional black smoke on start up but I do get quite a lot of soot/oil looking stuff coming out the exhaust if I put my hand there while its running. I have been using 20w50 oil from Millers Oils

[Wittsend]

OK

What do the spark plugs look like

Sounds a bit like you are running rich and/or the choke is no shutting off fully.

Also, worth checking the valve clearances (10 thou) and setting the static to, say, 6 degrees BTDC and working down from there after road tests.


 

[Serious Series]

Also worth checking your air filter is clean and hose to carb is not collapsing when engine at high revs.

[NoBeardNoTopKnot]

How much oil is it using

1 pint per 1000 miles is good.
1 pint per 500 miles is tolerable.
1 pint per 250 miles is bothersome.
1 pint per 100 miles is a problem.

And then is it making visible smoke

And are you using a good branded 20W50 mineral oil and NOT a synthetic oil ?
 

It is using 1.5 litres of oil every 500 miles.

Burning oil? Nah, run it. These engines take inordinate amounts of abuse, and until they became classics were used as such. Do a rebuild if a rebuild is your thing, only you'll spend more in time, money and hassle on a rebuild than you ever will topping it off. A rebuild is all very nice, yet makes no sense unless you like that sort of thing.

i tell you straight, i don't look after mine. I'll ask if its got oil in there? Yes? Fine.

Buy the cheapest 20/50 (about £65.00 for 20L) and you've got 7,000ish miles for £65.00. Put Lucas 'snake-oil' `EP90  in after that. Most seem to like to kid themselves they do, do you truly drive that far?

Only on an LR forum would you have to tell people this, I am not saying a rebuild is bad.

Only £65.00 gets you 7,000ish miles. What's not to like?

[Sunny Jim]

If it is smokey on startup and overrun, then you may well have worn valve guides - this happened to my old 2¼ litre engine in the mid 90s.

I fitted a recondition Turner's head in 1997, and went for unleaded and ported to kill several birds with one stone. I finally replaced the engine in 2017 when it was totally knackered. If you want 'smoke', this was smoking like a dragon's nostrils from the rocker cover vent, it also rattled, and leaked oil from everywhere! Remarkably, it still pulled well, it was just poisoning the occupants.

I now have an ACR power plus 2½ litre petrol, and the old engine block is lying in the back garden as it has already been bored to +60, and has a large repaired crack down the side of the crankcase, meaning it wasn't suitable for exchange.

It is worth investigating the cylinder head anyway by testing for smoke on overrun. Thrash the engine a bit, then take your foot off abruptly and accelerate again, any smoke could well be down to the valve guides. If you then lift the cylinder head, you will be able to see what size of pistons are fitted, and if there is a ridge in the bores etc. Engines were often kept going by glazebusting the bores, and fitting new piston rings (with a 'ridge dodger' stepped top ring.

Sunny Jim

[NoBeardNoTopKnot]

I've done a bodge rebuild similar to SJ's proposal. New rings in situ, and a fettle of the cylinder-head. That'll be where most of the oil is burnt. The rest will be in the leaks.

It's not 'right' but it'll work.