Help with a 1997 Defender 2 litre petrol

Hi everyone. Hope you can help me. I’ve got a 1997 Defender 90, petrol, 2-litre. I took it to a LR mechanic here in the Czech Republic and he said he had never seen that engine in a Land Rover before and did not know what it was, but I read somewhere that “Land Rover also fitted the Rover T16 engine to a special batch of Defenders built for the Italian Carabinieri”. My LR comes from Italy and it says DOHC 16 valve on it (not sure if that definitely means it is a Rover T16 does it?), so pretty definitely a Rover T16 DOHC 16 valve engine. Anyway I have got two problems (please forgive me for being a bit of a technical ignoramus and also they have explained this to me in Czech, so I’m struggling to understand on a couple of fronts):
1. According to the mechanic, it‘s got a loose piston pin that needs sorting out

2. It’s overheating, badly, every time I drive it. I know I should not have driven it when it overheated, but I did and now am in trouble. The mechanic tried replacing virtually the whole circulation system (new water pump, new thermostat, removed and flushed the radiator and hoses, etc.), but no joy. Strangely, if this is relevant… the water in the expansion tank stays cold for ages, even when the needle is right up in the red and the hose leading into the radiator stays soft for “longer than normal” according to the mechanic. Does that mean a head gasket issue or something?

Anyway, my main issue is this: should we just be looking to perform a complete overhaul, or as the mechanic has suggested (in view of the two problems and the cost of an overhaul – he says pushing 3000 quid, with “grinding” – whatever that means…), just replacing the engine. Since I am based in Eastern Europe, it is perhaps a be tricky to find a replacement engine. Thanks for any help.

Hello and welcome to LZ

Welcome.

Yes they did fit that engine, we have 1 our little "mud ball" dont have those problems though. Yours is Blue to isn't it

If you cant wield a spanner its going to hurt the wallet.
If you want to get a replacement engine it was also fitted to the Rover 220/420/820 or even the 620turbo.
I would imagine 1 of them is available where you are.

But basically if nothings seems to be getting hot has all the air been bled out properly.

Sorry, really we just like pics in here and you would do better to ask in the defender section although there are not many here that own such a beast, its all basic mechanics at the end of the day Defender 90 / 110 / 130 | LandyZone - Land Rover Forum

Good luck.

J

Is that the K series engine? if so just google it.

lynall said:

Is that the K series engine? if so just google it.

Click to expand...

No its the "T" . "K" only did up to 1.8 also SOHC & DOHC but very similar to look at.

J

Hi and welcome!

Thanks very much to all of you. I will try reposting on Defender 90 / 110 / 130 | LandyZone - Land Rover Forum then, but good tips about the Rover 220/420/820 or 620turbo and will try checking that it has been bled properly

Welcome to the forum

Put up some photo's of the engine and someone will recognise it. Would be funny if it were a Freelander engine. And lucky

Thanks for the reply. We have found out that it is a Rover T16 DOHC. Now taken it to a mechanic who seems to know what he is doing, so hopefully should be OK (and sadly that means I cannot take a photo).