The Rover V8 is an 8 cylinder 90 degree "V" configuration engine, the block is one piece cast aluminium with cast iron cylinder liners. It has a single centrally mounted camshaft which operates the valves via hydraulic tappets and pushrods.
The camshaft is chain driven from a cast iron, 5 main bearing crankshaft. The main bearing caps are cast iron and the crankshaft endfloat is determined by the center main bearing, which has an integral thrust bearing.
The connecting rods (con rods) are forged alloy steel with pressed in gudgeon pins and although the later ones are generally considered better, there is little to choose between them. The factory pistons are cast aluminium alloy and are usually good up to around 6000rpm, they also determine the compression ratio of the engine, the deeper the bowl in the top of the piston the lower the ratio.
The distributor, oil pump and on pre SD1 engines the fuel pump are all mounted on the aluminium front timing cover, the distributor and fuel pump are directly driven by a gear on the camshaft and the oil pump is driven from the base of the distributor.
The water pump bolts onto the front of the timing cover and is belt driven from the crankshaft pulley.
The cylinder heads are also cast aluminium with pressed in valve guides and valve seats
Firing Order: 1 8 4 3 6 5 7 2 Distributor rotation clockwise
Left bank odd Right Bank even (viewed from drivers seat)
Number 1 cylinder front left
( Sometimes the firing order and cylinder locations are cast into the inlet manifold)
Spark Plugs Champion N12Y or Unipart GSP13
Plug Gaps
Carburettor engines 0.80mm (0.030in)
Injection engines 0.88mm (0.035in)
Oil Pressure 28lbs at 2000 rpm.
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Torque and Power curves for a standard 3.5l Rover SD1