****ing into the wind!

I apologise for repeating some of the information I have posted in other threads but please if anybody is prepared can they offer me some clarity.

2.25 diesel is occasionally running on its own engine oil that's squirted out of the breather into the inlet manifold (over-running I think it's called). This happens every 50-70 miles for 2 or 3 seconds.

I have been told by a friend I trust who is quite knowledgeable probably knackered pistons, rings or bores. I have had a look in the (hu hum) Haynes manual and this also suggests blue smoke and over-running is a sure sign of worn engine components.

My plan was to find another engine (done) and rebuild it at my leisure to a good standard and swap the engines when finished. Swapping the engines is not a task I wanted to undertake myself and so spoke to a Land Rover "specialist" today to enquire about the cost of an engine swap. He asked me why I wanted to do it and I explained the above. He said "No way, those things don't go wrong, you have a knackered head gasket. I will fix it for £200.00."

Now I can follow the instructions in a manual like any other monkey but am no good at diagnosing engine problems. Could he be telling the truth? I don't want to throw good money after bad and if he is telling the truth are the £20.00 on fleaBay head gasket sets any good?!!

It's no good to keep looking at smoke, trying to self diagnose something ya not too sure about, asking everybody ya come across. If you're not sure what you're doing, pay up and get someone to do it. Failing that, start gathering up the bits you need to do the job, full gasket set,pistons, rings, seals, everything you can think of, it's not expensive or difficult to do.
Take off the head and check the size of your pistons first.
The more you use it in it's crappy condition, the more damage you will do.
The £200 for a head gasket change, will probably get most of what you need.

You don't need to be a brain surgeon to work on these old engines, just get it clean before you start, don't cut corners by not using new gaskets etc. If it needs a rebore, get it done. don't skim the head.
Check the piston size, order everything, take it to bits...................:blabla:

You'll do just fine with the haynes manual, anything else is downloadable.
Get a big torque wrench, you'll need it.

Enough thinky more doey..............

whereas those engines like series box will run however badly worn and usually get you home apart from age they do suffer bore /ring wear at lower mileages ,a problem not really sorted till tdi,specialist obviously hasnt ever rebuilt any, head gasket tends to lead to rough running as a symptom as well as others ,if you plan on keeping truck i would get another engine and rebuild at your leisure,not seen many that havent needed rebore and we are talking thousands of an inch, but is possible ,rtc419120 is +20 piston but may need +40 £20 each with rings rebore £120,plus other parts which i could give you list of if wanted

Yeah James, thats true, they take a lot of killing. Mine was horrendous when i bought it, blowing oil out of everywhere possible, blew the dip stick out
40 mph flat out..........I drove it home non stop, took three and a half hours, and it was still resonably happy when I got home. Tough as old boots.
Took it to bits and fixed/replaced everything.........excellent.

cheers guys, you hit the nail on the head. because i dont know what i am doing i am listening to every ones two pence worth, when thier opinions differ i just get confused.
the honest easy answere is to start stripping the engine i got on fleabay do a good step by step following the instructions rebuild and then stop being so tight and pay someone to put it in.
the reluctance comes from spending £1000 on a £500 purchase (everything but the engine is perfect now) and my income would not make you jealous. like anything though ,when its done and done well you dont have to do it again................well not for a little while.
thanks for your help and i will stop wasting your time untill i have bits of engine all over the place and some solid info i need help with.

its not wasting time its what forums are for ,put it in your self when done ,you will never get better satisfaction from driving than with a motor youve built ,ive done a goodly number if you want advice at points of build ,especiallywhen it comes to timing

thanks again.
watch this space.