6 cylinder head bolts

Hi I hope someone can help me with this. I have scoured the boards for posts relating to head bolts in case this has been discussed already but I have found nothing.

The engine manual for the 6 cylinder 2.6 engine states that the head and new gasket need to be located in position using two old head bolts with the heads cut off, because the head lies at an angle.

Can anyone help with any old bolts, the only ones I have are those currently holding the head on Or can anyone recommend where I can get some more bolts, or are they the same as for 2.25 engines? Could something else be used for location such as some threaded bar if the correct thread can be found?

While I'm at it about head bolts, can the existing bolts be re-used or are new ones needed as on some other engines, there is no mention of it in the manual but that would solve the above problem if I can get new bolts.

Thanks in advance...

I can't answer most of your questions however the gasket/head location issue isn't a big problem. Like you suggest, remove the bolts and get the thread size and buy stud. If it's a weird size and not easy to obtain then I would use steel or even hardwood dowel rods that fit snuggly into the block threads.

Flossie said:

I can't answer most of your questions however the gasket/head location issue isn't a big problem. Like you suggest, remove the bolts and get the thread size and buy stud. If it's a weird size and not easy to obtain then I would use steel or even hardwood dowel rods that fit snuggly into the block threads.

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Thanks for your reply, I reckon the thread will be an imperial size but I only see metric stud in the shops. I'll have a look around to see if there is any old stuff knocking about or in relatives sheds etc! Maybe a trip to a scrap yard might turn something up. Otherwise your suggestion of dowels is worth a try, hardwood should reduce the risk of snapping or bits of debris being left in the block if I have to resort to wood dowels, good idea.

I know this is a very late reply as I'm usually on the RR sub-forum & only very occasionally 'jump' to the Series.
Good to know there are folks keeping the 2.6 alive, Series LR's so equipped must be a rarity now. I had a S3 twelve seat safari back in the early 'nineties & replaced the tired 2.6 with a mk 2 P5 engine (same block) complete with Westlake head. I would highly recommend this conversion to any 6 pot LR owner, not a difficult task if you can find a decent P5 engine
Hope your project went well.

norseman said:

I know this is a very late reply as I'm usually on the RR sub-forum & only very occasionally 'jump' to the Series.
Good to know there are folks keeping the 2.6 alive, Series LR's so equipped must be a rarity now. I had a S3 twelve seat safari back in the early 'nineties & replaced the tired 2.6 with a mk 2 P5 engine (same block) complete with Westlake head. I would highly recommend this conversion to any 6 pot LR owner, not a difficult task if you can find a decent P5 engine
Hope your project went well.

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Thanks for your reply, no worries about the timing and sorry for my late reply too! For some reason I didn't see a message notifying me of a reply.

Thanks for your comment, I particularly wanted to keep this LR going because it is a 2.6, I had a look on howmanyleft and I can't remember the figures now but it looked like a pretty precipitious decline in numbers for the 2.6 over the last 15 years or so.

I have got a spare engine but I think it is out of a P4 and I'm not sure of the exact cc although it is the same block and it definitely does not have the Westlake head on it so it will not be the 3.0 P5 variant - would be nice to get one of those. At the moment I am just hoping to secure the LR's future so the spare engine may be a parts donor or may be a complete replacement if I have any serious problems with the current lump, the spare is complete except for the exhaust manifold. The serial number is completely different from the LR one - mine has a serial number very similar to the VIN number, I wonder if there is a way of decoding an engine serial to see what it was originally installed in?

Thanks for your wishes for the project, I still haven't done the head gasket though! There are so many things to do, hoping to get through some more of them over the winter.

I have a 2.6 lump in my project that will start early next year, once the new chassis arrives. It has a seized engine which is what I think put it off the road originally when it was about 15 years old so because of this it is tatty but nearly all original. It was in a barn for 20 abandoned before I got it.
I deliberately wanted the 2,6 because the original intent was to build a copycat camper from it, probably not now but I still like the idea of the larger petrol engine and I like slightly unusual versions of things anyway.
Once it comes out next year I'll need to see what the damage is,, hoping I can strip it down and rebuild rather than change it.

BruceB said:

I have a 2.6 lump in my project that will start early next year, once the new chassis arrives. It has a seized engine which is what I think put it off the road originally when it was about 15 years old so because of this it is tatty but nearly all original. It was in a barn for 20 abandoned before I got it.
I deliberately wanted the 2,6 because the original intent was to build a copycat camper from it, probably not now but I still like the idea of the larger petrol engine and I like slightly unusual versions of things anyway.
Once it comes out next year I'll need to see what the damage is,, hoping I can strip it down and rebuild rather than change it.

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Your reasons sound pretty much the same as mine - I like the idea of the larger engine and also like the idea of keeping it original, mine is all original.

The 2.6 is a really nice engine, smooth and sounds nice too. I hope you sort yours out, depending on the reasons for seizure you might be able to free it up and bar it over. If it's the bearings, I have seen sets of shells for that engine come up for sale so they are not completely unobtainable. Parts can be an issue, I managed to get hold of a complete spare engine just in case and to ensure future originality and MOT exemption status for that matter.

Happy new year!