Cylinder heads - are they interchangable S2a/S3 diesel?

[tugboat]

Slowly working towards getting 'Project B' under way.

Having bought the (too good ...) '81 LWB SW for spares for my original project to get the '70 2A 109 I've owned since '76 and laid up about 20 years ago, completely rebuilt, I've taken forum members advice from my first post a few weeks ago and have begun to get in about seeing whether I can get the SW MOT'd without major treatment.

I got hold of a set of almost unused OE Defender wheels with standard Avon Rangemasters - tried them on the SW on the private road up to the farm and what an improvement on the perished, oversized General Grabbers it came with!

Engine seems to be excellent except that it's obviously pulling some oil into the cylinders when idling hot for very long periods. Not a lot, just briefly a bit of lube oil smoke when it's revved, and I'd put my money on valve stem seals, but as I've a very good 2A diesel head lying somewhere, I was wondering whether I'd get away with a quick change over rather than a top overhaul. Or is the head on the 5 bearing S3 different?

It's probably ok for the MOT (I think it only just edges into a tighter emission test at 1981) but as I've a spare head I might as well fix it as easily as I can get away with.

Thinking about it, I've an unused set of Lucas exchange injectors from yonks ago for the old 109 somewhere too.

[Phil Hancock]

The only issue i can think of will be the late engine is probably metric so any bolts/studs screwed into it wont fit the early head as that will be imperial.

[tugboat]

Thanks for that - I'll check over the metric/imperial implications now before starting.