Hello all,

I have a 1996 landrover 300tdi that the engine and everything works and runs fantastic but the body work is rotten, I managed to source a 1993 landrover 200tdi and was told a rod had wreaked the engine but the bodywork is like new ( I live in france and this is a left hand drive Landy and as France doesnt use salt on the roads there is not a speck of rust underneath) so I thought I would remove my 300tdi engine and fit it in the 200 car.

Well the 200tdi was delivered today, we had already started stripping out the engine parts from my 300tdi (with a friend who is car mad) and when the new car was delivered we went over to have a look and see what it was like. My friend said the engine was like the chassis and body work ....immaculate!!!, not a drop of oil on anything ( and it had been stood in a mechanics garage for 5 yrs taking up a work bay) My friend said he couldnt see any physical damage from where a rod had shot through the block, he checked the oil and it was low so he topped it up and as we had nothing to lose decided to risk starting it up (we was only going to use the 200tdi car chassis and body) we took the battery off my 300tdi and connected it to the 200tdi and said a prayer and turned the key. Well it started on the 1st 1/4 turn, we couldnt believe it. Now for the problem, below are a list of problems my friend has asked to put up and see what the concensus is, and what help can be had from the far more knowledgable car people on here.

• Engine runs but is missing on cylinder 4, but when you pick the revs up it runs on cylinder 4
• Oil smoke coming out of the exhaust
• smoke and chuffing through rocker cover/oil filler
• it has excellent oil pressure
• The engine sounds really smooth.

Any help and thoughts is greatly appreciated, we how the engine in the 200tdi looks I would rather repauir that and keep that one in rather than change it for my 300 series.

thanks for your help

Regards

Mark

 

After sitting for 5 years smoke out of the exhaust is normal, once the engine reaches full operating temp and everything has a chance to get hot and burn off it should stop.
As for the missing, could be a sticky valve or a bad fuel injector.

I am putting my money on a blown head gasket, thats why you get the excessive smoke from the tail pipe and out of the oil filler and the missing on cylinder 4, the gasket is bad at that cylinder.
Common on all Rover engines, not a big deal.
Here is what I would do, keep a eye on the coolant level, make sure it is full, run the engine upto temp and see if it gets better (no mis and no smoke)
If it does get better and no coolant loss then change the oil and drive it for a week or so and see what happens.
If it does NOT get better, pull the head, replace the head gasket and the timing belt.

On second thought, the whole truck is junk so you need to just send it to me.

 

And I would be more than happy to take that 300TDI off your hands!

 

well took the head off this afternoon and yep there was a dirty great big hole in the head gasket lon No 4 ring, head, piston etc all look fine, no pits or anything so all in all I feel lucky (touch wood) ordered a head gasket, plus all new filters and timing belt,
I will keep you informed how it all goes back together.

Thanks