Mk2 Parcel Van Engine Advice

[Irisblue]

Hi everyone,

Complete newbie here looking for some advice from you more experienced Mk2 owners please.

I recently fell in love with a mk2 Parcel Van with Dormobile Welfare Bus conversion which has been turned into a camper and started an expensive long term relationship with it. The previous owner had replaced the York engine with a mk3 2.5di at some point.

I'd only had it out on the motorway until about a month ago and didn't have any problems other than dodgy electrics (speedo stops working when headlights are on! Amongst other eccentricities) then took it for a weekend in the Lakes. It seemed OK, slow up hills but not unbearable on the way there. But on the way back its like the engine just gave up the ghost after being tired out all weekend and wasn't even making 15 mph up minor hills. The garage had a look at it and said there was evidence of the radiator throwing out rusty water and they thought the previous owner had baked it or the hills in the Lake District just pushed it over the edge. I took it out again and it seemed slightly better for 50 miles or so (still slow up hills, just not enough welly) but again on the way home it's like someone had turned the power down to minimum and whilst on on the flat, I feared it wouldn't make it up the slightest of hills. Talk about tense!

I've had a chat to my mechanic and he thinks the only option is a replacement engine, preferably a banana manifold with low-ish mileage. I asked about replacing it with a turbo to give it more oomph but he said it was a lot of work and he wasn't interested in doing it.

So there's the background, now the question. I've found a 2.5di banana engine with 125k which is breaking out of a 1997 mk3 transit which failed it's mot due to rust. So far so good. But as the van it's coming out of is a 1997 model, I think it will have PATS whereas my van obviously doesn't. My mechanic seems to think this is still a straight swap but we might need to bypass the PATS system at the stop solenoid (?) to make it compatible, which is an easy job.

Can anyone confirm this? Have you done it previously? Any other advice?

Thanks

[DodgeRover]

Have you checked the fuel filter and lift pump (if fitted) on the existing engine before putting a new lump into it? Yes the one you have found should fit up ok as you already have the Di in.

[Retrohowla]

I will second that, fuel filter, lift pump and also check the fuel pick up pipe in the tank, if it used to be a petrol (it might of been before it was a york) it will have a gause filter that gets blocked when in diesel service, especially if anyones ever used veg oil in her, a shot of compressed air down the fuel line will blow it off.
Make sure you check this, its a simple and very cheap fix to the fuel starvation issues on mk1/2's that have had petrol to diesel conversions

[Muttley]

Your Pats can be easily removed, PM me for instructions

[Irisblue]

Thanks so much for the advice and so quick too! Really appreciate it. I'll let you know what happens!

[Retrohowla]

If you do find yourself in an engine swap situation (more likely to be a fuel blockage somewhere but you never know) then a turbo conversion is no more difficult if you get a turbo engine and bosch pump to convert it from epic.
Ive done it on my MK2 and with the engine out the epic to bosch pump swap is easy whilst its out.
Food for thought maybe.
First things first, check those fuel suggestions above

[Irisblue]

If you do find yourself in an engine swap situation (more likely to be a fuel blockage somewhere but you never know) then a turbo conversion is no more difficult if you get a turbo engine and bosch pump to convert it from epic.
Ive done it on my MK2 and with the engine out the epic to bosch pump swap is easy whilst its out.
Food for thought maybe.
First things first, check those fuel suggestions above

That's really good to know! Thank you