The 88" Series 2, 2A, 3 mostly came out with a choice of 2 engines, a 2.25L 4 cylinder petrol or diesel. I have the petrol motor which looks mostly original except for the Stromberg carburettor and air filter. The original carbie would have been a Zenith or Solex with an oil bath filter. This was a pretty common upgrade as they were readily available on most Holden motors of the time and were apparently more reliable than the original ones.
I was a bit nervous about the condition of the engine as the car had not been running for more than ten years. The good news is that it is all in decent shape. While it is apart I will get the cylinders re-bored. The crank shaft is showing some signs of wear but I have been lucky enough to pick up a replacement from a friend which is like new. The head will be reconditioned with hardened valve seats so it can run on unleaded fuel.
I also managed to pick up an oil bath filter and elbow pipe so I can return the motor back to a stock look. I am not sure yet if I will try to fit a more original carburettor or just stick with the Stromberg. The other option would be to change to electronic fuel injection. If you are restoring Land Rovers you have probably come across North America Overland who do an inspiring job. job. They focus on making modifications to improve the driving performance for modern road conditions while keeping their cars looking as original as possible. In one of their latest Series 2A builds, they replaced the carburettor with fuel injection and an electric fuel pump. The main reason they give is that fuel with ethanol added causes vapour locks resulting from the lower boiling point of ethanol. So when you stop your car when it is hot, the fuel in the fuel pump and float chamber boils away and the car won't start. The use a Holley Sniper EFI 2GC Small Bore which is made for American small bore carbs. It is an expensive upgrade at over $1000, so I will push that to the back of the queue for now.
