Which way to go.....

Old-thread resurrection...

Most of these photos I've posted to Facebook over the last few months. Very remiss of me not to include the CRF, but since Photobucket got their greedy head on, I've had to sort out another hosting site.

3.9 time.

Stripdown photos:
01 stripdown by vaultsman, on Flickr
03 stripdown by vaultsman, on Flickr
04 stripdown by vaultsman, on Flickr
05 stripdown by vaultsman, on Flickr
06 stripdown by vaultsman, on Flickr

Engine out:
07 engine out by vaultsman, on Flickr
08 engine out by vaultsman, on Flickr
09 engine out by vaultsman, on Flickr
10 engine out by vaultsman, on Flickr
11 engine out by vaultsman, on Flickr
 
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Looks like you've been having lots of fun Stan! That photo of your inlet manifold is really helpful. Now I realise why I ended up breaking one of the brittle black plastic petrol overflow pipes; I had the retaining brackets on the wrong bolts, too close to the carb tower. Doh!
Is your 3.9 installation complete, and back on the road? If yes, how does it compare to the old engine?
 
Hi Al,
Yes, engine's in and Occie got a fresh MOT last week. :)
Having bedded in the cam and lifters, I'm just taking the revs a little steady at the mo. Oil change next week, and at some point I'll get in on the dyno with Peter Burgess.
Certainly feels eager so far, and really good to be back behind the wheel.

Mechanical fuel pump's playing up again, so I'll be fitting an engine bay Huco before too many sunrises have passed!
 
Finding TDC:
33 finding TDC by vaultsman, on Flickr
35 finding TDC by vaultsman, on Flickr
36 finding TDC by vaultsman, on Flickr
37 finding TDC by vaultsman, on Flickr

I went with the Crower 50229, but when degreeing it in the block it was apparent that the lift was down on advertised. Much discussion with Paul at V8 Tuner, but his efforts to elicit a satisfactory response from Crower in the US proved fruitless. The way we've left it is that I'll run this cam for a while (up to 6 months) and, if I'm not happy, he'll give me full credit on it. Paul's been really helpful....shame Crower has fallen far below standard.

Degreeing camshaft:
38 degreeing camshaft by vaultsman, on Flickr

Checking piston-to-valve clearance using check springs (old rocker shaft spring cut in two):
39 checking springs by vaultsman, on Flickr
40 piston to valve clearance by vaultsman, on Flickr
41 piston to valve clearance by vaultsman, on Flickr
 
I love how you remember to take photo sequences. I wish I'd had photo 58 handy when I was putting my intake back on the other week after changing head gaskets!
For the benefit of the dim (i.e. me!) can you explain what you were doing in pictures 40 and 41 please. You've got a dial indicator bolted to where the rocker pedestal would attach, and you've set it up so that you know the distance from the piston at tdc to the position you've fixed it at, and then with the valve and spring fitted you can check whether the valve would interfere with the piston? Or something like that? o_O
 
That's about the size of it, Al.
As it's not a wild cam, it was unlikely there'd be any interference but I thought I'd check it.
It's not just at TDC though. For exhaust valves, it's generally advised to check at intervals starting 15 degrees BTDC, and for inlets starting at TDC and up to 15 ATDC.
By using light checking springs you can depress the valve easily at each interval on the timing disc and see what clearance you've got.
I understand you should aim for at least 80 thou (2mm) clearance for inlets. and 100 thou (2.5mm) for exhausts.
 
Crank was balanced as you'd expect, Peter, but the new pistons out of the box have been mated to the original rods from the 3.5 with new pins.

The block came from V8 Tuner, and Paul had used it for a light and brief run to test some pistons.....got it at a very good price! Rehoned before it left him.
 
Carbs still need a fettle, and I'm sure the needles will bear attention.....but that's a job for Peter Burgess when I get Occie up to him.

Video:
 
It's so shiny! :cool: Are the valve covers and air filter 'elbows' polished, or have you had them chromed?
 
Very nice build and nice result! The Rover V8 engine's can look so nice when done properly like you did. Do the elbows have an additional way of fitting or are these only held by the O-rings?
Peter
 
It's so shiny! :cool: Are the valve covers and air filter 'elbows' polished, or have you had them chromed?
Had them chromed about 9 years ago by a plater I dealt with through work.
TBH, they're looking a little less pristine close-up now. I've got a spare set of rocker covers that I think I'll clean up and paint somewhat like the originals.
 
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