LAND-ROVER SERIES II
RUNBY Martin Port OWNED SINCE March 2016 PREVIOUS REPORT Dec 2023
I have lost count of the number of times Iʼve mentioned the need to rebuild the Series IIʼS engine since I first took ownership in 2016. Readers with long memories will recall several instances of the intention appearing in print, yet here we are, at last: one engine not in the front of the Land-rover, but instead on a stand in the garage.
So what inspired this sudden burst of action? Oddly, it was the exhaust. When the back box parted ways with the rest of the vehicle, I removed what was left and noticed weeping core plugs in the side of the engine block. Coupled with that, there was still an odd rattle coming from the bellhousing, the exhaust manifold gasket had been blowing since a mad motorway dash back from Anglesey a couple of years ago, and the engine was breathing enough oil into the engine bay to make the Exxon Valdez disaster look like a minor spillage. So I made an uncharacteristically bold decision: it was time to release the engine mounts.
I had already removed the carburettor, exhaust and starter motor before making the decision to pull the engine, but that was the opposite of helpful because the
Land-rover needed to be moved from its resting place so the engine crane could be pressed into service. I thought Iʼd have to tow it out, but then I remembered the scene in Ice Cold in Alex where John Mills and his disparate cohorts ʻcrankedʼ the Austin K2 ambulance backwards up a sand dune using the starting handle. Obviously that involved some cinematic licence, but the theory was sound. So I stuck the Landrover in low range, engaged reverse and, using just one hand on the handle, managed to manoeuvre the vehicle back on to the hardstanding. Thanks, John.
With the floors and tunnel removed, the radiator out of the way and all bellhousing fixings undone, the engine simply lifted forward, up and out without the need to remove the front panel, and in doing so it revealed the true oily horror of the engine bay. De-gunking with engine cleaner and a jetwash helped make things a bit more palatable; then, with the clutch, flywheel and head removed, the block could be mounted on the engine stand.
Three of the clutch plateʼs six damper springs were extremely loose in their housings, which was perfectly in keeping with the rattle that had been present for some months. Considering that the clutch was also very worn, and had been in the vehicle for at least 25 years, replacement was a given, but the next job was to evaluate the engineʼs internals.
Flipping the block upside down and removing the sump revealed an interior that for the most part looked far from disastrous, but of chief concern was the condition of the crankshaft. Removing the four connecting-rod caps then withdrawing the shells and pistons showed that, while the shells themselves were certainly past their use-by date, the rod journals looked remarkably good.
With the timing-chain cover, tensioner and chain removed, the three main-bearing caps could be released, in turn allowing removal of the bearing journals – all of which looked to be in excellent condition, so a costly regrind may yet be avoided. Unfortunately, the pistons and cylinder liners didnʼt look so good: a considerable lip was evident at the top of each aperture, meaning that a rebore and a set of oversized pistons is the only sensible way forward.
That meant removing the camshaft as well, so my early (and somewhat optimistic) plan of just cleaning everything then fitting new piston rings and a timing chain are now far behind me. As with the crank, though, the camshaft looked good. It dawned on me that the previous major documented engine work was done in the 1960s, and I was quite possibly the first person to be rooting around in there for six decades! Next job: find a decent machine shop…