Raggylad Posted September 19, 2014 Share Posted September 19, 2014 We are currently having a new Marsland galvanised chassis fitted to our 110 V8 after the rear half of the old chassis was found to be suffering from irreparable rot. While the body is off,some other work is being done (new clutch, suspension bushes, etc). We've just run into a major unexpected obstacle. When the sump came off, there was something unexpected there: This had come from here: and had caused this: and this: The block is basically scap. ********* !!! So we need to source a reconditioned long or short engine without having a worthwhile unit to exchange. My initial online searches indicate that recon 3.5 V8 engines are pretty rare and non-exhange items apparently non-existent. We would rather not go to a 3.9 if possible, but recognise that we might have to. Any ideas ? Thanks. Nick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big.Mike Posted September 19, 2014 Share Posted September 19, 2014 Can't you use a 3.9 to provide you with your short engine? Turners otherwise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dirtyninety Posted September 20, 2014 Share Posted September 20, 2014 Hundreds of 3.5 v8s knocking about for little money. If I were to do it, I'd upgrade to a 3.9/4.0 cross bolted block. I do have a 3.5 carb engine for sale, very little mileage but hasn't been run properly for a long time and has low compression/ misfire on 1 cylinder. It's out the 1987 110i have at the moment. Could sort a very cheap deal if I were to keep the carbs and intake manifold. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smallfry Posted September 20, 2014 Share Posted September 20, 2014 I have a 3.5 EFi engine which I have owned for many years (I can prove it too) which has only done 22336 miles from new. It has been completely cleaned and freshened up with new parts and looks like a new unit. I was saving it for a rainy day, but I probably will not use it now for mainly time reasons I could build your carbs onto it if needed. Let me know if you are interested Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Team Idris Posted September 20, 2014 Share Posted September 20, 2014 My own experience in 2012 suggests that good s/h engines are rare, as we bought a dud. It was hardly better than the one we took out. (we originally had a warped block). We used parts from both engines to make one good one with; head skim, rebore +20 bore, new rings, old pistons, crank grind, ARP stud kits and Piper cam. I also bought a block from a mate down the road with one free. One has all the mains caps off, so I wonder if they are even off the same block, and the other looks like the flywheel exploded. Better to buy a whole engine, as all I did was waste money I nearly bought a stripped Cobra engine which had a brand new timing cover. So good stuff is out there. I'd try RPI and ask what the surcharge is? If it is more than an Ebay engine I'd buy complete, strip parts, see if timing cover is better or worse than yours and send for re-build or exchange. Because decent rockers are hard to come by, I would seriously consider another donor engine option. Timing covers are rare because the pump gears eat them when the cam breaks up. Or maybe those units offered above are the ticket ? I've got a complete "rope seal" 3.5 for a 72' rangy in the shed. Folk have a lot stashed away (matches my log book for racer chassis) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hybrid_From_Hell Posted September 20, 2014 Share Posted September 20, 2014 I wouldn't touch RPI !!Go Turners, V8Developments, JED Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Team Idris Posted September 20, 2014 Share Posted September 20, 2014 Maybe that's fair. I wasn't 100% convinced by my lifters from RPI. But I could have done something wrong and I wasn't too bright at the time. Which brings me to a good point; Buy good quality lifters/tappits if you can Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeffR Posted September 20, 2014 Share Posted September 20, 2014 I talked to British American Engines a couple of years ago, they seemed to know what they were talking about. They send a you tube clip of your engine on a dyno before they dispatch... actually, having just googled em, they appear to no longer exist.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vulcan bomber Posted September 20, 2014 Share Posted September 20, 2014 Wards in Rugby is where I go every Time, Richard Cambell really knows his stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bowie69 Posted September 20, 2014 Share Posted September 20, 2014 How much have you got to burn? http://www.johnealesroverv8.co.uk/10.html http://www.v8tuner.co.uk/category.php?id=31 No surcharges on them £2.5K for a top hatted 4.6 isn't bad: http://www.v8developments.co.uk/products/engines/long_engines/4.6_litre/standard/index.shtml and if you are feeling silly: http://www.v8developments.co.uk/products/engines/long_engines/5.4_litre/dominator/index.shtml Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raggylad Posted September 20, 2014 Author Share Posted September 20, 2014 Thanks for all the suggestions - gives me some places to start looking. This is (was ?) a workhorse vehicle and the chassis+ is already looking likely to cost more than we really wanted to have to spend. This means: - I don't want it more powerful; the 15G 3.5 gave me quite enough. I accept that the lack of decent second hand or recon 3.5s means that I may have to go for a 3.9. - Recon would be nice, but I will have to either swallow the surcharge or shell out for a second hand unit to exhange. I don't really have a feel for how much I should be looking to pay for a good standard recon unit though. - If recon is to many £££, then I'm looking at having to source the best second hand unit I can find. The vehicle has been off the road for far too long as it is, so I need to find a solution that balances speed with reasonable quality and reasonable cost - probably about as achievable as nirvana ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bowie69 Posted September 20, 2014 Share Posted September 20, 2014 Just buy a 3.9 and drop it in, don't even bother opening it up any further than rockers to make sure they are all there -what you don't know won't hurt. Then you can plan a rebuilt engine in the future at some point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Team Idris Posted September 21, 2014 Share Posted September 21, 2014 Above sounds good. To be honest about it, there are V8's driving about right now that you would scrap the whole engine if you stripped it! They run nearly totally ruined. One day we were in a winch challenge running well enough with a red warning light. (assumed charge light). Next thing we were seeing a twisted block, round cam lobes (don't know how it reved), worn mains/big-ends, scored bores, head gaskets about to give out, relief valve jammed half open, oil pump housing scored like it had rock through it, and so on. If the fuel mix is right and the spark happens in the right place they run fine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave88sw Posted September 21, 2014 Share Posted September 21, 2014 I'd agree with all the above about buying a second hand engine but i would stick a camshaft in. If it's not got any big end knock and the oil pressure is ok, i'd leave the bottom end but with the engine out, it's so easy to change the cam and will give the engine a new lease of life. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanuki Posted September 21, 2014 Share Posted September 21, 2014 Given the parts-availability issues with old 3.5 lumps if I were you I'd bite the bullet and upgrade: for the price of a rebuild on a 3.5 you can buy a MoT-failed Disco with a modern electronically-managed 3.9 (which will include all the necessary bits) and you can at least run it up and drive it a bit to check it's OK (or what needs doing on it) before you get the engine-crane out. Sell on the remaining bits [axles/transmission/trim/glass] from the Disco and you can happily recover a good slice of the costs of the whole transplant, too. You can also upgrade to the transfer-box from the Disco which will significantly improve your cruising ability over the standard 110 version! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FridgeFreezer Posted September 22, 2014 Share Posted September 22, 2014 Buy a rusty-but-low mileage anything (RR, Disco, P38) and drop it in. By the time you've scrapped or parted out the rest it'll cost you almost nothing. A proper recon engine or genuinely new block will set you back a ton of cash for very little real benefit. 4.0 from a P38 would be a good solid bet with numerous benefits - cross bolted, better oil pump, serp belt, big alternator... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raggylad Posted September 25, 2014 Author Share Posted September 25, 2014 So far, I have a quote from Turners (gulp ...... but not as bad as I feared) and one from JRV8 (much lower) in Ballymena, NI. Still waiting for ACR to get back to me. Also looking at Tanuki and Fridge's suggestion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Disco-Ron Posted September 28, 2014 Share Posted September 28, 2014 I have just today picked up an old 3.5.... range rover auto injection engine, had been stored for a few years apparently, didn't even bother hardly looking at it when I picked it up, got it home and stripped off all the bits I have no interest in, took a rocker cover off, and OMG!!.... I have never seen so much black carp in an engine, I wonder if the oil has ever been changed.... So the question is, what the shell do I do next..... Chuck it in for exchange somewhere, or strip and rebuild with a'kit' from somewhere like v8 tuner... If I rebuild it, how do I get rid of the black slime??..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quagmire Posted September 28, 2014 Share Posted September 28, 2014 Fairy power spray. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raggylad Posted September 29, 2014 Author Share Posted September 29, 2014 I've decided to go for a long engine unit from Jim Robinson of JRV8 in Ballymena, Northern Ireland after getting quotes from Turners and ACR. He has a good reputation in the V8 world and, though I've only dealt with him for parts in the past, I've always been very happy with his service. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Disco-Ron Posted September 29, 2014 Share Posted September 29, 2014 Any chance you could pm me the price and details. ... looks like I might need one myself soon. .... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raggylad Posted September 29, 2014 Author Share Posted September 29, 2014 Any chance you could pm me the price and details. ... looks like I might need one myself soon. .... PM sent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Team Idris Posted September 30, 2014 Share Posted September 30, 2014 Cleaning the black gunk off I think is best done by taking it to somebody with an automatic wash cabinet. Mine was done at the re-bore and it is amazing how clean it came back and you know then the galleries are clean, which is where the stuff that can kill it hides.............. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.