The V8 Owners Forum -

Hi Frank,
Glad you are moving forward with the assembly of the engine.

Even so, I wouldn't let JP off the hook yet.
As they have stated that the teeth should be symmetrical, I would send them your photos showing that they are not and ask them for a explanation and push for compensation. Worth a try!!!

It looks to me that the teeth were machined using a jig and because of the incorrect offset, the teeth ended up assymmetrical.

I've learnt something from your experiences on this and that is not to buy things well in advance of the rebuild. When things go wrong there's no come back. I had a similar episode with a Mcleod concentric clutch bearing which I bought 2 years before I used it. It leaked like a sieve and that meant an engine out job.

I've also learnt that the thrust thingy inside the Rover cover is there for a reason, although I've never seen a mark on one so I suppose it only becomes effective in extreme circumstances.

Good Luck with the project

Regards Denis

You're totally right. I think I'll drop by this weekend and demand a new set

Just kidding. I've already send them the photographs but they didn't react. They also didn't react to my measurement numbers.

I have a lot of parts I bought in advance and you're right that not ideal.

But at a certain point I could spare the money and some stroker stuff was getting scarce so I bought all kinds of stuff at once.

Most of it at v8tuners and Paul still help me very well. I try not just to throw an engine together but also want to learn why things are as they are.

This forum is a great help also.

This weekend I'll try and measure the clearance of 3 timing covers I have on 3 different timing sets. An old rover set, a Kent CAM vernier set and the JP stuff. The I'll machine down the thingy to the same clearance.

Also I'll try to measure how the teeth are centralized.

Maybe it's an idea to start a new thread for what people thing what the thingy is for.

Kind regards,

Frank

Surely the 'thingy' is just to stop the cam walking forward in the engine, as you are going to use a thrust button you should be fine. I guess once the front cover is one you can judge how much cam walk you have by prodding the camshaft with a screwdriver or something through the slots in the valley area of the block.

Denis Wrote
"I've learnt something from your experiences on this and that is not to buy things well in advance of the rebuild. When things go wrong there's no come back. I had a similar episode with a Mcleod concentric clutch bearing which I bought 2 years before I used it. It leaked like a sieve and that meant an engine out job. "

Same with my first gearbox. I bought it from Real Steel and it was many months before I fitted it. It broke withing 100 miles of bedding in.
I thought I stiull had 2 months warrenty but when I went to RS they told me "no warranty on race parts" ??

It took 4 months of discussion but TCI eventually rebuilt the box FOC.

I think Frank has a justifiable case for replacement or money back.

A mate of mine bought a full FIA cage kit for his TR7 (This is mental Tricky). Cant remember the company but they are in Coventry I think. 18 months after he bought the kit he finds several parts not bent quite right and would not fit. He called the company and explained the problem.

Instead of an argument, they turned up with a trailer and took the shell to their workshop, Adjusted all the main parts to fit and tack welded the frame in place

That is good service in my books. !!

You're all right about the fact that they are clearly talking around the bush regarding the offsets on this gearset.

But just to be practical I'm going to try to find a way rectify it my simple means like maybe machining down the timingcover or the sprocket itself.

My engine build has been delayed a lot lately (who's doesn't?) and it will be a lengthy discussion with the guys 'down under'.

I hope the stuff from Kent Cams that I want to use for the 5 litre is of better quality.

I just hope that when I machined the thrust button that the cam gear was not cumming into contact with the timing cover 'thingy'. I turned small bits of the thrust bolt and washer each time and then refitted the timing cover to see the gab between the block and the cover go down and after that I was feeling by hand how much drag there was on the cam sprocket by reaching from underneath.

Tomorrow I'll check the clearance of different combinations of the two sets and two or three old and new blocks with some playdouhg.

Kind regards,

Frank