Rover 2000TC- Took the head off and this what I found

I was able to rebuild my engine taking time and the rover workshop manual. It’s a simple engine in some respects so ideal for learning.

in your case I would look at the following parts to replace:

1) Oversized pistons and rings.
2) Inspect crankshaft journals for wear. Assume a regrind and polish at a machine shop (+0.020”)
3) New oversized main and big end bearing shells to match new grind.
4) Rebore block to match new oversized pistons.
5) New timing chain and tensioners.
6) Inspect valves and valve seats. Most likely you can get away with lapping the valves.
7) Inspect valve guides, they may need replacing. It’s possible to do that yourself once you’ve got new guides.

That will give you a fresh engine to run with.
I was in the same boat of having a tired engine a few years ago, rebuilding it myself was a great learning experience and very rewarding.
 
I too am undertaking this rebuild process on my 2000 TC. Original block bored to take new 2200 pistons. Crankshaft needed no work, so will be refitted with new standard-size bearings. New chains and tensioners. New valves and guides.

I acquired a 2200 TC engine so I could use some of its parts. The engine had been described as 'good' by the person who took it out of his car, but actually it was full of black sludge, the bearings were worn through to the copper, the crankshaft was worn, the bores had ridges and nearly all the piston rings were stuck. It was much worse than the engine I'm rebuilding so I'm glad I didn't simply swap it into my car. I'm using its cylinder head (bigger exhaust valves to suit the new, larger capacity), its connecting rods (slightly narrower at the piston end although the 2000 ones could be modified quite easily) and its flywheel (no scoring on the clutch-plate face, unlike my orginal). Also its distributor, with the right advance curve for a 2200 TC and a 9:1 compression ratio. Oddly, this distributor is in better condition than my engine's original one.

I'm getting the crankshaft, flywheel, conrods and pistons balanced to ensure the engine is as smooth-running as possible. I should get the block, head, crankshaft and other balanced parts back next week, after which I can start putting it all together. I'm looking forward to this greatly, and the factory manual is well written and very comprehensive.

New oversize 2000 pistons are very expensive, about five times the cost of the new-old-stock standard 2200 Hepolite pistons I found on eBay. So the cost of my project, including buying the 2200 TC engine, will be less than if I had gone for a simple rebore with new 2000 pistons.

Carlos, you might want to consider the overbore-to-2200 route. You can still use your original cylinder head – mine was damaged, which is what set me off on buying that 2200 TC engine – and have your connecting rods modified to suit the 2200 pistons. That's what sdibbers did. As an Italian-spec 2000 TC, your car will probably have a 9:1 compression ratio rather than the UK's and US's 10:1, so your distributor's advance curve could well be suitable.

Good luck with it.
 
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I was able to rebuild my engine taking time and the rover workshop manual. It’s a simple engine in some respects so ideal for learning.

in your case I would look at the following parts to replace:

1) Oversized pistons and rings.
2) Inspect crankshaft journals for wear. Assume a regrind and polish at a machine shop (+0.020”)
3) New oversized main and big end bearing shells to match new grind.
4) Rebore block to match new oversized pistons.
5) New timing chain and tensioners.
6) Inspect valves and valve seats. Most likely you can get away with lapping the valves.
7) Inspect valve guides, they may need replacing. It’s possible to do that yourself once you’ve got new guides.

That will give you a fresh engine to run with.
I was in the same boat of having a tired engine a few years ago, rebuilding it myself was a great learning experience and very rewarding.

Well, I've had the first quote for the rebuilding from the people in England who made the engine from my TR6, back in 2004 (around 850 GBP ) cheap and a very good job. Now they ask 2.500 + VAT for a complete engine rebuild ( quite serious money).
Here is a screenshot of the complete list they promise to do.

I'm waiting for two more quotes: one from another English machine shop, and the other from a Spanish one.

But I'm seriously thinking to go for your way: to send only the block and the head, and do the rest by myself
Thanks for encouraging me:)
 

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Carlos, you might want to consider the overbore-to-2200 route. You can still use your original cylinder head – mine was damaged, which is what set me off on buying that 2200 TC engine – and have your connecting rods modified to suit the 2200 pistons. That's what sdibbers did. As an Italian-spec 2000 TC, your car will probably have a 9:1 compression ratio rather than the UK's and US's 10:1, so your distributor's advance curve could well be suitable.

Hi John, yes the pistons for the 2000 are 540 GBP, serious money !
But I think that being in Spain, with workshops with almost nothing experience in British cars, I should go for a more conservative solution.
For example that scares me a little bit: ¨and have your connecting rods modified to suit the 2200 pistons¨:oops:

But I think that your job with the 2200 engine is incredible !! Good luck !
 
For the conrods it's just a matter of grinding a little off each side of the small end. A machine shop can do it easily and accurately if shown the 2000 and 2200 pistons. The precise amount of material that needs to be removed will be obvious.

That list from your TR engineering shop of work to be done is certainly comprehensive, but it seems to be based on an engine with rockers rather than a bucket-tappet, overhead-camshaft design. Have they actually built a P6 engine before? Also, some of the work listed might not be necessary – reprofiling the camshaft, for example.

Among the advantages of going the 2200 route are more power and torque, and a smoother engine because the combustion chamber is a better shape in the 2200 piston and the piston itself is less 'top-heavy'.
 
I think they are quite keenly-priced for a set of four NOS standard-sized pistons. He is a longtime Rover parts seller & one of those that seems to find very useful original stock regularly, unless it was a huge cache of spares bought long ago. Along with Roverpart of London they get some very tempting stock between them, sometimes expensive but often unobtanium based.
I replaced my P5B's moth-eaten passenger side front carpet via Roverpart, an original bagged Rover item. Not cheap but find me another.
I'd snap those pistons up if l was re-boring a 2000 block.
 
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For the conrods it's just a matter of grinding a little off each side of the small end. A machine shop can do it easily and accurately if shown the 2000 and 2200 pistons. The precise amount of material that needs to be removed will be obvious.

That list from your TR engineering shop of work to be done is certainly comprehensive, but it seems to be based on an engine with rockers rather than a bucket-tappet, overhead-camshaft design. Have they actually built a P6 engine before? Also, some of the work listed might not be necessary – reprofiling the camshaft, for example.

Among the advantages of going the 2200 route are more power and torque, and a smoother engine because the combustion chamber is a better shape in the 2200 piston and the piston itself is less 'top-heavy'.

In case I'm reboring the block to 2200, what about the cylinder head ?What do I have to replace for the new configuration and compression?

Thanks
 
Nothing, because the head face is flat and the combustion chamber is in the piston. Just make sure you use a 2200 head gasket to suit the new, larger bore size. You will end up with a 9:1 compression ratio, which is probably what you had already. Camshaft, valve timing etc are unchanged.

As The Rovering Member says, Rover Parts Services (RPS), the seller of the pistons, is a good and long-established seller of P6 parts. I've bought many parts from him (Pierre Janusz is his name) and he is very helpful.
 
It has occurred to me that you might have looked at the photograph of the 2200 pistons, noticed that there are no valve cut-outs and wondered if there might be a problem with valves hitting pistons. Don't worry, it doesn't happen. The 2000 pistons move right up the top of the bore – very slightly past the top, actually – but the 2200 pistons have a smaller distance between the gudgeon pin and the piston crown and are still a little way down the bore at TDC.

If you haven't seen it already, my thread 2000 TC: does mine need a rebore? covers much the same questions as you have had and might be worth a look.
 
Nothing, because the head face is flat and the combustion chamber is in the piston. Just make sure you use a 2200 head gasket to suit the new, larger bore size. You will end up with a 9:1 compression ratio, which is probably what you had already. Camshaft, valve timing etc are unchanged.
Great ! Its good news. By the way I think that my engine now is a 10:1, the former owner told me that, and in the big Factory Service Manual there is a diagram about the subject.
 
– but the 2200 pistons have a smaller distance between the gudgeon pin and the piston crown and are still a little way down the bore at TDC.
That explains how the compression gets lower.
I was wondering how was possible getting lower compression with flat pistons but that smaller distance makes it clear.
 
As The Rovering Member says, Rover Parts Services (RPS), the seller of the pistons, is a good and long-established seller of P6 parts. I've bought many parts from him (Pierre Janusz is his name) and he is very helpful.

So should I get the pistons first and take them with the block, to the people who makes the machining ?
 
At the moment I've cleaned the engine and took cylinder 3 out.
What do you think about the bearings and crank ?
Thanks
 

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The bearings look ready for replacement but not they’ve not gone through the white metal. I’d replace with new bearing shells. The crankshaft journals look good, maybe a polish by hand and it’ll be good to go.

By the way, good on you for biting the bullet and taking the engine apart yourself!

You asked about what size to bore the cylinders out to. Best option is to research the bore versus the pistons you decide to buy.
 
So should I get the pistons first and take them with the block, to the people who makes the machining ?
Yes. The bore is nominally 90.5mm but the machining shop will measure the pistons precisely and bore the block to allow the required clearance between piston and bore.
 
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