Rover 3.5 won't start...

[Riley RMF]

Hi - I have an army surplus 3.5 8.13cr on HIF44's. After 18 years in storage it was in and working perfectly, until...

... the gearbox started making a racket and I took the engine and gearbox out to fix it.

While waiting for gearbox parts I thought I'd check the hydraulic tappets for clearance and fitted 32thou shims from Real Steel all round.

Started it up on Christmas eve and it was fine. Took a drive down the road and back to check the hoses - about a mile altogether. Engine felt a bit off, but it was cold and it hadn't been out for a couple of months. Went home feeling chuffed.

It then refused to start and I've spent the last month trying to get it going again. New plugs, leads, dizzy cap, fuel lines and carbs flushed though with fresh petrol. It kind of catches, but can't quite make it to starting.

The only thing I haven't yet done is the shims - I'm planning to take them out again to put it back to its last working state to see what it thinks of that. Can't imagine that they could make a difference to the timing or mixture - or could it?

Anyway, here's the question. With the extra oil in the tappets on account of the shims, do I need to take any special measures before attempting to start the engine? they'll sort themselves eventually I guess, but initially they'll be off.

Probably a dumb question, but I'd rather be thought a dumbass than screw up my engine!

Cheers

Phill

[ChrisJC]

32 thou on the shims seems a lot to me! I wonder if the valves are even closing.

Chris.

[Ian Anderson]

Do a compression test and it will soon tell f the valves are closing

Ian

[garrycol]

On a basic un modifed engine, why do you need shims - the standard hydraulic system will account for any wear.

[harvey]

Surely the shims would be more likely to stop the valves opening than closing?

[Riley RMF]

Hi guys and thanks for all the responses!

Lets start with garycol and why shim. It's unmodified but it's a recon engine. There were signs of pitting on the block between no. 2 and the water jacket, but the heads were perfect. Seemed to me there had been a blown head gasket and the head(s) skimmed. Didn't bother to check the tappets at the point I was recommissioning, I was more interested in whether it would work or not. Shortform message though is that having been skimmed, the head/valves are now closer to the block and there's a bigger gap at the tappet clearance (that thing about poking a pop rivet between the top of the plunger and the retaining spring) than there would have been from new. With the engine proven a goodun and sitting in my workshop waiting for gearbox parts I decided to do the shim thing. Seemed to have largish gaps, and for the sake of £20 from Real Steel, why wouldn't I? All clearances good at the end of the shimming job.

ChrisJC and Ian Anderson, I measured the compression this morning - plugs out, turned the engine over until the oil pressure started to rise and got this - all psi:

1. 132
2. 130
3. 129
4. 138
5. 126
6. 137
7. 132
8. 131

Dunno what the 8.13cr 3.5 should be, but they seem reasonable?

So tomorrow I'll take the shims out again and check the compression again.

Now, the tappets are going to have an extra wodge of oil in them due to the now absent shims and that oil isn't going to be moving very quickly because it's fairly cold, but I assume the excess will be squidged out eventually. Initially at least, they will be opening further than they should and possibly not closing at all? Please don't tell me I have to take the inlet manifold off again and squeeze the oil out of the tappets!

And I assume I'm not going to put a valve through a piston crown...

Thanks

Phill

[Riley RMF]

P.S. - I'm with Harvey....

.... aren't I?

[Riley RMF]

Turned out to be the distributor - the only thing I hadn't suspected because I'd fitted a new Powerspark unit when recommissioning.

Took down the Lucas unit that was part of the recon turnkey system and dusted it off. Stuck it in and the engine started first time. Not been used for at least 18 years and it just worked.

Will give the dizzy a good old clean up tomorrow and hopefully that's the end of this particular challenge!

Thanks all

Phill

[Ian Anderson]

Great to hear it is running again