I am putting this here in the event that either anyone here needs this or I do in the future after my most recent engine replacement as most engines available now are the wasted spark model (Coil Packs) instead of the older distributor model some key differences and I could NOT find a guide on here for this. (This is not a definitive guide as I am sure there are other ways but this is how I did it.)
(This only applies to the 1.8 K Series Freelander not the TD4 and only applies to converting a Pre 2001 Freelander 1 to support the post 2001 engine ECU not included)
For reference the "Dizzy Engine" refers to the engine that has a distributor and the stock parts on it.
The "Coil Pack Engine" refers to the wasted spark system that the new model engines used after 2001.
The star symbol "*" are differences I found that maybe aren't applicable in all cases.
What the Dizzy Engine has that the Coil Pack engine does not;
- The Distributor,
- Rotor Arm that is press fit in to the exhaust cam
- Coolant elbow found under the distributor is slightly different requiring another plug (2 Total)
- Power Steering Pump Bracket is slightly different as the "gap" is 2mm larger than the post 2001 engines (So you will need to use your bracket and pump)
- Valve Cover has a different design they are not cross compatible.
- If you are using AC then the above may differ slightly.
What the Coil Pack engine has that the Dizzy Engine does not;
- Camshaft Position Sensor (In the valve cover the Wasted spark system uses a camshaft position sensor to help with timing)
- Different Valve cover gasket (I am not sure if this effects oil flow / pressure however to be safe I used the same design gasket for the correct valve cover)
- Different Valve Cover (This one has a hole in the left intake cam for the camshaft position sensor.)
- Coil Packs
- Alternator housing / Bracket (They are cross compatible however the one used on the Coil Pack engine is larger for other accessories to attach, it does not interfere with anything on the Pre 2001 engine.)
I recommend an engine lift / crane for this.
1. Once the Engine is up remove the power steering pump bracket and either store or discard it.
2. Remove the Oil Filter and oil filter housing
3. Remove Engine mount bracket if not already done.
4. Remove Timing Cover
5. Remove Crank bolt
6. Remove timing belt
7. Remove crank gears
7.1 Once the gears are removed if you are using a lift I would recommend putting it on the ground as this part can be quite annoying on the lift with straps and chains in the way.
8. Remove coil pack cover
9. Remove spark plugs (If being renewed)
10. Remove Camshaft Position Sensor
11. Remove valve cover (Note the sequence which is more for assembly to ensure proper fitting, they are also the same on both engines
^ This is the tightening Sequence, do not zip them out with a drill as you risk cracking the cover
12. Remove the Oil seal covers (This covers the camshaft oil seals which can be removed without removing the camshafts but we will be removing them anyway) There are two on the gearbox side of the engine. Image for clarification; The one at the rear will hold the distributor and the other will hold the power distributor to supply power to the distributor.
13. Next Remove the Camshaft Carrier ensuring progressive loosening in the correct sequence. (A total of 26 bolts Starting from 1 and going forward)
14. Removing the cam carrier can include some prying I recommend using a plastic pry tool to prevent ruining the mating surface for the cam carrier to the engine head. Land Rover recommends if the surface is ruined a reface is needed then the cams checked with plasti-gauge if the compression is no longer enough a new cylinder head is needed.
15. Once the Cam carrier is off you can safely remove the exhaust cam (The rear cam) ready for installation into the Dizzy engine (If this Job is done over multiple days store the camshafts and any other parts that are soaked with oil in a sealed bucket or tub full with 5W30 oil or similar lubricating fluid to avoid them being damaged in storage and prevent rust / corrosion)
16. Inspect Cams and cam carrier along with head for wear and act as necessary
17. When it comes to mixing and matching please measure compression on the camshaft with plasti-gauge to avoid doing this again...
Most of this is the same with some minor differences.
Please note that this is the engine that is not going back in the car.
As mentioned I recommend an engine lift / crane for this.
1. Remove the Oil Filter and oil filter housing
2. Remove Coolant elbow as the Post 2001 engine has seemingly removed 1 of the 2 plugs on the coolant elbow, the coolant elbow is highlighted in the below image: (Fitting the Post 2001 Coolant elbow would not be hugely hard as the port is there just blanked so drill a new hole tap the right size and insert sensor but that is more work than it's worth)
3. remove any accessories that you do not have or you may need, in my case I needed to remove the AC Condenser as my model does not have AC and the AC Belt tensioner as the belt runs from the crank to the Alternator immediately without the need of the tensioner.
4. If you removed the Pre 2001 Engine from your car now would be a great time to remove the Clutch and Pressure plate and store them ready to move over or replace them which I did in my case.
5. Now following from Steps 3 to 17 Noting that Step 12 differs instead of removing blank plates you will be removing the distributor and power for the distributor that is connected to a blanking plate.
1. Firstly you need to inspect both intake camshafts to decide which has least wear unless replacing.
2. Next if using both cams from the Dizzy Engine use the same cam carrier if using cams from different engine pick the least worn cam carrier and perform a test with plasti-gauge to ensure proper compression on the cams.
3. before assembling the cams and cam carrier ensure timing is correct which can be done with the pins on the pulley side of the engine they should look like the below; The highlighted dark spots are the pins
Left is the back of the engine. Doing this ensures the cams are not 180 degrees out of alignment which won't cause damage to the valves but will prevent starting of any sort.
4. Land rover call for "sealant, Part No. GUG 705963GM" however that is a load of rubbish I used:
www.dmgrs.co.uk
This is because the compound will seal the cam carrier to the engine head but it is oil soluble so will not cause any damage to the engine via the oil unlike RTV or similar gasket makers.
5. Spread the Jointing compound thin but without gaps across all mating parts of the cam carrier better to be generous than have leaks.
6. Reassemble the Cam carrier in the below sequence; (Use a generous amount of 15W40 oil on all camshafts and lobes to ensure no metal on metal contact)
7. Fit new camshaft seals to prevent doing this again. (Camshaft Seals are inserted dry without oil)
8. Now is a good time to install new spark plugs if they are being renewed
9. Now installing the camshaft cover it is very important that Pre 2001 engine cover be used as the Post 2001 engine cover has a huge hole where the cam shaft position sensor went, it is not a risk of oil getting out if using a gasket from the Pre 2001 engine but debris can get in. Use the Pre 2001 Cam Cover.
10. Install the Cam Cover progressively to 20nm in a back and forth pattern like head bolts ending with the 5 down the middle from outside edges inwards
11. Install Rotor arm and cover onto exhaust cam (rear cam) then tighten locking bolt.
12. Install Distributor cover
13. Install Power distributor on intake cam (Front cam)
14. To save time you can install HT leads now connecting the Power Distributor to the Distributor and the Distributor to the coils. Ensuring the correct leads go into the correct slots (They are numbered to line up the distributor number 1 goes at the top.)
15. Install cam gears ensuring they are slotted into the correct slits on the cam. On the gears exhaust for the exhaust cam.
16. Line up the Crank Gear to the timing mark on the engine. This thread is great for understanding the Timing: https://www.landyzone.co.uk/land-rover/k-series-engine-timing.364426/
17. Once everything lines up install the timing belt. Note if everything lines up in my experience it just slips on but if even just one cam is 1 tooth out (half a tooth across the whole system) It will not install easily in the slightest.
18. Install Crank Pulley new or Used however check for Rust as the 1.8 K Series Crank Pulleys are known to rust out if scratched and damaged.
19. I personally found it easier to mount the alternator before the engine went in and fit the belt for this using the alternators timing bolt to ensure it is tight.
20. Crank over engine by hand at the crank bolt to ensure it is timed correctly.
21. Install Timing Cover
22. Sit back and have a drink admire the work done.
That is it.
The engine Post 2001 Engine is now converted to be able to slot into a Pre 2001 Freelander 1.
For those looking to do this or have done this say here if you found anything different or think I have done something wrong above.
Please note that again this is not a one and only solution there are other routes like ECU Swapping but I am not for that life so this is just how I did it and I would like to share that with everyone.
Cost wise including the cost of the engine (Which I managed to get cheaper than usual) and using parts that were not worn as my broken engine was low milage the cost came to about £450 and 4 days of work (2 weekends) Take that Land Rover and your £4500 quote and shove it where the sun don't shine! Keep note this includes new parts Such as Clutch, release bearing, Pressure plate, Crank pulley, new belts, new spark plugs which new parts totalled about £225 other parts were the oils and jointing compounds.
There are also many more parts you could replace while you do this like the cams themselves or the hydraulic lifters and many more parts.
Sure over here the car as it was with a broken engine was worth about £200 and with a working one worth about £750 it should have been scrapped but the fun was worth so much more!
Thank you all for reading I would appreciate see what you think about this as it would be my first post like this.
(This only applies to the 1.8 K Series Freelander not the TD4 and only applies to converting a Pre 2001 Freelander 1 to support the post 2001 engine ECU not included)
For reference the "Dizzy Engine" refers to the engine that has a distributor and the stock parts on it.
The "Coil Pack Engine" refers to the wasted spark system that the new model engines used after 2001.
The star symbol "*" are differences I found that maybe aren't applicable in all cases.
What the Dizzy Engine has that the Coil Pack engine does not;
- The Distributor,
- Rotor Arm that is press fit in to the exhaust cam
- Coolant elbow found under the distributor is slightly different requiring another plug (2 Total)
- Power Steering Pump Bracket is slightly different as the "gap" is 2mm larger than the post 2001 engines (So you will need to use your bracket and pump)
- Valve Cover has a different design they are not cross compatible.
- If you are using AC then the above may differ slightly.
What the Coil Pack engine has that the Dizzy Engine does not;
- Camshaft Position Sensor (In the valve cover the Wasted spark system uses a camshaft position sensor to help with timing)
- Different Valve cover gasket (I am not sure if this effects oil flow / pressure however to be safe I used the same design gasket for the correct valve cover)
- Different Valve Cover (This one has a hole in the left intake cam for the camshaft position sensor.)
- Coil Packs
- Alternator housing / Bracket (They are cross compatible however the one used on the Coil Pack engine is larger for other accessories to attach, it does not interfere with anything on the Pre 2001 engine.)
Dismantling The Wasted Spark Engine.
I recommend an engine lift / crane for this.
1. Once the Engine is up remove the power steering pump bracket and either store or discard it.
2. Remove the Oil Filter and oil filter housing
3. Remove Engine mount bracket if not already done.
4. Remove Timing Cover
5. Remove Crank bolt
6. Remove timing belt
7. Remove crank gears
7.1 Once the gears are removed if you are using a lift I would recommend putting it on the ground as this part can be quite annoying on the lift with straps and chains in the way.
8. Remove coil pack cover
9. Remove spark plugs (If being renewed)
10. Remove Camshaft Position Sensor
11. Remove valve cover (Note the sequence which is more for assembly to ensure proper fitting, they are also the same on both engines
^ This is the tightening Sequence, do not zip them out with a drill as you risk cracking the cover
12. Remove the Oil seal covers (This covers the camshaft oil seals which can be removed without removing the camshafts but we will be removing them anyway) There are two on the gearbox side of the engine. Image for clarification; The one at the rear will hold the distributor and the other will hold the power distributor to supply power to the distributor.
13. Next Remove the Camshaft Carrier ensuring progressive loosening in the correct sequence. (A total of 26 bolts Starting from 1 and going forward)
14. Removing the cam carrier can include some prying I recommend using a plastic pry tool to prevent ruining the mating surface for the cam carrier to the engine head. Land Rover recommends if the surface is ruined a reface is needed then the cams checked with plasti-gauge if the compression is no longer enough a new cylinder head is needed.
15. Once the Cam carrier is off you can safely remove the exhaust cam (The rear cam) ready for installation into the Dizzy engine (If this Job is done over multiple days store the camshafts and any other parts that are soaked with oil in a sealed bucket or tub full with 5W30 oil or similar lubricating fluid to avoid them being damaged in storage and prevent rust / corrosion)
16. Inspect Cams and cam carrier along with head for wear and act as necessary
17. When it comes to mixing and matching please measure compression on the camshaft with plasti-gauge to avoid doing this again...
Dismantling the Dizzy Engine.
Most of this is the same with some minor differences.
Please note that this is the engine that is not going back in the car.
As mentioned I recommend an engine lift / crane for this.
1. Remove the Oil Filter and oil filter housing
2. Remove Coolant elbow as the Post 2001 engine has seemingly removed 1 of the 2 plugs on the coolant elbow, the coolant elbow is highlighted in the below image: (Fitting the Post 2001 Coolant elbow would not be hugely hard as the port is there just blanked so drill a new hole tap the right size and insert sensor but that is more work than it's worth)
3. remove any accessories that you do not have or you may need, in my case I needed to remove the AC Condenser as my model does not have AC and the AC Belt tensioner as the belt runs from the crank to the Alternator immediately without the need of the tensioner.
4. If you removed the Pre 2001 Engine from your car now would be a great time to remove the Clutch and Pressure plate and store them ready to move over or replace them which I did in my case.
5. Now following from Steps 3 to 17 Noting that Step 12 differs instead of removing blank plates you will be removing the distributor and power for the distributor that is connected to a blanking plate.
Assembly of the Wasted Spark Engine with the Dizzy Engine parts
1. Firstly you need to inspect both intake camshafts to decide which has least wear unless replacing.
2. Next if using both cams from the Dizzy Engine use the same cam carrier if using cams from different engine pick the least worn cam carrier and perform a test with plasti-gauge to ensure proper compression on the cams.
3. before assembling the cams and cam carrier ensure timing is correct which can be done with the pins on the pulley side of the engine they should look like the below; The highlighted dark spots are the pins
Left is the back of the engine. Doing this ensures the cams are not 180 degrees out of alignment which won't cause damage to the valves but will prevent starting of any sort.
4. Land rover call for "sealant, Part No. GUG 705963GM" however that is a load of rubbish I used:
Stag Wellseal Jointing Compound (for sealing Cam Carriers) 100ML
In stock. Stag Wellseal was developed by Rolls Royce as an unbeatable jointing compound - and if it's good enough for them, it's good enough for us! Wellseal is ideal for sealing both halves of the Camshaft Carrier together. The compound provides an excellent seal whilst being soluble when...
www.dmgrs.co.uk
This is because the compound will seal the cam carrier to the engine head but it is oil soluble so will not cause any damage to the engine via the oil unlike RTV or similar gasket makers.
5. Spread the Jointing compound thin but without gaps across all mating parts of the cam carrier better to be generous than have leaks.
6. Reassemble the Cam carrier in the below sequence; (Use a generous amount of 15W40 oil on all camshafts and lobes to ensure no metal on metal contact)
7. Fit new camshaft seals to prevent doing this again. (Camshaft Seals are inserted dry without oil)
8. Now is a good time to install new spark plugs if they are being renewed
9. Now installing the camshaft cover it is very important that Pre 2001 engine cover be used as the Post 2001 engine cover has a huge hole where the cam shaft position sensor went, it is not a risk of oil getting out if using a gasket from the Pre 2001 engine but debris can get in. Use the Pre 2001 Cam Cover.
10. Install the Cam Cover progressively to 20nm in a back and forth pattern like head bolts ending with the 5 down the middle from outside edges inwards
11. Install Rotor arm and cover onto exhaust cam (rear cam) then tighten locking bolt.
12. Install Distributor cover
13. Install Power distributor on intake cam (Front cam)
14. To save time you can install HT leads now connecting the Power Distributor to the Distributor and the Distributor to the coils. Ensuring the correct leads go into the correct slots (They are numbered to line up the distributor number 1 goes at the top.)
15. Install cam gears ensuring they are slotted into the correct slits on the cam. On the gears exhaust for the exhaust cam.
16. Line up the Crank Gear to the timing mark on the engine. This thread is great for understanding the Timing: https://www.landyzone.co.uk/land-rover/k-series-engine-timing.364426/
17. Once everything lines up install the timing belt. Note if everything lines up in my experience it just slips on but if even just one cam is 1 tooth out (half a tooth across the whole system) It will not install easily in the slightest.
18. Install Crank Pulley new or Used however check for Rust as the 1.8 K Series Crank Pulleys are known to rust out if scratched and damaged.
19. I personally found it easier to mount the alternator before the engine went in and fit the belt for this using the alternators timing bolt to ensure it is tight.
20. Crank over engine by hand at the crank bolt to ensure it is timed correctly.
21. Install Timing Cover
22. Sit back and have a drink admire the work done.
That is it.
The engine Post 2001 Engine is now converted to be able to slot into a Pre 2001 Freelander 1.
For those looking to do this or have done this say here if you found anything different or think I have done something wrong above.
Please note that again this is not a one and only solution there are other routes like ECU Swapping but I am not for that life so this is just how I did it and I would like to share that with everyone.
Cost wise including the cost of the engine (Which I managed to get cheaper than usual) and using parts that were not worn as my broken engine was low milage the cost came to about £450 and 4 days of work (2 weekends) Take that Land Rover and your £4500 quote and shove it where the sun don't shine! Keep note this includes new parts Such as Clutch, release bearing, Pressure plate, Crank pulley, new belts, new spark plugs which new parts totalled about £225 other parts were the oils and jointing compounds.
There are also many more parts you could replace while you do this like the cams themselves or the hydraulic lifters and many more parts.
Sure over here the car as it was with a broken engine was worth about £200 and with a working one worth about £750 it should have been scrapped but the fun was worth so much more!
Thank you all for reading I would appreciate see what you think about this as it would be my first post like this.
