Hi,

I started work on my v8 today.

The plan was to change the cam, lifters, rockershafts, timing gear and chain and head gaskets.

I've got the first head off and it looks like the pics i've attached. I wasnt expecting to see so much carbon deposites on the pistons and head. Also as u can see most of the valves are white in colour.

Is this all normal? I wasnt planing on haveing any work done on the heads, but now i'm not so sure.

You thoughts......

Thanks

Ben

Valve deposits of ash grey usually indicate a healthy burn. However you seem to have at least one combustion chamber that's burning oil (or is running overly rich - which is less likely). It's always difficult to know where to stop.
I was amazed to see how much the parts mount-up for a rebuild. I checked on ebay for price range (cheapest to dearest) and the parts alone would cost between £500 and £800. You may want to consider replacing the engine with a known engine from a donor.
Are you anywhere near Warrington Cheshire? If so I may be able to help further. Anyways, it looks as though your old motor needs a bit more spending on it.
Good Luck.

Looking at the piston faces I think more than one cylinder is burning oil. I'm gonna gef the block out tomorrow and strip it down. At the moment I'm planing on cleaning pistons and the block and replacing the core plugs, piston rings, and maybe bearing shells. Hopefully everything will still be useable and I can get away without spending too much money.

I've already got all the parts for the top end, so may as well do the whole job properly.......

I'll also be taking the heads to be reconditioned. Fingers crossed I'll have a healthy powerful motor by the end of it

Burning oil is more likely valve stem oil seals and not the oil control ring on the piston, always worth putting on some new big end bearing, don't buy cheap though I did and ended up doing it again! Personally I'd leave core plugs unless they are leaking, you'll probably end up with more problems if you change ones that aren't leaking.

I'd rather see a slightly oily piston that a nice shiny clean one when taking a rover v8 head off!!

Take the valves out and clean them up with a wire wheel in a drill or one on a bench grinder. Also clean out the chamber with a wire wheel but be carefull not to cut into head face. Dont forget to lap the valves in! Clean the pistons the same way,use an old broken piston ring to clean out the groves, dont mix them up. Fit new rings and re hone the bores. Fit new oil pump gears and pack with vasaline. As above new main and big end bearings are a must. Real Steel will supply you some addative to add to the oil for first start up, think its high in zinc. Id fit a better cam while it was out too.
Did all this to my 4.2 and it runs sweet with good oil pressure. Use Wellseal on the head gaskets and dont torque up the outer bolts to tight as this causes the heads to lift on the valley side and causes gasket failer. Also a good mod is to drill a couple of holes in the front of the cam valley at an angle to let oil drain onto the timing gear.

get use to spending the money while it is apart. I though my engine was running well before and not blowing any smoke. After striping it down it showed a different story. I had it honed and new cam bearings installed.
I am rebuilding it at the moment and i would say i have spent well over 500gbp on it so far and still need to buy a cam and all new rockers and shaft.
I would inspect your rocker shaft as i believe it is the last spot the oil pressure reaches so probably fairly likely for wear to occur

Thanks for the advise so far guys.... Keep it coming

Here's where im at.

Ive already purchased - Torquemax cam, new lifters, jp timing set, new rocker shafts, new head gaskets, new stretch head bolts,

The head have gone in for reconditioning (valves re-cut, decoked, level checked, new valve seals)

I've got the block out, stripped it down and taken the block, pistons and crank in to be looked at. The timing chain was severly stretched!! I could practically remove it without pulling the gears off....

At the moment it looks like the pistons are fine, the bores need re honing, all the bearing shells are ready to be replaced, the crank doesnt require regrinding, piston rings will be replaced. I'll be told all of this for certain on monday after they've finished measureing everything.

Anyone had any experience of the torque max cam? My defender tops out at about 3000 revs in 5th on a flat. The guys at RPI said the torquemax cam would be most beneficial because of the weight of the vehicle and because my engine is completely standard apart from tubular exhaust manifolds and a weber 500.... Apparently its more torque i need, not more power. What do you reckon....?