2.6L Petrol

BikerB · Jul 11, 2016

I have just bought an 82 Series 3 with a 2.6L petrol motor. It has been standing for 19 years and the engine is seized. I'll try the usual oil down the bores etc to see it it will free off before doing much else as it would nice to get it running before taking it apart for rebuild.
However I have a query. The engine looks complete apart from a broken pipe or two going to into the exhaust manifold adaptor and the complete air pump is missing. I am assuming this is some sort of EGR arrangement and the easiest thing to do is completely remove the whole adaptor and eliminate the whole thins rather than attament to find the parts to replace/repair?
Is it a primitive EGR or something different that will need repair? The parts manual calls it a de tox fitment so assuming some versions of the engine did not have it at all

BikerB · Jul 12, 2016

Reading off t'interweb, and there isn't much around, it seems this is a basic air pump rather than an EGR. The pump is already missing and the link pipe is smashed. I assume that I can simply remove the inlet adaptor between the block and exhaust manifold and simply remove the air pump bracket etc and forget it ever existed.
There seem a dearth of info on the 2.6l but since it is original to the car I would like to keep it, I am not a rivet counter but do like originality if possible.

BikerB · Aug 2, 2016

Does anyone have a 2.6L and know of a good source of spares? Mine is seized and even some of the usual tricks like diesel down the bores, big bar, boiling water and even some brute force have not freed it off. The head has to come off next and see what is going on.
While I can find the odd gasket for sale there seems to be a dearth of actual bits, particulalrly to rebuild a unit.

Oldseadog · Aug 11, 2016

Speak with John Craddock http://www.johncraddockltd.co.uk/

norseman · Aug 11, 2016

I once freed off a seized 1940's six cyl. side-valve engine by using Coca-Cola (not Pepsi) very successfully without the need for any force.
The air pump set-up was an attempt by LR to cure the 2.6's habit of burning exhaust valves & probably helped reduce emissions as well. It's a lovely lump but car-derived from the Rover 100 saloon & not really a success in a working LR. Effectively a short stroke P5, an example of which I transplanted into a 12 seat station wagon back in the late 'eighties - a relatively straight forward conversion that considerably improved both power & torque without detriment to fuel consumption.

cornish rattler · Aug 5, 2017

norseman said:
I once freed off a seized 1940's six cyl. side-valve engine by using Coca-Cola (not Pepsi) very successfully without the need for any force.
The air pump set-up was an attempt by LR to cure the 2.6's habit of burning exhaust valves & probably helped reduce emissions as well. It's a lovely lump but car-derived from the Rover 100 saloon & not really a success in a working LR. Effectively a short stroke P5, an example of which I transplanted into a 12 seat station wagon back in the late 'eighties - a relatively straight forward conversion that considerably improved both power & torque without detriment to fuel consumption.

That's what I would do fit a Rover P5 3ltr engine they sound great just like the 2.6ltr but better

Barge Pilot · Oct 11, 2017

I do have a 2.6 and no air pump as far as I know. I'm in Europe by the way. It's running fantastically, flick of the key and it starts, no matter what weather it is.

It sure is smoky though and I too would love more information, especially on rebuilding this engine.

I don't understand the dislike for this engine, it may have the same power as the 4-pot but it is a lot more torquey and makes puttering around town a breeze.

Now only if it had power steering...

norseman · Jan 20, 2018

Barge Pilot said:
I don't understand the dislike for this engine, it may have the same power as the 4-pot but it is a lot more torquey and makes puttering around town a breeze[/QUOTE

I don't know if the word dislike is appropriate, it's just that the unit stems from the 1950's & notwithstanding the engine's incredible smoothness & sexy exhaust note it's efficiency (or lack of) reflects that. Like many car-derived power units the 2.6 wasn't a great success in a commercial application but there's no denying the engine's peak torque at less than 2000rpm made LR's fitted with it great in an off-road environment, I believe the Devon & Cornwall lads used to fit the 2.6 into series one trialers.

nb: if the engine starts to misfire when hot be aware that the exhaust valve clearances can close up in service & with the tappets in the block adjustment requires a degree of dexterity
Good luck with the project, these are rare beasts now-days.

peter8315 · Feb 20, 2018

BruceB said:
Does anyone have a 2.6L and know of a good source of spares? Mine is seized and even some of the usual tricks like diesel down the bores, big bar, boiling water and even some brute force have not freed it off. The head has to come off next and see what is going on.
While I can find the odd gasket for sale there seems to be a dearth of actual bits, particulalrly to rebuild a unit.

Hi Mate, i have just bought a series 3 with a 6 cyl in it, i was going to sell it though, i don't know wether its free as only got it tother day, if your interested come and have a look, don't know were you are ,ii am in ilkeston near nottingham

2.6L Petrol

BikerB

Well-Known Member

BikerB

Well-Known Member

BikerB

Well-Known Member

Oldseadog

Well-Known Member

norseman

Well-Known Member

cornish rattler

Well-Known Member

Barge Pilot

Member

norseman

Well-Known Member

peter8315

Active Member

Similar threads