Sparky's winter/spring/summer/autumn work

That guide I can see in the last pic looks like it is tapered where it comes through into the inlet port, so the guides are not stock. Think I can also see a black stem seal on one guide.
I wish I had fitted the modern lip seals on my guides, but as the guides were already in the heads it was a step too far, now sometimes on start up there is a puff of smoke, but not on my Cobra, which has seals on all the guides. Those inlet ports do not look to be overly opened up.
The piston crowns look fine, if you get anal in cleaning do not remove the carbon around the edge.
 
Valves n stuff

IMG_1073.jpg

I won't be cleaning the pistons, I've just sent them off to get them pocketed. Hopefully they'll come back clean :)
 
Oooh looky at those boys !
Don't forget to check the clearance over the top of your guide seals to the spring retainer at full lift on your new cam, oh and that the spring does not coil bind, Oh and if you have to change the springs the new spring installed height......... did someone mention slippery sl ope :)
 
It'll be fun they said, you can do it they said :oops:

I am prepared however, I have even bought one of these engine stand thingies with the money I was left: -

Stand.jpg

There are a few reasons I am doing this to an engine that actually works, and fairly well at that.

1/. Although Sparky does go well, the engine never actually came up to my expectations, it always lacked a certain something. Also, he has developed a small knock in the top end, probably just a follower, but needs looking at.

2/. Lockdown boredom.

3/. I have been left this money and asked to spend it on something important for me.

4/. This is the only bit I haven't build myself.

5/. I have rebuilt standard engines, my first was a 2000TC unit back in the late 70's but have never built an engine to my own spec.

6/. I am getting to an age where I won't be able to do this sort of thing, so now or never.

7/. I want to.

Few other things too, but those are the main ones :)
 
Only pulling your leg a little. It is the fun bit, doing the research, cleaning, measuring, assembling in a nice environment with the engine at a nice height, luvly jubly.
See if you can figure out how to properly measure your compression ratio when you get your pistons back. The pockets will make a wee difference, you must have an old head gasket. Speak with V8 D to see what they recommend for the cam, you may still be quite low if it is 4.0 Rangie lump.
The right CR, deck height checked, good cam, nice 3 angle job to seats and valves, shortened bulleted guides ( you have) EFI ( you have ) headers ( you have ) free flowing exhaust. Sparky should go like stink !
I skimmed heads 0.40" and used tin gaskets to get what I had to work, but there are many ways to do it, I was trying to keep to a budget - ha !
 
V8D recommend building it with a 9.75 CR, all I have to do is measure the volume in the top of the pistons when they have been pocketed and they will ensure the heads are at the correct volume.

I was thinking of putting them back into the engine, at top dead centre then clamping a small sheet of perspex over them using the head bolts and some tubes. Bit of grease around the piston, then pipetting liquid into a hole in the perspex until full. V8D can tell me what the heads hold and then the gasket thickness. Add this volume to the swept piston volume and divide by something or other, and hey presto :)

Looking forward to getting the pistons back now :cool:
 
IIRC Paraffin was the liquid of choice, I used WD 40, seemed to work well. I went for 10 :1, and really should have gone more, next time ................
When I go to the quacks I am always on the scrounge for used large syringes ;)
 
No engine bits back yet, so I thought I would swap the N/S Front suspension leg. I noticed a good while ago that there were score marks under the inner bearing on the stub axle. I do get a small amount of noise from that wheel. I don't really know if it's the scoring that's causing it, but as I managed to find a good replacement I may as well change it.

IMG_1126.jpg

IMG_1126a.jpg

This bit will slow me down a bit :confused:

IMG_1128.jpg

When I fitted the brake upgrade I couldn't work out how to fit the back plates, but as I have a bit more time now, that's next on the agenda.

IMG_1132.jpg
 
Engine balance done. Pistons, crank and rods all very close to start with. Flywheel was a bit off but the front pulley and clutch cover were a long way out. Done now and back at the works.

Just dropped the block into town for someone to fit some top hat liners, then on with the rebuild :)

IMG_6202.JPG

I did spend two bleedin' hours drilling out the bolt in the suspension leg, that bolt was harder than my drillbits!! The front of the backer plate is held on with the bolt, but I need some way to fix the back of it, to stop it flapping about in the breeze. Little job for the weekend I reckon.

IMG_6203.JPG
 
Got the angle grinder out today and cut the backplate out to fit around the adaptor brackets used to fit the Fosseway calipers. I had to refit the uprights into the car, to test fit the calipers as they're still attached to the hydraulic system. Everything cleared ok. Well everything except my finger which during a complicated twisting around to get the angle grinder into a suitable angle, came into contact with a 1mm cutting blade on full bore. That's going to hurt soon :(

IMG_1146.jpg

After 30 minutes in the First Aid kit, it's back on the bench, trial fit the hub to check nothing rubs, but it does :confused:. I've made up a couple of brackets and welded them to the original bracket which held the backplate onto caliper bolts. With just a little tension, the backplate now clears the hub and there's no rubbing, so success :)

IMG_1158.jpg

A while ago I noticed that now and again I found a black oily deposit on my wheels. I never really did get to the bottom of it, until I read somewhere on line during an elongated lockdown surfing, that different makes of greases can use different soaps which can react. The reaction can make the grease thin and discoloured.

wheel oil.jpg

Whether this is true or not, I don't know, but it would answer the question. So when fitting some new Timken bearings, I cleaned the inside of the hub out completely and used new grease. Will keep an eye on that.

IMG_1154.jpg

Now all back together, but a slight error o_O

When I removed the upright I got the split pin out of the lower castle nut cleanly. Now I have refitted it to the car, I have torqued everything up, but can't get a new split pin in, the hole is blocked :mad:

Took me a while to realise that the upright came with an excellent pair of balljoints, so it's not the same hole! So now I have to take the upright off again and get the blockage sorted. It was so close, I almost had the wheel on.

IMG_1160.jpg
 
N/S front wheel back on with new bearings and stub, all torqued up and ready to roll.

IMG_1173a.JPG

Just the O/s one to do now. This one won't be so difficult as the upright can stay where it is, all I need to do is get the back plate to fit, and I know how to do that now :). Compare the two and you can see how open it is to the elements :oops:

IMG_1176a.JPG

Pistons are back with the little bits pocketed for the new cam. Running in oil, some strange looking 'running in' additive, Stealth Cam, gaskets, some special cam lube, chain set, and con rods.

Engine Bits.JPG
 
N/S front wheel back on with new bearings and stub, all torqued up and ready to roll.

View attachment 19020

Just the O/s one to do now. This one won't be so difficult as the upright can stay where it is, all I need to do is get the back plate to fit, and I know how to do that now :). Compare the two and you can see how open it is to the elements :oops:

View attachment 19021

Pistons are back with the little bits pocketed for the new cam. Running in oil, some strange looking 'running in' additive, Stealth Cam, gaskets, some special cam lube, chain set, and con rods.

View attachment 19022
I am very jealous! The one and only engine build I have done was the 3.5 in my Defender, and it was a great experience. Would love to do another. Breaking in the cam was nerve wracking though...

Do keep us updated with lots of pictures
 
All sorted and ready to roll, all nine fingers still intact :)

OSDone.jpg

Tools ready for the next job - putting the pistons back on the rods.

IMG_1187a.jpg

I have totally rebuilt my first car engine, a P6 2000TC, and also a complete rebuild on my Z900 kwakker which included the internal gearbox, and have also changed heads, replaced cams, big end/main shells, gearboxes, and all sorts of stuff. But I have never installed pistons onto conrods in this fashion, press fit/interference fit whatever.

Land Rover have a special tool to press them on, Google says heat the rod end until it goes blue and then push the gudeon pin in real fast (you have 2 to 3 seconds to get it in exactly the right place). I have a large hammer (but the head is a little loose) a pair of mole grips, a socket of the right size and a piece of wood.

Ok, I do have a 10 tonne press, and a testing oven which goes up to 220C, and a freezer. So do I heat the rod to (what?), freeze the pin, and get it into the press PDQ, or get the blow torch out?
 
I am very jealous! The one and only engine build I have done was the 3.5 in my Defender, and it was a great experience. Would love to do another. Breaking in the cam was nerve wracking though...

Do keep us updated with lots of pictures

I have rebuilt my old 2000TC about 40 years ago, and my bike engine a few years ago but both were stock. I have never fully built an upgraded V8 so it's about time I did :)

Lots of pictures it is :cool:
 
  • Like
Reactions: Tor
Probably a ZDDP additive for the cam, essential to use it, according to those who know more than I.

The running in oil is 'ZDDP enhanced' and states that it's 10W 30 which is a bit worrying. Also says it's not street legal which is a bit more worrying, although probably something to do with the US market.?

The additive is a blend of EP additives and even more ZDDP.
 
The engine building begins :)

It's not much yet as the block hasn't turned up yet :confused:

V8D had removed the pistons to machine them, and our local V8 racing engine builder had done the balancing so needed them separate from the conrods. So now I have to re-attach them, and this is not something I have done before, so new exciting stuff :p

I decided to knock up a jig out of some old bits of MDF, wood and an old bracket. It didn't have to look nice, which was lucky

Jig.jpg

The base is screwed to the bench, then a V shape out of MDF is glued and screwed to that, the bit to the right pivots to clamp the piston in place.

clamped.jpg

The piston has to stay where it is as I need to heat the conrod until it goes blue, then hold it in place and push the gudgeon pin in, possibly with some force. All of the surfaces in contact with the piston are MDF so shouldn't scratch it.

I have heard (google and youtube) that I only have around two seconds to get the gudgeon pin in the correct place until the rod cools enough to 'grab' the pin. The stud through the wood has a couple of nuts on the end which I have set to the right position to act as a stop for the gudgeon pin. It did occur to me that the conrod would be up against the inside of the piston when fitting so would be offset by a little and the gudgeon pin would need to be offset to the same amount.

The first one went ok, but when I still had pressure on the pin I inadvertently moved the conrod, leaving the pin 3mm offset. Luckily I managed to get into the press and just persuade it over a bit.

The second one wasn't quite hot enough and the rod grabbed the pin before it got all the way through so back to the press, but the second attempt went perfectly.

I ran out of time then, so only two done so far.

Two done.jpg

I have heard that Vectra injectors are better then the normal Hotwire ones as they have a two hole spray which atomises the fuel better and flow better. I somehow managed to get 13 of them, and have sent them round to our local injector service company who has sorted the best 8 and apparently they all flow very close to 230cc with a perfect spray pattern.

injectors.jpg

jecters.jpg

They should pep it up a bit
 
Good work! I have used the Vectra injectors previously and they were great- allowed me to idle leaner than previously and I got better economy overall from them. They were a big improvement over the standard injectors, and generally made the engine feel smoother.

I have since moved to using some of the later ev6 style plastic bodied injectors. The Landrover has some from a Rover, and the P6 is using some from an Alfa. They have been a step further in efficiency again, but not as much as I had hoped.
 
Back
Top