Last time I saw a witness mark like that was behind the pulley on my failed crankshaft!!! :eek:
I'm sure that is just a badly fitting cover though!!

I expect the cover is distorted slightly. I'm not going to worry about it, as it'll cause no harm.
The crankshaft on the DW12 is a super strong steel job, so not prone to the type of failure that the M47R suffers.
 
Last night I proceded to open the tailgate, I pulled on the handle and either the window had not completed its descent or I didn't wait long enough for it to do so before opening the door, the window did manouve a release (with a slap) out from under the hard plastic thing and the door opened. Naturally I couldn't close the door fully. So today I learned about a new thing, that the rear window can be operated fully as a power window, that there is a button in the center console that operates the power window and all is well. Dead handy I suppose if you're being chased by people with evil intent, you or partner can return fire elegantly without having to smash the rear window into smithereens.
 
Today I started pulling the fuel and air intake path of my FL2 apart, so I can fit the low mileage replacement cylinder head this week, that I've had in my possession since April.
This is how the engine looked, once the cover was removed.
View attachment 251876
It took several hours to get to this stage, with plenty of distractions. :(
Although the vehicle is in the air, with the RH front wheel removed, and I'd got the starter out too.
View attachment 251877
It took some time to get the injectors out, as 2 were rusted in, with bright red rust.:eek::eek:
View attachment 251878
So how did those injectors get wet, is the question?:confused:
That's super strange. I am not familiar with this engine - is this a direct injection engine with injector ports close to the water jacket and head gasket?
 
That's super strange. I am not familiar with this engine - is this a direct injection engine with injector ports close to the water jacket and head gasket?

I'm not sure where the water has come from, but as those 2 injectors were still wet when I removed them, I can only assume they've got wet either from road water (I've gone through loads of puddings recently) , or water has come through the radiator and somehow made its way to the injectors.

There's no cooling system joints around the injectors, so it can only come from an outside source, and if it was coolant, the corrosion inhibitors would prevent corrosion anyway.

It's very odd, and I'd love to find the source, just in case I need to remove them again in the future.
 
Last edited:
I'm not sure where the water has come from, but as those 2 injectors were still wet when I removed them, I can only assume they've got wet either from road water (I've gone through loads of puddings recently) , or water has come through the radiator and somehow made its way to the injectors.

There's no cooling system joints around the injectors, so it can only come from an outside source, and if it was coolant, the corrosion inhibitors would prevent corrosion anyway.

It's very odd, and I'd love to fine the source, just in case I need to remove them again in the future.
Dunno how long rust takes to establish when water comes into contact with metal - but you'd have thought those would get hot when the engine was running and moisture around the injectors would evaporate.

Is the area where they enter the head recessed where water could pool?
 
Dunno how long rust takes to establish when water comes into contact with metal
Light surface rust forms in minutes. However this is heavy enough to stick them in, so it's not new.
but you'd have thought those would get hot when the engine was running and moisture around the injectors would evaporate.
The head will get hot (normal running temperature is 82°C), but the injectors run pretty cold, as they have minimal contact with the hot engine, as only the bottom seal and top clamp touch the head, and the injectors are cooled by the fuel that continually flows through them, so if water did get in, it could potentially hang about for a long time before it evaporates. As it happens, the vehicle only does short journeys, so it probably never gets hot enough to dry out properly.
Is the area where they enter the head recessed where water could pool?
Yes, they're recessed into the head.
I just need to stop the water getting in the injector recesses.
 
Here's some more pictures of the engine strip down.
The design is rather silly, as the whole top end needs to be stripped down, so the head bolts can be accessed.
Plastic top cover removed.
20211104_143646.jpg

Cam bearing ladder/housing removed.
20211104_144839.jpg

I took pictures of the link timing chain, to try to identify the different colour links, needed for timing the cams, but I couldn't see them.:confused:
20211104_144845.jpg

20211104_144855.jpg

I seem to remember the different colour links were almost impossible to see, when I put it together last time.
It's mute on this head anyway, as the replacement head is complete with everything I need, so tomorrow I'm just going to get this head off and clean everything up, ready for reassembly of the new head.

There's also a lot of wet oil around this engine too, but again I've no ideas as to where it's coming from, but I'd like to fix that issue too.
 
How do you get timing chain off?? Is there a link to remove?


No it's a jointless chain, so it's slipped over both cams and then timed against the marks.

I marked the chain with a Sharpie last time, but it's obviously not oil resistant.
The Sharpie marks were then lined up with the dots on the cam sprockets, and the whole assembly is put in the head.
20200906_150049.jpg
 
Got Buddy (my FL2) running!!
No starting on 3 cylinders, no tapping tappets, it just runs smoothly. Happy now.:D
Congrats... Now you can crunch the numbers and see if it was worth the punt buying a cheap but borked FL2 vs a running one. I'd suggest you discount the brakes and maybe even the diff from the costs as the brakes and diff are separate from the engine repair that discounted the purchase price.
 
Now you can crunch the numbers and see if it was worth the punt buying a cheap but borked FL2 vs a running one.


I'd already done that.
It's cost me £3112 all in, which includes a replacement head, new brakes all round, a replacement rear diff, which I then rebuilt, a Haldex service, all new fluids in the gearbox, PTU and obviously rear diff, oh and 1 identical replacement tyre.

So yes it was worth the money.
I couldn't buy an equivalent vehicle for what it's cost me, so I'm happy.

Apart from the moron working on it before I got it, it's quite clearly been looked after previously, so it seems a good vehicle, on the hole.
 

Similar threads