Thread: bought a 2a 88

I had a long-running battle with a knock in my S3, in the end it was the gudgeon pins but it sounded all the world like bottom end. I replaced the big-end bearings and a few other things along the way but the knock persisted - so by a process of elimination I decided it was the gudgeons. I learned to live with the knock for a long time until I finally needed to do a rebuild (worn out rings).

Hope its something simpler for you. Your landy looks great by the way - just like my SIIA! I have been running a full hard-top for a year, but I'm going back to the ute roof, its much quieter and looks cooler too - good choice!

Cheers,

Adam

So, i took my car to a guy down the road who has quite a few series 2 rebuilds under his belt, and took the head off....

All four pistons are slapping around, you can move them side to side with your hands; piston 3 being in the worst shape.

It is not overbored already though, and the pistons are original (still have the markings). There are some funny scars on the top of the piston too. The bore was mildly scored, but nothing bad.

So, I began to wonder if the 90,000 miles on the clock is actually all it has done. I ran my chassis, eng and g/box numbers through Calvin, but they did not seem to provide any definitive information; saying my engine is domestic and gearbox was LHD export. The engine number did not match what a 2/2a manual said for the chassis number, or anything else in the manual for that matter.

Here are the numbers:

Chassis: 243 213 66H (11/71)
engine: 241 548 80A
gearbox: 255 059 36F

The workshop manual was printed in the mid 60's, so maybe i am thinking maybe the numbers got changed around for the later 2a's like mine, and therefore it is the orig engine? Throwing it out there for anyone who may be able to enlighten me.

Also, is the kind of wear i have explained expected for a 2.25 petrol with about 90,000 miles ?

So the head and block is off to get some attention, and will get a .40 oversize and fresh pistons etc. Hopefully will be all good and done within a fortnight; can't wait.

Interesting information about your late 2A there.

My late 2A has chassis number 24321168H but is dated 9/72 (stamped on the compliance plate). It also has a 241 series engine number (24151834A) which according to this website Land Rover, Range Rover engine numbers - by Glencoyne 4x4 (Thetford) means it is fitted with 2.25L Petrol engine with an 8:1 compression ratio as opposed to what appears to be the standard 7:1 compression ratio. This may explain why it is suffix A and not a later suffix that you would expect with a very late suffix chassis number.
I am 99% certain that the engine in my late 2A is the original (the vehicle has only around 50,000 miles on it but like yours the motor needs a rebuild (due to lack of maintenance by the previous owner). So I would say yours is still fitted with the original engine as well, going by the similarities in numbers.
Pictures of mine are located here;
2A 88 GS -REMLR

Originally Posted by series3

So, i took my car to a guy down the road who has quite a few series 2 rebuilds under his belt, and took the head off....

All four pistons are slapping around, you can move them side to side with your hands; piston 3 being in the worst shape.

It is not overbored already though, and the pistons are original (still have the markings). There are some funny scars on the top of the piston too. The bore was mildly scored, but nothing bad.

So, I began to wonder if the 90,000 miles on the clock is actually all it has done. I ran my chassis, eng and g/box numbers through Calvin, but they did not seem to provide any definitive information; saying my engine is domestic and gearbox was LHD export. The engine number did not match what a 2/2a manual said for the chassis number, or anything else in the manual for that matter.

Here are the numbers:

Chassis: 243 213 66H (11/71)
engine: 241 548 80A
gearbox: 255 059 36F

The workshop manual was printed in the mid 60's, so maybe i am thinking maybe the numbers got changed around for the later 2a's like mine, and therefore it is the orig engine? Throwing it out there for anyone who may be able to enlighten me.

Also, is the kind of wear i have explained expected for a 2.25 petrol with about 90,000 miles ?

So the head and block is off to get some attention, and will get a .40 oversize and fresh pistons etc. Hopefully will be all good and done within a fortnight; can't wait.

That amount of wear is quite possible in 90,000 miles, particularly if it has not been properly serviced, or has done a lot of short trips or a lot of e.g. farm work with not only short trips but a lot of low range work. Engines and oils from the 1950-60-70s were not as durable as engines and oils today, and although this is a very durable engine, when that engine was introduced in 1958, few engines were expected to do 100,000miles before overhaul.

On the other hand, with an odometer that only goes to 99,999 miles, it is quite possible that it has done 190,000 or even 290,000 miles!

John

Thankyou for your comments WileE and John, I don't know a whole lot about the history of the car, so unfortunately everything is speculation.

The head gasket was not old, so it has been opened somewhere along the line. Remenants of rusty water all over the front diff and chassis, along with the new head gasket makes me think someone has cooked it somewhere along the line. That may also explain the scarred condition of the piston tops and new radiator it has.

But, at the end of the day it is all speculation; very time consuming but not definitive.

Would the above 2a GS's military designation make a difference to the eng/chassis numbers, compared to a civvie one?

Does anyone else have a late 2a with a possibly original 2.25 starting with 241? Gearbox number wouldn't hurt either, if anyone has them handy.

Cheers,

Sam

I just heard from Bob (the guy doing the work) he has pulled down the engine some more ready to go to the machining shop, and he said that the camshaft has been machined at some stage... not sure if it is still stock size or not. How odd.

Are camshafts particularly prone to damage from something? can i get some sort of an idea from the engines history from this information?

Originally Posted by series3

I just heard from Bob (the guy doing the work) he has pulled down the engine some more ready to go to the machining shop, and he said that the camshaft has been machined at some stage... not sure if it is still stock size or not. How odd.

Are camshafts particularly prone to damage from something? can i get some sort of an idea from the engines history from this information?

Because of the roller cam followers, the camshafts are NOT prone to damage. I wonder if he is seeing the original machining on the cam shaft?

John

I am guessing it is not the original markings; only because he has a long history with 2.25's and knows them very well. I can't think of any reason to work on the camshaft, other than making it 'lumpy' for different performance.

On another note, I am on the lookout for P/N 346325, the bit that fits in between the ute cab and tub if anyone has one. Let me know