Series 3 Rebuild blues

Hi folks, im not usually one to ask for help but i have found myself a wee bit stuck.

Bought a 83 series 3 4 cyl petrol. just over a year ago, completely rebuilt chassis, suspension all the usual stuff; taking me well over 1000 hours, (i am a landrover amateur i know ) But anyway now i have gotten so far and there is really no profit left in it. the engine is siezed solid after being left for a year since i first started it when i bought it.

I have heard talk of Tdi conversions, and im really jut on here to ask all you kind hearted experts if anybody has any words of advise for a young upstart, in quite a pickle. I just hate the thought of it sitting there any longer

Thanks all

Most likley it stopped at TDC/BDC and if this happens only a little corrosion can result in it sticking.The starter motor will then find it hard to start it turning.Have you tried turning it with a bar on the crank nut? Some thin oil down the spark plug holes may help.
You could remove the head and look and if this is so a whack or two with a block of wood on the pistons at TDC will usually move things.However a simpler way to get it moving would be a tow easing out the clutch with box in a high gear.

X1 don't give up on the engine yet matey. If you've got this far it's worth persevering. I doubt very much that it's so badly seized as to need scrapping. Go and get ****ed and start again at the weekend.

tottot said:

Most likley it stopped at TDC/BDC and if this happens only a little corrosion can result in it sticking.The starter motor will then find it hard to start it turning.Have you tried turning it with a bar on the crank nut? Some thin oil down the spark plug holes may help.
You could remove the head and look and if this is so a whack or two with a block of wood on the pistons at TDC will usually move things.However a simpler way to get it moving would be a tow easing out the clutch with box in a high gear.

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+1 - towing will almost certainly free it off - and I would deffo put some thin oil in the bores. Might even be able to free it off by rocking it back and forth on a flat surface in 4th - make sure it can't roll away or run you over etc!

The only way to make a profit on a series is to power wash it and sell it on for twenty quid more than you paid for it.
Once the spanners are out your on the slippery slope.

Roll the engine over a few times on a sheet of plastic to get the oil moving and get a bar on the crank to work it loose.

I am in Jarrow could have a look with you ,you won't be able to pm as insufficient posts.
I will try and send you a message.

Whereabouts in County Durham are you? Like Doug (Blackburn) I could possibly pop in and have a look of that's any help??
Doug....

Thanks for all the ideas i so feel like trying some more with it, starter motor had no chance, last week or two iv been filling cylinder with diesel, and yeah i tried rocking in forth, pushing and pulling in forth by hand and with tractor. no movement on engine. So i bought long socket extension and 44m socket with a power bar and no movement at all. came very close to bending it , im fairly sure its goosed but it is very suprising. next plant is probably to put here back together so shes decent, and to get a higher speed toe on a farm track,

You are leaving the spark plugs out as you tow it ?

StevoNinety4 said:

Thanks for all the ideas i so feel like trying some more with it, starter motor had no chance, last week or two iv been filling cylinder with diesel, and yeah i tried rocking in forth, pushing and pulling in forth by hand and with tractor. no movement on engine. So i bought long socket extension and 44m socket with a power bar and no movement at all. came very close to bending it , im fairly sure its goosed but it is very suprising. next plant is probably to put here back together so shes decent, and to get a higher speed toe on a farm track,

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Had similar experience with a 2.25 diesel lump. Gave up on it in the end.


As for engines... well 2.25p units are or were a few years back cheap as chips to pick up. Seen plenty go on ebay for £25 or so.

The 2.5p from the 90 is also a fairly straight forward swap.

And it's most a nut and bolts job to swap in a 2.25 or 2.5NAD diesel.

Anything else is going to be a bigger project and require more time, money and bits.

The 2.5TD is likely the next easiest. Then a 200Tdi. See my sig for my build thread of mine. But a Tdi swap is going to be more involved and ultimately more costly and take longer, as you will want to consider other options at the same time.

A friend of mine recently rebuilt his 1952 series 1 engine was totally seized stripped top and bottom end off got three pistons out easily fourth one took him nearly three weeks , eventually it give up and came out he was expecting the bore to be badly damaged , found to be ok gave it a light honing fitted new pistons and rebuilt and it runs as sweet as anything.
2.5N/a diesel requires engine mounting moved on chassis.
I have a 200DI in mine Bad doug has a V8
With the rocker cover off do all the valves look correct ,if in doubt take the rocker shaft assembly off and make sure the valve stems all come up to the same height.
Thinking being you might be trying to turn the engine against a stuck valve [if that is possible on the 2.25]!

UPDATE
Thanks to everyone who posted you all helped!
Me and my dad had the cylinder head off this afternoon; After putting force on the powerbar and hitting cylinder with a HUGE hammer SHE LIVES! Only problem is the exhaust valves are seriously damaged. I am now looking for any local (north east) engine refurb places i could take the cylinder head too tommorow to have valves repaired and allow me to run it on unleaded. Too the landrover technical genius' it appears the cylinders are keeping WD40 in well, so i think the piston rings are even still intact. Over the moon that a 74,000 mile land rover engine has a second chance.
Thanks again all!

Try these guys http://www.cleasbypes.co.uk/ they are in west side of Durham

Were the pistons stuck at or near TDC and BDC ? Anyway well done and with the head sorted it will start and run better.

tottot said:

Were the pistons stuck at or near TDC and BDC ? Anyway well done and with the head sorted it will start and run better.

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They were about 10mm from tdc and bdc. Yeah turned out quite well as it would have failed emissions on MOT day

. Seems the and rover was just telling me there was something wrong, good Landrover.