Story of what began as a simple engine job

[dimitrivdw]

Hi guys,

More than a year ago (is it already that long...), I've bought a 350i (without the i, but with twin SU carbs), which needed some TLC, but seemed to be running well. On the way home I've noticed it did not always run well, especially after stopping for fuel...

Changed some things to get it through the testing procedures in Belgium:
- Lights
- Rear license plate lights
- Took off the sills and cleaned and painted the outriggers, so they are ok
- New alternator (gave up a short while after getting home with the car...)
- new bushes for the tie rods (they were completely gone )

After getting it tested and approved, I've brought the car to a mechanic who knows his way around rover v8's to sort the issue. They found out the fuel return line was connected to a vent of the carbs, while it should be blocked off. Also replaced some fuel lines, as they were perished. They also noticed the engine was creating a lot of pressure, pushing its oil out of the valley gasket. But didn't seem to be too bad, so was able to drive her for a while. What a car! What a noise!

Unfortunately, after the summer, that noise started to change (and I had to check and top up her oil every time I got her out for a drive). So decided it was time to take off the heads and check the gaskets. They seemed fine, so put some oil in the cylinders, and one cylinder, it was quickly gone

That was too much for me to do on my own, so let the mechanic take her away. That was november last year...

Diagnosed yesterday:
- Camshaft has a missing lobe (doesn't seem to be a kent camshaft, didn't they fit those from the factory?) HRC 1619 is on the casting, any ideas?
- One broken (yes, and a big piece!!!) piston. Fortunately, it couldn't go anywhere...
- cylinders need to be bored
- crankshaft needs to be polished

Will basically have a new engine after it's done, and an empty wallet...

Will be put in the engine:
- kent h214 with all the needed stuff
- polished crankshaft
- new bearings nearly everywhere
- new water pump
- new oil pump
- ...

Don't really know why i'm writing this here, but maybe just to have these questions answered:
- what was originally in these engines? Was it a Kent 214?
- What does the HRC 1619 casting on the camshaft stand for? According to the mechanic, it's a sort of standard 3.9 camshaft...

I've read good things about the kent 214, so hope I've made the correct choice...

Thanks for reading

[The Hatter]

A 350i would have a standard Rover Vitesse fuel injected engine and no special cam. I'm surprised you have SUs, I'd have thought that would strangle the engine - OK on a standard Range rover/P6/SD1 but not on a Vitesse engine with a free-er flowing head.

[Wedg1e]

HRC 1619 is a standard Rover part number, check out Rimmer Bros. website catalogues and you'll see.

[dimitrivdw]

The Hatter said:

A 350i would have a standard Rover Vitesse fuel injected engine and no special cam. I'm surprised you have SUs, I'd have thought that would strangle the engine - OK on a standard Range rover/P6/SD1 but not on a Vitesse engine with a free-er flowing head.

Well I've bought the car like this, previous owner put them on.

Didn't really look like it was struggling with the SU's. Still had plenty of torque and did pull very well in every gear, considering a lobe was missing and a piston was broken... Of course, I don't really have anything to compare it with. I have been a passenger in a 350i once and that didn't really feel any faster than mine... But that one needed work nearly everywhere, so maybe not the best example...

Ok, so I've just told the mechanic to buy a 218 (since a 214 seems to need head work carried out, and we are already way over budget here). That really wasn't necessary then? Hope I haven't done anything stupid...

Wedg1e said:

HRC 1619 is a standard Rover part number, check out Rimmer Bros. website catalogues and you'll see.

That would indicate it was still the original. I was expecting a Kent cam to come out of the engine, having read a lot of topics...

Edited by dimitrivdw on Wednesday 29th March 06:19

[adam quantrill]

Nice story - as a matter of interest was the piston on the same cylinder as the missing cam lobe?

[350zwelgje]

Hello from Belgium.
If the engine is on carbs the camshaft should be a carb camshaft type, not a injection one, which the 214/218 is.
So have a search, as lists are available (Rpi?) with a list of what the characteristics are.

Where in Belgium are you? Could pay e visit with my 350i to have a chat and interested in the carb conversion.

Rob

[dimitrivdw]

adam quantrill said:

Nice story - as a matter of interest was the piston on the same cylinder as the missing cam lobe?

Good question, didn't really check or ask them... But since it was the second cylinder on the offside bank and it was a lobe in the middle, it could very well be correct... Really a huge chunk was broken in the piston... Scary...

350zwelgje said:

Hello from Belgium.
If the engine is on carbs the camshaft should be a carb camshaft type, not a injection one, which the 214/218 is.
So have a search, as lists are available (Rpi?) with a list of what the characteristics are.

Where in Belgium are you? Could pay e visit with my 350i to have a chat and interested in the carb conversion.

Rob

I'm from West-Vlaanderen, not too far from Ieper. Would be nice to meet someone else with a Wedge in Belgium.
Mechanic also said it was actually an injection cam, but wouldn't be a problem. They put a 234 in their TR7 (rally car), also on carbs (different ones, but still...). So I'm going to have to trust that they know what they are doing...

[adam quantrill]

Yeah you can get odd efffects if it was the exhaust lobe gone - you can get a detonation and then not be able to get rid of the gases.

[KKson]

adam quantrill said:

Yeah you can get odd effects if it was the exhaust lobe gone - you can get a detonation and then not be able to get rid of the gases.

That was the issue with the 390 I bought. No evidence of any exhaust lobe on cylinder 1.

[dimitrivdw]

Haven't said anything over here for the last few months, because the garage wasn't really doing anything, as they had to wait for all sorts of things before they could continue with my car

But I've got her back in my garage now, finally! So what happened to it?

- block bored
- crankshaft ground
- new bearings nearly everywhere
- new camshaft (218 kent) kit (so followers, chain, ... all that too)
- new pistons
- new gaskets
- new water pump
- heads skimmed and cleaned and new springs there
- fitted a water temperature switch which operates the fan automatically instead of the switch on the dash (nothing else operated the fan before!)

So almost a new engine... Still running her in, but sounds amazing and seems to run good for now.

I do still have a non-working oil pressure sender (gauge is good), for which I don't know which sender I should buy. The gauge looks like this:

I'm also going to give her a new set of leads and spark plugs, since everything else is new

Anyone who can help me with the oil pressure sender? I've seen the parts list, but I don't know if the gauge is a VDO unit or not?

[KKson]

Hi, looks to be the same gauge as on my 350i. My sender packed up last year so bought on of these which worked great.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/OIL-PRESSURE-SENSOR-1-8T...