Rebuilding a 1.8k VVC - Story
Discussion
Hi,
i wanted to show some pictures and my progress here as im currently rebuilding a Rover 1.8k VVC from skratch.
It all started as i was able to get a cheap 145ps 1.8k with a little hole in it
Fortunately a friend of mine had a spare block he gave me, so i took the crankshaft and the head from the "hole" engine and discarded the rest.
As our regulations require me to have a EU3 emissions i need to upgrade the engine to the 160ps EU3 version. So the plan is to use new 160 Trophy pistons, steel rods, keep the VVC units, new exhaust camshaft (270), rework the inlets, new valve guides, REC valves (standard size), new liners, new followers, offset dovels, ZandF ECU, R500 manifold collector.
Opening the old engine
i wanted to show some pictures and my progress here as im currently rebuilding a Rover 1.8k VVC from skratch.
It all started as i was able to get a cheap 145ps 1.8k with a little hole in it
Fortunately a friend of mine had a spare block he gave me, so i took the crankshaft and the head from the "hole" engine and discarded the rest.
As our regulations require me to have a EU3 emissions i need to upgrade the engine to the 160ps EU3 version. So the plan is to use new 160 Trophy pistons, steel rods, keep the VVC units, new exhaust camshaft (270), rework the inlets, new valve guides, REC valves (standard size), new liners, new followers, offset dovels, ZandF ECU, R500 manifold collector.
Opening the old engine
Edited by hury on Sunday 18th October 13:35
Cam ladder bearings
I cleared them, then put 1200 sandpaper on a 17 nut and carefully smoothered
I was afraid to remove too much material, so the clearing was measured
All inlet bearings ~ 0.038mm, Exhaust ~0.076mm . Rover manual: 0.025 - 0.060 inlet, 0.060 - 0.07 exhaust (service limit 0.1mm). So that should be fine
I cleared them, then put 1200 sandpaper on a 17 nut and carefully smoothered
I was afraid to remove too much material, so the clearing was measured
All inlet bearings ~ 0.038mm, Exhaust ~0.076mm . Rover manual: 0.025 - 0.060 inlet, 0.060 - 0.07 exhaust (service limit 0.1mm). So that should be fine
If you get someone like Steve Smith @ Vibration Free (there are other alternatives before the usual suspects chime in) to balance the entire bottom end (crank, clutch cover, flywheel and front pulley) as a single assembly, this can make the engine smooth like a turbine and will also create a lot less stress on the main bearings in terms of potential harmonic distortion. Money well spent in my opinion.
This has already been done at my local dealer. He has balanced crank, flywheel (some material has been removed before) and the front pulley.
He balanced the parts separately and then together.
He told me that the crank didnt require any balancing. Flywheel 2g, front pulley was the worst with 4g
He balanced the parts separately and then together.
He told me that the crank didnt require any balancing. Flywheel 2g, front pulley was the worst with 4g
Edited by hury on Wednesday 21st October 12:07
Before you fit the liners it is worth smoothing the edge of the top internal chamfer, this will ease the fitting of the Pistons as the rings traverse the lip, you might also want to consider a small shallow groove near the top of the liners where they Siamese to ease coolant flow from side to side, if you look at the original liners you will see a continuous groove all the way round the top, you don't need to all the way round, just a small part of it where they Siamese, polish the groove to reduce stress risers.
Dave
Dave
Edited by DVandrews on Saturday 24th October 18:29
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