Newbie 3.5 Engine advice & info please!

[Mrclippy]

Hi all

I have a 3.5 Rover V8 (15D) which I believe came from a classic rangie. It’s got twin SU carbs (HIF6).

Currently it’s not running correctly (timing suspect - as I’ve checked most other things!) and I need to decide what to with it as it’s not performing well at all.

Can anyone give me a steer as to what power output I should be getting?

Once I’ve had the timing checked I’m contemplating getting a 4 barrel carb and new manifold to pep it up a little. Is it worth it with the stock cam?

Cheers

[ChrisJC]

Has it got the compression ratio stamped on the block next to the engine number?

I think the latest Rangie engines before they went fuel injected were 125BHP. Certainly no more than 165BHP as that was the EFi output (from memory).

Chris.

[bigaldart]

It is highly likely your engine has a severely worn camshaft and lifters. These can be completely worn out and the engine will run smoothly but obviously power will be greatly reduced. Can you run a compression test first to see what condition the engine is in overall? If one or two cylinders are very different to the others the cam is the likely culprit. Also if all cylinders are low the cam is likely still to be the cause. Replacing the cam, lifters and timing chain is the best option to restore your engine to acceptable performance.