Thread: how long will a v8 last.

250k km is impressive! The Thor (& I suspect GEMS) engine has a reputation for having soft metal in the cam lobes. So, having just gone through the head gasket thing on my Thor 4.6 P38... (143k km)
cost me about $2k by the time I'd covered all bases. totally DIY job

Head Gasket Time... Post #18 for pics

I had the heads skimmed and valves recut/seated with new stem seals on exhaust valves only.
Camshaft was shot as were lifters. Two rockers were missing their pads! The timing chain was very loose. So I got the following:

New one piece steel rockers (matched) plus set of lifters from Turner engineering (UK)
Set of ARP head studs (relatively new product specifically for 10 stud Rover head) from Summit Racing in the USA
New rocker shafts, cam (standard), chain and sprocket set plus Elrin gasket set and Payen metal valley gasket from Karcraft

By the time airfreight was added , Karcraft were close on the $$$ and easier to deal with for most items than a large o'seas consignment...

Was able to manipulate the radiator and aircon/oil coolers sufficiently to replace cam withourt removing the engine... not sure about disco clearances in this regard..

Mine went about 400,000km before the rings wore out and it blew a head gasket.
It is a carburettor 3.5. About 1981 vintage.

Generally, dropped liners seem to be associated with engines which have been either over heated or at least gotten very hot. There have been others which dropped liners for no apparent reason.... low probability.

when you take the heads off, examine the lip around the cylinder carefully to ensure the liner is where it should be and there's no evidence of movement. If it seems to be OK, then don't fret any further about it!

If the engine is not burning much oil, the compression numbers are OK and the bores look OK then I'd just do what has to be done re. the heads and be done with it.

FWIW: At 250k, it maybe worthwhile having the injectors cleaned professionally if they haven't been done previously. I contacted a mobile EFI expert. A bloke arrived in a van all kitted out with a test bench/oscilloscopes /all sorts of spares etc etc .. $20 each injector incl. all new o-rings etc. He cleaned them ultrasonically then ran them through a series of tests for spray patterns etc and then a volumetric test whereby they each pump 100ml at the same time. When the test rig stopped there was less than 0.5 ml variation between all 8 injectors He then sealed each of them in a plastic bag for later refit...

The big temptation is to keep going and replacing lots more stuff "while the engine is pulled down...may as well...etc!!" Assuming everything else is functioning OK then a competent job should see the heads OK for another 100k at least. I rationalised the extra expense on the basis that if I were to sell the beast and buy a newer one, the cost of a decent top end overhaul would be but a fraction of the depreciation of a newer vehicle....

Hi Lewy,

Most opinion from other more knowledgeable than me is that you should change the cam along with lifters as the lobes do wear

Cheers

Baggy

Originally Posted by Baggy

Hi Lewy,

Most opinion from other more knowledgeable than me is that you should change the cam along with lifters as the lobes do wear

Cheers

Baggy

X2

having never owned a rover v8 before but several holden v8's which all had hi cam wear i am thinking the cam has to go not that the lack of power is a problem up hereon the flat roads but the possibility of a lifter collapsing 6-7 hundred away is a little scary.Has anyone replaced the cam in a d2 with the motor still in the vehicle.Good point about the compression i will do one asap and if that is okay will probably go with the refurb as if the engine dosn't last i should be able to swap cams and lifters to another or my own newly top hatted block if i can get someone in darwin to do it.

I don't see why you couldn't do the cam with the engine in situ... Granted, it's a PITA as you have to remove everything in front of the engine, so you can withdraw the cam but should be possible.

M

Originally Posted by camel_landy

I don't see why you couldn't do the cam with the engine in situ... Granted, it's a PITA as you have to remove everything in front of the engine, so you can withdraw the cam but should be possible.

M

I did it with my 3.9, and there's not that much difference to the D2 V8. Once you've remove the radiator, you just have to gently swing the air con condenser out of the way on it's flexible hoses, and then you have enough room to pull the cam out.

Granted that was on a D1, but there's not a fat lot of difference to the positioning under the bonnet on a D2.