V8. fortune spent, will not run right

[nzlandies]

Please all, I am at a loss.

The story...

Purchased one 88 Range Rover 3.5 V8 auto. Dream spec. Full extreme suspension. never been off road. Wife kids excuse for sale. Full repaint new tail gate. heaps of spares two ecus 4 airflow meters.

and the engine
Stump puller cam(whatever that is)
serviced injectors, ported heads. Free flow exhaust. new timing gears.
New leads, cap, rotor, vacuum.

It runs like ****. misfires, rough almost no power.

It blows no black, in fact totally clean pipe until you disconnect fuel regulator then some black but still runs just as bad.

We have done.
full new distributor and coil including ignition amp. various timing adjustments now at 0 again.
earths checked.


dont know what to check next

questions
can earths still be weak?
is the cam dud
injectors shot.

One thing I spotted as it was being driven by my mechanic at night with lights on. When you press then brakes, the tail light on passenger side goes out totally but the drivers went brighter as it should.

Do I have to pull it apart or have I missed something?

I have contacted the previous owner, he agreed to pay for all parts, with almost no persuasion. I reckon he knew and thats why he flicked it on.

any suggestions would be appreciated.

[Blknight.aus]

sounds almost like the cam timing is out.


the brake lights thing is a bad earth on one side for the lights.

[up2nogood]

With cam timing (which it might be, hope not) it's pretty difficult to stuff up if you know enough to put it back together without it going 'bang' in the first minute of running.... Which it seems to have managed.
I'd be checking fuel pressure and filters before I started pulling the engine to bits. Can you ask the previous owner who built the engine and if they had a clue? Did it ever run well, or was it a dog since the done up engine went in?

As for the fuel, it's just a set of injectors, a fuel rail, computer and some sensors so it should be fairly easy to diagnose. As for the AFM, they really only become a pain at idle. Driving should still be 'reasonable' so it would not be the cause of the backfiring and total lack of power.

Given the volume of spare parts, she sounds like a bitser. First I'd check fuel. Then I'd check for valve clearances. There might not be any after the wizzo head do up. Too much off the head and block and the valves won't seating properly. If that's the case it will run like crap, backfire and produce no power. After that it's cam. After that it's a Chev.

[Waxenwane]

Have you double checked the firing order?

[Dougal]

*cough* put a diesel in *cough*.:angel:

[Davo]

That coughing must be from all that diesel smoke. :p

[nzlandies]

The guy who we got it off said it used to go really well, more go than his mate 3.9 we were told. On delivery he said he had just taken out the dizzy and it needed the timing redone, that is why it was running bad. It was a load of bollocks!

I found the problem today... The numpty had got the temp sensor plug and the plug to injector number 1 around the wrong way.. DICKHEAD, but the worst thing is he is a major bull artist as it must have never run right! Which explains his being so keen to help sort it. The best bit is he sold it cheap (we now know why) to get rid of it and there was nothing really wrong with it. Well nothing serious once you found it.

So no we have great truck which goes like a greasy weasel. love it.

Diesel!!! who said that... I mean really in a Range Rover.. tut tut..

[clean32]

The guy who we got it off said it used to go really well, more go than his mate 3.9 we were told. On delivery he said he had just taken out the dizzy and it needed the timing redone, that is why it was running bad. It was a load of bollocks!

I found the problem today... The numpty had got the temp sensor plug and the plug to injector number 1 around the wrong way.. DICKHEAD, but the worst thing is he is a major bull artist as it must have never run right! Which explains his being so keen to help sort it. The best bit is he sold it cheap (we now know why) to get rid of it and there was nothing really wrong with it. Well nothing serious once you found it.

So no we have great truck which goes like a greasy weasel. love it.

Diesel!!! who said that... I mean really in a Range Rover.. tut tut..

good on ya, sound like a deal. i picked up a Lancer off trademe for 200 bucks, i just wanted the shell. running ruff etc. night mare drive home. that night i whent to move it out of the drive, tic tic tic, poped the bonnet and the HT leads looked like Guy Forks. easy fix sold it for 2500

[up2nogood]

Sweet, lucky the engine wasn't a turd!

[bee utey]

Tail light is easy, fix the earth to the light cluster.

[400HPONGAS]

What a coincidence , I just bought a 88 hi-line off Ebay for $866 , for the bodywork .
The owner had just spent $5000 on a new clutch, power steer pump and box , a water pump ,a Altenator , a radiator and list went on supported by the receipts from the half assed mechanics who did the work . He drove it home and it was a real dog , banging and clicking and only running on 5 cylinders. Does the rounds of the local Rover repairers and gets quoted another $4000 to "Fix" the engine (Cam, lifters , rocker gear ECU and MAF . So he decides to quit before it costs him anymore.
I Trailer it home , fit 2 new batteries clean up the earths m and start it up . Sure enough idled like a 4bd1 . and big knocking noises from PS bank. Whip out the plugs for a Wet and dry Comp check , everything 140 Plus except No 1 only 80. Rip covers off and find that the pushrod and belted its way up inside the rocker .Replace rocker and pushrod ,re-started , still idling rough , but absolutely no rattles,bangs or clunks, Check firing order and the clown has leads 3 and 5 reversed . Fix leads/cap and regap plugs , fire it up , smooth as !!
By the way , the cause of most rocker gear/valve/cam/lifter prem failures is usually a blockage of the crankcase ventilarion system . Once it blocks , it sludges up immediately and blocks supply to the rocker gear .Watch those breathers on the EFI model , its only a Tiny .030 hole .

[Dougal]

banging and clicking and only running on 5 cylinders.<snip>
Sure enough idled like a 4bd1 .

5 cyl 4BD1, sounds like a weapon.:D