THE PERKINS DIESEL ENGINE

[Guest]

The Perkins lump is a wonderful thing. Mine never failed to start whatever the weather, God bless you Frank.

You know you want one, Simon. Worth it for just the noise alone! Not forgetting superb reliability and economy.

[E_T_V]

Headgaskets only blow through lack of maintainance (coolant changes).
Otherwise they are a very solid engine. FAR more reliable than the A, R or S series, and not suprisingly enough about as reliable as the O series which it is based on.

[Simon]

I guess it is the colossal mileage that cars (and vans) with the Prima cover compared to cars with the other engines mean that more failures are reported - and fixed - because people think that it is worth it.

Dean: Dugger Dugger Dugger!

[Guest]

Having now 5 Maestros with the Perkins Prima in, I can honestly say it is a fantastic engine, but like any other engine, it has to be looked after.

Take for example the ex AA van I have, it has done 145k but was one of the lucky ones to have an oil change every 5000 miles. It pulls as new, and does not produce any excess smoke at all. L820 OWJ has covered a staggering 245000 miles now The engine drives incredably well considering this but I have had to do major surgery to the running gear recently, which included new wheel bearings all round, lower ball joints and a new CV joint.

I am sure my van, which has seemed to have sufered serious neglect from the service point of view in later life, I am sure has a leaking HG, it keeps blowing rads, and overnight the water pump and heater matrix will leak. But, it still drives really well, and starts first time instantly.

Regardless its a pretty much indestructable engine, its simple enough as Diesels go to keep up together yourself. I can average over 500 miles to a tank of diesel, a new Transit owner I know was boasting about his economy, until I filled him that my average 20 year old fleet of vans has this sort of return on fuel.

You can't not mention the sound, I love the sound of them, the "dugger dugger dugger" is great, especially when pulling away. Fantastic engine!

Rich

[Guest]

all this is reminding me!

I want mine back :laugh:

[Dazzman]

Diesel engine problems....

................Why is this illusion shattered for me when I hear of so many of these engines suffering from head gasket failure?

What? Surely not! News to me!
infact double eek!

Headgaskets only blow through lack of maintainance (coolant changes). Otherwise they are a very solid engine.

Phewf, you had me worried there - you know how much I worry over not getting spares for NOA, Dan!!! Seriously, apart from an oil change at 6 months, and 2yr coolant change and a 4yr timing belt change, what other engine maintenance issues/considerations are there?

You can't not mention the sound, I love the sound of them, the "dugger dugger dugger" is great, especially when pulling away. Fantastic engine!

Yeah, it takes some time to get accustomed to the 'Dugger' sound - thought something was wrong when I first drove it - had me very worried at first - thoughts of big end bearings!: .....Adding character to the car is perhaps a colourful way to put it - however, now firmly one of the 'family', I definately can't imagine now being without it!

[guussi]

i replaced my TDi exhaust for a 2.25 s/s sr8 thro and a plastic performance back box with a viper induction just to see ....
and see sounds amazing like a tuned petrol turbo lol
the people look round excited but when they spot what i got it...........

[SherpaSam]

I had to replace my old engine when it failed an MOT due to black smoke :¬(
with 670,000 miles on the clock :¬) It was still starting nicely, and had plenty of poke, just too much smoke.

[SherpaSam]

I know, I should have rebuilt it, but I had a spare, and four days to get it through the MOT. Still got it somewhere.
I'm afraid the replacement engine is now going in a Sherpa Camper as the Turbo died (the old one was on it's way), so I'll run it Turboless till I've found a suitable one, and bodged some pipework.
anyone in Cornwall interested in an engineless Monty estate in need of masses of work ?
I'll look around the site to find out where I should mention this properly.

[xamtex]

I had to replace my old engine when it failed an MOT due to black smoke :¬(
with 670,000 miles on the clock :¬) It was still starting nicely, and had plenty of poke, just too much smoke.

just stick 5 or 10 litres of veg oil in before the mot...it clears emmissions like you would not beleive...my smokey van hardly registered on the smoke meter..my transit(with a pass score of 3.0 i think)registered 0.05.
works every time on the older stuff....not to be reccomended on the later stuff with electric control though.

[Guest]

My monty is instant start,the starter only seems to do a couple of turns & she`s
away .i dont think i will ever wear the starter out..when i tell people what i get to the gallon there is a look of disbelive on their faces...i have just got her through the mot this morning,only advise was slightly perished rack gaitors.
the guy who tested the car said "you love this car dont you" & i replyed "yes it would be like the passing of a freind if it had to go" ......Chris

[MartynD]

Yay and amen to all the above! I've had my City 700 Camper Conversion for a mere 8 weeks but I absolutely love it. I am getting over 500 miles to a tank and given, with it's raised fibreglass roof, it has all the aerodynamic qualities of a housebrick, that is blinking well remarkable. All the comments apply, the 'butchness', the explosive start and the near-legendary 'dugger-dugger-dugger', it is a cruising pleasure. Would a Perkins-equipped saloon give me as much pleasure? Maybe when I've cleared the junk out of the garage I ought to find out...