The V8 Owners Forum -

Hi all,

73 Rover P6B. Top end, water pump & timing gear rebuild.

Timing cover's off - eventually - crank pulley had taken root after 35 years. Oil pump gears look fine and with no play in the bearings, a few thou wear on the pump cover though. Thinking about upgrading the oil pump to longer gears though so option's I guess are:

1) Fit upgrade kit at £40 or so. Can the rope crank seal be replaced with a pukka neoprene one though?

2) Find an SD1 cover with good oil pump and convert my dizzy drive to suit. Or an SD1 dizzy too.

3) Or?....

Any comments welcomed...


Stan

Personally, if it ain't broke, don't fix it...!

Chris.

the rope seal can be replaced by one of these http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Front-Rope-Seal-r ... 240%3A1318 and longer gears can be fitted too with the kit http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Rover-P5-P6-MGB-G ... 240%3A1318 mine had both fitted when my p6 front cover was overhauled with the top end engine re-build

Hello Stan,

An initial point,....the oil pump gears spin within bushings,...there are no bearings.

What was the oil pressure like at both idle and 2500rpm before stripping?

Replacement oil pump front covers are readily available, and can be fitted onto the P6 timing cover or onto an SD1 cover if you end up fitting one of those.

Replacement oil seals are available for the P6 cover. Rover Classics stock them I understand.

The deeper oil pump gears can be fitted along with a spacer plate, and these will run with the drive on the 35D8 distributor, as fitted to the P6 engine. These gears are the same dimensions as those gears that were fitted to the SD1 and all later Rover V8 engines up until the introduction of the crankshaft driven oil pump in 1994.

When you remove the oil pump gears from within your P6 timing cover, is the immediate housing where the gears were sitting noticably scored?

Ron.

rob b wrote:the rope seal can be replaced by one of these http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Front-Rope-Seal-r ... 240%3A1318 and longer gears can be fitted too with the kit http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Rover-P5-P6-MGB-G ... 240%3A1318 mine had both fitted when my p6 front cover was overhauled with the top end engine re-build

Thanks Rob,

The seal looks just the ticket. The rope seal's done its job in the past..but I'd trust the neoprene jobby more. Tad easier to fit as well.

I'd seen the RPI pump upgrade kit before but Real Steel do the same thing £20 or so cheaper. Assuming they're the same quality of course.

Stan

they are exactly the same kit, neoprene seal is fine, i managed to source 2 from the internet via numbers on my old seal for £10. thought i would get a spare one, just as well i did as old front cover has a crack in and needed 2nd seal

Hi Ron, I've seen your P6 on the Owner's Club forum..very cool indeed!

RoverP6B wrote:
What was the oil pressure like at both idle and 2500rpm before stripping?

OP at idle was hardly registering on the gauge, 2500RPM was around 30 or so. Hopefully up a bit after the job's done!

RoverP6B wrote:Replacement oil seals are available for the P6 cover. Rover Classics stock them I understand.

Thanks for that. I didn't know there was a straight replacement available. Just checked Ian's site..and there they are!

RoverP6B wrote:The deeper oil pump gears can be fitted along with a spacer plate, and these will run with the drive on the 35D8 distributor, as fitted to the P6 engine. These gears are the same dimensions as those gears that were fitted to the SD1 and all later Rover V8 engines up until the introduction of the crankshaft driven oil pump in 1994.

Yep...as long as you get the right male/female drive combo.

RoverP6B wrote:When you remove the oil pump gears from within your P6 timing cover, is the immediate housing where the gears were sitting noticably scored?

Not what I'd call excessive.

Cheers,

Stan

Hello Stan,

I (my Rover) appreciate your nice comments,..and glad I could help.

Are you by any chance also using one of the later oil pressure transmitters made by BMI? These I have found are very unreliable, with the pressure readings often quite inaccurate....not to mention they leak everywhere.

Worn rocker shafts, lifters, camshaft, main and big end bearings all contribute to a gradual decline in pressure.

Ron.

RoverP6B wrote:
Are you by any chance also using one of the later oil pressure transmitters made by BMI? These I have found are very unreliable, with the pressure readings often quite inaccurate....not to mention they leak everywhere.

Hi Ron,

Interesting regarding the inaccuracy. Not sure if it's a BMI..but it's one of these:

OP sender

No leaks though!

Cheers,

Stan

Hello Stan,

Yes,...that's the one

I have had three of them, and all leaked within two weeks of installation, at the interface between the metal nut section and the plastic cylinder.

I had them replaced under warranty. On the third one, I sealed the interface with liquid steel, only to have the oil erupt out the end adjacent to the terminal. It actually ruptured the plastic.

From what I have found, the oil pressure readings with these senders before failure is either too low or too high. Too low at idle, and too high from 2500 rpm onwards.

Unless your original "Smiths" sender has failed completely, that is a much better option.

Ron.