Oh Bugger me RRC is poorly

Just got back from the garage, the news isn't good for the engine at all. The mechanic found the inside
of the distributor all blackened & burned. He tells me it's from the crankcase fumes. Anyone know what
would cause this? some kind of filter blockage, I didn't have time to chit-chat with him & I'm off to see
him tomorrow,. So I wouldn't mind a few opinions? He reckons the distributor cap was well mangled. Seems
an unusual thing to happen. No wonder the thing had a misfire! He also found the distributor was a full
one tooth out & was running so lean it put out less CO than a smart car!

He says it has bad compression on one cylinder. He is hopeful it's due to a worn camshaft & not piston
rings etc.

He's managed to bring the HC level down & he reckons it will pass the test in the morning, which is good
news, but that leaves a problem or two for the future. What will the problem be if I run it with low
(25lb/foot) comp on one cylinder?

I reckon I could put a new camshaft in myself, but it's the setting up bit I might have problems with. Is
it possible to put one in without losing settings? Or is the distributor fed direct from the cam?

Lee, can a Jag 4.2 fit in a RRC? Or anyone know the rough cost of DERV conversion?
The good news is the rest of the cars is well OK he reckons.

Welcome to RR ownership. Thought it was going too well with the whole thing sorted for next to nowt!

Cheers

Nige

On or around Tue, 26 Oct 2004 17:47:55 +0100, "Nige"
<nigel.inceNO****[email protected]> enlightened us thusly:

>
>I reckon I could put a new camshaft in myself, but it's the setting up bit I might have problems with. Is
>it possible to put one in without losing settings? Or is the distributor fed direct from the cam?
>

camshaft swap is pretty easy on a Rover V8. actually, the V8 is a nice
thing to work on full stop.

setup is no problem provided you take not of how it all goes together as you
take it apart - make sure you set it at #1 timing position before removing
the timing gears...

note where the rotor arm points, on the engine, having set it a #1 TDC, then
pull the distributor. The rotor will turn as you do so, note also the final
position once the gear has disengaged. That's where you need to point it to
re-insert it, then it turns back to the proper #1 position once installed.

if changing the cam, you must also change the followers (tappets), and you
may also want any or all of new camchain and gears, pushrods, rockers and
rocker shafts. If none of these are badly worn, then they can be safely
re-used. I'd recommend doing the camchain and gears, mind. Pushrods and
rockers etc. can be done with much less dismantling, so if money's tight, do
the cam, cam drive and followers and leave the top ends 'til later.

"Austin Shackles" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news[email protected]...
> On or around Tue, 26 Oct 2004 17:47:55 +0100, "Nige"
> <nigel.inceNO****[email protected]> enlightened us thusly:
>
>>
>>I reckon I could put a new camshaft in myself, but it's the setting up bit I might have problems with.
>>Is
>>it possible to put one in without losing settings? Or is the distributor fed direct from the cam?
>>
>
> camshaft swap is pretty easy on a Rover V8. actually, the V8 is a nice
> thing to work on full stop.
>
> setup is no problem provided you take not of how it all goes together as you
> take it apart - make sure you set it at #1 timing position before removing
> the timing gears...
>
> note where the rotor arm points, on the engine, having set it a #1 TDC, then
> pull the distributor. The rotor will turn as you do so, note also the final
> position once the gear has disengaged. That's where you need to point it to
> re-insert it, then it turns back to the proper #1 position once installed.
>
> if changing the cam, you must also change the followers (tappets), and you
> may also want any or all of new camchain and gears, pushrods, rockers and
> rocker shafts. If none of these are badly worn, then they can be safely
> re-used. I'd recommend doing the camchain and gears, mind. Pushrods and
> rockers etc. can be done with much less dismantling, so if money's tight, do
> the cam, cam drive and followers and leave the top ends 'til later.
>

I may as well do the lot at once I 'spose, what's the best (cheapest) price for the bits required matey?

I don't mind a good crack at the job, it's just knowing you're doing the right job to make it right

Is it a case of a best bet replacing the whole thing with a donor car, or is that gonna be shagged in the
same RRC ways?

I half expected this & not that it bothers me, I can hack it (I Hope)

What do you reckon to the dizzy problem?

Ta

Nige

On Tue, 26 Oct 2004 23:46:57 +0100, "Nige"
<nigel.inceNO****[email protected]> wrote:

>Is it a case of a best bet replacing the whole thing with a donor car, or is that gonna be shagged in the
>same RRC ways?

Trouble with doing that is that you are starting again with an unknown
engine which may develop different problems as time goes on..

I've always worked on the principle that i'd rather do the work on my
existing engine so that i know exactly where i stand. When things go
wrong i do still get tempted to chuck it all out and start afresh but
have so far managed to talk myself out of it

>I half expected this & not that it bothers me, I can hack it (I Hope)

And if you cant manage it, and do it wrong then its definately time
for a donor engine!

"Tom Woods" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> On Tue, 26 Oct 2004 23:46:57 +0100, "Nige"
> <nigel.inceNO****[email protected]> wrote:
>
>>Is it a case of a best bet replacing the whole thing with a donor car, or is that gonna be shagged in
>>the
>>same RRC ways?
>
> Trouble with doing that is that you are starting again with an unknown
> engine which may develop different problems as time goes on..
>
> I've always worked on the principle that i'd rather do the work on my
> existing engine so that i know exactly where i stand. When things go
> wrong i do still get tempted to chuck it all out and start afresh but
> have so far managed to talk myself out of it
>
>>I half expected this & not that it bothers me, I can hack it (I Hope)
>
> And if you cant manage it, and do it wrong then its definately time
> for a donor engine!
>
>

Good point!

Nige

On or around Tue, 26 Oct 2004 23:46:57 +0100, "Nige"
<nigel.inceNO****[email protected]> enlightened us thusly:

>I may as well do the lot at once I 'spose, what's the best (cheapest) price for the bits required matey?

I've found Real Steel to be very good. might not be cheapest, but they know
their stuff. Their heavy duty pushrods are cute - tubular ones with a ball
bearing welded to each end.

>What do you reckon to the dizzy problem?

erm. check the engine breathers for blockedness.

oh, and time it right


BTW, before I forget again, don't forget to prime the oil pump. buy a large
pot of vaseline for the purpose - if you use the one from the bathroom.
you'll have complaints about black fingerprints on it...

The bits for mine came from Richard at beamends. He hangs about on
here, and seems to be in the habit of doing what he says he will, when
he says he will. He will also be able to tell you what you do and
don't need and deliver it quickly.


--

Tim Hobbs

'58 Series 2 88" aka "Stig"
'77 101FC Ambulance aka "Burrt"
'03 Volvo V70

My Landies? http://www.seriesii.co.uk
Barcoding? http://www.bartec-systems.com
Tony Luckwill web archive at http://www.luckwill.com

In message <[email protected]>
Tim Hobbs <[email protected]> wrote:

> The bits for mine came from Richard at beamends. He hangs about on
> here, and seems to be in the habit of doing what he says he will, when
> he says he will. He will also be able to tell you what you do and
> don't need and deliver it quickly.
>
>

Aw, shucks!

;-)

Richard
--
www.beamends-lrspares.co.uk [email protected]
Running a business in a Microsoft free environment - it can be done
Powered by Risc-OS - you won't get a virus from us!!
Helping keep Land Rovers on and off the road to annoy the Lib Dems

So Austin Shackles was, like

>
> BTW, before I forget again, don't forget to prime the oil pump. buy
> a large pot of vaseline for the purpose - if you use the one from the
> bathroom. you'll have complaints about black fingerprints on it...

Hehe. When I did mine, I asked the Mrs to get a large pot when she was
shopping. (I've had the flak from the black fingerprints before.) For some
reason, she decided to let me know she had been successful by emailing me
the news at work. So all my colleagues saw the mail: "Hi darling (sort of
thing) - I've got the large pot of Vaseline you asked for. Now I know how
you'll be spending your weekend!" Just a tad embarrassing.

--

Rich

Nullum Gratuitum Prandium

On or around Wed, 27 Oct 2004 18:12:54 +0000 (UTC), "Richard Brookman"
<[email protected]> enlightened us thusly:

>So Austin Shackles was, like
>
>>
>> BTW, before I forget again, don't forget to prime the oil pump. buy
>> a large pot of vaseline for the purpose - if you use the one from the
>> bathroom. you'll have complaints about black fingerprints on it...
>
>Hehe. When I did mine, I asked the Mrs to get a large pot when she was
>shopping. (I've had the flak from the black fingerprints before.) For some
>reason, she decided to let me know she had been successful by emailing me
>the news at work. So all my colleagues saw the mail: "Hi darling (sort of
>thing) - I've got the large pot of Vaseline you asked for. Now I know how
>you'll be spending your weekend!" Just a tad embarrassing.

prolly getting her own back for you nicking the one from the bathroom.

Austin Shackles <[email protected]> wrote
> >Hehe. When I did mine, I asked the Mrs to get a large pot when she was
> >shopping. (I've had the flak from the black fingerprints before.) For some
> >reason, she decided to let me know she had been successful by emailing me
> >the news at work. So all my colleagues saw the mail: "Hi darling (sort of
> >thing) - I've got the large pot of Vaseline you asked for. Now I know how
> >you'll be spending your weekend!" Just a tad embarrassing.
>
> prolly getting her own back for you nicking the one from the bathroom.

No no - she just loves to embarrass me.

Rich

"Nige" <nigel.inceNO****[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> "Austin Shackles" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news[email protected]...
>> On or around Tue, 26 Oct 2004 17:47:55 +0100, "Nige"
>> <nigel.inceNO****[email protected]> enlightened us thusly:
>>
>>>
>>>I reckon I could put a new camshaft in myself, but it's the setting up
>>>bit I might have problems with. Is
>>>it possible to put one in without losing settings? Or is the distributor
>>>fed direct from the cam?
>>>
>>
>> camshaft swap is pretty easy on a Rover V8. actually, the V8 is a nice
>> thing to work on full stop.
>>
>> setup is no problem provided you take not of how it all goes together as
>> you
>> take it apart - make sure you set it at #1 timing position before
>> removing
>> the timing gears...
>>
>> note where the rotor arm points, on the engine, having set it a #1 TDC,
>> then
>> pull the distributor. The rotor will turn as you do so, note also the
>> final
>> position once the gear has disengaged. That's where you need to point it
>> to
>> re-insert it, then it turns back to the proper #1 position once
>> installed.
>>
>> if changing the cam, you must also change the followers (tappets), and
>> you
>> may also want any or all of new camchain and gears, pushrods, rockers and
>> rocker shafts. If none of these are badly worn, then they can be safely
>> re-used. I'd recommend doing the camchain and gears, mind. Pushrods and
>> rockers etc. can be done with much less dismantling, so if money's tight,
>> do
>> the cam, cam drive and followers and leave the top ends 'til later.
>>
>
> I may as well do the lot at once I 'spose, what's the best (cheapest)
> price for the bits required matey?
>
> I don't mind a good crack at the job, it's just knowing you're doing the
> right job to make it right
>
> Is it a case of a best bet replacing the whole thing with a donor car, or
> is that gonna be shagged in the same RRC ways?
>
> I half expected this & not that it bothers me, I can hack it (I Hope)
>
> What do you reckon to the dizzy problem?
>
> Ta
>
> Nige
>Reply to Nige:

If you live anywhere near Ardingly (Sussex) there is a 4X4 gathering and
Autojumble on Sunday - among many others, I'll be there and I've got a
brandnew take off V8 cam kit as well as a re-con complete engine to sell.

Look for the brown 110 & trailer.

Alan.

"Alan" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...

> If you live anywhere near Ardingly (Sussex) there is a 4X4 gathering and Autojumble on Sunday - among
> many others, I'll be there and I've got a brandnew take off V8 cam kit as well as a re-con complete
> engine to sell.
>
> Look for the brown 110 & trailer.
>
> Alan.
>

Shame, I'm in west York's!

Nige