Rover 2.5NA diesel crankcase

[wings&wheels]

Found part of the #3 oil cooling jet squirter clinging to the magnetic drain plug. Found an OEM one and replaced the squirter. You can just see the #2 squirter between the #2 journal bearing cap bolt and oil pump body. Bit of a fiddly job keeping the two crush washers and jet together and lined up and bolt threaded way up the block, but not too bad, worst part was the razor sharp edge of the lower face of the engine block.

Engine only has ~4K miles on it, but the fracture face looked old so who knows. The jets do have occasionally have to be bent slightly to clear rotating parts, and this one had some plier marks on it, so the crack probably originated long ago.

Nothing too exciting, but a good look at an unusual engine for the 'States.

 

[ls1mike]

The oil pickup is interesting. How reliable are these? The bottom end does not look as stout as I thought it would for a diesel.

 

[wings&wheels]

Hi, very reliable. It is pretty well designed for a small diesel; 5 main bearings, cooling jets, cooling system is probably overkill. They are only putting out 68hp in NA trim. Rover put a turbo on this engine w/ minimal changes and that engine would be problematic if not maintained, but still wasn't that bad. The NA version was used extensively by the UK and other militaries as well as by commercial operators. For a while Mercury Marine also sold a marine version of this and earlier Rover diesels.

This all being said, it is a low power engine that requires some degree of planning and energy management to merge and drive on higher speed roads, up significant hills, etc., but is just fine around town.