Thread: My Series 3 Project

Yes, have all the parts for the engine - new OS Pistons and rings, new US big end and main bearings, recoed head found and ready to go, NOS carby in a box - what a score that was, and new camshaft will be ordered soon from Cookey. Just got to get a gasket kit for it then.

Tyres are ready to go - a set of Mitchy XZL's 750/16's and these will be fitted tubeless to the standard rims once they are painted and sealed.

I'll get all that done before I crack the gearbox open and rebuild that and fit the new high speed transfer case that is waiting patiently.

what were the Origin's of the 6.
A new LR project motor, or one left over from a past Era ????

whitehillbilly

The Rover six was one of the family of engines, designed initially just as the war started to replace the prewar Rover engines. The first one to actually appear in a vehicle was in the Landrover in 1948, but the engine family appeared in both four and six cylinder forms in capacities from 1.6 to 3.0l to the end of the 1970s, in both the Landrover and Rover cars.

Common four cylinders were 1.6 and 2.0, common sixes, 2.6 and 3.0, both in various states of tune according to the application.

Yeah, old technology.

Nice little engine though, smooth running and with some simple mods you can get enough HP out of one to make it pleasant to drive around in as in stock form they are a bit under powered. Not as robust as the 2.25 and needs more maintenance which I think is the main reason they didn't do so well in civilian land rovers and were generally swapped out at some point.

Even in the UK they were not that popular, try looking for motor parts on the UK websites.
From memory more power than the 4-cylinder, more low down torque but, unfortunately, higher fuel consumption.

I think most here were swapped out because of fuel consumption and cost of parts plus the local availability of low cost Holden etc. motors from Wreckers.
They sound great, I can't wait to get my FFR back on the road to see how it performs.

Land Rover Series 2A 2.6 Litre
Introduction to Series Land Rover engine conversions

Maybe a 'Weslake' head from the 3 litre Rover is the next tuning mod. A 3 litre Rover motor would be a good upgrade but I'm not sure if the crank was different between manual & auto (most Rovers would have been auto).


Colin

The Weslake head can't be used in RHD vehicles by all counts without modification hence why they are so scarce over here. Apparently they foul on the brake master cylinder, but I've never seen one fitted so this is just hearsay.

Cookey has been working on methods to improve flow on the standard head with some success. But even just a new cam and a set of extractors will net a huge gain - over 30% increase in power and torque - he has the dyno figures here somewhere before and after. His old S3 ex Army 109 is quite an amazing car to drive - the low end torque is unbelievable - pulls easy away from a roundabout at 40kph in top gear up to 110. It has to be driven to really appreciate just how good it is - and that's on a standard engine with a couple hundred thousand km on it.

I believe he recently built an engine for a customer that ended up being around 140hp but I'll be happy with around 100 - a modest and easily achievable power increase which should make easy work if the taller gearing and hopefully see 100 on the open road without issues.

Originally Posted by Homestar

The Weslake head can't be used in RHD vehicles by all counts without modification hence why they are so scarce over here. Apparently they foul on the brake master cylinder, but I've never seen one fitted so this is just hearsay.

Mods to pedal box gets the Weslake head to fit apparently Land Rover, Range Rover engine history - by Glencoyne Engineering

Ability to run on poor fuel kept the 6 in the Land Rover offer Rover 2.6 Petrol Engine no wonder so many Dormobiles & Carawagons seem to have the 6-cylinder motor (used for overland trips).


Colin

I took 6 Weslake heads for scrap recently nobody in the Qld Rover Car club wanted them. I kept one just in case.