Engine upgrade

For the cam rockers and timing gear you're talking 300 up I think. The cam kit can be had for 130 up for an OEM 3.9. Timing gears 60 for standard 100 for an upgraded one. Guess you know the price of rockers from last time :)

Rpi do kits on eBay as do landrover people and rimmers.
 
Thanks guys , interesting stuff . Harvey what's the advantage of the sd1 front cover ? Is it to do with the crank seal ? I converted mine to a lip seal last time . Think i'll go for the heads and the steel timing gears for sure and keep thinking about the cam for now . As i said i'm in no hurry .
 
Hi Stan . Aha i see . I was thinking uprated pump gears an way so i'll just go that way . All the things i wish i'd had the money to do when i was in there before really , but as you know i'd only just bought her . Funny i've just come home from visiting the parents and it runs sooo smoooothe i wonder what i'm thinking about , trouble is i know me and the idea's in the head now :roll:
 
IMHO as Stina wants more low to mid-range grunt the SD1 cyl' heads may not be necessary - to save a few pennies. With the bigger valves on the SD1 heads there is quite a bit of valve shroud inefficiency with the 3.5. I noticed this when I had my SD1 3.5 engine apart:
020.jpg


I think the main benefit of SD1 cyl' heads are the ability to rev higher. But no real gain can be had at lower more realistic rpm. Perhaps a decoke and referb of the original heads may be the way to go?

I agree with the 3.9 cam', superb 2000rpm onward grunt 8)
 
Hi guys , thanks for all the input . I've decided to aim for steel timing gears , uprated oil pump , and electric colling fan as a first step , before the weather gets too hot , for reliability and piece of mind .

Then i will source parts as and when , 3.9 cam , new lifters and rocker gear . I jumped in before finding out and bought these http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/120859391056? ... .m1423.l26

any one know what the combustion chamber cc would be on these ? And with my 9.25 to 1 compression ratio , tin gaskets and above heads what compression would i end up with ? I know some of you say i would loose compression and power fitting them , but would gain it back with the 3.9 cam , ( and advancing it 2 degrees ) . If i've understood correctly !
This part of the plan is for the future .
Thoughts ?

Ps i've just found out they were off a 1983 sdi .
 
Hi Stina,

The SD1 heads when they left the factory had the same combustion volume as the earlier P5B/P6B heads, so with all things being equal fitting them with tin gaskets will keep your existing compression ratio.

Fitting steel timing gears is a good idea, but doing this first and then fitting a new camshaft and lifters at a later date means having to remove the timing cover and all that goes before it..twice! I have to say that is a very inefficient use of time.

You'll need to change the needles in the carbs to BAK once you have fitted the SD1 heads else your engine will run too lean. As to whether you notice any gains or losses in performance that will remain to be seen, but I would expect that there would be very little in it one way or the other.

Ron.
 
they look good Stina :) As said they'll not change the compression ratio when fitted with tin gaskets

Your plan is the same as mine - though I apparently already have SD1 heads and potentially a plethora of other SD1 bits as well courtesy of a previous owner engine rebuild.

With yours you could skim a bit off to get the compression a bit higher, personally i'd aim for about 10:1, then there's more power and less risk of HG issues if your new heads are not exactly flat.
 
Hi Ron i understand what your saying about going in there twice , and have weighed that up , but i can run to the timing gears , oil pump upgrade in the next couple of months , Then the worry with oem timing gears is gone , i can do the heads cam at my leisure . I converted the troublesome water pump and front cover long bolts to stainless studs and nuts last year when i was in there Stan vaultsmans idea ( didn't have the money for steel gears then ) So should be easy enough to remove .
As for the heads i'll just get them ready for now , then fit them along with the 3.9 cam as and when the time arises . Less valve seat recession ( single springs ), and no need for additive . Can i get away with giving them a light skim without getting into lifter pre load ?

1396midget
Yeah i thought they looked good for the price , so took the plunge , They are as described , rocker gear not perfect , but i didn't buy them for that .
Stina
 
Valve seat recession on a STD P6B??? always talked about but has it ever been documented? anyone here ever seen it, is it all a myth?
 
Hi Stina,

I can see where you are coming from with regards the OEM timing set. A steel set offers peace of mind and that is always a nice thing to have. Changing these over should see the engine feeling more responsive down low but don't expect to see a noticable or indeed any change in oil pressure when you fit the spacer plate and taller gears. The volume of oil that the pump will move per revolution will increase but the pressure relief valve stays the same.

The SD1 heads with their single valve springs doesn't mean that there is less force required to lift the valves, indeed the single valve springs and the double valve springs of the P6B heads exert essentially the same force. The lead that once resided in fuel was a lubricant and as such reduced wear between the valve and its seat, so it is my understanding. Land Rover manufactured all Rover V8 engines from 1972 onwards including those in the P6B and according to their information the cylinder heads from that date on are all suitable for unleaded fuel without a VSR lubricant. There is however a caveat and that is this only applies to Rover V8 engines as fitted into four wheel drive vehicles. Land Rover does not sanction the use of unleaded fuel in Rover V8 engines as fitted into Rover cars between 1972 and circa 1984. After that date the use of unleaded fuel without a VSR lubricant in all Rover V8 engines regardless of the vehicle in which the engine resides is approved by Land Rover.

Now that seems strange to say the least, but then I don't work for Land Rover, so who knows why they advised such.

You can give the heads to an engine shop and they will refurbish them as is necessary, including giving them a light skim in the process no doubt. Lifter preload will remain within spec in such circumstances.

Ron.
 
vaultsman said:
DaveHerns said:
Those heads were a bit of a bargain - all that hard work with a valve grinding stick already done
Click to expand...

I'd agree with that. The seller's Hugh Chambers...well-known and well-regarded for SD1 parts.

Nice one Stina! :)

EDIT: He's got an SD1 front cover on offer as well at the moment with a couple of days to go...

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI....akeTrack=true&ssPageName=VIP:watchlink:top:en
Click to expand...

Hi Stan , Yeah he seems like a good type , asked him a few questions after i bought them and he came straight back . Always a good sign . Cheers for the heads up on the cover , but i'm gonna go for the uprated gears in my cover , got the neoprene seal any way , then i know the condition of them . Been reading your thread and will prob just sand flat the cover plate as you did . You had some doubts at the time , but went for it over cost of new part . What's the verdict after a few years running ???
Any way best go to bed , just bought a 16 inch colling fan , got itchy ebay finger . Dangerous :? :? :?
 
Hi guys . Bought an electric fan , 16 inch and going to control it with a switch cut into the top hose as mr quattro has done with his . Does anyone know what the internal diameter of the top hose is ? The sizes i have seen advertised are 35 , 38 mm .
 
Hi Dave lots of numbers embossed in the hose , not sure what they refer to . I'll see if i can desipher it tomorrow .
 
Hi Stina,

I have a couple of NOS hoses in stock so I'll have a squizz in the morning and post the diameters for you. There were different manufacturers of the hoses with Dunlop being possibly the best that I have seen.

Ron.
 
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