Range Rover V8 camshaft change Dave P ?

It is a long time since I worked on one of these and I don't remember having to change a cam. Has anyone recently changed a cam on one of these? It is a 1986 automatic and needs a cam/followers. Any ideas on whether the cam comes out with the engine in? (It seems like it does) and whether there are any peculiar problems. I want to give the owner an idea of cost, but I can't find a repair time guide or my workshop manual, so I am guessing at the moment.

Any help appreciated.

Mrcheerful

Reply to
Mrcheerful
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I had this done on a TR7V8 by a good set of blokes in Brize Norton, and they were able to do the job without removing the engine. Clearance at the front is the main issue, but I can't see that being a prob on the rangey.

Cheers,

Reply to
James Dore

To my knowledge you can leave the engine in place but you might need to replace all the components - chain and maybe sprockets too.

Reply to
adder1969

Yup - it comes out pretty easily, assuming you can get enough clearance to the front of the engine. With my SD1 this means removing the rad and lowering the AC condenser without disconnecting it. I'd hope the same is possible on the RR.

Reply to
Dave Plowman (News)

It comes out with the rad removed and the air-con rad moved to one side. You'll also need to remove the inlet manifold to get to the followers. I'm sure I got a kit with everything, cam, camchain, sprockets, followers and valley gasket for not too much over 100quid. It's an advert in the Landy mags, big black fullpage jobby. I did it in a day but I wasn't in a particular hurry.

Oh and check the rockers themselves, the pushrod can easily wear it's way into the seating and cause all the noise in the first place. DAMHIKIJKOK? I've got a bag full of very good 2nd hand ones here if you need them.

John

Reply to
John Greystrong

I fitted one of these for a mate. The dots on the timing wheels couldn't be made to line up properly. More or less exactly between two teeth. Had reports about pattern followers failing early too. The valley gasket was plain steel - no varnish. No idea how it lasted as the vehicle was being repaired for sale.

I'd prefer to pay the extra for genuine bits in this case - due to the time involved in fitting.

Reply to
Dave Plowman (News)

Mine went together fine and was still going strong 10k miles later.

It's a lot quicker the second time though ;-) And on a 500quid RR it can mean it's not worth doing.

John

Reply to
John Greystrong

Oh indeed. I'm just saying the quality control seems poor.

Think Mrcheerful is a pro so it may be a factor - he might have to do the job a second time for free.

Reply to
Dave Plowman (News)

I have now found a 'book' time for it: 6.9 hours or 8 depending on exact model (carb or inj) Problem is I also talked to an old timer who has done loads of work on them, after I described it to him he immediately said 'don't touch it' The owner has now had a quote from an engine rebuilders to do the whole job, guaranteed, for 800 quid. I have turned it down, especially after hearing some of the running problems it has, what has been done and its extreme age/value. I suggested he contact RPI engineering who will do the job while you wait (apparently)

Mrcheerful

Reply to
Mrcheerful

That's quite generous. Don't remember it taking that long on my SD1 EFI. But then I'm pretty familiar with the EFI plumbing.

Dunno why - there ain't really any gotchas.

Crikey. I'm in the wrong business. That's 600 quid for a gentle day's work

- unless the RR is a lot more difficult than the SD1.

Ah - so you're not sure it's actually the cam which is at fault? If you describe the symptoms might be able to help since it will have the same EFI - I think, being an '86. But if the cam has done 100,000 miles or so with poor maintenance or gentle driving it will be well worn.

That's where I got the crappy kit from. ;-)

Reply to
Dave Plowman (News)

Accompanied by the sound of a chisel on slate Mrcheerful, managed to produce the following words of wisdom

Easy peasy.

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Reply to
Pete M

Not really, easier I would've said.

Mine came from

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who now have a yellow advert in the Landy mags, not black.

John

Reply to
John Greystrong

Isn't it more cost effective to swap the whole engine for a known better one?

Reply to
Willy Eckerslyke

Willy Eckerslyke wrote:

That was one of my thoughts. The history gets worse by the minute, it has not had regular oil changes (surprise, surprise) 'someone' said that the tappets were worn out, but the real symptom he has is fluctuating idle, it has been to a garage that I believe are quite good, they have set co levels and generally checked it out, including a compression test and basically said they can't make it any better and to take it to a specialist, somehow he has ended up at an engine rebuilding firm who have said that it needs a new camshaft to run right. IIRC these engines are known for the camshafts going very round and hardly opening the valves, so I suppose that is possible, but I am surprised, since if the valves are not opening to that extent then surely the compression should be significantly down (which apparently is good) IIUC when the cam wears that dramatically the rest of the engine suffers greatly with swarf all round it and other stuff fails soon (oil pump, main and big ends etc.) plus the rockers are likely to be shot etc. etc. It is a 1986 vehicle so is worth very little in case. The owner is a builder so the vehicle is like a skip. I am sure if the old guy I spoke to said to avoid the job he is correct, he didn't want the job either. Me, I like an easy life, servicing and MoT s are no problem same day stuff, why take on something that sounds like it could be trouble? Also I have got lots of my own projects I would like to spend time on, so although a 500 quid profit on a day job is tempting, I think I will pass on this one, just like the other few garages he has asked.

Thanks for everyone's input, it seems opinions between owner mechanics and garages are poles apart on this one !!

If it wa my own vehicle and I knew it well then I would stick in a slightly lary cam and enjoy it, but the potential for grief on a punter's car is just too great.

Mrcheerful

Reply to
Mrcheerful

Then the cam *will* be worn.

Strangely, a worn cam often *improves* the idle. It's at higher revs it really shows up.

I've changed them with lobs which look circular but a cranking compression test shows normal.

Just not so in my experience. Any swarf would have to get past the oil filter to do this. Of course if that was blocked and in bypass mode it could. But you'd be talking about no oil changes at all for that to happen. Nor is shot rockers etc as common as some make out - again in just my experience. But easy and quick to check before starting the main job.

I must admit to not having ever dealt with a high mileage totally neglected example. I'm not in the trade, so ones I've worked on have belonged to sort of enthusiasts of one form or another.

But I'm not sure how easy it is to source a good secondhand unit these days - after all the 3.5 unit is pretty old now.

IMHO don't bother changing the cam from standard on these EFIs. You'll never get it to run properly.

Reply to
Dave Plowman (News)

Ebay values for carbed 3.5 units are so low that it's barely worth not weighing them in for scrap. That could simply reflect a general distrust of unwarrantied ones or it could be that there's still a good supply and buyers can afford to be choosy. If I was looking for one, I'd aim to buy an MOT failure Rangey. These often go for less than 200 quid, most of which could be recouped by weighing in what's left.

Incidentally, I don't know how common this is, but the only one I've ever stripped down had quite a few seized bolts that sheared - enough to render the thing scrap if wasn't already.

Reply to
Willy Eckerslyke

Why don't you stick a dial gauge on each of the valve caps, measure the lift and see if it actually does have worn lobes before assuming it has? Measure twice, cut once as carpenters say.

Reply to
Dave Baker

I would if it were mine, but instead I will give it a wide berth, just for a simple life.

Out of interest I assume that it would be necessary to have the engine spinning over or at least have the oil pump running (easy on one of those using a drill) to check the valve lift? or the tappets would not be pressurised and the lift would be less than when running wouldn't it?

Mrcheerful

Reply to
Mrcheerful

Then you do it at the pushrod end.

Reply to
Dave Baker

Of course it should be possible to get a rod on the edge of the tappet, that would give the most accurate result. All the engines I used to do this sort of stuff on were solid tappet engines, lotus/ford, xflow, V6 essex, pinto, mini, morris minor, cambridge. Oh the joys of working out center of maximum lift and getting offset dowels to correct it, then double checking and finding you had gone the wrong way.

Mrcheerful

Reply to
Mrcheerful

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