Thread: Camshaft Timing on a 2.6 6cyl?

G'day Terry,
I don't think it would be possible to change the camshaft timing unless you could buy adjustable timing wheels. I have no idea if such a thing exists but try asking Turner Engineering in the UK, who have specialised in Land Rover engines for decades.

Alternatively; Uncle Ho on this forum did mention once that the army sixes had been assembled with the wrong camshaft and that the proper one made a world of difference.

In any case, a new camshaft is probably in order for your engine as they don't last forever.

Crow Cams and Wade Cams will grind camshafts to your specification as long as they have a blank that will fit the six,

Cheers Charlie

Thanks Charlie,

Yes I don't mind getting a cam reground, just hoping to find out if anyone on here has done it.
Cam chainwheel on these engines has a 3 keyway vernier arrangement for adjusting timing a bit.
Trouble is there are not many people in the cam grinding business these days who remember anything about the 2.6.
Most convert them into boat mooring anchors, but I kinda like them.
I have a baby version of the engine in my S1.(4cyl )

Cheers,
Terry

I have for a while being slowly assembling a collection of 2.6's, I hope to have a late 2A flat tray running at the end of it all.

Found in the scrub not far from me, a near complete Rover 6 cylinder engine, missing only the carby with a swath plate for the auto, now that connection with the auto suggests to me that it is the 3 litre sister engine to the Land rover 2.6.

I am wondering if the bits like the cam, crank and rods, from that 3 litre can be used to improve the performance of a 2.6 ?
.

That's a good find Arthur. It is a good possibility that it is a 3 litre.
My S1 and the 2.6 share the same bore size, and 2 more cylinders would make 3.0 litres, so the 3 litre must have a longer stroke, I imagine the crank would fit into the 2.6 block ok
There must be heaps of forgotten tuning info for these engines.

Terry

G'day Terry,
I did consider the three positions on the timing wheel and it is worth a try, but I doubt it will give the precise positioning that the engine requires.

Arthur, the 3 litre engine was a much better set-up and with a different camshaft to the Land Rover and twin carburettors, was able to push the P4 105 and the P5 cars, up to around about 100mph. Ask Diana about a conversion as she knew of a 3 litre Land Rover in Sydney. Of course the gearbox then becomes the weakest link

Cheers Charlie

I just asked a chap ( John Lobban ) here in Tassie about the 3 Litre motor, he has a workshop manual that I can borrow and told me that those parts are interchangeable.
WORKSHOP MANUAL ROVER 3 LITRE | eBay

Ref; Series III 2.6 litre Petrol Motor

130man 10th February 2012, 07:49 AM
HI -------, if you are looking for originality, you will ,of course, stick to the 2.6 litre motor. However, in terms of drivability, the 3 litre version available in Rover cars of the time were much better engines. They have the same external dimensions and a longer stroke, so more torquey. Fitted with the symmetrical exhaust manifold, they did not suffer from burnt out exhaust valves on cylinders 5 and 6 which was a common problem with the 2.6 . All that was required was a modification to the manifold so that the exhaust pipe would run down and under the passenger floor. This engine transformed the performance of the L/R and should have been the engine of choice at the time, in my opinion. Cheers, 130man. ( It might have required the 2.6 L sump and oil pick up being swapped over, to retain oil supply at steep angles, but I am not sure, as this was all done more than thirty years ago. )

.

Hi Arthur,

I reckon the crank and rods would be well worth swapping.
I wonder what LR engineers were smoking when the decided to reduce the 3 litre to 2.6 for the Landrover.
Surely would have been better to upgrade the brakes.

If you can find the 3 litre camshaft timing info from that manual It would be great if you could post it here.

Cheers,
Terry

Originally Posted by rover-56

Surely would have been better to upgrade the brakes.

The Rover cars around this time had a very interesting arrangement with their front drum brakes, I am wondering if there are any posters on here who can tell you about this?

If you can find the 3 litre camshaft timing info from that manual It would be great if you could post it here.

I will have a look at John Lobban's workshop manual when I borrow it. I am tipping that the cam set up will be well documented, I should then be able to scan the relevant pages over to this thread..
.