Thread: Brute's 101

Originally Posted by Madkelpie

Another engine option that hasn't been mentioned is the TD5. A mate who lives locally has TD5 with an R380 and an LT230. Also has power steering. In a straight line it is as quick as my p38 4.6.
He did it all at home over about 6 months. The thing is amazing to drive. Sportscar on the road. Tractor off it!

The TD5 would be a good conversion but not cheap to get a good one. This already has the Chevy diesel 90% fitted so just trying to see if I can get it going and then make a decision whether to run with it or not.

Originally Posted by Brute

Tried running 24v to starter and nearly pooped my pants, the engine turned over so fast that it held the pinion and solenoid engaged and wouldn't turn off . so I frantically unbolted the earth cable.
On the up side, the oil pressure came up and it smelt like some diesel was going out the exhaust.
Will try and get down to westrac for some batteries later on, run power to the glow plugs and have another go over the weekend.

I'm still giggling at the image of pandemonium you've just painted here! when you do retry, just touch the leads to the battery terminal to make sure the starter has not stuck. If it has, a light tap on the solenoid housing should un stick it. Well, if there was smoke at the exhaust, a bit of heat tomorrow and it will probably fire up!

Things are going from bad to worse.
Got a couple of new batteries, hasn't made much difference to the cranking at all.
Took out the glow plugs checked the ohms etc, all measure about 1 ohm, connected them up in 2 banks through 2 seperate 50 amp breakers switched them on, 5 seconds then pop a small explosion kind of noise. Checked the ohms again and no circuit through any of them. Tried to remove them to check again, thread screws out but glow plug won't pull out as though they have expanded on the end.
Any ideas anyone, think it might be time to take the diesel out and save it for another time.

Buggar - were you glowing the plugs with 12 or 24 volts? It does sound like they are shot, and yes, they can bulge or pop at the ends. You may still be able to get them out - a bit of leverage on them while unscrewing them, and the bulged end may take up in the threads and come out.

Bugger. That's not good.. Think all 8 should be in series.. Have all of them gone pop or just a few? Did it even try and fire up before the glow plug issue?

Don't give up just yet on that engine... unless you are really set on the Rover V8 petrol.. It'd be nice to see it up and running.. These things are sent to try us. Like the 'double bugger' at the same time! Great minds think alike!!

I've tried to take out 3 or 4 and all are the same. Only put 12 v to them
Can't wire them in series as they only have 1 terminal and use body as earth so don't know what I've done wrong.
The diesel forum suggests removing injectors , stuffing in rag and breaking the end off the glow plug. Or cutting a suitable nut in half reassembly around the gp thread and screwing out of nut , either way can leave bits inside.
Thinking its time to cut my losses with the big chevvy for now and put the 3.5 rover back in. Could have had the rover running in the time I've spent trying to start the diesel.
If I take the chevvy out I will mount it in a frame and get it all running before attempting to re fit it in anything

I would still like to give " the big un" a go sometime but would like to get the truck up and running to evaluate what else needs doing to it.

Simon,
It's not tried to fire up at all yet, I'm wondering if it has a injector pump issue , if I crack the nuts and turn it over you can see a pulse of diesel dribble out of each injector pipe but getting almost nothing down the return hose, it never sounds as though it's gonna start.
From what I've been reading the slow cranking and having to wait for the batteries to re charge after every attempt is one of the quirks of the big chevvy diesels. They are also prone to I P problems when they've been sat for a while.
So not sure just which way to go yet