andreas84
New Member
- Posts
- 1
- Location
- Athens, Greece
Hello from Greece!
This is my first post, so I combined my intro with my query.
I used to own a SWB 1967 SIIA petrol.
Sold it a year ago and bought a 1989 2.5 petrol Ninety, as it is my only "car" so I can really use the servo assisted brakes, the disc brakes and the power steering and didn't like the idea of doing non-period correct mods to the Series.
I'm using the Rover most of the year in the centre of Athens (therefore SWB is ideal for me) and some weeks per year in the rocky island of Andros (therefore I need a 4x4).
The super-short version of my query:
Is there a petrol engine that will fit in a Ninety with a 2.5L petrol setup (LT77 box), without requiring much more labour or additional parts?
After much reasearch, elsewhere but also here on Landyzone, I think there isn't. Although it seems odd when considering how versatile Land Rovers are in every way.
In case I am right and there isn't one such swap, I suppose the real question would be:
What petrol engine swaps require the least amount of additional parts and labour in order to "fit well" (as well as the 2.5L compatible-wise) in a Ninety with a 2.5L petrol setup?
------------------------
As soon as I took my current Ninety for its first service, I realised water was mixing with oil. The previous owner was a boat mechanic, so it is likely he changed the oil the day I was visiting him, as it was planned the day before. I'm mentioning this because I do have limited mechanical knowledge, but I did check the oil and it didn't look like milky coffee.
I paid 500 euros at a specialized garage that has moderate prices for Greece when compared with other LR garages, with which I had a good previous experience with my SIIA, both in engine and other repairs. That included:
• the diagnosis
• washing well the engine and cooling system
• pressure checking the valve head for potential cracks
• skimming the head lightly
• checking the engine head, pistons and other components don't need replacing / should work well
• replacement of all gaskets besides the bottom one, as well as oil filter, sparkplugs and cables
At the time I took my Ninety for the 1st engine repair, I was prepared for the cracked head scenario and I was ready to pay 150 to this particular garage, for a cylinder head they had at the time. So that would be 650 in total and it was one of the main reasons I chose the particular garage over the other ones, as every garage I spoke with mentioned the possibility of my Rover having a cracked head and none of them said they could find a replacement.
After 6 months and only 350 km (I cover short distances and for 1 month I didn't use the Rover as my fuel pump stopped working) I had the same problem again. Perhaps earlier too, as I stupidly checked only twice in those six months. Once the first month and once the sixth.
Now the diagnosis is "cracked head" by the same mechanic, without removing the head or any component of the engine.
In the meantime, I also invested some more time & money on this engine by refurbishing myself its air filter that had a big rusty hole and by buying new hoses and collars. All of that was another 100 euros +/- in parts and materials.
The two obvious options I have now are:
1. A new head and the same process like before again (the mechanic takes responsibility for not diagnosing the cracked head and suggests I find a cylinder head and head gasket). The problem is those are not easy to find in Greece and when they pop up, they range anywhere between 150 (best case scenario) to 300 euros
2. A new 2.5 petrol engine. Those are relatively easy to find in Greece and they range from 500 to 650 euros. The mechanic could also do the engine swap and engine check (without opening) without charging me
Since:
• the 2.5 petrol produces only 83 hp and 180 Nm
• my Ninety sits on 255 85 R16 due to needing decent ground clearance even when I let air out and have a heavy load
• I plan on installing a full roll cage in the next 2 years
• I often reach the limit of the Ninety payload due to transporting building materials in Athens
• in the next 2 years I plan to be transporting so in an offroad track (perhaps not 700kg but easily 400, even w/o the rollcage)
I'm thinking this could be a small opportunity to install a different engine. The problem is this is not a good time for me to allocate a higher budget to ther Rover, as a new 2.5L engine is already a stretch, after having spend around 1.5K in various repairs and upgrades in a year since I bought it.
Despite that, the cost of a used V8 is the same with that of the 2.5L in Greece, so it is really inconvenient that it requires all those parts and labour in order to replace the 2.5L.
What options do I have besides the Rover 3.5 V8 which requires:
• a change in gearbox (LT85 or R380 instead of the current LT77)
• V8 clutch
• V8 cooling system
• custom engine mounts
• LT85 or R380 tunnel, unless the LT77 is mated to the V8 with use of an adapter plate
(please correct me if I'm forgetting anything or if I'm stating something that isn't needed)
That V8 option (in total for engine + parts) will likely cost at least twice as much compared with the 500 to 650 euros of an additional 2.5 petrol engine, without including labour costs.
Is there another petrol option that can be installed with fewer parts and labour?
I really liked the idea of a M52B28 since it is not a mod out of the blue due to the existence of the 2.8i Defender in South Africa at the time BMW owned Land Rover, but the engine alone costs around 1K in Greece so with the peripheral parts and labout it could easily reach 3K. So, not a budget option.
This M52B28 and the V8 are both factory options, so I have singled them out.
Although any powerplant option is definitely worth being discussed if not being actually considered, so please do share your thoughts & knowledge.
Cheers,
Andreas
This is my first post, so I combined my intro with my query.
I used to own a SWB 1967 SIIA petrol.
Sold it a year ago and bought a 1989 2.5 petrol Ninety, as it is my only "car" so I can really use the servo assisted brakes, the disc brakes and the power steering and didn't like the idea of doing non-period correct mods to the Series.
I'm using the Rover most of the year in the centre of Athens (therefore SWB is ideal for me) and some weeks per year in the rocky island of Andros (therefore I need a 4x4).
The super-short version of my query:
Is there a petrol engine that will fit in a Ninety with a 2.5L petrol setup (LT77 box), without requiring much more labour or additional parts?
After much reasearch, elsewhere but also here on Landyzone, I think there isn't. Although it seems odd when considering how versatile Land Rovers are in every way.
In case I am right and there isn't one such swap, I suppose the real question would be:
What petrol engine swaps require the least amount of additional parts and labour in order to "fit well" (as well as the 2.5L compatible-wise) in a Ninety with a 2.5L petrol setup?
------------------------
As soon as I took my current Ninety for its first service, I realised water was mixing with oil. The previous owner was a boat mechanic, so it is likely he changed the oil the day I was visiting him, as it was planned the day before. I'm mentioning this because I do have limited mechanical knowledge, but I did check the oil and it didn't look like milky coffee.
I paid 500 euros at a specialized garage that has moderate prices for Greece when compared with other LR garages, with which I had a good previous experience with my SIIA, both in engine and other repairs. That included:
• the diagnosis
• washing well the engine and cooling system
• pressure checking the valve head for potential cracks
• skimming the head lightly
• checking the engine head, pistons and other components don't need replacing / should work well
• replacement of all gaskets besides the bottom one, as well as oil filter, sparkplugs and cables
At the time I took my Ninety for the 1st engine repair, I was prepared for the cracked head scenario and I was ready to pay 150 to this particular garage, for a cylinder head they had at the time. So that would be 650 in total and it was one of the main reasons I chose the particular garage over the other ones, as every garage I spoke with mentioned the possibility of my Rover having a cracked head and none of them said they could find a replacement.
After 6 months and only 350 km (I cover short distances and for 1 month I didn't use the Rover as my fuel pump stopped working) I had the same problem again. Perhaps earlier too, as I stupidly checked only twice in those six months. Once the first month and once the sixth.
Now the diagnosis is "cracked head" by the same mechanic, without removing the head or any component of the engine.
In the meantime, I also invested some more time & money on this engine by refurbishing myself its air filter that had a big rusty hole and by buying new hoses and collars. All of that was another 100 euros +/- in parts and materials.
The two obvious options I have now are:
1. A new head and the same process like before again (the mechanic takes responsibility for not diagnosing the cracked head and suggests I find a cylinder head and head gasket). The problem is those are not easy to find in Greece and when they pop up, they range anywhere between 150 (best case scenario) to 300 euros
2. A new 2.5 petrol engine. Those are relatively easy to find in Greece and they range from 500 to 650 euros. The mechanic could also do the engine swap and engine check (without opening) without charging me
Since:
• the 2.5 petrol produces only 83 hp and 180 Nm
• my Ninety sits on 255 85 R16 due to needing decent ground clearance even when I let air out and have a heavy load
• I plan on installing a full roll cage in the next 2 years
• I often reach the limit of the Ninety payload due to transporting building materials in Athens
• in the next 2 years I plan to be transporting so in an offroad track (perhaps not 700kg but easily 400, even w/o the rollcage)
I'm thinking this could be a small opportunity to install a different engine. The problem is this is not a good time for me to allocate a higher budget to ther Rover, as a new 2.5L engine is already a stretch, after having spend around 1.5K in various repairs and upgrades in a year since I bought it.
Despite that, the cost of a used V8 is the same with that of the 2.5L in Greece, so it is really inconvenient that it requires all those parts and labour in order to replace the 2.5L.
What options do I have besides the Rover 3.5 V8 which requires:
• a change in gearbox (LT85 or R380 instead of the current LT77)
• V8 clutch
• V8 cooling system
• custom engine mounts
• LT85 or R380 tunnel, unless the LT77 is mated to the V8 with use of an adapter plate
(please correct me if I'm forgetting anything or if I'm stating something that isn't needed)
That V8 option (in total for engine + parts) will likely cost at least twice as much compared with the 500 to 650 euros of an additional 2.5 petrol engine, without including labour costs.
Is there another petrol option that can be installed with fewer parts and labour?
I really liked the idea of a M52B28 since it is not a mod out of the blue due to the existence of the 2.8i Defender in South Africa at the time BMW owned Land Rover, but the engine alone costs around 1K in Greece so with the peripheral parts and labout it could easily reach 3K. So, not a budget option.
This M52B28 and the V8 are both factory options, so I have singled them out.
Although any powerplant option is definitely worth being discussed if not being actually considered, so please do share your thoughts & knowledge.
Cheers,
Andreas
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