Rebuilding 3.5, what parts?

AdamSindrey · Post by **AdamSindrey** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 8:28 pm

What about buying the EFI from a Rover V8 to fit? http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/EFI-kit-for-3-5-R ... 0086386085

My engines a 9.35 comp engine, is it worth while getting it skimmed down to raise the compression slightly?

Thanks for the help Guys

Adam

softdash3.9 · Post by **softdash3.9** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 8:57 pm

I've converted a 9.35 carb engine to EFi, you don't need to skim the heads, will run OK, UK range rover 3.5 EFi's were 9.35 CR anyway (SD1 was 9.75CR

Make sure it was complete, didn't see an ECU, there are sublte differences between SD1 and RR systems, ask whats it is off.

SD1 has separate fuel pump and RR is in the tank.

I got @ 2mpg converting my 3.5 auto SD1 from carbs to EFi (on a run)

Flapper system is maybe less reliable than the later 3.9 hotwire system, but I've never has major problems with my flapper EFi Sd1's

smokeonthewater · Post by **smokeonthewater** » Wed Feb 14, 2007 9:47 am

kiwicar wrote:Hi
clean up casting marks and blend any sharp edges in the heads

Whats the best way to clean up the casting marks?? Is it best to use a small dremel like tool with polishing mops and grinding paste?

Also is it easy to mess up a decent set of heads if you dont know what your doing (like I dont

) would it be best to get a pro to do it

kiwicar · Post by **kiwicar** » Wed Feb 14, 2007 12:51 pm

A dremmel will do it but take a while, use a high speed steel cutter or a carbide one, little risk of accidently taking too much off with a dremmel though

, otherwise use emery cloth and hand tools. there are various books on DIY head porting from the likes of David Vizard, they give good general advice.
There is also a good article on Carcraft.com on porting the chevy vortec heads, it gives the idea of what can be done and what to look for and seems to apply to general 2 valve head ports.
There were also a set of very good articles in practical performance car last year.
As a general rule don't change the shape of the short turn radius on either port without access to a flow bench and about 20 years of experience. If you restrict yourself to blending sharp changes in shape into each other and smoothing things you won't wreck anything.
Don't polish the ports, the flow in a port in a head relys on a turbulant boundry layer so a slightly rough surface is desired.
The guy who did my SD1 heads on my first RR said that the best and easiest mods on these heads was to open out the area just behind the valve seat (the valveseat insert and immediatly behind) on inlet and exhaust using a cutter using the valve guide to center it. Opening it up by about 2mm total diamiter as a simple cylindrical cut then blend it into the casting behind, leave the rest of the area as cast surface but smoothe any sharp changes in form. Do a three angle valve seat job on inlet and exhaust seats and valves and if you want match the inlet ports to the gasket do so and do the same on the manifold but don't cut the ports or blend for more than the firse 3/4 of an inch. It seemed to work well on my car and he said he could do a head in about an hour and a half (though he had don a few

so not alot of work on the heads. I would read the Carcraft article it covers this well.

Mike

mgbv8 · Post by **mgbv8** » Wed Feb 14, 2007 9:41 pm

My pre SD1 V8 has a real steel Typhoon cam, rhoades liters and RV8 style exhaust manifolds. I run the old low CR pistons with composite head gaskets to get my CR down to around 7.9 I have a weber 500 carb and she makes 187 at the fly. Which is better than the 134 standard for this engine. With these mods your 155 lump should make what you want I think if you keep the CR up a bit.
I am running a very low CR as I'm experimenting with nitrous at this time.

AdamSindrey · Post by **AdamSindrey** » Sun May 06, 2007 5:17 pm

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Water-Pump-SD1-MG ... dZViewItem

Hello guys long time no see

The above link has pictures of different water pumps. The one I have is the 2B SD1 water pump. The nose cone of it is to long. The 2A one as found on MGBV8s and P5/P6s can be used no problem. But as I plan to run electric fans what's stopping me removing the fan hub off the nose and cutting it down to size on my SD1 pump?

http://i5.ebayimg.com/02/i/02/e7/51/e1_12_sb.JPG

Smack bang where that line in the back ground goes through it.

Adam

Post by **katanaman** » Sun May 06, 2007 6:23 pm

there is a bearing forward of your cut line so that wont work.

AdamSindrey · Post by **AdamSindrey** » Mon May 07, 2007 8:00 pm

But is that the only bearing? if there is two which I can imagine there is, one behindthe imperller and one at the end of the nose, then the furthest foreward one, ahead of my cut line isnt needed as there is no load.

ian.stewart · Post by **ian.stewart** » Mon May 07, 2007 8:35 pm

AdamSindrey wrote:Excellent

Does the Rover V8 have any achileas heels (or however its spelt) ?

Thanks, Adam

I dont think there is any real problem with them for an engine design that is nearly 50 years old, faults yes, like the strange size/shape they are, especially the oil pump seems to get in the way of any suspension without fail, they are for example a fair bit bigger than the SBFord and not much lighter,I suppose the real problem is the problem of making the engine perform, pound for pound it has to be one of the more expensive engines to tune once you get beyond the basic tuning levels, The popularity of the engine still make used performance parts relativly expensive

Post by **katanaman** » Mon May 07, 2007 9:01 pm

AdamSindrey wrote:But is that the only bearing? if there is two which I can imagine there is, one behindthe imperller and one at the end of the nose, then the furthest foreward one, ahead of my cut line isnt needed as there is no load.

There is a lot of side load through belt tension, jamb your finger in a belt and tell me there isn't any load lol. It would be like cutting out one of your wheel bearings and only using the inside one.

AdamSindrey · Post by **AdamSindrey** » Mon May 07, 2007 9:03 pm

damn it forgot I still had to run the alternator belt

AdamSindrey · Post by **AdamSindrey** » Wed Aug 27, 2008 10:09 pm

Almost 14 month on from the last post on this thread and I still havn't touched the engine! The car I originally planned for the V8 is in a lock up and has been, untouched for well over a year now! It went in to a lock up as I'd got hold of a Suzuki Vitara that I thought would be good on fuel for back and fore to work, I soon came to my senses and bought another Dolomite, albeit a 1500.

I soon fitted a 2 litre 8 valve which then got swapped out for a 2 litre 16 valve (Sprint power

) engine. Earlier in the summer I bought a Sprint engine that had been blue printed and headed off to the Nurburgring

Not quite quick enough and broke down on the way home... Water pump and head gasket... Would have to take it apart to fix it, So now is the time! The car is in need of an engine and I just happen to have a V8!

Shall get all the bits out and atleast clean them up whilst waiting for my money to accumulate then the build shall begin!