Nick's series 2a rebuild

[Prune.Right]

Hi guys. Thought I'd start this sooner rather than later.
I recently picked up a series 2a landy from just outside of Canberra, with the hope of to restore it to become my work truck. I'm an Arborist so I need a solid truck to carry my gear, debris as needed and something easy to work on. I have an 2003 ford courier turbo diesel at the minute and when ever it breaks down it costs me an arm and a leg to fix. Also the landy will turn heads and hopefully be a talking between me and potential customers.

So I started the next day once I got her home. She doesn't run but turns over by hand, I'm not interested in trying to get her started because the engine will be tore down and rebuilt anyway. the plan is to remove the radiator housing and front wings, store them at home and keep the truck at a yard. Then I can work on her at my own pace. Also renting it helps keep the property looking clean :P.

Pictures soon

[Prune.Right]

http://sdrv.ms/14RW8qo

Some pics

[Johnno1969]

What a tidy vehicle! Good luck, Nick.

John

[Prune.Right]

Cheer John, I'm really happy with what i am seeing at the moment. I'll get her right down to the chassis sort that out and rebuild her back up from there. thats the plan anyway:cool:

[Johnno1969]

Pack sandwiches! It'll take a while.

[Cobber]

Nice one. Looking forward to the progress photos :cool:

[Prune.Right]

Couple more pics
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I'm really happy with the condition so far.
Also i was reading last night that the 2.6 6 cyl is hard to find parts for and i'm thinking about a holden 6 conversion. But will this make getting a blue slip more difficult when the time comes around?

[Prune.Right]

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[Prune.Right]

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[Homestar]

Not sure in NSW but a Holden conversion before rego complicates things in Vic. Here you need a full engineers report for the conversion. This is the main reason I'm taking a punt on an old 2.6 I've just acquired. Not sure what condition it is in yet, but from the tap that is stuck in one of the spark plug holes, I'm guessing it needs work...:D

If this engine works out, I may have a running 173 and a complete conversion kit needing a new home if you go down that road.

[Prune.Right]

Yeah i thought that would be the case. I'm hoping to make the 2.6 work out, it is complete but needs a full rebuild. May just have to cost it up and see where that leads me
Cheers

[JDNSW]

The problem with rebuilding the 2.6 is twofold - some parts may be a bit hard to find, and because the layout is unfamiliar, many engine rebuilders won't even look at it. If you plan on doing most of the work yourself, this is less of a problem.

However, since the head/block join is not at right angles to the bores, a special jig is needed if reboring is necessary, and unless you can find a shop that already has one, you are likely to have to pay to make one. You need to look for someone with experience rebuilding Series 1 engines.

Of course, the ideal would be to find a new or rebuilt engine - I am still kicking myself for passing up a new 2.6 engine that went at an auction I was at for ~$100 ten years ago!

There ought to be a few floating round - they were in all the army Series 3 Landrovers.

John

[Homestar]

I'm hoping the bottom end in the 2.6 ive just bought is servicable. I can do all the spanner work, I'd just have to pay for parts and machining - that sounds like the tricky bit....

[gromit]

However, since the head/block join is not at right angles to the bores, a special jig is needed if reboring is necessary, and unless you can find a shop that already has one, you are likely to have to pay to make one. You need to look for someone with experience rebuilding Series 1 engines.


John

An engine rebuilder I spoke to didn't really understand F-Heads but said that they would reference off the sump plane.
Just a small extra charge for the slightly larger diameter at the top of the bore.

New pistons & rings are available but only in certain oversizes. Rings for some sizes are difficult to find and very, very expensive if you can find them. Not sure about availability of big end/crank shells.

4-Wheel Drives in Blackburn have some parts

6-cy rebuild details in this thread http://www.aulro.com/afvb/leaf-sprung-military-land-rovers/118730-ffr-refurb.html

I found a set of +.020" rings in the US and hand scraped the wear ridge at the top of the bore. Shells were all OK, looked like the motor hadn't done much work since a rebuild just that the previous owner didn't have oil in the air filter cannister !!


Colin

[Homestar]

I've never seen inside one of these engines, but has anyone thought or tried to use pistons out of a different engine? Once I have mine home and apart I can measure up a standard piston and have a bit of a search.

Also, how far oversize can you safely take the bores on these?

[JDNSW]

I've never seen inside one of these engines, but has anyone thought or tried to use pistons out of a different engine? Once I have mine home and apart I can measure up a standard piston and have a bit of a search.

Also, how far oversize can you safely take the bores on these?

The problem with different make pistons is that the pistons are not flat topped, but look rather like two stroke pistons, and it seems to me unlikely in the extreme that any other pistons would be anywhere near a fit.

The approximately hemispherical combustion chamber has the flat side of the chamber the head, and the hemispherical bit partly in the block and partly in the piston.

John

[gromit]

I've never seen inside one of these engines, but has anyone thought or tried to use pistons out of a different engine?



If you have a look at the link in post #14 you will see the piston shape.

Here is a piston from my FFR.


https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2013/09/225.jpg (http://s1245.photobucket.com/user/cradley/media/Series%203%20FFR/DSCF7592_zpsa40c2a4c.jpg.html)



Colin

[Prune.Right]

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Finally the body is off ;D

[Prune.Right]

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