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Upgrading the VM 2.5 TD 5 Cylinder (HR 588 OHV) engine

Errol Reid

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Joined
Apr 5, 2018
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uk
Hi,

Just recently acquired a 1988 BJ73 with the european VM engine in place. Engine runs fine, i just want a tad more power. Are there any simple bolt on upgrades that can provide this extra power, or more involved mods.
Not looking to change the engine right now.

Thanks
 
Hi Errol,

There is a VM specialist in Derby, I try to find his contact info, but if anybody knows how to get more power out of that engine then it will be him.
When we were investigating my buddies BJ73 the chap was very helpful and gave me all the measurements to check if the heads were recoverable, unfortunately they weren't.

Won't be able to look until the weekend but will post as soon as I find it.

Regards,

Rodger
 
Hi Errol,

There is a VM specialist in Derby, I try to find his contact info, but if anybody knows how to get more power out of that engine then it will be him.
When we were investigating my buddies BJ73 the chap was very helpful and gave me all the measurements to check if the heads were recoverable, unfortunately they weren't.

Won't be able to look until the weekend but will post as soon as I find it.

Regards,

Rodger

Thanks Rodger !!

Finally someone who might actually know something about this motor. ;-)

Thanks!
 
So I just spoke to a mechanic and he gave me the whole doom gloom and despair story of the VM 2.5 5 cylinder engine. He told me the engine sounded like **** , and that I should throw it out and replace it with something else ....I was hoping for some kind of compression test or something.
This was determined just on hearing the engine and seeing some white smoky exhaust (which disappears at high revs).
Is possible to write off an engine that easily ?
Are VM 2.5 TD really that crap ?
Couldn't it be simple a cracked head , blown head gasket, etc. or is it simply doomed?
 
They fitted a 4 cylinder 2.5 VM engine in the London black cab. They are absolutely, totally crap. If you get 180,000 miles out of one you've done well.
They are a throw away engine.
 
They fitted a 4 cylinder 2.5 VM engine in the London black cab. They are absolutely, totally crap. If you get 180,000 miles out of one you've done well.
They are a throw away engine.
Hmmmm, the research that I have gathered is pointing in the same direction. I am going to have to make provisions for an engine swap.
 
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What about the engine from a Nissan terrano?
You could buy a whole car for about £500 with rot in the body.
 
Hi Errol.
We have a similar story on my buddy's 73. VM Specialists gave me all the measurements for the heads and I gave him what they actually were and the result was it needed new heads at £250 each plus £30 per gasket. Not much except there are 5 heads and 5 head gaskets!
Apparently if they get too hot - not necessarily overheat - the heads warp and the re-machining tolerances are very small and ours were outside the range.
I don't think I have those measurements now but it maybe worth getting them from VM, stripping out the first head and checking. If they are within tolerance then they could be machined and all it would need is new head gaskets.
Give the guy at VM Specialist a call - he is very helpful.

Hope that helps

Regards,
Rodger
 
Hi Errol. I'm on my third 4 cylinder VM.

The first was pretty solid. I rebuilt the top end with old Range Rover heads when I bought it and it ran for 18 months before a friend borrowed it and thrashed it. It needed the heads doing again and when I sold it 12 months later it was till running fine.

I've just thrown one in the bin and replaced it with a rebuilt bottom end with four pretty shit cylinder heads. One has gone so soft the injector stud and rocker pillar stud are held in with transverse pins.

The last engine had done 275,000 km and was smoking badly. It was blowing smoke out of the crank case breather and pressurising the cooling system.

I spent a chunk of money getting a spare bottom end refurbished by George at VM Specialist in Chesterfield... same as Roger speaks of... very friendly/helpful.

However, during the rebuilding of the top end the real issue with this engine rears its ugly head. Out of 8 cylinder heads I had 4 unusable ones. One might be good enough to be reconditioned but the other three are shot. The four useable ones range from excellent condition (1), average (2) and poor (1)... and it's quite possible I'm going to have issues with a fizzing radiator again.

Getting hold of new cylinder heads is hideously expensive... easily a grand for four original VM ones, plus gaskets and head bolts.

The new one is in and will be running by the end of the day (it better be)... I'm just dodging the rain.

The fact that the old engine was dying forced my hand, but if I had a choice knowing what I know now I would have bought a 2H and fitted that. No doubt about it... And I quite like the VM. It's not a bad engine... but honestly, I've had enough. When this one blows its top... as it will at some point I'm going to have to think long and hard about what I do. The problem is I now have a bottom end with virtually zero miles but a thirty year old top end made from chocolate.

Good luck and welcome to the knuckle chewing VM owners club.
 
Just by the way, the VM is a noisy knocky engine and just because it sounds like a cement mixer full of spanners doesn't necessarily mean it's shot. Smoke out of the crank breather, dipstick hole does.
 
Just by the way, the VM is a noisy knocky engine and just because it sounds like a cement mixer full of spanners doesn't necessarily mean it's shot. Smoke out of the crank breather, dipstick hole does.
Thanks for the info, going to have to look at the dipstick hole see whats going on. Its just beginning to send white smoke signals out the back . I have a good idea which cylinder is misbehaving. Gonna start collecting parts for a cylinder head gasket change and possible a cylinder head change.
 
I quite like the idea of this 1999 TOYOTA LANDCRUISER 3.0 DIESEL 1KZ-TE ENGINE AND AUTO GEARBOX on ebay right now probably gonna go cheap. Mileage isn't too much in my opinion.

Great power and efficiency plus its a Toyota :thumbup:
 
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