Gotta love it.

94 Defender 90,
about 2 years ago the 3.9 was swapped for a 4.0 long block (using all of the 3.9 front stuff (oil pump etc) )

Now the motor is not running well. And will not even come close to passing smog.

It seemed to be doing fine until my father drove it from Tehachapi (near bakersfield) to Las Vegas Last weekend. On the way back it apprently overheated.

So now it runs like crap..


And I am pissed..

Any good answers???


The truck is in Tehachapi and I am in Vegas,

I am thinking head gasket or the like. I just hope he did not heat it up enough to warp the head/block....

Send serious one after it. He owes you some favors, yes? Sorry for your bad luck.

JP

My string of luck hasn't been that great either.

:(

Jason:
Are you certain he overheated it? Given the distance it appears to have been driven, had it overheated and a head gasket failed, the carnage would have been much more impressive-I speak from personal experience. Mine was scrambled with fewer than 10 miles driving with no coolant flow. The carnage included two dropped exhaust valve guides.

As for warping the heads, if it overheated badly enough to impact driveability, the heads are warped and will require machining, however, my machinist tells me these are the easiest machining heads he has ever worked with.

If there is any good news here, it is that you can redo the top end of these engines for as little as $400 depending upon local machine shop prices. Buy the Buick intake gasket, the Rover composite head gaskets and if you are a real cheap bastid, use SBC head bolts, rather than the pricy Rover ones. Unless you really want to, I wouldn't buy the head gasket set or kit as it includes many gaskets you may well never need. In extreme cases, the water pump may also fail during an episode of overheating.

Jason, you sure this:

http://rocstafari.eresmas.com/museo/susp17.jpg

isn't what really happened?

:flipoff2:

We'll get him sorted out.

here is the deal

THe truck got in to the red zone for a short time until Dad shut down the AC. Then it cooled off a bit and sat just under the red mark.

He will be putting the Autometer gauges I got him in now..!!!!!

(been sitting since we put the new motor in)


Apparently it has a loss in power on big hills.

it does not run overly badly..

I am having him do a compression check and timing check...


No visible smoke tho...

Bout 2 hours before the issues...


http://imagem.webphotos.iwon.com/1000031835/1000031835_9222003122403PM0.2754893

Contrary to popular belief, these engines can withstand overhot conditions for short periods of time. From what you have described, it might be a head problem, but I doubt you heated it up enough to do serious damage.

Due to a bad expansion tank, my truck was overhot for a fairly lengthy drive (I commute 100 miles R/T each day), then again, I got it VERY hot while wheeling on a hot summer day, and just recently, due to a failed fan clutch, my turck got over hot. The only time I had a serious problem was when the radiator froze. This was the famous molal freezing point derpession miscalculation.

Good luck, I hope it isn't fatal. The compression check may show the problem, but if it was bad, it would be evident at start-up, if you can get it to start.

Peace,
Paul

That picture with the tennis balls is great. What in the holy hell is that corrigated tube thingy connected to the suspension link? Looks like something outta an HG Giger painting. Might even be a preloaded spring from a garage door.

Billster

what about a bad catalytic converter? maybe some of the ceramic broke off and plugged the exhuast. this may cause these symptoms.

Originally posted by UPOVR
what about a bad catalytic converter? maybe some of the ceramic broke off and plugged the exhuast. this may cause these symptoms.

Could be, and easy to diagnose, especially if a compression check as been run recently-vacuum should be low if the exhaust is constricted.

Apparently there is an odd screw that holds the Vacuume advance in place in the distributor.

That screw is missing.


Anyone got a spare :)

Originally posted by Jason M
Apparently there is an odd screw that holds the Vacuume advance in place in the distributor.

That screw is missing.


Anyone got a spare :)

BTDT, but mine wouldn't run. A 6X40 fits, I might have one.

yep.

bring it over (or I can give you the ones I have)

Originally posted by Serious One
yep.

bring it over (or I can give you the ones I have)

The truck is actually in tehachapi right now.

Sweet!!!

3.5 x 6mm metric machine screws...

Anyone got a source???

Well, *my* source was my old distributor...then that source suddenly dried up.

:flipoff2:

Nevada Bolt or McFaddendale's didn't have it?

Try Tacoma Screw.

You have a coupla options.

1: Order from dealer and pay $$$$

2: Try any of the many parts exchanges on-line, somebody may have a distributor they pulled the advance weights out of trying to remove the rotor

3: Drill/tap to a more common size

My Disco wouldn't start one evening after work, sounded like the timing was out... The next day at lunch, I had the hood open and a crowd watching/laughing, the head of R&D calmly walked up and pointed to the vacuum advance canister hanging haphazardly off of the distributor! Towed it home, pulled the distributor and began rummaging around in the basement. Keep in mind I bought the house from my father, he lived there almost 40 years and threw very little away.

Squirreled away in a corner of the shop was a plastic container with tiny screws and bearings. Amongst these was a screw that measured most closely to a #6X40-it fit!

The screws and bearings came out of a Norden bomb sight my father found in a military boneyard in the Philippines in 1944 or 1945. (Need parts for an Arisaka rifle?)

Morale of the story-NEVER, NEVER throw anything away!

Perrone Ford laughed at me for weeks when I told him this!

I might be able to find another of these goofy screws if you need it.

Peace,
Paul

Got a box of 100 coming :D


Anyone else have this problem???


(I found them at a shop in Denver Somewhere)