Land Rover 2.6 6cyl Engine Servicing

Land Rover 6 Cylinder 2.6 litre Engine from Series Landrover basic service:

1. Clean the engine
2. Replace the fuel filter/s
3. Change the oil
4. Change the oil filter
5. Clean the air filter
6. Replace the fan belt
7. Set the tappets
8. Replace the spark plugs
9. Replace the points and condenser
10. Set the timing
11. Set the carburettor

Start here..

1. Run the engine for a short while, then spray it with some engine cleaner and let it stand a while.
   Rinse it off with a hose or high pressure cleaner.
   
2. Remove the old inline filter and discard, fit a new filter and secure the clamps.
   Find a container able to hold about 10L of oil. Loosen the sump plug using a socket or ring spanner.
   Drain the oil until it drips slowly, replace the plug and tighten firmly.
   
3. Loosen the bolt at the top of the oil filter head, remove the housing with the cartridge inside.
   Discard the filter cartridge and wash the housing with engine cleaner or petrol.
   Remove the 'o' ring from the filter body (aluminium bit on the engine) using a narrow screwdriver.
   Fit the new 'o' ring supplied with the filter cartridge. Before fitting the housing with the new cartridge inside, lightly oil the mating rubber surfaces with clean engine oil.
   
4. Remove the air cleaner (Original Oil bath type). Discard the oil in the base pan and wash with engine cleaner or petrol. Rinse the main body and lower element of the cleaner (The body and lower element have wire mesh cores) in lots of petrol, let both of these dry in the sun for as long as possible, or use compressed air to evaporate the petrol out.
   Fill the base pan with engine oil to the oil mark.
   
5. Loosen, don't remove, the two (Sometimes one) bolts that the alternator/generator pivot on. Loosen the bolt on the upper adjuster as well as the adjuster mount on the engine. Push the alternator towards the engine to slacken the belt and remove the belt first from the alternator/generator pulley and then from the crank pulley. Manoeuvre the belt over the fan and discard. Fit the new belt by reversing the removal procedure. When it comes to tensioning the belt, you can use a small lever (short power bar or similar) on the metal body of the alternator/generator. The correct tension on the belt is best set by trying to rotate the alternator by hand, if it is possible i.e. the belt slips, then the belt is too loose. Another way is to try turn the fan by hand, it should turn with great difficulty, it may even turn the engine partially.
   
6. The tappets are an important key to an efficient quiet engine.
   The tappets are set by just releasing the 1/2" nut (With a ring spanner) and adjusting the screw a teeny amount before locking the nut again. The INLET tappets must be set to 0.15mm or .006" and the EXHAUST tappets must be set to 0.25mm or 0.010" both bust be set when the engine is hot.
   
7. To remember which tappet to set with which one open, you can use the "Rule of 9"
   i.e. To set #1, subtract it from 9 and get 8, therefore #8 must be fully open to set #1 or simply set the tappet which is a mirror image of the closed one. See the table.
   

   SET TAPPET NUMBER	WITH THIS VALVE FULLY OPEN (DOWN)
   1	8
   2	7
   3	6
   4	5
   5	4
   6	3
   7	2
   8	1

   
   After adjusting the tappets correctly, clean around the sealing surface where the tappet cover seals, and also the cover itself, with thinners. After doing this, apply a thin layer of RTV sealant to both sides of a new cork gasket and fit it taking care not to get it oily in the process, tighten with care, make sure the gasket does not pop outwards or inwards. Some people use the cork gasket without sealant with success and some use the sealant without the gasket with success, pick and choose.
   Remove the spark plugs and discard them. Set the gap of the new plugs to .029" to .032 or 0.75mm to 0.88mm. Fit the new ones and screw them in by finger power only, they should go in easily until quite firm, after this they can be turned 1/4 to 1/2 turn until seated. NEVER FORCE THE PLUG TO TURN IF IT DOESN'T WANT TO GO IN BY HAND ! You could damage the cylinder head's threads, requiring allot of reworking.
   

8. Unclip the two clips holding the distributor cap in and move the cap clear of the distributor.
   Remove the rotor cap carefully. Remove the little nut securing the LT wires on the points spring curl, and remove the washer and plastic insulator. Disconnect the wires. Unscrew the single screw holding the points down, remove the points and discard. Remove the single screw securing the condenser and discard. Fit new points and condenser by reversing the removal procedure.
   
   Setting the points:
   Turn the engine by spanner until any cam on the distributor shaft has lifted the points to their maximum position. Loosen the points securing screw and insert a screwdriver into the adjusting slot that looks a bit like this (     < >    ) on the points body. Set the gap to be .014" to 0.016" or 0.35mm to 0.40mm. Use one size smaller and one size bigger feeler gauge to check the gap. Remember that the points are spring loaded so the gauge must move freely and not slightly tight since the points will open to accommodate the thicker feeler, giving a false reading.
   
9. The timing is best set using a timing light at 8 degrees BTDC on the reef and going lower by 1 deg / 1000ft as you approach sea level. Follow the instructions that came with your light.
   If you have no light, or the distributor has been removed and replaced, you can set the timing 'statically' as follows:
   Fit a light bulb between the LT (Low tension) lead going to the distributor from the coil and a good earth point. Rotate the engine by spanner so that the timing marks align appropriately. Series 3's have marks on the front pulley and timing cover while series 2's have marks on the flywheel (Viewable through a little plate on the drivers side of the flywheel housing behind the fuel pump)
   These pointers only go upto 6 degrees BTDC, 8 degrees is a bit further along the wheel.
   Turn the ignition on and loosen the distributor clamp bolt. Rotate the distributor body against the direction of rotation of the rotor until the light JUST goes on. Tighten the clamp bolt and refit the rotor and cap/leads.
   
10. The carburettor is best set using a CO meter to 2%, if available. If you can't get hold of one, follow these procedures:
    With the engine warm, set the idling to +- 700rpm or where you like it, some like the charge light to just flicker on/off on idle others like it to be full on or full off - you choose.
    Locate the mixture screw and turn it slowly inwards, listen to the engine and exhaust. If the rpm goes up, adjust the idling screw down, of the engine goes slower and rougher, turn the screw the other way. You will notice a point where the engine is idling the fastest and the smoothest, between two other points of rough running, this is the best position, adjust the idling to suit, and blip the throttle a bit to see if all s well.
    The engine should not run roughly or have more than 3 puffs per minute from the exhaust.

Now the engine should be allot happier, remove all spanners, wires and test equipment from the engine bay, the bonnet. and go for a test drive.

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Servicing Schedule for series vehices.xls

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