convert series 3 2.1/4 petrol to diesel

assuming you mean modifying the engine to diesel?
dont anyone whos done it but should be possible.
but strongly not recommended, diesel engine is a much stronger unit. the pressures/stresses are far greater.
simpler to swap the petrol engine for a used diesel unit. lot cheaper too.

Do you really mean making a petrol engine run on diesel? Well let's see, you'd need a new head (with the right sized holes for injectors rather than spark plugs), the injectors and pump, new pistons, a new crank to give you the higher compression ratio....
I suppose if you are the kind of person who walks around with one arm tied behnd your back becasue you like a challenge it might be possible. And the block might even surivive for a few hundred miles. But why oh why oh why???
If on the other hand you mean can I swap the petrol engine for a diesel, that is fairly straightforward - assuming you mean a Land Rover diesel, it's just a bit of wiring and plumbing to sort out. Easy enough!

the later sounds better but have not found that second user landy diesels avialiable unless any one knows of where they have been hidden ?????

you might well struggle to find a good used stand alone diesel engine unit, but finding a (eg) mot failure tdi cheaply is a dead cert.
take the lump out and sell the rest of the bits. if youre really clever you get the lump for nowt!

The 2.25 engine blocks are the same for petrol and diesel

you might well be correct, i seem to remember many moons ago being told that fact. but afaik its the only major part thats the same.

then again, ive been completely wrong before many times.

Not all blocks, needs to be a 5 bearing one.Use same cankshaft Change pistons Head exhaust manifold and if fitted with servo fit a inlet manifold with butterfly to make vacuum. Change starter . fit extra electrics for glow plugs.Then theres lots of other small things to do. Not really practicle. b.b

Any easier to access, non-landy diesels which would fit the bill?

bonnybaggot said:

Not all blocks, needs to be a 5 bearing one.Use same cankshaft Change pistons Head exhaust manifold and if fitted with servo fit a inlet manifold with butterfly to make vacuum. Change starter . fit extra electrics for glow plugs.Then theres lots of other small things to do. Not really practicle. b.b

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Only if you're using a 5 brg crank!

Usually only worth considering if you've got a diesel that's put a rod though the block. Probably still not worth the effort

series III 2 1/4 petrol 3 bearing petrol and diesel engines share the same part numbers for the block and the crankshaft, not the con rods, pistons or camshaft though.

Same crank? I thought diesels had different hardening.
There's not much difference between the camshafts, towards the end Land Rover started using the same camshaft in petrols & diesels but I don't know which it was.

Yep I just double checked the bible the crankshafts have the same part number. I think it's considered bad practice to grind the 3 bearing crankshaft undersize in the diesel engine though, as there are no part numbers for undersize crank bearings in the diesel section.

That certainly rings a bell.

Found my parts book that had got temporally mislaid.
Interesting, I always thought diesel cranks were extra hardened (Tuftried?) I've certainly come across cranks marked with a 'P' Perhaps it applied to IIA's, and the tougher cranks were made standard fro III's.
Throws my theory on camshafts in doubt as well. I got that from a reputable local engine rebuilder, so perhaps it applied to suppersessions after they went out of production.

You know Davec, I think I'm going to have to get a IIA parts catalogue sometime soon, call me an anorak but I'm having fun here cross referencing SIII LR part numbers Maybe all the cranks were tuftrided, but the petrols didn't really need it. Perhaps it was not rec to grind the diesel cranks because they did need the tuftriding and the grinding would wreck it. I'd always assumed that it was not rec. to grind the diesel cranks because they were prone to shearing, and if the grinding was not done perfectly then stress raisers would be formed at the sides of the bearing surfaces. I think the tuftriding theory makes more sense though.

May I join the party?

Hi

I've got a 1972 Series III, which if you look at my other posts, I've spent ages learning how she works and falling more and more in love with these wonderful machines.

However...

I've got the chance of a Diesel engine from a 109 Truck Cab which is 1965.



My questions to you wise ones are these:

1. is it a simple (enough) exchange.
2. I am running a Merc on waste veg oil via two tanks, I start it and stop it on diesel and everything inbetween is on WVO and is free - and this is my theory behind diesel-izing Bessie, to save money on fuel bills, so do you think it's a good idea? I only use Bessie on hay-days', holiday's and off-roading (nothing higher than an RTV),
3. and lastly the most thickest of questions. Is the 1965 series diesel EXACTLY the same as a series III diesel?

Cheers

Ken

I guess running on waste veg oil is a good argument for changing over to Diesel. Case of weather the money, time and effort involved is worthit considering you only use it every so often by the sounds if it anyway!

Hi

I don't use her very often, but if a diesel engine drop-in (so to speak) is technically an option, it means I could use her a lot more, which is what I'd really want.

Right now, I'm averaging about 100 miles a week in the her to collect 20 L containers of W.V.O. to run the merc on, which seems a bit of a daft catch 22 scenario.

It's going well, the merc was professionally converted, and I have seen how it works, and I'm averaging 1500-2000 miles a month on veg and only using 1 tank of diesel as I have to start the car on diesel and stop it on diesel.

Providing the series IIa 1965 engine is a good engine to use and is an easy (enough) swap I'd definitely do it.

Is there a series III engine that's a diesel or did they not change much mechanically from the IIa to a III?

Cheers

K

Well...the series engine is fine...but bear in mind it will be slower than what you already have!

As for difference between Series 2a to 3 engine...as far as I know the 10J 2.25 diesel engine was pretty much the same engine throughout its production until the introduction of the 5 bearing variant (1980 or something?). If there are any differences I would doubt very much it would make any difference to your installation. Someone might correct me of course!