P38 EFI rocker cover gasket replacement

Yes it's a PITA!. Remove your air flow meter, Undo the six cap head bolts that hold the plenum on and the breather hoses from your plenum then you should be able to lift the complete assembly over on to the passenger side. this then gives you enough room for you to remove the rocker.

Make sure you clean the plenum base and use silicone to seal it back on to your trumpets. to avoid any air leaks.

You will need a 12 point 8mm socket and small extension to make life easy removing the rocker bolts.

Be carful when removing the old rubber gaskets as they have 4 small brass crush washers around the edge where your rocker cover screws go through. They have a habbit of dropping out of old gaskets inside the head.

Hope this helps

Brian Tonks Tonks4x4

27-29 Main Street Huthwaite Sutton-In-Ashfield Nottinghamshire NG17 2LD 01623 452885

DO NOT USE SILICON!!!!! Silicon sealant is NOT a permanent seal against any petrol vapours present, they will slowly but surely break down the sealant causing induction air leaks at the plenum. Correct sealant is Blue Hylomar, aplied sparingly. If I had a fiver for every leaking plenum I've removed and found silicon in there over the years, I'd be a very rich man!

Indeed, one of the reasons why I no longer fit the genuine rubber gaskets, opting instead for the rubber copies of the original cork type, supplied by Real Steel.

Badger. B.H.Engineering, Rover V8 engine specialists

Thanks for the replies guys, very valuable and much appreciated advice. I collected the gaskets and some other expensive bits this morning, SWMBO is doing a boot sale tomorrow so good opportunity for me to get oiled-up in peace!!

Gazza

I was ready to start the job this morning but noticed a worst oil leak lower down around the valley gasket buggrit. This is a job I don't feel confident to tackle so it will be open wallet surgery and I'll let my local independent boys have the pleasure, they estimate four hours. Do you reckon it's worth selling the family silver and getting the cam etc done at the same time (I can't really afford it), it's done 99k?

Gazza

|| Do you reckon it's worth selling the family || silver and getting the cam etc done at the same time (I can't really || afford it), it's done 99k?

All other things being equal, yes - ~80K is the mileage that most cams start to wear through the tuftriding and start to wear big time, or so I've heard. If you're having the heads off, you might as well - it's not much extra work. Well, some...

I wouldn't have thought there was much overlap in the jobs TBH. On the Disco the cam was done with the heads untouched, but both radiators had to come out. I don't suppose either would need to be disturbed to do the heads, although I suppose the coolant will have to be drained.

On the P38 it will probably be different, but I'd guess more work not less than the Discovery.

The later cams are supposedly better than the 3.5 ones, but my 3.9 one was showing significant wear at 120,000. It was definitely better with a new one in - revved more freely and ran smoother. But I don't know that you'll save much money by combining the two jobs - the garage will be able to tell you I suppose.

In to get oil leak sorted today and the cam is knackered, wallet is in terminal shock ffs!

They have found the bottom skirt of a piston in the sump!!!! New engine FFS. A new lump is about £500 more than a recon. The cost of rebuilding won't be much less than a new unit, is it worth it? The car is worth jack as it is and I wasn't planning to change it just yet. What would you do?

Personally, I'd rebuild the engine myself - to a better standard than the factory ever managed! Doing a top-hat linered 4.0 for someone local at the moment for considerably less than landrover are asking for a replacement std lump. Where are you based, I may be able to point you in the direction of someone that can help you....? Badger.

Hi Badger,

I'm in west London.

G

Why not just repace that piston? Not going to affect the value of the motor is it.

it's done 100k so the cam and everything else is probably worn. It's been making a tapping noise for a few days and if the piston was the source of the noise the bore has probably been scored/damaged. Just replacing the piston probably won't last long?

G

Do a search for "Lund Engines" (Devon) or "V8 Developments" (Spalding), if you want a really good engine. I'm too far away really, in the north of Scotland! Dare I suggest, chuck in a new piston and trade it in somewhere, sharpish-like? (I hate main dealers!!!) Unless the cam and followers are totalled as well, then they would need changing also to prevent any rattling. Badger.

New engine it is, wallet is on life support. Looks like slipped a liner caused piston to shatter. Cam is worn as well. I'm fecked all ways, can't sell it as it is and to fix the existing engine would cost as much as the new lump is going to be. At least a new engine should be good for another 100K !!

Gazza

On Thu, 11 May 2006 08:18:40 +0100, "Badger" scribbled the following nonsense:

V8 Developments? Are they they the same as Discovery Developmentswho do gas conversions in West Pinchbeck, near Spalding. Less than 10 miles from me.......

Nothing about gas conversions I could see but some links on their site seemed broken to me -

Gazza

On Thu, 11 May 2006 22:03:01 +0100, Gazza scribbled the following nonsense:

different company then!