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The Big G
Original Poster
375 posts
37 months
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Well, I tried all those techniques but still could not get the buggers to fit. They were squashing completely but partly sliding out to the side instead of completely down the hole. In the end I gave up and took them to my friendly specialist. It took them 2 hours and apparently a lot of swearing to get the little buggers to fit! At least they are in now and I can start putting the front back together again. Wont have much time though over the next couple of weeks to crack on with it as I'm really busy with work.  Just hope It'll be back on the road for the summer...
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The Big G
Original Poster
375 posts
37 months
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So , thought it was time for a update. I now have a rolling chassis with the engine fitted!!!!!   Jobs completed so far:- - Fully reconditioned braking system – New master cylinder (servo replaced last year), Kunifer brake pipes, all 4 calipers recond and finished in red, Goodridge stainless flexis and a new handbrake cable.
- New fuel pipes, just need to decide now if to replace the fuel pump as its electrical connections are heavily corroded. May leave till another day as the budget has only “slightly” increased from my initial projections!
- Fully polly bushed suspension front and rear as well as the anti roll bar
- All ball joints replaced
- Steering rack refurbished
- Stainless bolts used where possible
- Heat shield replaced and SS rivets used
- All items thoroughly cleaned and/or painted where possible before being re-fitted
All I have to do now before re fitting the body is to replace the heater pipework with silicone hoses and grab a paintbrush and apply some Dynax UB to the top of the outriggers and the trailing arm mounts. I’m only planning on putting this where I will not be able to easily access though as I think I'll prefer to touch up any holes as I go along. Will just have to keep an eye on the underside!! If you can think of anything I may have missed then please let me know! Hopefully the body goes on this weekend if I don't have to work, If not it'll have to wait for a couple more weeks. Unfortunately unable to make it to S Club as I'm working that weekend and its still in pieces so Chatsworth this weekend is no good for me too if I'm not working. Hopefully I'll have better luck for next years meetings. G
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King Fisher
687 posts
48 months
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Does your plenum have '3.9' on it Big G?
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The Big G
Original Poster
375 posts
37 months
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King Fisher said: Does your plenum have '3.9' on it Big G? Yes it does, I believe its the same as those fitted to 4.0 Griffs and Chims. The engines capacity is 3948cc so closer to 3.9 than 4.0 really.
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King Fisher
687 posts
48 months
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The Big G said: Yes it does, I believe its the same as those fitted to 4.0 Griffs and Chims. The engines capacity is 3948cc so closer to 3.9 than 4.0 really. I never knew that they had 3.9 on the plenum, I thought they had 400 on. So does this mean the engine in a 390SE is infact a 4 litre engine? And if so, where does the 400SE fit into things? You really do learn something new everyday!
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Spathodus77
216 posts
78 months
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The 390 SE (SE = special equipment) had the Andy Rouse engine with 275bhp it was introduced in approx 85' ish. However I think the 'SE' suffix was used on later wedges (87' + ish) to denote a different trim. These had a 'wraparound dash' rather than the boxy version in the originals. The engines in the wedges were tuned for power and apparently the cars can feel quite peaky for a v8. The chimeara/griff etc used an engine turned for driveability hence the lower bhp / better torque. I think some V8 S' had wedge 4L engines and some had Chimeara engines, I wait to be corrected on this...
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King Fisher
687 posts
48 months
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Spathodus77 said: The 390 SE (SE = special equipment) had the Andy Rouse engine with 275bhp it was introduced in approx 85' ish. However I think the 'SE' suffix was used on later wedges (87' + ish) to denote a different trim. These had a 'wraparound dash' rather than the boxy version in the originals. The engines in the wedges were tuned for power and apparently the cars can feel quite peaky for a v8. The chimeara/griff etc used an engine turned for driveability hence the lower bhp / better torque. I think some V8 S' had wedge 4L engines and some had Chimeara engines, I wait to be corrected on this... I've heard various stories. I've also just seent a V8S in the classifieds with '400' on the plenum. Confusing much?
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Oldred_V8S
1,689 posts
107 months
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King Fisher said: I've heard various stories. I've also just seent a V8S in the classifieds with '400' on the plenum. Confusing much? Mine has 400 on it.
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The Big G
Original Poster
375 posts
37 months
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This is all news to me, I thought the only differences were between the pre and post cat cars. Just had a look in the classifieds and there are at least 2 with 400 on the plenum and oldred v8s' car. They were both from '92 and mine was first registered in August '91. Maybe it was what they had lying around at the time left over from the wedges. Either the engine or just the plenum!
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B16JUS
2,315 posts
106 months
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Oldred_V8S said: Mine has 400 on it. same here mine says 400
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seb400
413 posts
153 months
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mine has 400 on plenum too (1992 pre cat)
Steve
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The Big G
Original Poster
375 posts
37 months
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Having been really busy with work recently I haven't been able to spend as much time in the garage as I had hoped to recently. But, the body is now on    I have also reassembled the cooling system and reconnected the engine wiring. Rocker covers are off being refurbished and am waiting for a cooling fan set up from RT Racing the same as Simons. Then I'm ready to get her fired up again. So thats all the good news, Unfortunately today I tried to prime the fuel system and the pump didn't come on with the ignition. There is no power at the pump with the ignition on. The fuse has not blown. I have put a direct feed to the pump and it operates fine. I'm really not the best with electrics and am not sure what to do next so am open to ideas and hints please! I believe that there is a relay for the fuel pump but has no idea where to find it. I also am not sure where the wires run so can't test to see if these may be broken. I'm off again with work for a few days so wont be able to look at it again until I'm back. But it wont stop me thinking about it!
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SJS357
556 posts
25 months
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Great work Gordon. 
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zombeh
315 posts
56 months
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In the half a rangerover that passes for an engine loom you should find two (metal) relays near the ECU, the one with all the brown wires powers the injection and the other one powers the fuel pump. If you have an immobiliser it's likely chopped into the wiring for that relay. Check you've got 12v at the relay and that the ecu is grounding the coil to turn it on.
After that there's an inertia cutoff switch (the little black box next to the expansion tank that doesn't look like it's plugged in in your photo) that could be unplugged, broken or just switched off.
You should find there's a squareish whiteish 7(I think)way plug that connects the engine loom to the car, iirc the fuel pump wire is black and yellow
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The Big G
Original Poster
375 posts
37 months
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Many thanks zombeh, I'll try those when I'm next back at home.
Thanks Simon, but mines hardly going to compare to yours. I still need to do a partial respray while fixing some damage to the fiberglass. Re trim the interior and that's before starting on the engine! Out of interest, how many miles had yours done and what state was the engine in before your re build? Mines probably done at least 110,000 but I know the these engines can take the mileage well if properly looked after.
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Fer
6,457 posts
149 months
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What a great thread, and a real labour of love. I look forward to seeing it back in all it's glory very soon!
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zombeh
315 posts
56 months
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King Fisher said: I've heard various stories. I've also just seent a V8S in the classifieds with '400' on the plenum. Confusing much? Mine has 400 on it. Rover 3.9 and 4.0 engines are both 3946cc, the 4.0 is the later engine with the cross bolted block and the different oil pump and no dizzy. I think V8Ss all have "what was sat on the shelf at the time" engines, so early ones probably have a 400SE engine and later ones a chimaera 400, both 3.9 from the point of view of a rover engine but different cams, distributors and ecu chips (higher compression than a rangerover too).
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Oldred_V8S
1,689 posts
107 months
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zombeh said: In the half a rangerover that passes for an engine loom you should find two (metal) relays near the ECU, the one with all the brown wires powers the injection and the other one powers the fuel pump. If you have an immobiliser it's likely chopped into the wiring for that relay. Check you've got 12v at the relay and that the ecu is grounding the coil to turn it on.
After that there's an inertia cutoff switch (the little black box next to the expansion tank that doesn't look like it's plugged in in your photo) that could be unplugged, broken or just switched off.
You should find there's a squareish whiteish 7(I think)way plug that connects the engine loom to the car, iirc the fuel pump wire is black and yellow The two metal covered relays are interlocked, so the failure of one will cause the other to not work. No pump prime but idle control valve buzzes when ignition is switched to off = Fuel pump relay No pump prime and idle control valve doesn't buzz when ignition is switched to off = Main relay This year after the winter lay-up my previously perfect main relay decided it didn't want to work. I assume it got sticky. This could be the same for yours as it has been laid-up for a while. I suggest shorting out the inertia switch for test purposes, but note which of the three connections the two wires attach to. It is not easy to see with the inertia switch in situ. Looking good btw.
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SJS357
556 posts
25 months
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The Big G said: Thanks Simon, Out of interest, how many miles had yours done and what state was the engine in before your re build? Mines probably done at least 110,000 but I know the these engines can take the mileage well if properly looked after. To be honest Gordon not to bad but wanted to know how all the internals were and to bring her to the best I could so I knew what I was working with. Mileage records show about 40,000 so quite low really. She had sat for the past few years over in Ireland or had had very little use.
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Barkychoc
7,162 posts
73 months
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The bushes I had were in two halves anyway so I can't see it being an issue if you cut them in half. I got my diff bushes from clever Trevor but sounds like you sorted them.
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