Rover V8 good for only 100k miles ?
Discussion
From what I can understand from the various message boards on this website, a Rover V8 with 100k miles on it is considered worn out and at the end of its life. I've seen quite a bit of 'advice' given that you should only consider buying a V8 of such mileage if it's had a bottom end rebuild and a new cam. For someone who owns a V8S in its mid seventies (mileage wise), this sounds a bit worrying.
What is the truth in this - if it's true, it means that the Rover V8 is a very short lived engine indeed. Most engines nowadays are good for at least 200k miles if looked after properly with regular oil changes and maintainence.
I can understand a short life in an engine that is tuned up and highly strung but the Rover V8 is the exact opposite : a big lazy lump that, per litre, isn't of particularly high power. The engine in my Audi (which revs to 7000rpm and gives 170bhp from 2.3 litres) is much more highly tuned and yet, at twice the mileage of my TVR, runs like new.
Are these just scare stories or is my 75,000 mile engine entering its twilight years.
Steve.
What is the truth in this - if it's true, it means that the Rover V8 is a very short lived engine indeed. Most engines nowadays are good for at least 200k miles if looked after properly with regular oil changes and maintainence.
I can understand a short life in an engine that is tuned up and highly strung but the Rover V8 is the exact opposite : a big lazy lump that, per litre, isn't of particularly high power. The engine in my Audi (which revs to 7000rpm and gives 170bhp from 2.3 litres) is much more highly tuned and yet, at twice the mileage of my TVR, runs like new.
Are these just scare stories or is my 75,000 mile engine entering its twilight years.
Steve.
well the chipped 3.9/4ltr v8 in my wifes Discovery is just nudging 120K, it gets thrashed all the time including off road demos and towing a race car....
Its usually the cam that wears first... and they can start to use a lot of oil ( normal for a tvr 5ltr) just before they blow up..
i know of a couple of tivs nudging 100k with out major problems..
G
Its usually the cam that wears first... and they can start to use a lot of oil ( normal for a tvr 5ltr) just before they blow up..
i know of a couple of tivs nudging 100k with out major problems..
G
Oil change every 3000 miles is the answer here. I used to work at garage that used a Range Rover for towing a car trailer. This did 210K miles before a total overhaul and was approaching 100K on the rebuild when sold.
Cams do go early if the oil is not looked after, remember this design dates from the 1950/60s not the 90s. I have had a Range Rover that was still perfect at 135K miles, but also another which needed a new cam at 85K, an earlier owner presumably did not change the oild regularly enough. My TVR 350i had done 85K with no problems when I sold it.
Cams do go early if the oil is not looked after, remember this design dates from the 1950/60s not the 90s. I have had a Range Rover that was still perfect at 135K miles, but also another which needed a new cam at 85K, an earlier owner presumably did not change the oild regularly enough. My TVR 350i had done 85K with no problems when I sold it.
My TVRs 3.9 is currently being stripped for what started out as a minor task... it has 102K recorded. I know it had cam and followers at 80-odd thou, but what state they were in I know not as it predated my ownership. I can say that the new cam and followers are still fit; the internals of the heads and block are beautiful (no crud etc.), there is minimal scoring on the rocker shafts, negligible wear to the case hardened faces on the rockers (dated 1987 so original!) and when I get the heads off tomorrow I'll know what the bores are like and whether original sizes etc. The engine does smoke a little under hard acceleration, but I have seen 140 mph indicated with the roof off (er, on a race track ;-) and it never feels for a second that anything might break. The rev limiter is set to start soft-clipping at about 5900 rpm, with full cut at about 6200.
This is one of the engines built by NCK before it became TVR Power; alledgedly the most powerful of the 3.9 derivatives. I believe it's had a hard life, but I also have a large history file that suggests it's been looked after at least since 1992 (one owner spent 13 grand on the car in 5 years!)
I have heard of Rover SD1s with huge mileage, and they were a heavy car with less power, so probably worked just as hard....
W.
This is one of the engines built by NCK before it became TVR Power; alledgedly the most powerful of the 3.9 derivatives. I believe it's had a hard life, but I also have a large history file that suggests it's been looked after at least since 1992 (one owner spent 13 grand on the car in 5 years!)
I have heard of Rover SD1s with huge mileage, and they were a heavy car with less power, so probably worked just as hard....
W.
....and another thing... ;-) ...
even if your car has high mileage, don't let he idea of a major rebuild frighten you. The Rover is a simple unit (well it was designed by an American ;-) and parts are surprisingly cheap, even from Land Rover dealers. Have a look at the RPI Engineering website (wwww.rpiv8.com); all you need is there. Reshell the crank, throw in a new cam and followers, timing gear and chain, piston rings, all seals and gaskets and still have change from the cost of a dirty weekend!
W.
even if your car has high mileage, don't let he idea of a major rebuild frighten you. The Rover is a simple unit (well it was designed by an American ;-) and parts are surprisingly cheap, even from Land Rover dealers. Have a look at the RPI Engineering website (wwww.rpiv8.com); all you need is there. Reshell the crank, throw in a new cam and followers, timing gear and chain, piston rings, all seals and gaskets and still have change from the cost of a dirty weekend!
W.
The engine in my father's MGB GT V8 had over 130k miles before it was rebuilt. It wasn't rebuilt due to failure either, the car was reshelled. At that time it didn't use any oil (ok ok, very little oil.....), held 42psi cold/32psi hot and had compression in the 160psi range. Cam and timing chain were buggered though, 4 lobes were almost flat, but that didn't stop the car breaking the ton the day he rolled it into a ball of scrap, hence the need for a reshell...... Best thing for the Rover engine, especially infrequently used ones is frequent oil changes using quality oil, not the generic crap. This helps cam, cam follower and T-chain life. Again, see RPI's web site for the full S.P.
Seems I was a little hasty with my verbal orgasms about how good my engine was: once I got the head off to Helicoil some stripped manifold threads, I found a broken piston ring on no.5. There was a sizeable score on the cylinder wall and I knew it wouldn't hone out, so a rebore was the only option. I stripped the block as far as possible, then craned it out by myself on Good Friday. Once I pulled the pistons out I found another broken ring, on no.4, that hadn't scored the wall.The big ends were slighly marked but nothing untoward for 102K miles, but when I pulled the main bearing caps off I found lots of copper and slight scores on the crank journals.
The previous owner had oil pressure failure twice; first time it was the relief valve that had jammed, second time he had a new pump fitted. In all the time I've had it, the oil pressure has been fine, no rumbling etc. from the bottom end. The crank was actually OK apart from the scores (no ovality etc.) and would probably have gone for ages in that condition. In the event I've had a +20 thou rebore all round, new pistons, rings and pins, 10 thou off all the crank journals, heavy duty shells, new conrod bolts, main bearing bolts, head bolts, pilot bush, gaskets, seals etc. The cam and followers were new 10000 miles back and are fine. The oil pump is getting an uprated spring to give another 10 psi pressure. Total bill so far is about GBP570, but I'm not done yet! Once I'm finished it will to all intents be a new engine; at least if I look after it I know it has been!
W.
The previous owner had oil pressure failure twice; first time it was the relief valve that had jammed, second time he had a new pump fitted. In all the time I've had it, the oil pressure has been fine, no rumbling etc. from the bottom end. The crank was actually OK apart from the scores (no ovality etc.) and would probably have gone for ages in that condition. In the event I've had a +20 thou rebore all round, new pistons, rings and pins, 10 thou off all the crank journals, heavy duty shells, new conrod bolts, main bearing bolts, head bolts, pilot bush, gaskets, seals etc. The cam and followers were new 10000 miles back and are fine. The oil pump is getting an uprated spring to give another 10 psi pressure. Total bill so far is about GBP570, but I'm not done yet! Once I'm finished it will to all intents be a new engine; at least if I look after it I know it has been!
W.
Rover V8, is the engine fitted in Range Rover. A very nice engine, but all the Range Rovers I know have made much more than 100k without problems. Ok, I agree that this engine isn't highly tuned in the Range rover as in other kind of sport cars applications, but I know one RR that made the double mileage without problems and only after this mileage appears to have some wear that resulted in a small oil comsuption.
The tricky part of this engines, as I know is the oil.
Be assure that you have right amount of oil in the sump and verify the oil pressure as well. This procedure is fundamental in this engine maybe because it's a alumiun block. Who knows maybe an expert can tell this with more precision....
The tricky part of this engines, as I know is the oil.
Be assure that you have right amount of oil in the sump and verify the oil pressure as well. This procedure is fundamental in this engine maybe because it's a alumiun block. Who knows maybe an expert can tell this with more precision....
The 520 gets an oil change every 3 sprints or tract/test day. Partly due to oil contamination from the slightly rich fuelling that is protecting the engine from pre-detonating.
Steve
www.tvrbooks.co.uk
Steve
www.tvrbooks.co.uk
opinon!
I met an expert with the rover v8 and tocut a long story short he trained me to rebuild them. Range rovers do 170 k miles regularly and pull alot more weight and are under greater stress!. than a slightly revier but much lighter tvr. The 400 is without doubt best of all and if you strip a 400 down you wonder where they get the extra space for the long throw crank 500. The higher the lift cam more likely hood of wear in that area. couple that to most peoople do not drive them regularly enough
and cam wear is almost guaranteed as once the the surface of the cam pits its on its way. It generally doesn't pit through wacking the valves up and down at 5000 but cold start and no engine oil remaining due to intermittant use is a nice recipe for it.
cut along story short drive it! drive it !maintain regularly
it will last as long as any other car. intermittant use kills them!
ps bhp per litre is not a definitive indication to stressiness of an engine, but that s a different story!
I met an expert with the rover v8 and tocut a long story short he trained me to rebuild them. Range rovers do 170 k miles regularly and pull alot more weight and are under greater stress!. than a slightly revier but much lighter tvr. The 400 is without doubt best of all and if you strip a 400 down you wonder where they get the extra space for the long throw crank 500. The higher the lift cam more likely hood of wear in that area. couple that to most peoople do not drive them regularly enough
and cam wear is almost guaranteed as once the the surface of the cam pits its on its way. It generally doesn't pit through wacking the valves up and down at 5000 but cold start and no engine oil remaining due to intermittant use is a nice recipe for it.
cut along story short drive it! drive it !maintain regularly
it will last as long as any other car. intermittant use kills them!
ps bhp per litre is not a definitive indication to stressiness of an engine, but that s a different story!
This being the case, why did my Griff need a full engine rebuild after 21,000 miles, and why do we hear of so many V8's going pop before 100,000 miles?
Also it seems to me that far more of the Griff 500 engines suffer than the 400. If this isn't caused by the excessive stress the engine is placed under, what is it caused by?
(Disclaimer: Don't ask silly questions did you keep it serviced, full of oil, drive @ 7000 rpm all the time? etc. etc.)
Also it seems to me that far more of the Griff 500 engines suffer than the 400. If this isn't caused by the excessive stress the engine is placed under, what is it caused by?
(Disclaimer: Don't ask silly questions did you keep it serviced, full of oil, drive @ 7000 rpm all the time? etc. etc.)
quote:
This being the case, why did my Griff need a full engine rebuild after 21,000 miles, and why do we hear of so many V8's going pop before 100,000 miles?
Also it seems to me that far more of the Griff 500 engines suffer than the 400. If this isn't caused by the excessive stress the engine is placed under, what is it caused by?
(Disclaimer: Don't ask silly questions did you keep it serviced, full of oil, drive @ 7000 rpm all the time? etc. etc.)
I have not heard or read of many of the Rover V8 engined TVRs going pop, where do you get this idea from? I see from your profile you had a Griff500 and remember some of your comments from other threads. Your Griff was second-hand, how do you know what the previous owner(s) did, or did not do? Any tuned engine that is thrashed from cold (for example) is highly likely to go pop at some point, used properly and maintained properly the Rover V8 is as reliable as any other engine.
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