Any Holden Experts Here?

[geodon]

I'm the newbie with the Holden 186 powered Series 2A trayback with a stuck clutch which appears to be due to the pressure plate collapsing & the thrust bearing burying itself in the pressure plate hub.

In the absence of a road test, I started it up & let it warm up.

1st observation: severe flat spot. I saw no sign of an accelerator pump on the carb. Does the 186 carby have a pump?

It ran well & quietly apart from a knock from the bell housing. I'm suspicious the mainshaft bearings will be cactus too so the GB will have to be dismantled.

Compression test: (psi)

DRY WET (ie after oil squirted down the plug hole)
1. 90 100
2. 100 115
3. 90 100
4. 95 105
5. 105 110
6. 70 70

Now, this was with my push-in comp tester ( I couldn't start the threaded one) so it reads about 10% low.
Is that about right for a health 186? (no. 6 aside of course!)

No. 6 is IMHO a head gasket because about 3 litres of water spewed out the overflow as it warmed up & there were bubbles evident in the radiator header tank. But it could also be a burnt valve.

[bee utey]

I'm the newbie with the Holden 186 powered Series 2A trayback with a stuck clutch which appears to be due to the pressure plate collapsing & the thrust bearing burying itself in the pressure plate hub.

In the absence of a road test, I started it up & let it warm up.

1st observation: severe flat spot. I saw no sign of an accelerator pump on the carb. Does the 186 carby have a pump?

It ran well & quietly apart from a knock from the bell housing. I'm suspicious the mainshaft bearings will be cactus too so the GB will have to be dismantled.

Compression test: (psi)

DRY WET (ie after oil squirted down the plug hole)
1. 90 100
2. 100 115
3. 90 100
4. 95 105
5. 105 110
6. 70 70

Now, this was with my push-in comp tester ( I couldn't start the threaded one) so it reads about 10% low.
Is that about right for a health 186? (no. 6 aside of course!)

No. 6 is IMHO a head gasket because about 3 litres of water spewed out the overflow as it warmed up & there were bubbles evident in the radiator header tank. But it could also be a burnt valve.

If the carb is long unserviced the accel pump plunger will be of leather. Pull the carby top off, soften the leather cup with oil and refit it. Don't bother getting a new one as they are not as good.
Head off is so easy its worth doing anything you can get at easily, like a valve grind, look for broken top ring signs in the bore etc.

[Bigbjorn]

The only Holden workshop manual I still have says 130 to 170 hot. Those figures yuo measured indicate the engine is quite worn. Yes, the single throat Stromberg always had an accelerator pump.

[subasurf]

Get a screw in comp tester and those figures will be MUCH higher.
On my 202 (same block basically) I was getting the same comp numbers as you using a push in tester. Then used a screw in and was getting near stock numbers.

As for the flat spot. Have you played around with the ignition timing at all?
I had a shocking flat spot on my 202 and I played with the timing and it completely got rid of it.

Adjusting the ignition timing on a holden 6 is as easy as can be. Loosen the bolt that holds the distributor to the block and rotate the distro slightly and tighten up the bolt. Play around with it a bit and see if things improve.

[geodon]

Excellent replies. Esp re that leather plunger acc pump! Shades of those vacuum wipers on my old Chev Lend Lease Truck!
Thank you!
I think while the eng is out, I'll reco the head to make sure it can handle ULP.
Plus a set of rings & prob big end shells won't go astray.
I think one of those El Crappo rotating eng stands may be the go! I don't think the bench mounted unit I have for air cooled VW's will handle this lump!

[lewy]

if you are going to re con the engine,Think about what cam etc goes back in they can be improved for fwd use.also perhaps get a baffled sump they tend to run out of oil pressure on an angle when the oil runs away from the pickup.

[Lotz-A-Landies]

if you are going to re con the engine,Think about what cam etc goes back in they can be improved for fwd use.also perhaps get a baffled sump they tend to run out of oil pressure on an angle when the oil runs away from the pickup.The best engines for the Land Rover were the 186S and the 186A. The best model sump to use is the one out of an HT as the bulge is in the middle and so still has oil on both steep inclines and steep descents.

An adjustable main jet is an advantage on the Stromberg carby and lowering the float level by bending the spring will reduce the chance of flooding on steep inclines.

[Bigbjorn]

An adjustable main jet is an advantage on the Stromberg carby and lowering the float level by bending the spring will reduce the chance of flooding on steep inclines.

Cut out a fuel resistant plastic packer to take up most of the space in the fuel bowl. This solves the inclination problem. This improvement was fitted to all late model Rochester Quadra Jets and is recommended for off-road racing in their tech. manual.

[gromit]

Geodon,

Re the Stromberg carby:-

I've attached a photo of a couple of Stromberg accelerator pump pistons. The plastic one is next to useless, the seal splits very quickly. The first one I fitted got me to Cooma but failed on the way home. Got this replaced FOC and that one failed some months later. I then hassled the supplier and he managed to find a new brass piston with leather seal. No problems since......


Colin

[geodon]

Thnx for the invaluabe advice!

Is this the sump I need?

25225

[Lotz-A-Landies]

Looks pretty close!

[chazza]

Geodon,

Re the Stromberg carby:-

I then hassled the supplier and he managed to find a new brass piston with leather seal. No problems since......

Colin

Good old brass and leather!

When this one wears out, you can make a new leather seal very easily by cutting a disc of leather; soaking it in water and pressing it to shape between two formers. I imagine yours is riveted to the shaft but this could be machined off in a lathe and drilled to accept a dowel, which could then be Loctited in place and the dowel upset to form a new rivet,

Cheers Charlie

[UNDEROVER]

If you do re-build, and are looking for more grunt, avoid Holley carbies, as mine used to run out of juice on a long incline. Not very helpful when you have to back down with no engine.

[Johnno1969]

This is not really an answer to your queries, but I thought I'd throw in my two bob's worth: I had a 186 in my IIA for years, then rebuilt a 2.25D and put that in. I wouldn't swap back to the Holden motor for quids. The Land Rover engine is more tractable and uses a lot less fuel, though it has much less top-end and now my highway speeds are down quite a bit from what I did in my "Holden" days.
Overhauling a 186 is not the most expensive job in the world, but once I'd gone to all the trouble of getting it out, and fixing the clutch problem, why not opt for the 2.25 petrol or diesel?

Cheers,

John

[geodon]

That is a well thought out comment! Thank you!

The quick answer is: if the Holden is going OK & not needing $ spent, then I won't change it.

I'm a fan of originality but I will not pursue it at all cost.

If the Holden threw a rod or something then I'd probably buy another Series 2A basket case to get the motor, radiator, electrics etc & take it back to original.

This project's objective is to deliver a ute that will be able to service our modest acreage and will also be an interesting item to own. Much the same as our venerable Grey Fergy: it's 60yo & its main function is to slash the paddocks. It should be replaced by a largish ride-on mower but where's the fun in that?

[peterg1001]

Memories - even now, 40 years later, the smell of diesel on a cold morning brings back memories of picking hops in Kent, driving a grey fergie out to the hop fields and back to the stripping shed.

What I found frightening, a couple of years back, was seeing a red Fergie 175 in a historic vehicles exhibit.

Am I getting old?

Peter