2.25 diesel head rebuild - help!!!

Freetime101 said:

Nice one, cheers - bit of shopping to do now then...

Other than a torque wrench do I need any special tools?

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a tool bought or made to compress rings whilst refitting piston ,and internal circlip pliers for gudgeon pin clips

Thanks Turboman - there's a lot of wisdom on this forum, with that and common sense (and my mate Manuel ) I can do pretty much anything

Cool, nothing too exotic (or expensive) in that kit list

Will post back when I've made some progress - hopefully before this arctic blast sets in!

I'm back

Sorry for the lack of update - I can only spend weekends on the truck due to it getting dark so early...

Anyhow, on with the update:
Piston #2 is clearly lower than the rest


Better pic:


So after much fiddling, swearing, and oil in my hair (I could write a manual on how not to remove an oil sump! ) I got the piston and con rod out.

Old vs new:


The first time I fitted it and tightened everything up as per the manual the engine wouldn't turn (I've been turning the engine using a big screwdriver wedged side ways in the starter dog). I fiddled, removed and refitted the bottom bit of the con rod with no luck... Then I removed the piston, con rod and everything and put it all back together and it works now no idea why but it's working

Much better:


I did however notice that the con rod has a lot of play in the piston, this is the same as the original though so is it an issue?

Due to all the time spent fiddling around with the con rod I didn't get a chance to do much on the head - that'll have to wait until next weekend...





I did manage to remove the valves and springs though (keeping them in separate numbered bags):



I've made a start cleaning it up ready for painting but it was dark when I finished so no pics - soz

So the big question is what colour? Red or Black?

Ultimately I plan to paint the whole engine red and black: The block, fan and pulley's will be one colour and the sump, head and water pump will be another. Just need to decide which way around - I realise it doesn't matter as I won't see most of it but still...

red oxide and black imo

Yeah I'm leaning towards doing the head, water pump, oil filler and filter housing etc black and the rest black...

But then the only bit I'll really see is the head so should this be red?

I've only bought black paint so far so that may decide it lol...

I love threads with lots of pics-bravo on a great effort so far chief

joe27979 said:

I love threads with lots of pics-bravo on a great effort so far chief

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Me too I've browsed here long enough so figured it's time to pay my turn :tea:

i'll be doing this after the snow, so lots of pics and hints please

oil is dribbling out the gasket on the front left-ish, behind the water pump. i guess from an oil way close by.

(mine also looks to have twisted wires on the exterior bolts as in a refurb or from factory?)

Removing the head is easy enough - you can download the land rover workshop manual for free if you google it

My top tip would be to remove as much as you can from the head before removing it (manifolds etc) as it's bloody heavy!

Freetime101 said:

I did however notice that the con rod has a lot of play in the piston, this is the same as the original though so is it an issue?

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There should be side to side play, but you should not be able to twist it at all.

Freetime101 said:

Removing the head is easy enough - you can download the land rover workshop manual for free if you google it

My top tip would be to remove as much as you can from the head before removing it (manifolds etc) as it's bloody heavy!

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yeah i've read what i need to do and it all looks fine. it's nice to see real piccies though.

Freetime101 said:

Removing the head is easy enough - you can download the land rover workshop manual for free if you google it

My top tip would be to remove as much as you can from the head before removing it (manifolds etc) as it's bloody heavy!

Click to expand...

I leave the manifolds on as it makes it easier to lift when there is something to get hold of.

It's also easier to take them off and refit them with the head on the bench ... Especially the last stud behind No 4 cylinder.

Oldseadog said:

There should be side to side play, but you should not be able to twist it at all.

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Cool, sounds spot on then

I've just noticed even the inside of the piston is duck egg green! Did they just drop the entire engine in a vat of paint?!

Oldseadog said:

I laeve the manifolds on as it makes it easier to lift when ther is something to get hold of.

It's also easier to take them off and refit them with the head on the bench ... Especially the last stud behind No 4 cylinder.

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Yeah the studs are a bugger to get at - I have a universal joint thingy for my socket wrench which is brilliant for reaching those

Right, on with the rebuild

Box of new bits arrived last week - to my horror they're all blue bags!!!!!


It's mostly radiator/heater hoses, oil filters etc so not too much of an issue. However I also ordered new windscreen wiper arms, blades and adapters - nothing fits and I've ended up with 2 right arms instead of a right and a left! Emailed Craddocks on Friday morning to exchange them for ones that fit but haven't heard back yet...

Anyhoo... I forgot to take a pic of the cleaned head but you know what they look like

One tip on removing the old washers from the injector ports is to take to an old screwdriver with a dremel:

Much easier

Here it is painted:


Spot the new valve


I didn't bother painting the inside as it gets covered in oil anyway...


I then reground the valves, replaced the oil seals (new ones seem pretty naff, will see how long they last...) and fitted the springs and collets (collet is a land rover term for fiddly little fecker prone to ping off and get lost...)

And here it is in it's final resting place:


Makes the rest of the engine bay look a right mess!

Well sadly that's the end of the pics as I ran out of light... I've replaced all the heater/radiator hoses with new, painted the heater pipe and plumbed everything back in. All that's left to do now is fill it with coolant and oil, bleed the fuel lines, attach the battery, cross my fingers close my eyes and turn the key

Oh yes, I also replaced the worn rocker with a new one, refitted the rocker shaft and set the valve gaps as per the manual - what a ball ache that was! Should have bought a starting handle/big spanner

not sure if many know ,if injector seat is poor, old shroud can be tapped out from the other side a new refitted

jamesmartin said:

not sure if many know ,if injector seat is poor, old shroud can be tapped out from the other side a new refitted

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I tried pushing them out from underneath while the head was off but the hotspots were in the way - have I needlessly sacrificed a screwdriver?