Thread: 2.6l 6-pot oil in cylinder #6 - Where is it likely coming from?!?!?!?

Originally Posted by matthamilton

Just an update for all those who have weighed in on this thread. I have gone ahead and ordered a proper set of compression rings from the great people at Cox & Turner Engineering in the UK. Might as well remove one additional item as a problem point and use the rings that the engine builders use.

Should have those in about 7-9 days and will begin to put the old 2.6l back together again. New head gasket, new valve guide o-rings and new compression piston rings should have her running well!!!

Back with more as soon as I have an update.

Hi Matt,
You'll need to glaze bust the bores before you install new rings otherwise they may not bed in.
I used a simple honing tool but you can maybe hire one the correct size for the bore. You'll see the simple one in the thread below mounted in a cordless drill. You need to move it up & down the bore at speed to get the honing marks at an angle rather than round the bore (hope that makes sense).
The other thing is to check for a ridge at the top of the bore. It's possible to fit new rings then the top ring breaks as it hits the wear ridge.
There is a ridge cutter tool for dealing with this but.....it doesn't work on an F head design (inlet over exhaust) because the top of the block is at an angle. I used engineering scrapers to manually scrape the ridge away.

I might have some better pictures if you need them.

FFR Refurb

Mine had been run without oil in the air filter ! Rings were very badly worn. Bore was at the outer limit but it won't be doing huge kilometers (especially when it just sits in the shed !) so I decided to just replace the rings.
I hunted high & low for +.020" rings, a mate then found them on Ebay in Canada. Landed here for approx 100AUD the complete set.
If you read the above thread I was quoted crazy prices for 6-cyl ring sets.

Best of luck with it.


Colin

The valve guides in the head of my 2.6l 6-pot do not have internal recesses for the oil sealing o-rings. There is not a recess like I have seen on some Land Rover engine valve guides.

I’ve removed all the valve springs from the head and none of the guides have internal recesses for the o-rings.

I know that there were two different lengths of exhaust valves used: the early version of the 2.6l had longer guides (part #90511833) and the later engine had shorter guides.

Does anyone know of any differences in the intake guides?

G'day Matt,

Can you post some photos of the inlet valve guides without the valves in place please. Looking for a groove!.

Chris

I wonder if the inlet valve guides have been changed/modifies to take an external seal ?

Standard guides have the internal O-ring Land Rover 2.6L inlet valve guide 90504169



Colin

Great question. This was a military vehicle and who knows how often it was torn into too.

I reviewed the part you sent and I agree that this looks like the proper valve guide.

Unfortunately mine are already pressed into place. IÂ’m going to speak to the experts and Cox & Turner and ask them about the valve guides.

I want to say thank you for providing the part number and picture because I do think that these are the correct valve guides.

I have no idea how these military engines were maintained and who knows if they just pressed into place what parts they had in inventory. This truck spent time in Australia and in Namibia Africa.

Originally Posted by gromit

I wonder if the inlet valve guides have been changed/modifies to take an external seal ?

Standard guides have the internal O-ring Land Rover 2.6L inlet valve guide 90504169



Colin

Originally Posted by matthamilton

Great question. This was a military vehicle and who knows how often it was torn into too.

I reviewed the part you sent and I agree that this looks like the proper valve guide.

Unfortunately mine are already pressed into place. IÂ’m going to speak to the experts and Cox & Turner and ask them about the valve guides.

I want to say thank you for providing the part number and picture because I do think that these are the correct valve guides.

I have no idea how these military engines were maintained and who knows if they just pressed into place what parts they had in inventory. This truck spent time in Australia and in Namibia Africa.

Have you had a good look down the inside of the inlet valve guides ?
The groove is quite shallow as it's only a narrow O-ring.

Mine is ex army and had grooves for the O-rings on the inlet guides.


Colin

I have looked at each inlet valve guide and they are the same - completely smooth inside. I have one in my inventory of parts that has the recess for the o-ring and so I know what it should look like but for some reason the inlet valve guides installed in this head aren’t the same kind.

Gonna try to speak with a Rover car guy I know who is more familiar with this engine.

Will post back what I find out.

Originally Posted by gromit

Have you had a good look down the inside of the inlet valve guides ?
The groove is quite shallow as it's only a narrow O-ring.

Mine is ex army and had grooves for the O-rings on the inlet guides.


Colin

Have you checked the Valve Spring Cap's, some of the Rover IOE engines had a grove in the Valve Spring Cap for the valve seal.