The V8 Owners Forum -

Just taken the heads off my 'new' 115000 mile 4.3 RV8, and noticed this :-



It looks like something has been venting towards the centre of the engine. Is this the sort of trouble caused by 14 bolts versus 10 bolts?

Regards,
Dave

In a word Yes !

But that is more severe and obvious than I've seen before so don't assume nothing else is wrong, did the cooling hold pressure before you dismantled the thing?

Dave

I don't know, I've only just taken delivery of it. It was apparently a good runner, but has a worn cam and a taste for oil. The heads and pistons are fairly caked in burnt oil so I assume the rings are shot.

Well the black colour in the valley area but the apparent lack of other built up crud would go with it being soot contamination from the gasket blowing.

Piston crown wet with oil would support the rings being shot, what are the valve guide like? probably shot too...

Dave

Don't know, I've retired from the garage for the night for a real fire and hot mug of tea I'll check tomorrow.

Thanks,
Dave

Its dead easy to turn 14 bolt heads into 10 bolt heads. (Well in terms of the number of bolts).

The other difference is the chamber volumes, you need a head skim to sort that out. Personally I'd do that and fit comp gaskets just like Rover did!

If that motor is sourced from a TVR then heads will be Will ringed with copper head gaskets as I remember, this is bespoke TVR and in that pic that head gasket looks copper unless I am mistaken, Spend on here knows all about this TVR mod or speak to V8 Developments.