87 engine in an 85 van - cooling

[Daveybj]

Hi.

My head bolts rusted through. I have been through the pain of removing the engine and having the offending bolts milled out and heli coils put in. On tightening the new bolts, I cracked the crank case!! There are no words in the English language to accurately describe my rage at the time!

I have therefore bought a second hand engine. Unfortunately, the engine is 2 years newer than the one I took out. I have managed to pair up the majority of the coolant hoses and where they should be coming from/going to. My issue is the coolant from the inlet manifold.

As I stand at the back of the van, the coolant pipe from the left hand side of the manifold disappears into the front of the van next to a fuel line. I believe this is to an expansion tank but I could be wrong. The other side of the manifold, just under the carb has another coolant pipe extending from it. This used to connect to the distribution pipe that ran across the top of my engine in the 85. However, the pipe now runs around the top of the engine bay. I have matched all of the appropriate ins and outs to the distribution pipe, and the outs from the rear of the manifold go to the same places they did before. I cannot find, on ANY of the engine diagrams I have found, where the hose from the manifold should now go. Does it just go straight back to the filler tank? Does it need a pipe joiner to go to the stat? Does it go somewhere completely different?

Apart from the electrics, this is the last thing preventing me from turning the key after 18 months off the road, so any help would be GREATLY appreciated!

Many thanks

Dave

[ajsimmo]

Sorry but I got confused early on whilst reading that. The later engine would just be a straight swap for the old one, it's only the cooling system that changed. So why would you be changing to the late cooling system, when all you'd need to do is swap everything from the old engine onto the newer one and keep it the same? Or have I missed something obvious?

There's a lot more to change than just the connections​to the engine. The front to rear steel/plastic pipes differ, the distribution junction behind the bulkhead, the hose across above the bellhousing, heater hose connections, bleed rail etc etc.

Sent from my ONEPLUS A3003 using Tapatalk

[kevtherev]

Yes it's the same engine block and head.
Only the ancilliaries changed position and shape.

[Daveybj]

Hi,

Thanks for your replies folks.....

Yes the block and head are the same, but the thermostat is now at the back next to the bell housing instead of being in the distribution pipe on top of the engine. This is where the hose from the right hand side used to connect (on second inspection connection is on the right hand side of the carb). Because this pipe is no longer there I don't know where this connection goes, and I didn't get all of the new engine ancillaries when I bought it - all I got was the block and heads. There is also an upright pipe with multiple connections on the right hand side of the engine that wasn't there on the original as well and the pipe around the top of the bay.

I have managed to match up and move or connect all other hoses to the right places, it's just where this last one goes that is foxing me. If we forget the difference between the two engines, all I would like to know is where the cooling hose from the carb on an 87 T25 goes so I can make whatever changes are necessary to make the connection in the right place. I can't see it on any of the cooling diagrams either in the Haynes manual or online.....

Thanks again in advance for your help....

Regards

Dave

[ajsimmo]

That'll be this one HERE
Still easier to take all that off and put it back as it was, but I see you are determined...

[Mocki]

As has been said already , alll the bolt on bits ( both water system and exhaust ) are interchangeable, because all water boxers are the same , 1.9 and 2.1 .

The later water system is much better and you can get all the bits .....

The only bit you you would have really needed to swap you early van to later water system is the coolant distribution tower and the pipe that crosses the top of the gear box ad the bleed ring if the engine had all its cooling system with it