.Mike
rover v8 bearing caps
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if you are going to have to make up a set of main caps to take the cross bolts then I would have a nice chunky bottom end brace made up to fit the main caps (ie the main caps flush with the bottom of the block and the brace across the whole lot). This will tie the whole lot together and will make up the strongets bottom end you can get. then all you need is heads cam train and turbo to match .
Mike
.Mike
poppet valves rule!
well that doesn't sound awful.
I think the bores are a bit worn after looking. The pistons rattle about a tad. They seem to be elongated more than cylindrical as most gap is down the side. I think I may get it checked and maybe a ten thou overbore to sweeten them up at the same time... I may as well have the cam bearings done as well.
Oh, and get a cam thrust plate sorted at the same time...
Or just buy a brand new block
I'm not far from DJE, but I've heard a few things about him. Anybody got any recommendations for someone in the midlands to do this?
I think the bores are a bit worn after looking. The pistons rattle about a tad. They seem to be elongated more than cylindrical as most gap is down the side. I think I may get it checked and maybe a ten thou overbore to sweeten them up at the same time... I may as well have the cam bearings done as well.
Oh, and get a cam thrust plate sorted at the same time...
Or just buy a brand new block
I'm not far from DJE, but I've heard a few things about him. Anybody got any recommendations for someone in the midlands to do this?
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HairbearTE
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I think I'll have to get a few prices and decide what I want to do. The original project idea was just a cheap, basic rebuild, to gain some experience in what's involved, so I wasn't too fussed about the spec or performance... as long as it ran OK, I didn't care if it produced 20 or 200hp and if it blew up or fell apart, then at least I hadn't screwed up a decent engine:DHairbearTE wrote:Volospian John Eales is is not far from DJE I believe, perhaps you could try him . Of course V8 Dev is in Lincs which is a bit further but worth the trip i'm sure, don't forget to mention the forum
But as this block looks OK and can be xbolted and so on, I'm leaning more towards doing it properly... however, then I'll need someone else to do the required machining and have to invest in new pistons, decent cam, new crank, balancing, etc. etc. and my cheap as chips knock-about suddenly becomes a (relatively) expensive proposition... especially as I don't really have anything to put it in yet
Oh, by the way, what sort of power can stock internals take on the bottom end?
I'm not after massive power, maybe, as I'm going to the trouble of the xbolting, around 250-300 max, with a couple of turbos?
If it's going to be xbolted and so on, then is it worth fitting forged parts, but then that's a lot of expense if it doesn't need it for that power.
I'm not after massive power, maybe, as I'm going to the trouble of the xbolting, around 250-300 max, with a couple of turbos?
If it's going to be xbolted and so on, then is it worth fitting forged parts, but then that's a lot of expense if it doesn't need it for that power.
Ha, because, my friend.... Ummmmmmmm.. ahem... urrr... no, ok, sounds a good ideaIainB wrote:Why not put this one aside and parts collect for a performance build (as and when funds allow) and buy another complete (but running) engine, that you can strip, clean, blue print, rebuild....which if it goes bang, wont be as much of an issue than an engine that you have invested in?
Iain B talks sense.
RV8s are sooo expensive to tune (in one go) and given that you have a very very good block, it's worth saving and doing properly. Buy a cheapo engine to get you going in the meantime.
You asked before what was worth doing? Personally, I would get the xbolts done, plus the cam retaining plate, maybe a hone if required, and keep an eye out for performance parts. I have seen Group A rods on ebay for 150 sheets. Forged pistons would be a good idea, but as you said they're expensive (circa £800 new). Clevite bearings and ARP mains/rod/head bolts are a must for a H-P RV8.
My 3.9 runs standard rover 9.35:1 pistons. I have stage 3 heads which have been fettled a bit more, running 36cc chamber heads and composite gaskets the comp ratio is pretty low. Two turbos @5psi, intercooler, EFI etc should give me a good 300bhp. Using your block with twin turbos you could push higher boost and get more power.
I spoke to V8D late last year when I was going to build a turbo 4.6 for my MG, and they gave good advice and prices, I can certainly recommend them.
RV8s are sooo expensive to tune (in one go) and given that you have a very very good block, it's worth saving and doing properly. Buy a cheapo engine to get you going in the meantime.
You asked before what was worth doing? Personally, I would get the xbolts done, plus the cam retaining plate, maybe a hone if required, and keep an eye out for performance parts. I have seen Group A rods on ebay for 150 sheets. Forged pistons would be a good idea, but as you said they're expensive (circa £800 new). Clevite bearings and ARP mains/rod/head bolts are a must for a H-P RV8.
My 3.9 runs standard rover 9.35:1 pistons. I have stage 3 heads which have been fettled a bit more, running 36cc chamber heads and composite gaskets the comp ratio is pretty low. Two turbos @5psi, intercooler, EFI etc should give me a good 300bhp. Using your block with twin turbos you could push higher boost and get more power.
I spoke to V8D late last year when I was going to build a turbo 4.6 for my MG, and they gave good advice and prices, I can certainly recommend them.
Yeah, I really don't want to damage a good block by inexperience and dicking about.
I currently have a stack of parts hanging around, but all are used, and while that's fine on a cheap block that was only ever going to be a stop gap anyway, used mainly for experimentation, I don't want to waste a good block for the sake of it.
I think I'll keep an eye out for something more suitable for a beginner for now, and hold the good block until I have the time, money and experience to use it.
I currently have a stack of parts hanging around, but all are used, and while that's fine on a cheap block that was only ever going to be a stop gap anyway, used mainly for experimentation, I don't want to waste a good block for the sake of it.
I think I'll keep an eye out for something more suitable for a beginner for now, and hold the good block until I have the time, money and experience to use it.
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HairbearTE
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- Joined: Sat Nov 18, 2006 12:27 am
- Location: Melton Mowbray
IainB is spot on and in fact this is the course that many take when they first get an RV8.
1) I'll use a rover V8, the're cheap and plentiful.
2) Learn about a few tweaks that can be done to improve power.
3) Get carried away and amass pile of billet this and titanium that.
4) Realise that if this baby blows up you can't afford to rebuild it!
5) Get another stocker for basic rebuild to try first.
This ring a bell with anyone out there?
1) I'll use a rover V8, the're cheap and plentiful.
2) Learn about a few tweaks that can be done to improve power.
3) Get carried away and amass pile of billet this and titanium that.
4) Realise that if this baby blows up you can't afford to rebuild it!
5) Get another stocker for basic rebuild to try first.
This ring a bell with anyone out there?
lol, I'm not quite that bad. My basic premise was to rebuild a V8 engine for the experience. I own a TVR Cerbera and at some stage I imagine engine work will come into the equasion.HairbearTE wrote:IainB is spot on and in fact this is the course that many take when they first get an RV8.
1) I'll use a rover V8, the're cheap and plentiful.
2) Learn about a few tweaks that can be done to improve power.
3) Get carried away and amass pile of billet this and titanium that.
4) Realise that if this baby blows up you can't afford to rebuild it!
5) Get another stocker for basic rebuild to try first.
This ring a bell with anyone out there?
However, I have never built an engine and so I thought I'd try and learn as much about the basic process as I could, and, as you say RV8 parts are cheap. That way I could learn about some of the generic processes, such as adjusting clearances, fitting seals and rings, and the basic ideas about dialing in the timing (and not ending up with a mechanism that can only bend valves and smash holes in pistons
).Sure, the AJP is a very different beast in design and layout, but the basic theory would be the same for those fundementals.
Then, I was going to use the fact that I had a "built" engine to talk the missus into letting me have a new project car to fit it in (and even a garage full of parts has managed that feat
). It's not really relevant if the engine went bang as soon as I drove the finished article off the drive, because that would just give me an excuse to sort a "real" engine. Probably something alloy, but with a penchant for burgers and root beer 
(un)fortunately, I stumbled across a good block that deserves more than a quick bolt together to play with fitting seals, and checking end floats, or whatever.
However, it can now be stored away for the moment when the "rebuilt" engine goes bang and I start on a "proper" power plant
