Series 3 Engine decode, help!

Hello everybody.
I am considering in start a restoration project to keep me busy in my idle times in Costa Rica (Honduras ex-pat living here for the last 20+ years now). It happens that I am dealing to buy a 1978 series III, SWB hard top, 2.5L, l4 diesel engine which engine number I cant find as being an original LRengine. Engine number on chassis frame matched the one in the title, where declares its a 2.5L diesel engine number E4677xxxx. I suspect it was originally sourced from other maker or maybe swapped aftermarket. Already called current LR local dealer, a couple spare dealers and other folks, but no one seems to be in position to help me out. Also searched some threads in this forum and others and also some other sites in internet (Glencoyne Engineering, ie) with no results.
Could any of you decode this for me? I really need a hand on this so can move forward. Pics are available if needed.

Cheers and thanks in advance!

Your landy would have had a 2.25L as original and could have been petrol or diesel,a picture of what you have now would help us figure out what you have.

Here you can find below a set of 3 not so nice pictures:
Pic 1: Engine grille and open bonnet (blue thing at rear left engine bay its an empty oil bucket )
Pic 2: Engine's left side with distributor/injection pump. Sorry about poor lightning
Pic 3: Engine's number
I hope this helps...

Everything I see points to it being an original series 3 Land rover 10 J diesel of 2.25 liters.
How does it run?

tottot said:

Everything I see points to it being an original series 3 Land rover 10 J diesel of 2.25 liters.
How does it run?

Click to expand...

Well, yes, there is a chance engine to be 2.25L instead of 2.5L, since information in the title it can just be wrong. However, engine number doesn't match LR engine series numbers (taken from Gleycone Engineering and other sources). Any clue? Is there any (practical) way to physically determine this? All I know is that both engines has same bore diameter, but different stroke. Maybe someone in this forum can help.

As to how the engine runs, I have to say that car is currently working in a small farm in a daily basis, which is something good, thinking positive. But in deep, its a tricky question for me to answer since although I drove it for about 30 minutes in hilly road and off road, it was my first time driving a LR, so only could say that engine runs steady and moves the car fine, maybe kind of slow (no offense , all systems seems Ok (fuel, intake, exhaust, steering, propeller transmission, suspension, clutch, brakes, 4WD, etc), others are missing (original coolant expansion tank, an oil plastic bucket is doing the job), other just not working (instrument panel - speedometer, fuel gauge, etc) and body needs lots of charm. I have no criteria regarding perception of power, exhaust smoke, gearbox performance in terms of shifting gears - this last was particularly hard to me to shift 1st to 2nd gear. Sadly, no compression test performed.
Car is dated tomorrow for a Diesel lab inspection of injectors and then further actions with distributor pump and fuel system would follow if needed, this as a preventive measure. After that we all know a further more about this old warrior.

Best wishes!

Looks like a 2.25d. In the 60's and 70's I understand that Land Rovers were assembled in Costa Rica from knock down kits. Don't know about the engines though - perhaps they were built there too under licence hence the odd engine number.

...and this link thread suggests that all Santana engines had engine codes starting with E.

https://forums.lr4x4.com/topic/91722-santana-engine/

Santana was the company who built the completely knocked down Land Rover kits in Costa Rica.

I would therefore imagine that standard 2.25d engine parts would be fine but worth checking with Turner Engineering.

I think you are right regarding CKD kits, since in the rear, just below LR Solihull plate, is a riveted plate from ENSAMBLADORA AUTOMOTRIZ S.A., a local assembling facility. However I don't think engines were built here, but being part of the kit or supplied from another LR partner (Metalurgica de Santa Ana, Spain?). Because of this assembling plant and Santa Ana marketing success in Central & South America and Caribbean islands, LR was so popular among farmers in Costa Rica. Lot of them still over the streets and working hard in the farms.
Regretfully assembling facilities doesn't exists anymore and until I find a way to their production files, its a blind way.

Thanks for your support. Just will try to realize engine size in the meantime.

Kind Regards.

From what you say sounds like a normal landy of that age. The Land rover 2.5 engine has its injector driven from a cam belt.Santana produced turbo version of the 2.25 and a 6 cylinder 3.3 version using many parts common with the 2.25. Good luck with your restoration.

Glad to inform that today got good news: injectors and distributor pump need no service, had been serviced and pump exchanged months ago. Also, stop by a shop which resulted be the one who performed some repairs a couple years ago and got the confirmation that the engine its a Santana, they serviced the gearbox and installed the injector pump.

They recognise Santana engines because particular grooves in cylinder head in way of bolts.

Thanks to everyone of you for your support.