Thread: Nick's series 2a rebuild

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

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....

Originally Posted by JDNSW

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 FFR Refurb

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

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?

Originally Posted by bacicat

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

Originally Posted by bacicat

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.






Colin

ImageUploadedByAULRO1380455729.175457.jpg
Finally the body is off ;D