My Name is Craig

So, really what I thought then, head coming off, I'll wait till I get the pump back on and engine running. Then make a start from the top down, how long should I set aside for this job? it looks relatively straight forward, and what would be the usual things to do at the same time, replace/re-lap valves, clean up the ports, check piston clearances, and bore for unnecessarry wear. I have access to a machine shop, should I be thinking about skimming the head? Are difarent gasket thicknesses available? I'm sure there are some on here who have done more cylinder heads then they care to remember. This will be my first. off to the tech archive!!!

I haven't, that's on the 'to do' when the fuel pump gets back, wether to remove all the timing belt covers or to just check that no1 valve is in TDC at the correct time, I always fear breaking the bit of the alluminiau cover that goes round the water pump, so delicate. I know that I had the fuel pump to crankshaft timing perfect, and reckoned on not being able to turn the engine over without contacting a valve if the timing betwen the crangshagt and the camshaft were out even by just 1 tooth.

An invitation for anybody to confirm to me what I think I already know... Background: Took the landy on a fishing trip a few weeks back, having just done the necessary post timing belt snap works,, new push rods etc, also fitted a new fuel pump, recent mot pass, everything in the garden was rosey. Until... I use the landy mostly as a weekend vehicle, fun and practical, so came to start it up a week later, the 200tdi fired up as usual, seemed to be running well, if a bit reeky, I had anticipated the smoke clearing after a mile or two but it just seemed to get worse, then the power started to drop off, by the time I limped home I had to use low 1st to crawl up the not terribly steep drive. I lifted the bonnet to see if there was anything obvious, and there was, exhaust gas coming out the crankcase vent, or the oil filler cap if I took it off, If I cracked injectors 3 or 4 the engine stalled, there seemed to be a lack of pressure at injector 1 and 2, so I whipped the fuel pump and had it reconditioned, which wasn't cheap. I took the pump out and replaced it without removing the timing belt cover, being an incurable optimist, replaced the pump (a job which now takes me about 20 minutes) cranked the engine over manually to make sure the valves wouldn't come into contact with the pistons, then started the engine.. Still being down on power I set about cracking the injectors again, cracked the first injector and running got significantly rougher, but didn't improve when I tightened it down, cracked the second injector and the engine nearly stalled, injectors 3 and 4 the same, do these injectors 'stick' if not used for a long time, engine didn't turn for nearly 5 months at one stage. Engine also slow to rev up and probably reaching a max of about 2500 rpm (by ear) Also, if it's possible it seems that the level of oil in the sump has increased, I intend to drain it and let it seperate, I'm not losing water, could it be shot piston rings and unburn't fuel passing by, there seems to be plenty of compression when turning the engine over manually, does anybody know wether it would be possible to turn the engine over without contacting a valve if the belt was 1 tooth out? Fuel pump came back with a slight leak, and rather than sending me the bits the place apolagised and asked me to send the pump back for them to repair, at no cost to myself fortunately. I'm aware that there are almost definately multiple issues at play here, but what's the best way forward?? Is it worth doing a compression test, pop testing the injectors, or do I just whip the head off now? What are the most likley routes of exhaust gas to crankcase? I look orward to hearing what folk have to say. Cheers Craig Eleanor Roosevelt: 'Learn from the mistakes of others. You can't live long enough to make them all yourself.'

I already have disc brakes, the rear 'drum' on my current axle is slightly porus, as a minimum I will have to drain it and coat it with chemical metal to try to stem the oozing. I thought the disco rear axle had a limited slip diff, which the defender axle doesn't? am I mistaken? I also thought that might provide an 'edge' whilst offroading, having said that, the only time I've lost traction it was all wheels at the same time.

Wow, Lot's of useful info here, thanks, The reason I think the fuel pump is seized, I had the vehicle in Iceland this summer, I'll reccomend it to anybody with a Landy, brilliant fun. Anyhow, just before I left the engine stopped turning off with the ignition, I changed the solenoid stop and that resolved the problem, for a week, So all the way round iceland, the only way to stop the engine was to stall it, not ideal, but.... We were in a two vehicle convoy, just outside Rekyavik the water pump on the jeep seized, fortunately we were heading back to the boat, unfortunately that was over 400 miles away on the other side of Iceland, first days towing went fine, 250 miles covered. Second day, got 200 yards down the road when,,,thump! engine cut out, tried all manor of thing to get it started, checked rocker cover was turning, so timing belt ok, manually checked fuel, to make sure the guage was reading accurately, checked this, checked that, checked fuel was getting to the injectors, only two of them were getting fuel, strange, eventually I thought to try taking the fuel stop solenoid out. Must've looked a sorry state, Land rover, bonnet up with two men tearing lumps out of the engine, and a tow rope to a jeep that could go nowhere by itself. Anyway, pulled the stop solenoid out and motor started fine, noticed the new plunger was all scratched, swarf perhaps? anybody similar experience? Anyway, towed the Jeep, over a gravel track, on a mountain road, with a 1 in 5 gradient, No sooner were we over the hill than bang!, engine cuts out, this time it was really difficult to start, never sussed out why it stopped, eventually got started, but only on three cyl, dragged the jeep to the top of the last hill, antied the rope and just pushed it off at the top of the hill, had to tow the jeep again in the Faroes, didn't go far, finally back to Scotland, ferry over to scrabster, across to orkney to catch the last ferry home where I would be able to resolve the problem... not so, we got a recovery vehicle to recover the Jeep, I was following in my 3cyl special when it gave the final squeel/thud, this time the timing belt had come off, as the recovery vehicle drives off into the distance. Long story short, I think the fuel pump because 1. I went through 2 solenoid stops in as many weeks, with relatively light use. 2, Fuel pump was only firinig on three cyl, and leaking, I would quite like to use the disco gearbox, since it's less than half the mileage, how difficult is it to move the engine forward 6 inches, what additional work is involved? Is it possible to use the current gearbox, and the disco transfer box, Another reason for changing the engine is that the existing one burned quite a bit of oil, the disco was handy, and in good condition, appart from the chasis which was VERY rusty, could see daylight through it. Mount stealing is the easy part, I have a big grinder, and a friend who is a coded welder. Also, what about the rear axle? Worth stealing from the disco?

If you have the patience to wait, I might be able to send you a replacement head, hoping to finish my project about Christmas, depending on how yours is, possibly a turbo too, engine is about 130k miles.

Hi Folks, I have a Defender, 200tdi, snorkel, winch etc... After heroically towing a Jeep over 400 miles Through three countries, and two mountain ranges, the thing decided it had had enough, and threw it's timing belt off, I'm pretty sure the fuel injector pump seized. Anyway, due to the mileage on the engine, and untold damage from missing belt, and availability of a rusted disco, I decided to change the engine, old unit 130k miles, new one 60k. I've read plenty about fitting a 200tdi disco engine to a defender, but not about a 300tdi to a defender, anybody got any pointers, due to the mileage differance, I was planning to change the gearbox, transfer box, and possibly the rear axle for the limited slip diff and disc brakes. I've got the engine out the disco, that was the easy part. 20:20 vision is easy with hinddsight, does anybody out there have the hindsight?? Also, there will be a low ratio transfer box available afterwards, depending on the success, plus potentially various engine bits, it's relatively clean for the milage, appart from the 'being broken' thing. New to the forum, so patience is appreciated, not quite got the hang of it yet...