Okeydoke....my 1988 has 204k on the rig and the engine that is in there has 185k or so. I decided to look around for a 3.5 or 3.9 in need of a rebuild to throw on a stand down at BWO and tinker away. Well I got a 3.5 today for a sick deal.

I need you collective wisdom (har-har!) about things to do to this lil gem...compression is low (130-ish across the board aside from #8 which is 120) so I'm going to tear into the beast.

What kind, if any headwork?

What size, if any, overbore?

What kind of gains can one reliably gleen from a 3.5?

Thanks folks....

RJ

http://www.aluminumv8.com/

OK This is going to be fun!

http://www.aluminumv8.com/

OK This is going to be expensive!

Fixed it :flipoff2:

HAHAHA!!

Actually as far as buying parts, there won't be much aside from the regular rebuild pieces, but we have some good shops in the area who I think will get a visit from the heads. Was just considering a cam for low end or along those lines...nothing exotic.

This engine will just get tinkered with until winter or until the lump in Mary-Kate drops dead.

HAHAHA!!

Actually as far as buying parts, there won't be much aside from the regular rebuild pieces, but we have some good shops in the area who I think will get a visit from the heads. Was just considering a cam for low end or along those lines...nothing exotic.

This engine will just get tinkered with until winter or until the lump in Mary-Kate drops dead.

Why not go diesel? 3.5L is an awfully small displacement to make power with (especially torque) without cheating with a turbo or supercharger.

Disclaimer - I'm familiar with the engine from a servicing standpoint but haven't really ever tried to improve on the stock rover V8.

Wouldn't a Small block, th350 or 700R4 and an LT230 be cheaper and way stronger? No emissions requirements in Maine, right? The mounts and adapters are easy to make.

Why not go diesel? 3.5L is an awfully small displacement to make power with (especially torque) without cheating with a turbo or supercharger.

Disclaimer - I'm familiar with the engine from a servicing standpoint but haven't really ever tried to improve on the stock rover V8.

Wouldn't a Small block, th350 or 700R4 and an LT230 be cheaper and way stronger? No emissions requirements in Maine, right? The mounts and adapters are easy to make.


Very true but the 3.5 I snagged is muchos cheapos and will swap right in with no muss, no fuss. If I was doing a big build I'd likely go SBC, but this is merely a backup for when my 3.5 craps the bed. I figure instead of going through it and leaving it stock, I may as well attempt to get a little more than the stock 150bhp out of it.

Why not try and rebuild using as many Chev or ford parts as possible (i.e. cheap and available in the US), wasn't Paul researching this??? I hears that things like pistons, conrods etc can be sourced from Chev. You could probably also bore and stroke it at the same time.

[QUOTE=ISUZUROVER]Why not try and rebuild using as many Chev or ford parts as possible (i.e. cheap and available in the US), wasn't Paul researching this??? I hears that things like pistons, conrods etc can be sourced from Chev. You could probably also bore and stroke it at the same time.[/QUOTE

Simple recipe:

port and polish heads and intake. headman 215 headers. 1988/89 ecu, and cam. done.

What would I do with a 3.5?

Throw it out and get a 4.6 or at least a 4.0

Ron

Buy this book:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0854299335/qid=1090597109/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/102-1736669-8764966?v=glance&s=books

it will answer all of your questions and even give some insight into the Ford/Chevy parts.

What would I do with a 3.5?

Throw it out and get a 4.6 or at least a 4.0

Ronn

Well if this was my one and only I might just do that...but with 4 FJ55's and a slew of other projects we can only get so in depth here.

I saw a new 4.0 block on rovertym's webpage for $900.

They are readily available for $1200.

If you are going to spend even half that rebuilding it . . .

Well lets face it, in anything other than an 80in the 3.5 is a turd.

Well if this was my one and only I might just do that...but with 4 FJ55's and a slew of other projects we can only get so in depth here.

You have 4 pigs?

:grinpimp:

smallblock. Or a cummins. It fits.

You have 4 pigs?

:grinpimp:

smallblock. Or a cummins. It fits.


Yup, one has a SBC in it pushing close to 375hp...AA Ranger Overdrive...good stuff...

Are the mounts the same from 3.5 to 3.9 to 4.0?

Mount location that is.

Are the mounts the same from 3.5 to 3.9 to 4.0?

Mount location that is.


I believe the 4.0 will actually bolt in. To keep the deal reasonable I'd need to swap all my junk over to the 4.0 and I'm not sure how much my ancillaries would hamper the 4.0's power output...plus the 3.5 is $150....making up for many sins LOL

A company called "Kanter" that advertises in Hemmings Motor News has parts for the 3.5 V8 that are very reasonably priced. And Isky makes some camshafts that should wake it up. Just watch for coil bind. Some later cylinder heads might up the compression ratio as well. All in all it is prolly cheaper to get the 4.0 crossbolted block.

JP

So you bought a couple heads, front cover etc for $150 -- good score.

You need a decent cam (3.9 or better) new gaskets, and a crank spacer (knock the teeth off a small timing gear), but otherwise you are good to go with a new 4.0.

A company called "Kanter" that advertises in Hemmings Motor News has parts for the 3.5 V8 that are very reasonably priced. And Isky makes some camshafts that should wake it up. Just watch for coil bind. Some later cylinder heads might up the compression ratio as well. All in all it is prolly cheaper to get the 4.0 crossbolted block.

JP

Dmarch's 4.0 could be had for around $1000 or $1200, but I could recoup some of that by selling off the things I don't need...but then am I not really getting the full 4.0 potential out of it by using the injection etc from the 3.5?

Like I said, I got the 3.5 out of one of our other rigs that is actually getting a 4.0 installed. I just want to know the best procedure for taking a 3.5 and freshening it up.

cheapest way to freshen: new rings, bearings, cam, lifters, cam bearings, freshen up the heads with what ever they need (will likely need new valves and seats- might as well replace the springs. at the very least you will probaly need exhaust valves. You can replace the crappy rover valve guide seals with chevy ones. bmw ones work good too. knurl, resize the guides, gasket set.
Send the engine out have the cylinders honed w/ what i call a dingle berry hone. You'll have to see if they can do this. rover engine usually don't form a lip at the top of the cylider but they do oval the holes out qutie a bit. resize the rods and get the crank turned.
The short block work will cost you probably 300-350 plus parts.
heads will run around 200-250
gasket set? new head bolts? 200? more?
That's the cheap way and it's not even cheap!
Find a wrecked LS1 and put that in there. You won't even have to change out the fron springs b/c of extraweight!

head work is going to be your best friend, since the motor is allready out of the truck and will be torn apart. up the compression ratio (I would do 9.5:1) and port them out, plus a good cam to take advantage of the extra flow and you will be stylin'. might want to give Alan Elliot a call at Cityside Garage when you start shopping cams, I know he can tell you a few to stay far far away from that have actually killed a few engines that he built (parts problem not a human error).

Everyone keeps talking about different heads for increased compression ratio. Didn't Land Rover change it by uding different pistons? Aren't the heads pretty flat???

I believe there is just a small difference between the 3.5 heads and all the newer Rover V8s, 3.9 and up. But you are right the big differences are in stroke and pistons.

JP