With the deflation of the British Pound relative to the US Dollar induced by Brexit, the cost to obtain a high performance engine replacement has dropped dramatically. Just a year ago, the price for ACR’s 2.25 3 main bearing power plus motor was about $4200 USD before options and transportation. The same engine today is available for about $3,300 USD. For many of the die hard Rover fans who think this is still a lot of money for nothing, this post is not for you. For those of us who are looking to achieve something that maintains the integrity of the vehicle while improving drive-ability, read on.

Choosing a replacement motor was a long process. Lots of reading, conversations with friends, and late night debates narrowed my choice to two companies; ACR and Turner Engineering. Based on my research, these two companies were the both highly regarded and possessed extensive experience with 3 main bearing motors. In the end, the approach ACR has taken just resonated with me and my needs and expectations. I’m sure I would be happy with either company’s product.

While I am a reasonably good mechanic with a network of resources capable of doing the required machine work to pull off a solid rebuild, my reasons for turning to ACR are as follows:

1. I don’t have the benefit of the years of development that ACR has developed working on Land Rovers in general and Series vehicles in particular. Buying ACR’s product ensures that the benefit of the many lessons learned over the years are built in. No need for me to learn by doing. I don’t expect to build another 2.25 3 main bearing motor, so the idea that I will have the opportunity to revisit lessons learned is a bit far fetched and could involve multiple engine removals and installations.
2. I find the engineering principles espoused by ACR in their friendly exchange with other engine builders and Series 2  experts (https://vidinur.wordpress.com/2013/05/12/everything-about-tuning-the-2-25-petrol-engine-acr-turner-others-perspective/) to be sound and consistent with my objectives. The fact that peak horsepower numbers are reported at 5,000 RPMs doesn’t take away from the basic improvements detailed in that post. More gas + more air + improved flow = better performance across the board. No one in the entire post contested the idea that the ACR engine would outperform the stock 2.25.
3. I’m not so concerned about building a motor that will last 300,000 or 400,000 miles. 100,000 is good enough for me. This truck isn’t a daily driver and I don’t plan to circumnavigate the globe or cross a continent in this truck. It is a SWB truck best applied to fun weekends in the mud and rocks. In fact, the idea of driving 300,000 miles in the land rover just sounds painful.
4. I don’t want to swap in a TDI or other alien power plant. In the end, I want something that looks like a ’69 Series 2A; inside and out. Swapping in the ACR Power Plus should be mostly invisible.

After a little back and forth with Roland Marlow at ACR, I’ve settled on a complete 2.5 3MB Power Plus Package. The costs are as follows:

• Power Plus Engine Package: £ 3195
• 2.5 L Upgrade: £ 350
• Surcharge for non-exchange: £ 350
• Freight (includes clearance & customs): £ 823
• Total: £ 4,718

The kit includes a stripped motor, a Stage 2 9:1 head, a Power Plus hi torque cam, and SU carb setup. I intend too keep the original motor, hence the core charge.

Other posts worth reading if you’re considering a replacement motor and/or performance modifications:

• ACR’s website: http://www.automotivecomp.com/
• Turner Engineering: http://turner-engineering.co.uk/
• http://forum.landrovernet.com/showthread.php/227275-ACR-put-your-money-where-you-mouth-is
• http://www.expeditionlandrover.info/engine_conversions.htm

The motor arrived early last week. I’ve included some pictures below: