Features

Description

Synopsis

• Introduction
  Buick & Oldsmobile engines | Rover engines | TVR Tuscan engines |2 Leyland P76 engines |
• Cylinder block, liners, pistons & timing chain
  Cylinder block types | Type 1: 1967 to 1980 3.5in bore P5, P6, Range Rover and early SD1 blocks | Type 2: June 1973 to December 1980 Australian-made Leyland P76 engine (4.4 litre) | Type 3: 1980 to 1993 3.5in bore uprated ‘stiff’ block | Type 4: October 1989 to December 1993 3.9 litre engines | Type 5 & 6: January 1994 onward 3.9 & 4.2 litre ‘interim’ engines | Type 7: September 1994 onward 4.0 & 4.6 litre ‘38A’ block engines | Type 8: 1995, 1997/1998 3.5 litre ‘service’ engine blocks | Quick reference block identification | Which cylinder block to use? | Wildcat modified block | Water loss problems caused by block cracking | Symptoms | Repairing cracked blocks | Standard blocks | Two bolt main cap blocks | Two bolt main cap problems | Stud & nut kits for two bolt main caps | Camshaft bearings (all blocks) | Timing chain (all blocks) | Engine block requirements for high performance | Fitting a camshaft thrust plate to pre-1994 engine blocks | Teflon-faced ‘thrust bolt’ | Oversized cylinder liners for 3500cc blocks | Standard cast pistons | Standard piston sizes | Hypoeutectic, eutectic & hypereutectic cast pistons | Forged pistons | Bore wear | Cylinder bore preparation | Cylinder head fixings
• Cylinder head identification
  Identification | Buick heads | Original Rover 3.5 litre heads | First change: SD1 & Range Rover heads 1976 on | Second change: 1982 on | Third change: 1982 on | Fourth change: 1993 on | Fifth change: 1994 on | Early heads & unleaded fuel | Valves | Valve spring & valve spring retainers | Standard inlet & exhaust ports
• Distributor, front cover & oil pump identification
  Distributors | Car distributors | 4X4 & commercial vehicle distributors | Front covers | Type 1 & 2 | Type 3 | Type 4 | Types 5 & 6 | Type 7 | Type 8 | Gear-driven oil pumps | Water pumps | Camshaft skew gears | Buick versus Rover skew gears | Adjustable oil pressure (crank-driven oil pump-type front covers)
• Distributors & ignition timing
  Lucas distributors | Repair | Mechanical advance system | Changing static advance setting | Changing the rate of advance | Vacuum advance system | Racing engines | Vacuum advance on racing engines | Mallory distributors | Repairing | How dual points work | Dual points reliability | Adjustable mechanical advance | Changing amount of static advance | Changing rate of ignition advance | Road cars | Racing | Conclusion | True TDC | Degree marking the crankshaft pulley rim | Ignition advance | Stroboscope ignition timing | Too much compression | Standard sparkplug leads (wires) | Sparkplug lead location | Condenser | Further reading
• Rocker arms, rockershaft & pushrods
  Rocker arm geometry | Rockershaft height | Roller rockers | Hydraulic lifter preload | Shorter pushrods | Standard rocker arms | Standard rocker arms & shaft with high lift camshaft
• Camshafts & valve springs
  Camshafts with standard valve lift | Camshaft choice | Standard camshafts | Regrinds | Aftermarket camshafts | Valve springs & retainers | Hydraulic lifters | Using old lifters | Common problems | Camshafts for 'Group A' racing | Summary | Increasing valve lift above standard | Early cylinder heads | 1976-1993 cylinder heads | 1993 on cylinder heads | Valve springs for high performance applications | Standard single valve springs | Aftermarket valve springs | Which aftermarket camshaft? | The consequences of higher valve lift | High performance aftermarket camshafts | ‘Smooth idle' camshafts | 'Rough idle' camshafts | 270-280 degree camshafts | 280-290 degree camshafts | Long duration (295-305 degrees plus) | Alternative profiles & phasings | Summary
• Balance
  Original factory engine balance | Engine balance for high performance
• Lubrication
  Low oil pressure | Improving oil systems of non-crank-driven oil pump engines | Increasing oil pressure | Oil pump | Pressure relief valve | Extra oiling of the distributor & camshaft skew gears | Camshaft bearing modification | Dual oil feed to the centre three main bearings | 360 degree main bearing oiling | Crankshaft bearing clearances | Lifter to lifter bore fit | Adjustable oil pressure relief valve:crank-driven oil pumps | Improved main & big end bearing oiling (all engines with standard crankshaft oilways) | 260-270 degree main bearing oiling | Altering standard bottom main bearing shells | Big end bearing oiling improvement summary | Radiusing crankshaft oilways | Restricting rockershaft oil feed (all engines) | Wet sump (oil pan) | Crankcase ventilation
• J.E. Developments & other specialists
  J.E. Developments | Cylinder blocks | Crankshafts | Connecting rods | Special capacities for racing applications | Other racing engine capacities | Cylinder heads | Valve set 1 | Valve set 2 | Valve set 3 | Valve set 4 | Valve springs | Camshafts | Valve train | Engine balance | Ignition systems | Induction systems | Optimum fuel mixture settings | Fuel | Exhaust systems | Other specialists
• Wildcat Engineering
  Wildcat Engineering | Connecting rods | Crankshafts | Maximum bore (up to 6000cc) Rover V8 competition engines | Crankshaft dampers | Turbo block | Cylinder heads | High performance cylinder heads | Stage 1 cylinder heads | Stage 2 cylinder heads | Inlet manifolds | Fuel injection throttle bodies | Dry sump system | Steel flywheels | Wildcat engine example
• Cylinder head modifications
  Which heads? | Modifications | Preparation | Valve guides | Minor porting | Valve seats | Refacing | Fully modified cylinder heads
• SU carburettors
  Setting up: | 1) Float levels | 2) Needle heights | 3) Main jet heights | 4) Idle adjustment screws | 5) Balance | 6) Idle mixture | 7) Synchronising butterflies | Fuel pressure | Emission control poppet valves | Crankcase breather | Air cleaners & ram pipes | Changing & modifying needles | Standard needles | Needle tuning | Modifications for racing
• Holley carburettors
  390-CFM vacuum secondary with automatic choke | Setting up: | 1) Float levels | 2) Idle adjustment screw | 3) Accelerator pump | 4) Idle adjustment screws | 5) Metering block | 390-CFM mechanical secondary (‘double pumper’) four barrel | Tips (all Holley carburettors): | 1) Float levels | 2) Fuel pressure | 3) Backfiring through the carburettor | 4) Fuel spillage | 5) Gaskets | 6) Butterfly opening | 7) Fuel filter | 8) Accelerator pump | Summary | Air filters | Fuel filters | Fuel pumps |
• Inlet manifolds
  Inlet manifolds for Holley carburettors | 180 degree manifolds | Low rise | High rise | Aftermarket 180 degree manifolds | 360 degree manifold | Summary | Other downdraught carburettor options/adaptors | Standard & aftermarket inlet manifolds for SU carburettors
• Fuel injection & engine management systems
  L-Jetronic 4CU fuel injection system (USA & Australian types 1974-1990): overview | L-Jetronic 4CU fuel injection system (UK type 1983 to 1990): overview | L-Jetronic 4CU fuel injection system: operation | ECU (electronic/engine control unit) | Airflow meter | Airflow meter: setting | Throttle body potentiometer | Throttle body potentiometer: setting | Fuel delivery control | Fuel supply system | Cold start controls | Lambda sensors | Ignition system | L-Jetronic 4CU fuel injection system: early methods of modification for high performance | Airflow meter: altering setting | Fuel pressure: increasing | Temperature feedback: altering | Conclusion | L-Jetronic 4CU fuel injection system: current methods of modification for high performance | Injectors | ECU upgrade | Airflow meter | Rising rate fuel pressure regulator | 4.2 litre upgrade | Twin plenum L-Jetronic 4CU fuel injection system | Twin plenum L-Jetronic 4CU fuel injection system: twin airflow meters | L-Jetronic 13CU and 14CU electronic fuel injection system: overview | L-Jetronic 14CUX electronic fuel injection system: overview | Injectors | ECU | Airflow meter | GEMS 8 integrated engine management system: overview | GEMS 8: methods of modification for high performance | GEMS 8: ignition system | Bosch Motronic ML.2.1 engine management system: overview | HT (High Tension) lead/wire requirements (all systems) | Catalytic converters (all systems)
• Exhaust system
  Original exhaust manifolds | Tubular exhaust manifolds (headers) | 4 into 1 | 4 into 2 into 1 | Pipe dimensions | Pipe dimensions | Sealing exhaust manifolds
• Cooling system
  Kit cars | Radiator | Thermostat | Fan | Pipework | Racing cars | Optimum temperature range | Radiator | Restrictor plate | Selecting & fitting a radiator | Radiator caps & header tanks | Water pump speed | Swapping pulleys | Other options |
• Flywheel & clutch
  Flywheel 201 J.E. Developments’ dry sump system flywheel | Clutch
• Rolling road dyno

Classic Cars - November 2005
Written by a professional engineer with great experience of building race engines. Includes information on how to uprate the Rover V8 for fast road or track use. Aimed at the serious DIY enthusiast.

Custom Car - November 2006
Continuing Veloce Publishing's SpeedPro Series is this book covering Rover's Buick derived aluminium V8 by Des Hammill. Covering the 3.5, 3.9, 4.0 and 4.6 litre engines, all the information is based on the author's practical experience whilst building race engines, and includes component identification and interchangeability, short block prep, solving oiling problems, head mods, various carb options including Holley, cam and valvetrain requirements and mods for racing and road use. If you are building a high performance Rover you'll find much of interest in this book.

Retro Cars - November 2005
How To Power Tune The Rover V8 Engines covers all the 3.5-4.6-litre units and will tell you how to get the most from the popular engines. Part of the Speedpro series, the book was written by New Zealander, Des Hammill, a professional engineer with years of experience in building race-winning engines. Covering everything from component identification to head and valve train modification, the book covers every aspect of modifying these engines.