S157 FWL - Y61 LWB 2.8 Nissan Patrol GR

[Banshee]

Matey boy the 2.7 is capable of plenty of power and often used in Patrols.
If only you were on faceache I could link you to several compound turbo units, plenty on VNT turbo etc.
Easy swap too.
Then there's the Q32 engine. Big brother of the 2.7
At work now .....

If I sign up to Facebook will you send me those Calmini measurments? :nenau

 

[makeitfit]

If I sign up to Facebook will you send me those Calmini measurments? :nenau

No
Black Pearl is on the lift at the mo. Engine back in , diff and front end soon.

 

[Fez_uk]

He's apparently left the head in a usable condition and the extraction process they used should mean that it still holds compression, I should be able to use the engine with just 5 glow plugs but me being, OCD Zac, I can't let that be........

Mate just run with 5 and enjoy your patrol

 

[Banshee]

Mate just run with 5 and enjoy your patrol

There's a lot more trouble at the inn than just that anyway Fez...... It's still got some body rot and sill rot that Elty will be finishing off at some point......

I want to do just that Fez, "Enjoy it"....... Bear in mind, I've not actually driven this bus yet, other than the 15mph around the block up into 2nd gear when I collected it on the trailer. From what I've experienced of it so far and the horror stories I've seen online and knowing of others with issues (Flying Torquewrench)

I want to drop something reliable in there and drive :banghead

The RD28 for me, is no longer a viable engine in this vehicle and nobody will be able to convince me otherwise

 

[Flying Torquewrench]

Not even going to attempt to convince you otherwise but I think that you are doing the RD28 a disservice. If I look at my engine then most problems are maintenance related or just purely the age of the engine. Lets start from the top down.

-Glow plugs, the old ones are genuine Nissan hence I expect that they are 23 years old. Under engine maintenance Nissan recommends the testing of the glow plugs if starting becomes difficult or with plumes of smoke. Mine has been smoking on start for most of the time I have had it. In the end the starting became so difficult that I shudder to think how many glow plugs were still working. The glow plugs cost my £218 from the dealer but they can be had for £6 from KS International.

-Injectors, first time they have been reconditioned in 23 years so I don’t think that is too bad. £432.

-Cylinder head, this is where my biggest cost item was. Due to the seized glow plugs I choose to replace it. Now removing the glow plugs during every oil change. Takes an hour but keeps them easy to remove. £915 for the head, including shipping.

-Shims, on the Ti engine the valve clearance needs to be checked regularly. Shims are £3 each and I needed 9. I will now check it every 12 months.

-Piston rings, not 100% sure why they had worn but could be a lack of maintenance before I bought it. Genuine rings from Oz. £218. Unable to get them in the UK.

-Last but not least, the Turbo. An overhaul on the turbo after 23 years is not bad going if you ask me.

On top of that there are seals, head bolts, oil, cambelt, belts, filters etc but that is predominantly normal maintenance.

Reading on the Australian forums then all engines have their issues. I read as many horror stories about the TD42 as I do about the RD28. If you look at the Australians, rebuilding their engines is normal whilst we do normal maintenance and thats it.

I am looking forward to see your build threadwhen you drop another engine in it. :thumbs:thumbs

 

[Banshee]

Not even going to attempt to convince you otherwise but I think that you are doing the RD28 a disservice. If I look at my engine then most problems are maintenance related or just purely the age of the engine. Lets start from the top down.

-Glow plugs, the old ones are genuine Nissan hence I expect that they are 23 years old. Under engine maintenance Nissan recommends the testing of the glow plugs if starting becomes difficult or with plumes of smoke. Mine has been smoking on start for most of the time I have had it. In the end the starting became so difficult that I shudder to think how many glow plugs were still working. The glow plugs cost my £218 from the dealer but they can be had for £6 from KS International.

-Injectors, first time they have been reconditioned in 23 years so I don’t think that is too bad. £432.

-Cylinder head, this is where my biggest cost item was. Due to the seized glow plugs I choose to replace it. Now removing the glow plugs during every oil change. Takes an hour but keeps them easy to remove. £915 for the head, including shipping.

-Shims, on the Ti engine the valve clearance needs to be checked regularly. Shims are £3 each and I needed 9. I will now check it every 12 months.

-Piston rings, not 100% sure why they had worn but could be a lack of maintenance before I bought it. Genuine rings from Oz. £218. Unable to get them in the UK.

-Last but not least, the Turbo. An overhaul on the turbo after 23 years is not bad going if you ask me.

On top of that there are seals, head bolts, oil, cambelt, belts, filters etc but that is predominantly normal maintenance.

Reading on the Australian forums then all engines have their issues. I read as many horror stories about the TD42 as I do about the RD28. If you look at the Australians, rebuilding their engines is normal whilst we do normal maintenance and thats it.

I am looking forward to see your build threadwhen you drop another engine in it. :thumbs:thumbs

So excluding the turbo cost which you didn't state, you are £1800 deep just to get the 2.8 running again ???

That's shocked me.....

 

[Flying Torquewrench]

Turbo was £380, so that makes it £2200!

However you conveniently disregard the point I was trying to make. Badly obviously.

The piston rings were the cause of my problem. (Low compression). The rest is just general maintenance that can be expected on an engine that is 23 years old.
Of course the new cylinder head is not general maintenance but if proper maintenance had been carried out before I bought it then the glow plugs wouldn’t be seized in the head.

Take the rings and head off the total and you are looking at around £1100. Which for an engine of this age is not spectacular. With normal maintenance the glow plugs should have been checked and replaced as required avoiding replacing them all at the same time. Turbo and injectors should now outlast the rest of the car.

As I said before, if you replace an engine you don’t know with 100% certainty what you get. You may still get similar bills in a couple of years time.

If I was dropping a new engine in then I would still have the injectors and turbo tested & overhauled as required, new belts and glow plugs fitted. So what do you really save apart from the gaskets and head bolts?

But that is only me, I don’t like to do a halfhearted job and when I am in there I do everything.

 

[Flying Torquewrench]

Apologies, the turbo was £292 according to the receipt and not £380.

 

[Fez_uk]

There's a lot more trouble at the inn than just that anyway Fez...... It's still got some body rot and sill rot that Elty will be finishing off at some point......

But you will have to do that regardless what engine you stick in it. Also fitting a different type of engine/gearbox won't be a walk in the park. Other issue how to register the change officially, or not? Could invalidate your insurance.

To me it sounds like the easiest option is to stick the 2.8 back in with 5 glow plugs. Run it for a few years. Save for a OM606 conversion or something if your heart is set to keep the patrol.

 

[Banshee]

But you will have to do that regardless what engine you stick in it. Also fitting a different type of engine/gearbox won't be a walk in the park. Other issue how to register the change officially, or not? Could invalidate your insurance.

To me it sounds like the easiest option is to stick the 2.8 back in with 5 glow plugs. Run it for a few years. Save for a OM606 conversion or something if your heart is set to keep the patrol.

If it gets an engine swap it will all be legally declared and insured accordingly.

The 2.8 will only be going back in if I can get 6 glow plugs back in, I've not come this far to bodge it all back together, if I wanted to have done that then I'd have squirted the woodruff keyway on the crankshaft with MIG juice and be done with it, that's not the way I want to roll.

 

[Fez_uk]

there's different levels of bodge, running one less glow plug is very low on the bodge list :lol

 

[Banshee]

there's different levels of bodge, running one less glow plug is very low on the bodge list :lol

It's high on mine :lol

 

[lfteixeira]

The 2.8 will only be going back in if I can get 6 glow plugs back in, I've not come this far to bodge it all back together, if I wanted to have done that then I'd have squirted the woodruff keyway on the crankshaft with MIG juice and be done with it, that's not the way I want to roll.

Question: It's so hard to get a head in good condition for the RD28 overthere?

Do you want me to try and get one here in Portugal?
Don't know about shipping costs for something that heavy...

 

[Banshee]

Question: It's so hard to get a head in good condition for the RD28 overthere?



Do you want me to try and get one here in Portugal?

Don't know about shipping costs for something that heavy...

Now we're talking!!!! Would you do that for me......

I love this forum and all on it with all my heart

I'm sure we can probably sort something naughty with the shipping, I'll send a plane [emoji38]

Sent from my S62 Pro using Tapatalk

 

[Flying Torquewrench]

Just remember it needs to be a head for a RD28Ti, as these heads are different to the normal RD28T heads.

Good quality heads are not difficult to find, just depends on how much you want to pay.

 

[Banshee]

Just remember it needs to be a head for a RD28Ti, as these heads are different to the normal RD28T heads.

Good quality heads are not difficult to find, just depends on how much you want to pay.

Not a grand :lol :lol

 

[Flying Torquewrench]

Purely out of interest Zac, how much would you pay for a second hand head from Portugal bought unseen?

Not in slightest am I implying that buying a brand new head is the only way forward. As I stated previously my concern with second hand is that you just don’t know what you are getting. Hence why I was reluctant to go down the second hand route.

 

[Banshee]

Purely out of interest Zac, how much would you pay for a second hand head from Portugal bought unseen?

Not in slightest am I implying that buying a brand new head is the only way forward. As I stated previously my concern with second hand is that you just don’t know what you are getting. Hence why I was reluctant to go down the second hand route.

A question I haven't even thought about yet :nenau

Hmmmm...........

 

[Flying Torquewrench]

A question I haven't even thought about yet :nenau

Hmmmm...........

Zac, I will just leave this here for your information. A brand new BARE AMC head is £505.00 + VAT. This is purely the bare head with no springs, valves, etc. If your existing head is in good shape then those parts can all be swapped over.

My only reason for posting this is so that you have a price comparison of a cheaper alternative to a used head.

By the way, you said earlier that you took your other head to your engine shop. Did they have no success in removing the glow plug in that one either?

 

[Banshee]

Zac, I will just leave this here for your information. A brand new BARE AMC head is £505.00 + VAT. This is purely the bare head with no springs, valves, etc. If your existing head is in good shape then those parts can all be swapped over.

My only reason for posting this is so that you have a price comparison of a cheaper alternative to a used head.

By the way, you said earlier that you took your other head to your engine shop. Did they have no success in removing the glow plug in that one either?

Thanks for the figure :thumb2

My head went away to Blue Star Engines in Balsall Heath and they weren't able to extract the last plug