Thread: Engine swaps

To 'swap in a six' means bulkhead modifications (the 4-cyl & 6-cyl bulkheads are different)
Some parts for the 2.6 are getting difficult/expensive to source plus they were never a popular engine. Some have experienced problems with exhaust valves and the fuel consumption isn't fantastic.
Wouldn't changing the motor capacity mean a mod plate was needed ?

The 4 cylinder could be modified to get more power (cam, extractors etc.) but a bigger issue may be the brakes......

Colin

My son & I did a '69 2a SWB with a 2.25 for his first car.

I prepared him early by telling him that driving a Series Land Rover is all about enjoying the journey & the scenery because you will not be flying passed it.

Sit in the left lane and let the other cars do the overtaking.

With this in mind I drove it to Victoria for him while he was training at Puckapunyal and had the best 2.5 days on the road I've ever had.

At no time was I holding up traffic & did have to overtake a few times, but forward planning and patience is the key.

Just slow down & enjoy the ride.

BTW he absolutely loves it.

I tend to agree with Cannon. The performance should be quite adequate for a P-plater, particularly if mostly pretty much unloaded. Provided it is kept in tune and good condition.

While this engine will keep going while very neglected, driving performance will be a lot better if it has both carburettor and ignition in proper order, ignition timing correct, valve clearances correctly set, brakes (including handbrake) not dragging, and fitted with suitable tyres that are properly inflated.

As a new driver, the son needs to be aware that this needs a lot more regular maintenance than modern cars if it is going to remain safe and reliable. Specifically, I would ensure at least weekly checks for brake fluid leaks (single circuit brakes!) and monthly checks for brake adjustment, loose U-bolts, tie rod end boots damaged, as well as at least weekly checks on engine oil, coolant and tyre pressure. This in addition to regular servicing.

If desired, the easiest way to increase the performance is to upgrade the engine. Most will allow the head to be skimmed for increased compression, and freer flowing exhaust and carburettion will increase maximum power, at some cost to flexibility and low down performance.

A worthwhile improvement to the brakes is to fit six cylinder (wider) brakes, and slightly more complicated, vacuum assist. Converting to dual circuit is possible, but involves significant panel work.

Hope this helps,

John

As Colin mentioned, the 2.6 isn't a straight bolt in and it really is an enthusiasts engine now - I'm currently rebuilding one as I like them and can live with their idiosyncrasies, but they are VERY expensive to rebuild and finding one that doesn't need rebuilding would be quite difficult as they are getting uncommon to find these days.

IF you can find them, rings and bearings alone will set you back over a grand and if you wanted to rebore it new old stock oversize pistons are around $300 EACH!

See where this is going? I'm doing all the work on mine myself apart from machining and it's going to cost over $6,000 to get it running, but will be a completely new motor. They run sweet, and you can coax extra power and torque out of them fairly easily (but again, very expensive) which makes them really nice to drive, but they are still thirsty for what they are and require much more maintenance.

If your not happy with the power of the 4 pot, maybe a diesel conversation to a 200 or 300TDi would be better - which ever way you go, if you want to keep it legal, you'll need it engineered.

Originally Posted by Homestar

..... maybe a diesel conversation to a 200 or 300TDi would be better - which ever way you go, if you want to keep it legal, you'll need it engineered.

And the engine answers back does it?

I personally think having a not very powerful car is a good thing, for a p plater...
I have a S1 currently running a Holden 186, I may consider a swap if you still want to go 6cyl, im happy for my S1 to go back to a LR 4cyl.. PM if interested.

Originally Posted by QRS40

I personally think having a not very powerful car is a good thing, for a p plater...
I have a S1 currently running a Holden 186, I may consider a swap if you still want to go 6cyl, im happy for my S1 to go back to a LR 4cyl.. PM if interested.

Thanks, but from the few posts on this discussion I think we will stick with the 4 cylinder for now.

I have no idea about p-plater laws. BUT i just completed a 200tdi with R380/LT230 conversion to my 1975 series 3 SWB. It goes pretty good with plenty of power. I got a 0.7 fifth gear and 1.22 trans, running on 33's and still on 4.7 diffs I can cruise at 100km/hr 2200rpmish however I dont think i would attempt an overtaking manoeuvre at or above that speed. I'm in QLD, and it walked through engineering (although I did spend a massive amount of time trying to make it look at stock as possible).

I can't comment on fuel economy yet because I haven't done extended highway work with it. As I said I've only JUST completed it; got it on the road last friday.