4.2 V8, Good, Bad, OK????

[Steve 90]

Just pulling some bits together for a rebuild/ new build of the Challenge truck. Looks like I'll be blowing most of my very small budget on axles as I want the truck to be strong and reliable and to date axle breakage has been my biggest issue.

This in mind there wont be a whole heap of cash left for the rest. I want an auto box and some more power. Dave ashcroft has advised the best starting point for what I want is and auto out of a RR LSE as they are Hydraulic, The shortest of the autos and will have the better internals fitted which go hand in hand with the work he will do to the box. I also want a boost in power but not after silly figures just yet so was thinking of buying a complete, Scrap LSE (as they are pretty cheap) and using the V8 as well.

So the question being (sorry for the waffling to get here) Is the 4.2 OK? Im not after huge HP just yet, Just acceptable with the auto and reliable. Any help advice, Pro's, Con's, suggestions appreciated. Im a V8 novice so please help me out.

Thanks.

Steve.

[Adrian Turner]

Thats what i'm using for the new truck, along with the 4ws portal's............ sorry steve you don't have portal's see you next year

[white90]

Jules

is the only person on here who regularly used a 4.2 as far as I know

and he rated it IIRC

[Steve 90]

........... sorry steve you don't have portal's

Dont I!!!! Mmmmm, I must have ben mistaken :D

[Steve 90]

My main reason for asking is I was talking to someone who knows a bit about Rover V8's who, when I mention my intension to run the 4.2 made a strange noise and said "I dont think they have a cross bolted block". Means nothing to me!!! So are they or arn't they cross bolted? Is it a problem if they are not? Is there any other reason not to use a 4.2? are any of the other Cheap and readily available V8's more suited to a challenge truck?

[Chris Abel]

Dont I!!!! Mmmmm, I must have ben mistaken :D

Steve im sure with what you got planned mr turner will be having a year of sleepless nights

How many ponies does the 4.2 produce as standard?

[landmannnn]

A 4.2 is a good engine if in good nick -warning - Rv8's will run nicely even when very worn out.

There are some liner issues with these engines but not as often as is suggested.

Don't worry about cross bolting unless you want to up the ower.

3.5's and 3.9's are more readily available. 4.6's are expensive. Many prefer diesels of course!

Wondering what you doing special with the (hydraulic) autobox?

[Young bobtail Rhys]

How many ponies does the 4.2 produce as standard?

200bhp std

[FridgeFreezer]

They seem to do well enough but then any half decent RV8 will do nicely in a Land Rover, especially if the competition are driving TDI's. The blocks aren't cross-bolted (big ends) like the later 4.0 and 4.6 but in real life I'm not sure how much difference that will make. If you drive like an arse you can break anything.

There's not a lot of point throwing money at tuning a Rover 8 these days when there are so many more powerful lumps available, I'd ditch the 14CUX for a MegaSquirt'n'EDIS setup (it's a relatively easy switch, just done one in a day) but beyond that, a good service and a few quality parts (head studs, duplex timing chain if you've got the thing apart) I'd leave it alone.

[Hybrid_From_Hell]

The 4.2V8 is much overlooked V8 for some reason and No I don't know why

They have more power than a 3.9 (both BHP & Torque) but nothing "Exotic" that causes any extar problems over a 3.9, in fact the 4.2 has a much reduced problem re porus block/liner issues that the 4.6s have, although they are not immune (neither are 3.9s either). The key thing as with any V8 is its past, and its frwquency (or lack of) maintainance / oil changes etc, this is key, a clue is the inside of the rocker box,

If it looks like black cornflakes its fubared.

Blacl coated smooth - tired

Dark brown / almost black well worn

Light brown to mid brown OK

I also think most 4.2s will be later 'C' crossbolted blocks - look for a line of bolt heads running from to back of the block both sides just above where the sump joins the block

Nige

[will_warne]

Speak to Jules about the 4.2 - he'll tell you the story of that engine and why LR stopped using them. I've driven his LSE and was impressed by the smoothness and the torque.

[jules]

A 4.2 will walk over any Tdi or Td5 for power

My challenge truck was a 4.2 and I still think its the best lump for instant power and will climb anything as my roll over vid proved.

My classic is a LSE which is gas flowed and ported

I do have a spare (still fitted to RRc) 4.2 with its Auto still attached and can sell it to you at a reasnoable price as I could do with the cash.

Like all rover V8's there not faultless but I like them and have stick withy 4.2's since 2001 and never looked back I've only trashed one which was my fault and thats the now gas flowed and ported one which proves there fairly resiliant.

07976 819947

[Steve 90]

Steve im sure with what you got planned mr turner will be having a year of sleepless nights

How many ponies does the 4.2 produce as standard?

Mr Turner? If he was the competition I'd just throw a Tirfor in the boot of the subaru and enter in that :lol: ! He'd probably only break something unloading it from the trailer.

Think the 4.2 is (as Rhys states above) 202bhp, About half of what you will have :( but it will do for now until I can find some more ££££'s.

[Steve 90]

Well from what you have said guys it should be fine. As long as it stands a chance of being reliable I'll be happy. Not looking for huge power, Just enough to have something with a bit of life in it when coupled to an auto. Will run it standard as I only plan on using it until ive got the rest of the truck as I want it then save some pennies for something better.

Cheers for the advise.

A couple of extra Questions.

Does the 4.2 run a surpentine belt?

are all the rv8 bell housings the same? in other words will any Rv8 fit if I do have problems?

Is there anything I will need to change from the std Lse kit to use MS and Edis? (eg does the 4.2 run Hotwire? Have I heard something about people having to change manifolds?)

Cheers Guys.

Steve.

[Young bobtail Rhys]

Steve, (someone will confirm this but......) all 4.2's are hotwire injection and they are only serpentine from 1994 onwards

[FridgeFreezer]

Is there anything I will need to change from the std Lse kit to use MS and Edis? (eg does the 4.2 run Hotwire? Have I heard something about people having to change manifolds?)

The only reason to change anything is to swap the early flapper's injectors and fuel rail for later hotwire type so you lose the injector resistor pack. No reason to change manifolds or owt else. Having done a Hotwire-to-MS'n'EDIS conversion recently I can say it's a pretty straightforward process, you end up using only 50% of the wires in the LSE loom.

[jules]

Well from what you have said guys it should be fine. As long as it stands a chance of being reliable I'll be happy. Not looking for huge power, Just enough to have something with a bit of life in it when coupled to an auto. Will run it standard as I only plan on using it until ive got the rest of the truck as I want it then save some pennies for something better.

Cheers for the advise.

A couple of extra Questions.

Does the 4.2 run a surpentine belt?

are all the rv8 bell housings the same? in other words will any Rv8 fit if I do have problems?

Is there anything I will need to change from the std Lse kit to use MS and Edis? (eg does the 4.2 run Hotwire? Have I heard something about people having to change manifolds?)

Cheers Guys.

Steve.

Mine is a 93 and has v belts and its a hot wire

[Adrian Turner]

Mr Turner? If he was the competition I'd just throw a Tirfor in the boot of the subaru and enter in that :lol: ! He'd probably only break something unloading it from the trailer.

Think the 4.2 is (as Rhys states above) 202bhp, About half of what you will have :( but it will do for now until I can find some more ££££'s.

Now i'd pay money to see that how about west harptree R6

[RPR]

My understanding with regards to cross-bolting/non, is that this becomes an issue when one is building/tuning for high end performance and horsepower. Nonross-bolting is suboptimal in say, a TVR application where the 4.0L and 4.6L are a better place to start your build. In yhour application, you are looking for a flatter torque curve and can sacrifice a bit up top end hp to get it. In this application, the 4.2l is a fine choice. Depending on budget, you may want to go for a slight skim of the heads, a little port matching, especially to the exhaust manifold and possibly some long tube 4 into 1 headers. A slightly lumpier cam profile wouldn't go amiss. In any event, it's a perfectly good engine as far as the RV8 goes and a torque focus will do you good, especially as you seem to have some strengthening in mind for the autobox.

As an aside, I don't get this new rage with autoboxes. I can't stand wheeling an auto and really find it quite disconcerting in the Disco. But then I prefer a leaf sprung vehicle with a wee little 3.5 with carb and a 4 speed gearbox made out of tin and marshmallow, so ato each his own...