V8 top end & timing chest rebuild.

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VmaxRik
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V8 top end & timing chest rebuild.

Post by VmaxRik »

Well I said I was going to, so I'd best start now.....How to rebuild the top end and timing chest/oil pump on a Rover V8.

This is going to be as and when over the next few days, so bare with me please. :)


This bit's getting ahead of things, but somethings better than nothing. So what I WAS going to do was strip out the heads, check the valves and lap them back in with new valve guide seals. This didn't happen because whoever built them up has used different valve guides and seals....which are nothing like the standard ones. I don't like to do this, but as there "race" heads and have done hardly any miles at all, I'm going to have to trust them.

In the pictures below you can see the heads and the complete rocker shafts, ignore the heads for a moment 'cos I want to have a ramble about the shafts. The shafts themselves are a piece of tubular steel with oil galleries let into them to lube the rockers. So after cleaning everything so it looks all shiny and new and you've blasted any crud out of the galleries, you need to slide the rockers away from their normally seated position and check the shaft for wear. You can do this with a micrometer, or your finger nail....you will feel any ridges on the shaft.

Check the rocker heels where they meet the valve heads. On old and worn engines the heel of the rocker will have mushroomed out and be the next best thing to useless,time for a new set.

If the shafts worn, the rockers will be as well....so It's in the bin with them and a new set time unfortunately. If there is no wear in the shaft, give the shaft and rocker a good glug of fresh 20/50 and exercise the rocker along and round the shaft to make sure there are no tight spots.



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Post by UGLYMICK »

them valves dont look std. are they gas flowed as well?
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Post by VmaxRik »

The only standard (ish) things about them are what's left of the original SD1 Vitesse heads....everything else has been changed. Those valve seals are going to bug me though....wish I knew what they were off.

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Post by VmaxRik »

Been a busy boy today...at last !!! Excuse photo's, all taken on crappy phone camera.

From the top then....roll your trike into the garage and the front wheel up onto a car ramp. This brings the engine to a reasonable work height, plus it lets you get underneath the thing.



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Remove the exhausts then drain and keep the coolant (it's expensive stuff these days)


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Remove the air filters, linkages and carbs and It'll end up looking like this...


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Rotate the engine so number one piston is at TDC, the crank pulley is showing TDC and the rotor arm is pointing at number one plug lead.


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Continued next page....


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This nation wasn't given to our forefathers, it was wrought over a 1000 years of bloody war and the efforts of those who came before.
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Post by VmaxRik »

Number one cylinder is...if your sitting on your trike, furthest away in your left. If your looking from the front, first on the right. It's stamped on the inlet manifold as well.


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Rotor arm pointing to number one....


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Now undo the retaining clamp that holds the distributor on place....then remove the distributor.


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This nation wasn't given to our forefathers, it was wrought over a 1000 years of bloody war and the efforts of those who came before.
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Post by VmaxRik »

Distributor removed....



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Disconnect the battery and secure the live lead.



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Now remove the alternator.



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And the gearbox kick down assy'




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This nation wasn't given to our forefathers, it was wrought over a 1000 years of bloody war and the efforts of those who came before.
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Post by VmaxRik »

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Remove all the inlet manifold retaining bolts. Be careful to line them up the way they came out as there are long and short ones. Loosen the two hose clips that secure the two hoses onto the top of the water pump....and remove the inlet manifold.


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Remove the fan pulley wheel so you can get at the little cut out on the water pump. The cut out's there so you can get to the bolts that hold the front cover on.



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This nation wasn't given to our forefathers, it was wrought over a 1000 years of bloody war and the efforts of those who came before.
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Post by VmaxRik »

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This is the view of the timing chest from underneath. To remove the bottom pulley/damper you need to lock the crank. Do this by jamming the gearbox ring gear then swing on a long bar and remove the pulley retaining bolt.



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After removing all the chest retaining bolts ( be aware that the one behind the oil pump body won't come all the way out), the fuel pump if you have one and the four sump bolts that can fool some...gently knock the chest off it's dowels and carefully lift it out of way. Your left with this.



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This nation wasn't given to our forefathers, it was wrought over a 1000 years of bloody war and the efforts of those who came before.
Let it not be us who bears the sin, of giving it away to the enemy within.


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Post by VmaxRik »

Now you can remove the rocker covers....



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And then remove the rocker shaft. Find an old cardboard box and punch a load of holes in it, then as you remove the pushrods, line them up the way they came out in the box....




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You will be left with this sight. Now you can undo the cylinder head bolts starting from the centre and working your way out left and right...careful as there are three different lengths of bolts.




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This nation wasn't given to our forefathers, it was wrought over a 1000 years of bloody war and the efforts of those who came before.
Let it not be us who bears the sin, of giving it away to the enemy within.


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Post by VmaxRik »

Once both heads are removed you end up with this.....one short motor.



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After all that work you stand back and think.....is it all really worth it, you bet it is.




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Re-build next week.................




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This nation wasn't given to our forefathers, it was wrought over a 1000 years of bloody war and the efforts of those who came before.
Let it not be us who bears the sin, of giving it away to the enemy within.


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