BMC 2.2

[Superflid]

Anyone know if this old beast is the same engine as the Series Landrover diesel 2.25?

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[aitchw]

No, it isn't but for many years the BMC 2.2 was fitted as an alternative to the Land Rover engine. Both were crap but the BMC was the way the best of the two. Until modern times Land Rover had never produced or sourced a decent diesel unit and they tried quite a few. Even the 6 cylinder Italian VMs were under powered. The TDi was the first half decent one.

I had an old SII with a BMC 2.2 which was OK until the head developed a hairline crack between cylinders, something the older ones were prone to do apparently. Just wasn't worth the repair cost.

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[Superflid]

Thanks for that. I know L/R diesels have always been underpowered, my son has an early 110 with the 2.25 in..............
Considering fitting one in a boat I've bought (25 ft wooden fishing boat), should have plenty of power for 6 or 7 knots and plodding slowly along all day.

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[aitchw]

As a marine engine they were reckoned quite good. I know lots were fitted to narrow boats and the inland waterway marinas and engineers can be a good source of bits. It should do the job fine if it's in decent nick. Is it already marinised or do you have to do that yourself?

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[mirabriani]

You might try the All Wheel Drive Club, or magazines covering this activity.
It seemed to me that members were always discussing how to obtain more power,torque or reliability. A search should turn up something.
Hope this helps, Briani

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[Superflid]

Will have to do any marinising myself, but have bits from all sorts of projects lying around. Should manage to sort things out.

I used to have a Range Rover (with Transit 2.5 DI) so used to spend (waste?) hours poring over L/R mags! Will borrow some from son.........

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[PeteMcK]

The 2.2 is the original FX 4 taxi engine and based on Austin/BMC mechanicals. I don't know anything about them. The original Rover Diesel, i.e., the LR 2.25, is totally different and derived from the then independent Rover company's Rover 80 petrol engine. For reliability and durability reasons, the 2.25 diesel Land Rover engine is not to be touched with a barge pole, and in its early 80s 2.5 form is not hugely better. If you're going to the trouble and expense of marinising an engine, why not look for something a bit more robust and with direct injection and more reliable starting: the Perkins engines in the Maestro/Montego/Sherpa/Rover 600/early Freelander/ current Rover 25, etc., can be picked up cheaply and marinised relatively easily. It's a good bit lighter and more compact too.

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[tr7v8]

2.2 BMC is dire, my father ran a fleet of 150ish Vans with them in attached Borg Warner 35 auto boxes. They crack heads & break cranks. They pee oil everywhere even freshly rebuilt and I'd think some spares are going to be A. Hard to get and B. expensive. Grown up 1.8 if I remember right.
They used to take an extrodinary amount of battery power to start not just for the heater plugs but for the starter and used to have to be turned for ages before they'd fire up. Imagine a van shed on a cold Saturday morning with 150 starting up and you couldn't see the other side for diesel smoke. Talking of smoke they used to be flakey for MOTs as it's difficult to get the fueling right to control the smoke.
Basically avoid like the plague!
I'd go Ford 1.6/1.8 or Transit 2.5, loads around, new enough to get cheap bits for and just modern enough technology to avoid the above.

<hr width=100% size=1>Jim

Draco 2500