front / timing cover with distributor
 

Hello,

I am looking for a front / timing cover that has the provision for the distributor and the gerotor style oil pump. I think this was used in Discovery 1 but not sure on that. What would help greatly is knowing which years and which engines had this front cover.

Thanks for any help,
Paul Lohr

According to the overhaul manual, this might have been encountered on a 3.5 or 3.9 engine, without suffix B in the number. See attached pages. Would be 95 or older I think. Why do you want such an item?

Thank you very much for your quick response. Item 14 (front cover) in the file titled suffix b engine.pdf has a distributor. But it also has the old style gear oil pump. I was hoping for a front cover with the newer gerotor style oil pump and a hole for a distributor. Does such a thing exist?

This is for a Buick 3.8L V6. It has the old style gear oil pump. I would like to try a gerotor oil pump to find out if the oil pressure is more steady with changes in engine temperature. I realize there is probably fabrication involved.

Paul Lohr

See attached. The 95 had a distributor and may have that newer style pump you seek in a suffix B engine. You will note on files sent previously that some parts are marked for engines with suffix B. You are planning on inserting the 3.8 Buick into a Rover? Or Rover parts to rescue a Buick? Is it a full moon?

Perhaps by looking at this tech article https://landroverforums.com/forum/di...estions-46975/ you will find a low restriction oil filter, and a good quality oil (Shell Rotella 15W40), which may make all the difference you seek.

The newer style pumps are not without problem, they can crack, still pump oil, just not at right pressures.

In the North America you are probably looking for a 94 or 95 discovery.

Also, you can find out if the engine is a suffix "B" engine by looking at the block number, or do what I did: Call Land Rover and ask if your engine has suffix "B" Just give them the VIN.

I think this is what you are looking for.
Oil Pump Assembly (Part # ETC4276) - Land Rover block from Atlantic British
From '94 on the oil pump was integrated into the front engine cover, what you want is the front engine cover for a Range Rover Classic with the 3.5 or 4.2 liter engine.
Oil Pump Rebuild Kit (RTC4477K Same Fit As Part # ETC4276) - Land Rover kits from Atlantic British
Oil Pump Shaft & Gear Assembly (Part # ERC1351) - Land Rover block from Atlantic British

I do not know if those will fit your Buick or not.
You want the Rovers with "V" belts not a serpentine belt.
Check your local salvage yards and e-bay.

Wow, thank you for the help guys.

So I am looking for a 1995 Discovery with suffix B engine. That's what I needed, thanks for the help.

Understood on the oil filter, thanks for the advice and the link. Good idea.

Just for clarity...in post #4, the attached image is the type of pump I would like to try (gerotor).

Spike 555, thanks for your help also. I have the geared pump right now. I would like to try the gerotor style. Buicks with the geared pump might have 60 psi of oil pressure with a cold engine at idle and 10 psi of oil pressure with a hot engine at idle. I suspect the main problem with the geared pump is the clearances open up excessively once the engine warms up. The geared pump has an aluminum housing and steel gears - the aluminum expands more compared to the steel gears, with this the oil pressure drops. Geared pumps with cast iron housings don't seem to have this problem. This is all theory (aside from the listed oil pressures). I need to do the testing to verify it.

Full moon? Could be. This front cover is going in a Buick T-type. There has been discussion on turbobuick.com about using a Land Rover front cover in order to try the gerotor style pump. Also I'd like to find out what is necessary to make the Land Rover front cover fit the Buick engine. I have not found anyone who has tested a Land Rover front cover yet.

Thanks again,
Paul Lohr

Oil PSI would be high at cold, and probably about equal at idle and 2000 rpm, because oil is very viscous at that temperature, and bypass valve in filter is "bypassing", allowing thick oil to flow at maximum pump performance. As oil warms, it thins, and pressure drops, bypass valve closes, and you have pressure drop thru the filter. Does same in Chevy pickups, etc. Would think you could see quite a difference based on selection of filter, and oil choice. Then there are the mechanical spring loaded bypass valves and such that are built into the oil pump front cover, which can also be serviced, and certainly impact performance at higher pressure. Not saying your expanding metal idea is wrong, but it may not cover all the potential issues which seem to add up together to make the problem worse.

You are looking for any suffix B. In the US that is mainly the 1994 and 1995 Discovery, but also SOME 1995 Range Rovers, according to the parts catalogs.

Basically you are looking for a Land Rover V8 with a serpentine belt not a multiple V belts. The water pump is also different between the two, so you might need to get a new one of those also.

http://www.roverparts.com/Parts/ERR6814G.cfm