A 'gentle' rebuild of my 3500
- Thread starter Mikep
- Start date
Hi Mike,
The Facet pump should be mounted beneath the tank, or at least as close to and below as is possible. Have you been using 98 octane fuel or are you running a lower octane rating?
Oil smoke coming from beneath the rocker cover suggests as you say that the gaskets require replacement. I am assuming that your flame traps, hoses and all connections are clear? When the engine is hot, switched off and you unscrew the oil filler cap, do you see a stream of hot oily smoke rising out?
Ron.
The Facet pump should be mounted beneath the tank, or at least as close to and below as is possible. Have you been using 98 octane fuel or are you running a lower octane rating?
Oil smoke coming from beneath the rocker cover suggests as you say that the gaskets require replacement. I am assuming that your flame traps, hoses and all connections are clear? When the engine is hot, switched off and you unscrew the oil filler cap, do you see a stream of hot oily smoke rising out?
Ron.
Mine runs the mechanical pump. It does have an insulated fuel line to the pump. I also have richer needles - running KP rather than KO or KL. I run the 88 degree thermostat too.
It has to be something specific. Doesn't advance/retard of the ignition have an effect on heat?
Is the feed from the carb tower producing flow into the top of the radiator?
Could the fuel pipe from the tank need clearing? If there was crud in there could it cause vapourisation at the point after a half blockage? May be worth blasting it with a compressor?
They're my ideas - anybody else?
It has to be something specific. Doesn't advance/retard of the ignition have an effect on heat?
Is the feed from the carb tower producing flow into the top of the radiator?
Could the fuel pipe from the tank need clearing? If there was crud in there could it cause vapourisation at the point after a half blockage? May be worth blasting it with a compressor?
They're my ideas - anybody else?
rockdemon wrote,...
Retarding the ignition timing increases the running temperature due to the engine operation being less efficient. Even the standard 6 degrees BTDC is inefficient, but TDC much more so.
The reason coolant is directed to flow through the inlet manifold is to aid fuel atomisation by heating the fuel/air mixture. So if the coolant feed from the tower is obstructed, then I don't see that being a possible cause for vapourisation.
Ron.
Retarding the ignition timing increases the running temperature due to the engine operation being less efficient. Even the standard 6 degrees BTDC is inefficient, but TDC much more so.
The reason coolant is directed to flow through the inlet manifold is to aid fuel atomisation by heating the fuel/air mixture. So if the coolant feed from the tower is obstructed, then I don't see that being a possible cause for vapourisation.
Ron.
Mikep
Active Member
testrider said:
SydneyRoverP6B said:
Hi Chaps,
My pump is mounted behind the passenger side headlights, which I know is about as good as you'll get under the bonnet.
Ron, I have been considering relocating a new pump to the rear but need to get my head around the piping so as to maintain the fuel reserve tap. As far as fuel 9 times out of 10 I run on 99 octane (Shell V Power), but if I'm stuck I will use standard 95 octane with Castrol valvemaster, but thats not that often. I actually found a garage selling 4 star a couple of weeks ago but only realised after I had stuck £20 in it was £2.04 per litre compared to £1.43 for Shell :shock: Don't think I can justify that.
With regard to the oil smoke, I only noticed that seepage from the rocker cover that one time but if you remove the oil filler cap there is a small amount of vapour but nothing I haven't seen on any car before.
testrider
Active Member
Mikep said:
I have a couple of pdfs of an old club article describing how to do it and I can email them if you like? I also did a thread on it somewhere with pictures of the pipe work under the tank - I did it in a day, but have subsequently revised the routing in the engine bay to neaten it up. I haven't had vapour lock since including queueing to get into Goodwood for an hour last year where TVR's were dropping like flies!
testrider
Active Member
Here's a link to the thread viewtopic.php?f=5&t=7342&p=48898#
I've just reloaded the photos as they disappeared during the forum move.
I've just reloaded the photos as they disappeared during the forum move.
codekiddie
Active Member
I think it is probably more to do with pictures that were hosted by the old site address, as opposed to externally with flikr, photobucket etc...testrider said:
Any pictures within the text are simply links to where the photo resides. If it was the old site, (which I guess is no longer) then they don't appear, whereas external links would be unaffected.
Feel free to correct me if I am wrong Rich :?
Mikep
Active Member
Last weekend I started to strip my engine of the carbs, inlet manifold and rocker covers ready for refurbishment and new gaskets.
You can see its all a bit grubby so having removed a load of bits it should allow me to give it a good clean.
Carburettors and manifold ready for dismantling.
Having never checked the condition inside of the heads and the valley I thought it wise to replace the gaskets as there was a small leak at the back and one of the rocker covers occasionally leaked oil vapour.
I'm no expert but it looks pretty clean and sludge free. Any comments from wiser people would be appreciated
I appreciate that to properly inspect the cam it should be removed but on inspection I think it looks good with pronounced lobes. I have seen pictures of some very worn ones. Would anyone else agree just from the photos?
Here's the reason for the oil vapour from the rocker cover. A cork gasket that has appreared to have shrunk.
Unfortunatley because both of the carbs had slight leaks from the float bowl it has taken some of the paint of the rocker covers but seeing as they have scrubbed up well and I'm not trying for a concours look they will do just fine.
As it stands today I have just recieved my new valley gasket and rubber rocker cover gaskets so I shall try and fit these over the weekend. At the same time I ordered replacement heater hoses as mine were not far from going 'pop' due to the excessive splits in them :shock: My only problem is that I have been sent a wrong top hose. Is the top the inlet or outlet?
I also managed to remove the carbs from the manifold so that can be cleaned as well this weekend. Even though I will be having new throttle discs minus poppet valves and new shaft bushes fitted I'm still unsure if I should rebuild them myself or get the company doing the discs and shafts to do it. They want £297 to completly refurbish them ; if I let them do the discs and shafts and refurb the rest myself the total cost will be about £90 less. Im just wondering if it would be best to spend the extra to have them come back pristine and tested? Any thoughts?
You can see its all a bit grubby so having removed a load of bits it should allow me to give it a good clean.
Carburettors and manifold ready for dismantling.
Having never checked the condition inside of the heads and the valley I thought it wise to replace the gaskets as there was a small leak at the back and one of the rocker covers occasionally leaked oil vapour.
I'm no expert but it looks pretty clean and sludge free. Any comments from wiser people would be appreciated
I appreciate that to properly inspect the cam it should be removed but on inspection I think it looks good with pronounced lobes. I have seen pictures of some very worn ones. Would anyone else agree just from the photos?
Here's the reason for the oil vapour from the rocker cover. A cork gasket that has appreared to have shrunk.
Unfortunatley because both of the carbs had slight leaks from the float bowl it has taken some of the paint of the rocker covers but seeing as they have scrubbed up well and I'm not trying for a concours look they will do just fine.
As it stands today I have just recieved my new valley gasket and rubber rocker cover gaskets so I shall try and fit these over the weekend. At the same time I ordered replacement heater hoses as mine were not far from going 'pop' due to the excessive splits in them :shock: My only problem is that I have been sent a wrong top hose. Is the top the inlet or outlet?
I also managed to remove the carbs from the manifold so that can be cleaned as well this weekend. Even though I will be having new throttle discs minus poppet valves and new shaft bushes fitted I'm still unsure if I should rebuild them myself or get the company doing the discs and shafts to do it. They want £297 to completly refurbish them ; if I let them do the discs and shafts and refurb the rest myself the total cost will be about £90 less. Im just wondering if it would be best to spend the extra to have them come back pristine and tested? Any thoughts?
Hi Mike,
The heater hose running from the metal pipe (of which there are two diameters) attached to the rear of the inlet manifold runs across to the lower entry point on the heater matrix, ie the inlet. The matix outlet is the top heater hose, which in turn joins with the long metal pipe beneath the manifold.
The lobes look ok from the photo. Are the lobe edges smooth flowing curves or can you see and feel rough spots?
Ron.
The heater hose running from the metal pipe (of which there are two diameters) attached to the rear of the inlet manifold runs across to the lower entry point on the heater matrix, ie the inlet. The matix outlet is the top heater hose, which in turn joins with the long metal pipe beneath the manifold.
The lobes look ok from the photo. Are the lobe edges smooth flowing curves or can you see and feel rough spots?
Ron.
roverp5Bcoupe
Active Member
The only difficult bit on overhauling the SU carbs is the spindle and bushes. You should check if the spindle has to much clearance. If not, you don't need to replace the bushes and you can only replace the seals on the shaft. I fitted new bushes and it can be done without special tools. The rest of the work is straight forward. The Su carbs are simple carbs.
Peter
Peter
Mikep
Active Member
roverp5Bcoupe said:
Hi Peter,
There is some slight play in the spindles but I had been led to believe that this could only be done by professionals with the correct tools as some machine may need to take place and the bushes need to be pressed in. Tbh I would be worried about not fitting them correctly and buggering it up. Im talking myself into a full professional rebuild because they will also be able to spot and other issues that I will undoubtably miss.
roverp5Bcoupe
Active Member
Hello Mike,
Its up to you. I understood that the only difficult bit is that there is possibility that the bushes need to be reamed after fitting. When i replaced the bushes, no reaming was needed but when reaming is needed, you can buy an adjustable reamer (chines quality) for 15-20 Euro and although chinese quality, these work well on softer materials. Pressing in bushes in the carbs is not that difficult either as not much force is needed for that. You only need to keep them straight in the beginning, You could use a big vise for pressing the bushes in.
Peter
Its up to you. I understood that the only difficult bit is that there is possibility that the bushes need to be reamed after fitting. When i replaced the bushes, no reaming was needed but when reaming is needed, you can buy an adjustable reamer (chines quality) for 15-20 Euro and although chinese quality, these work well on softer materials. Pressing in bushes in the carbs is not that difficult either as not much force is needed for that. You only need to keep them straight in the beginning, You could use a big vise for pressing the bushes in.
Peter
I think you can argue these things both ways, Mike. If you send it for a professional rebuild and the result on the car is anything other than perfection, you'll have it in bits in a nanosecond to find out what they didn't do / buggered up. And then, like you, you can argue the inadequate skill set route.
Personally, I think I'd be prepared to try blagging it and seeing how I got on, with the acceptance that I might then send the debris for a professional sort out if I wasn't happy with my own work....
Chris
Personally, I think I'd be prepared to try blagging it and seeing how I got on, with the acceptance that I might then send the debris for a professional sort out if I wasn't happy with my own work....
Chris
Mikep
Active Member
Re: A 'gentle' rebuild of my 3500 - V8 head identification
I'm trying to identify the heads on my car as I know I have an SD1 block but I want to make sure exactly what heads they are as I suspect the engine to be a bit of a mongrel. I know there should be an external number but I can't see it, there is however a number inside which doesn't correlate with the ERC numbers I have seen. I'm assuming that I actually have early heads but tbh I have no idea. The photo below shows the number, 612571. Is this familiar to anyone.
I'm trying to identify the heads on my car as I know I have an SD1 block but I want to make sure exactly what heads they are as I suspect the engine to be a bit of a mongrel. I know there should be an external number but I can't see it, there is however a number inside which doesn't correlate with the ERC numbers I have seen. I'm assuming that I actually have early heads but tbh I have no idea. The photo below shows the number, 612571. Is this familiar to anyone.