The V8 Owners Forum -

Hi gents had my v8 engined MK1 escort for 2 years now.. its time for me to service it (only done 300 miles in that time) which engine oil should i use?

its a 3.9 disco engine bored out to 4.4 with hurricane cams and a holly carb, the engine was rebuilt 4 years ago and has only covered 20K since.

other than the oil are there any other items i shouild check/replace

thanks for your help!!

regards

D

Hi
I would use bog stock 20/50 nothing fancy (it is what this engine was designed for!). Drain the rad and renew the coolant (be worth back flushing it aswell). Renew the brake fluid. empty the petrol out the tank and put in some new stuff. I would also take the float chamber apart and inspect/ clean the various passages in the carb, they tend to corrode if left and the residue in the fuel gums them up. Before you run it spray some oil into the bores and prime the oil pump with a drill attachment and turn it over with the plugs out. Apart from that I would take it out for a good blast and us it more often!
Best regards
Mike

Hi thanks for the tips, the engine does get some use i turn it over and leave it running for 20mins every month or so just to keep everyting moving. I will check all the points that you have put forward and let u know how i get on.

is it mineral oil or semi?? + how much will i need ???

cheers

D

Have you looked at the handbook for one of these? The SD1 changed from 20/50 to 10/40 during its life - before the 3.9 came out. I'd be willing to get that specified 10-40 too.

now am confused????

heres the spec of the car


Engine
Fully rebuilt 3.9 efi Rover v8
0.2 inch overbore out (now about a 4.4)
Lightened and balanced
Heavy-duty rods
Modified Holley 390 carb in place of injection
Edlebrock inlet manifold
Skimmed head increasing compression from standard 8.13.1 to 9.75.1
Flowed ported Heads with Hurrican viper cams
Heavy duty oil pump
Remote oil cooler and filter
Electonic ignition
Tubular manifolds
Pulleys water pump from rover p6 to help it fit in!
Tvr/Rover starter, again to help it fit
Custom made radiator with twin manual fans

Transmission
Capri 2.8i gearbox
Magnum engineering bell housing
Rover Vitesse clutch
Rs2000 axle 3.54.1 diff
Anti tramp bars

Brakes and Suspension
Front callipers 2.8i Capri 2 piston callipers with 245mm vented discs
Rear Sierra xr4x4 callipers solid discs
Front strut brace
Remote servo in front offside wing
Capri 2.8i front Bilstein struts
Rear Capri 2.8i Bilstein dampers, single leaf springs

Hi
Been reading and posting on here now for more years than is decent, in that time the most common post on here is frome someone who has put low viscosity oil into a rover with a P6/ SD1 type distributor driven oil pump complaining os tappet rattle on start up or when the oil gets hot. The cure every time is to put 20/50 oil in it. Yes Rover specified for some of this vintage engine 10/40 and 15/40 oil, but still the tappets rattle. The later oil pump seems ok with the low viscosity oil (personally I would still use 10/50 with this pump) but I would shove in 20/50, save youself some typing and an oil change and have done with it.
Best regards
Mike

mike thats what i will do!!! going to order millers 20/50 mineral oil from opie oils.


thanks

again

D

davefaedeen wrote: i turn it over and leave it running for 20mins every month

That's probable the best way to wear the cam out, you need to rev it for the oil to get up there if you hold it at 2000 rpm

Thanks never knew i needed to rev it!!! was always told reving a cold engine was bad news!!!

oh well am new to these v8!! ya live and learn!!!

Halfords Classic 20/50 is just fine... And not expensive.

[Shrug]

I've had my SD1 EFI since the late '80s and it's been run exclusively on 10/40. It's now at somewhere around 175,000. With no valve noise. I changed to a 'peformance' cam at around 90,000 miles and the original wasn't badly worn. The 'performance' cam was crap so I changed back to standard - but fitted a new cam, as I'd scrapped the old one. So everything about the engine is original, apart from the cam, followers and timing cogs/chain.

Did Rover go back to specifying 20/50 as the standard oil for the UK?

With the concern over falling zinc levels I have now started to use Comma Sonic, its cheaper than Halfords Classic and based on discussion on here has the right levels of zinc

http://www.commaoil.com/productsguide/view/6/247/SON5L

r2d2hp wrote:With the concern over falling zinc levels I have now started to use Comma Sonic, its cheaper than Halfords Classic and based on discussion on here has the right levels of zinc

http://www.commaoil.com/productsguide/view/6/247/SON5L

That Comma oil is ok isnt it ??
I've also been using Asda's 20/50 for the odd flush. Last time I was there it was £6 a gallon so i bought 4 cans

davefaedeen wrote:Hi gents had my v8 engined MK1 escort for 2 years now.. its time for me to service it (only done 300 miles in that time) which engine oil should i use?

its a 3.9 disco engine bored out to 4.4 with hurricane cams and a holly carb, the engine was rebuilt 4 years ago and has only covered 20K since.

other than the oil are there any other items i shouild check/replace

thanks for your help!!

regards

D

Dave just wondering where you got your 4.4L capacity from, a 20 thou over bore will get you to approx 4.0L and the max over bore on a 94mm block is 40 thou. so you would need a longer stroke crank to get the extra capacity.

A 77mm. stroke crank from a 4.2 would give you approx 4.3L with 20 thou overbore.

Kevin

Hi kevin am not sure to be honest ur prob correct it's more likely to be 4.2 am just going on the spec the last owner told me!! I don't know a great deal about these engines am from a Subaru back ground!!!

Anyway today I went out to give the car a little run then was going to service it!! But noticed brown water coming out of the exhaust!!! I checked the header tank to find a low coolant level ...... Followed the coolant hoses to the rad! Opened a bleed valve to find brown sludge arrrgghhj am guessing this is a head gasket failure?? Any idea how much this will cost to fix guys!! Like I say being from a Subaru back ground I know it's bound to be epic!!!!