3.5 Rebuild parts . . . what are essential?

[arcticrover]

Hey all-

It's almost time for me to take the 3.5 out and take it apart for the rebuild. Here a list of what I have or have on order for the rebuild. For those of you that have rebuilt yours, what other items are considered best replaced?

Already have/on order:

Full top/bottom gasket set
piston rings
full set of replacement bolts
head studs

Thinking I should order:

Main/big end bearings?
timing gear kit?
water pump?

What else needs replacement?

[glencoyne]

Camshaft and followers (lifters), timing chain and the chainwheel on the end of the camshaft. Oil pump end cover and pump rotors. Think about replacing the main bearing bolts with heavy duty items. You might as well change the mains and big ends, but until you have the engine apart you will not know whether the journals need regrinding or whether they have already been ground undersize. Once you have this information you will know what size bearing shells to order.

You may also find that the engine has already been rebored, so you will need +020 piston rings to match. Measure the piston diameter before you start fitting new rings. If your block is already bored out +020 and the bores are worn or damaged you are in trouble. There are no larger oversizes available, so you will have to either have the block sleeved back down to standard size, or find a better block.

These engines come apart easily and are a pleasure to work on. Have fun!

Richard

[jonnyboy]

Check your rocker shafts. If they are showing signs of wear then its new shafts and rockers. Dont try and change just the shafts as the old rockers will have bits of the old shafts embeded in them and will wear the new ones very quickly.

Dont forget that the rover V8 is a Buick 215 engine so you may be able to get parts/new engine over your way easier if you bear that in mind.

Jon

[primsil]

My new pistons just arrived today. They are for a holden commodore (opel) 1900 4cyl, 2 sets. they are 88.93 mm+.50mm, and much cheaper than rover. They are a common conversion over here, though the gudgeon hole in the piston has to be enlarged for the rover pins. I have a new timing set, which is timing chain and both sprockets, it is a true roller type, and has a multi keyed crank sprocket for accurate degreeing of the cam. It always pays to check the cam timing, although good cam manufacturers are usually accurate there can be slight variations. 2 degrees will change an engine. Dont forget to get your headers and 4bbl.

[primsil]

Not sure if all the 109s had large valve heads, my stage 1 motors all have but they are around 1984s, I know the P6 and early RR had smaller valves. My P76 was same as P6 but I have a set of Buick 300 alloy heads for it now, with oversize rover valves, they have much larger ports than any of the rover heads.