Back to the Series Service Section
Please be aware that ECR is now a Defender repair and modification shop only.
We no longer work on Range Rovers, Discos or Series Rovers.
These pages are from work we did in the past and left up for your enjoyment.
Series IIA 88 Engine Replacement
This Series IIA 88 has come to us from an owner in MA for some service work. The engine in the Rover is very tired and suffers seriously from lack of routine maintenance and few oil changes. There is no saving it, the engine has to be replaced.
Here you can see the engine bay on this 88. Its a total hodgepodge of backyard engineering and a total mess. Everything that was ever done to this 88 was done wrong and with the wrong parts. To make the engine the best part of the engine bay we have disconnected all the systems from the engine and we are getting ready to remove the engine.
This image shows the old engine removed and stripped of its needed parts. Too many leaks and too many miles means this old 88 needs a new heart.
Here you can see that new heart, a new Turner 2.25HO engine that not only will cure the issues the old engine had, it is set up to run on unleaded fuels and will give the 88 some added performance to boot.
The parts from the old engine are removed and evaluated. What can go onto the new engine gets installed and what doesn't make the cut gets trashed in favor of new Genuine Land Rover parts. This image shows the engine nearly complete and almost ready to go back into the 88.
The engine bay is made as ready and shortly we will drop in the new Turner 2.25HO and get this Series IIA 88 back on the road again.
Here you can see we have installed the new engine back into the engine bay and hooked up the old systems. We have corrected unsafe items like the leaking fuel lines and such, but for this customer we are just making the 88 function. There is a lot more work to do on this Rover and perhaps we'll get to make it into a better, safer, truck in the future, but for now the goal is to just get it on the road.
One aspect, the most important aspect, of a safe vehicle that you can't cut any corners on is the brakes. The brakes on this 88 were scary to say the least. Just about everything in the brake system at the wheels was bad, and if it wasn't bad it was too rusted together to get apart. Once we got everything apart we evaluated each piece and replaced what was required. We also repaired the wheel seals and tightened up the loose wheel bearings as well.
In the front the damage from past incorrect work was a bit worse. The wrong bolts with the wrong thread and thread pitch had been used on the drive flanges (they just pounded them in) and this wrecked the hubs, so replacement hubs had to be installed along with the new brake parts. Here you can see we have stripped everything down and we will now start to assemble the brakes and wheel hub correctly.
The flex lines for the brake system on this 88 were so far gone that fluid would barely pass through them. As an example, we have cut the rear brake flex line in half to show you what the inside looked like. The rubber has turned to a near solid goop and expanded into the passage area where the brake fluid should flow (see yellow arrow). This makes it so very little brake fluid will pass through the line and it can also cause your brakes to drag, as the pressure on the fluid can not be released when you take your foot off the brakes.
This image shows the front hubs repaired and the new brake parts installed. The old brake drums were out of spec. as well (worn too far) so with new drums on top of this set up the 88 will be ready for some road tests.
Here you can see the 88 as we get the engine tuned and ready to go. Once everything is back together we'll do some initial road tests to make sure there are no issues or engine leaks, and then get the Rover ready for delivery back to the owner.
With the work orders now completed the 88 is once again safe to drive and has a lot more power and punch due to the new engine. If you have Land Rover repair needs, from a full restoration to a simple engine swap like this 88, contact ECR. We'll be happy to help you in any way we can.