Thread: That V8

Originally Posted by rover-56

Hello all,

I am a bit new to the 3.5 V8, what sort of power can I expect from an 85/86 carby V8 9.13cr??
I have read 100kW and 250Nm at 2500, my w/s manual says 85kW.

I am comparing it with my D2 TD5 auto on a hill near home.
TD5 has 101kW and 315Nm at ~2000.
Hitting the bottom of the hill in 4th ~2500rpm (5sp box) at 90kmh, full throttle, the County slows to 85 at the top.
TD5 in 3rd, converter locked, 2000rpm, 90kmh, speeds up to over110kmh and wants to change up to 4th.

Even allowing for the slight extra torque of the TD5, I expected the V8 to at least hold speed.

Am I expecting too much?

Have happy 2009.

Cheers,
Terry

If a stock and tired 3.5 in a large brick I'd say yes

Originally Posted by Rangier Rover

If a stock and tired 3.5 in a large brick I'd say yes

Hmmm..... not so tired, but I might have to tweak it...
T

To quote Allan Moffat's one time race engineer,Carrol Smith - `Horsepower sells engines,torque wins races'. Your newer Td5 has 65nm more torque than the V8 when it was new and given it's aged,I will bet there is not 16 cam lobes in top nick inside the 3.5

Yes I undertand torque, thats why I compared them at their respective torque peaks.
Haven't checked compressions or anything else yet, only had it for a month.
Engine has done 190k, regular 10k oil changes by previous 1 owner.
There is no tappet noise, so maybe cam is ok, but I won't know till I look.

Maybe I have just been seduced by the TD5.

Cheers,
Terry

Haven't got ready access to my manuals but iirc along with the 85Kw or power I thought the County V8's official torque was only about 180Nm.

Hence the slow down relative to the Td5 going up the hill. Sorry Terry; you may have to either modify the motor to increase power or lower your expectations. Your description matches my County's abilities too so it's not your truck.

I believe the V8 was significantly detuned to be able to run on poor quality petrol in the third world. Not that anyone in the third world could afford to run a V8 or find enough fuel in times of shortages so I don't know why they bothered unless it was to keep vehicle performance within chassis and braking limits. I grew up in central Africa with Landrovers all around and even as a privileged white kid we looked at people who drove Range Rovers as though they came from outer space. I never once saw a County or Stage One in the 14 years I was in Malawi.

Chris

Those hydraulic cam followers do a wonderful job of masking worn or even almost missing cam followers. If you have to replace the cam & lifters (always both) try a mild grind,a bit above stock - although an increase in stroke is hard to beat

do a compression test on your engine, as stated before, you will most probably have worn lobes on your camshaft, 7 & 8 on mine were round, no lobes at all!
we got hold of a 4.0L cross bolted disco block with low k's on it, put a stage 1 camshaft in it (from bruce Davis), 3.5 high compression heads, since then put electronic ignition on it.
now, our club did a technical day at Graeme coopers early last year and the figure i got, at the wheels, was 52.6kw, since then, i got hold of some extractors from a mate, new exhaust the same size (2.5") and had it tuned properly by coopers...now getting 82.3kw at the wheels.
mine is an '84 mod with the 4 speed, and it now officially flies, unfortunately top speed is not any bigger but it gets there so much quicker and holds speed really well on long hills.
as long as the basic building blocks of the engine are ok, you should be able to get it working really well, just depends how patient you are and how much you are willing to put into it.
fixing it is cheaper than replacing it and they are a nice simple engine and once working properly, they are easy to maintain.
good luck with it.

These engines are well known for eating camshafts, and at that mileage yours will be gone for sure. For some reason the cams just seem to be the first part to wear out.