Rover V8 build log

[crofty1984]

I love all this stuff - keep it coming!

[bash]

The engine was treated to new consumables obviously with new bearings, honed bores, new rings, hydraulic tappets etc etc. One other thing that needs checking with the cam is the preload on the cam lifters. This is measured using some pieces of welding wire, bent at the end and hammered gently to get the correct thickness of the wire measured with a micrometer, two being required at the upper and lower limits of the clearance range.
I have gone for the later heads. These have one row less of head bolts that the early engines. The extra set of head bolts allegedly promotes the common head gasket failures in early engines. These the heads usually lose compression into the lifter gallery area, not helped by the tin gaskets of the day. Years back I used to leave these bolts very loose because of this well known issue. However, the later heads have a composite head gasket of a modern design that eliminates this issue, which have a 28cc combustion chamber size as opposed to the earlier 36cc, the thicker composite gaskets redressing the balance. If you use the tin gasket on these heads you get about 11 to 1 compression ratio ( approx), which is good for an LPG conversion, but too high for a road petrol engine of my sort of spec. Head castings on sd1's had a number cast into them of erc2216, 93 on land rovers hrc2210, the heads on mine have a marking of hrc2479- off the thor/tempest series of engines. All of this is aimed at getting a good reliable engine.

Bash

[bash]

Well, out with the old.
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I was having problems with a nasty oil leak from the cam carrier onto the exhaust manifold, which was a fire risk. The last time this happened it was because the retaining bolts thread had gone needing helicoils. I also found that the rear two exhaust manifold bolts had made a bid for freedom, but strangely it wasnt leaking from that cylinder, and the gearlever nylon cup had disintegrated, but wasnt giving any gear selection problems.
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Notice my garage 'extension', a waterproof sheet stretched above the garage doors. Told you I didnt have much room.
One empty engine bay.
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Bash

[bash]

I did do a bit of measuring up before engine removal. I wanted to ensure that the Rv8 stayed on the original drive line, which will hopefully keep things smoother. What do I mean by that, I measured where the centre of the Lotus front pulley was and I intend keeping that alignment for the Rv8. Using the underside of the front xmember as a datum the pulley centreline was 195mm above.
Ive got a bare block for dummy runs, its much lighter without the crank, pistons and other gubbins. Im in the process of a trial fit at the moment of dummy engine and gearbox but I intend refurbishing the prop before I do a final fit up, I intend putting a laser leveler on the diff flange at some point to make sure its lined up correctly. Im just curious if the slight imbalance in the driveline that many of us have is due to summat not lining up. I'll let you know on that one when I get around to it.

bash

[Pete Boole]

Good work Bash! Good to see progress being made. I'll pop up some time while you're working on it if I may?

Pete

[bash]

No problem Pete, will be nice to see you again. Im still working on it, but slower than I would like cos Ive trapped a nerve in my back, and Ive had to leave it for a couple of weeks cos I was welding some engine mounts up and a blob of weld went down my boot. Its a good job not many people live near me cos of the swearing. Its bad enough to leave a scar, but it got infected and I ended up with one leg twice the size of the other, currently being fixed with antibiotics. This is why Ive had time to do a bit of writing up. Its my age I think..... and stupidity of course.

Bash

[dunc]

Good man Bash!

I personally guarantee you are going to love this car when your done.

just like your tvr - but with handling!

[bash]

Thanks for the support.
Right..... in with the empty block bolted up to my bellhousing. Original lotus gearbox mountings used, 20mm spacer on top of the x member put the crank centreline to the correct height.
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I then placed the heads on the block just held in place with the dowels and with the exhaust manifolds bolted on. Inlet manifold and carb than placed in position. After that I put the pancake filter on and replaced the bonnet. I could get my fingers in between the front face of the filter and the bonnet, so it fits !
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The red thing at the front of the image is a towel on the nose panel and it sort of shows where the air filter is. Its actually better that it looks with the bonnet on because of the curvature of the panel.
Bash

[Pete Boole]

Excellent! Are you sure it will be done for Chatsworth

Pete

[Jason.goad]

Looking really good. I'm surprised by how much room you still have in the engine bay. Keep up good work

[alanmoss]

This is looking really good Bash. Well done.

[bash]

Surprisingly I think I can make use of the Lotus choke and accelerator cables as they seem to be in the correct place for the Weber500 carb. Although it looks like Im making good progress, and these updates are running slightly behind where I actually am with the project I probably wont make Chatsworth, but we will see. I do intend to get some summer use out of the car, even if thats laying underneath it getting my ankles sunburnt !

Bash

[bash]

I made some engine mountings up from some angle iron. I used the lotus engine rubbers for this and made an angled piece to fit that. the engine mounts are vertical on the RV8 so I also made some pieces of angle to bolt to the engine, then using a CAD drawing system, cardboard aided design, I then made another piece of angle to bridge the two pieces, tacked em together checked and double checked and then welded the bits up with an extra small box section to reinforce the assembly.
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Bash

[bash]

My intentions are to fit a Saxo electro/hydraulic pump for the steering, but Ive decided to make that an update for next winter. I decided to use the excel pump for now so that I can get some use out of the car this summer. Both the rover engine and the lotus engine have cylinder inclined at 45 degrees so Im also using the lotus mounting bracket as well. Of course it doesnt just bolt up but the lower part of the rover block is vertical, which makes mounting easier as there are lots of unused mounting points down there, and there are also some on the front face of the rover front cover. front covers and water pump housings vary greatly for rover v8s, but all are consistent in that they stick out at the front alot more that the lotus lump. But using two pieces of 6mm plate and a short length of angle iron soon sorted a bracket out.
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job done and original pipes will be re-used.
Just a quick note on some past 'creative' repairs. You might have noticed a blob of summat on the pump body. A few years ago something had left a small fracture on the pump body that was leaking fluid. Carb cleaner gave a good clean to the area and a rub with some sandpaper key left a good surface for some araldite. Still works so why mess. Another 'get me home' repair was on the old lotus lump. The method of securing the pump to the lotus engine is pretty crap, relying on two small studs on the bottom of the water pump and a rear one onto the sump.
A couple of years ago whilst on holiday in cornwall one of the water pump studs stripped its thread and the subsequent wobbling about loosened the threads on the other fixing. Tightening the remaining one resulting in more wobbling a couple of days later, with alot of belt squeel when turning. Carb cleaner and some two part metal adhesive inbetween the block and the bracket sorted it out with the one remaining fixing. When I took the bracket off the block the glue was still good and it needed a vernier adjusting mallet to get it off. Get you home fixes that work.......... or bodges, depends on your point of view !

Bash

[alanbell]

i think that my pick is not either of the two you mention, rather that you are a good bodger!