The manifold came off of there, right? I can't see why it wouldnt go back on. And I never said a new gasket would be the cure all. However, with invested in this as SB is, I think a new gasket is cheap insurance. It's like changing your oil every 3000 miles. It probably isn't absolutely necessary, but I consider it to be cheap insurance.
But hey, that's just my opinion.

 

I'm trying to post pictures so it is easier for people to look over my shoulder and consult.

From this pix, it appears there is a new geometry problem beyond the gasket. The original bolts were 3/8ths size. The hole in the flange of the intake is 1/2 inch. It was that size to allow wiggle room to get it in place, and perhaps diagonal rather than 90 degrees square on bolt sticking into the block.

Now, with 7/16ths installed, the flange is pulled off register. It has been suggested that I drill out the intake mount holes, and I "guess" that would mean taking them out to 5/8ths.

It is of course raining here this morning, so yuk.

I plan to remove the gasket and see if the intake will line up with what I have.

I checked on Helicoils, they won't fit in a 7/16-14 NC thread, they use something different. EX-Lok will thread into a 7/16, but internal it limits you to 1/4 - 20 thick wall and 5/16-18 thinwall. A 5/16 does not have the torque capacity needed.

I believe that some RTV is certainly in my future.

 

I fear you are going to find out the heads where milled to much, maybe they were milled before.
But looking at your pix I don't think it is going to drop on there and line right up, it appears it is bottoming on the registers.
So short of have the back side of the manifold milled to match the angles on the head; I to see some RTV in your future but it doesn't have to be slathered on.
They is another engine combination that has been built for years and well proven that require tons of machine work to the manifold and heads or a thin layer or RTV, guess which way most people go.

 

I looked back at my photos, and the head when it came off had the LR part numbers eteched into the surface. These of course were removed by machining. So I think I started with "neva touched" heads. They were not original to the vehicle, as they were red and the rest of the engine was black from sludge.

The shop is a one man old school eat off the floor operation. Does most of the work in our area, but limits the practice now to small trucks and cars, the big semi heads are to heavy for him to handle by himself anymore. He always has 10 or so sets waiting on the counter for pickup, and an equal number that have arrived and are in line to jump in the hot tank.

I took the RAVE drawings on page 35 of 82 in the overhaul manual for 4.0 engines, and it has a spec of 62.56 mm for dimension "B", that can be seen from the edge of the head, and I'm right there. I don't think the shop took off 0.250 inch.

Wonder if I should do a compression test now, or if starter will even engage with all the harness things unplugged.

 

If you power up the ECM now it may go into limp mode due ot lack of sensor input, requiring a reset.

 

I think the heads were ok (minus the threads) as the bolts went in the first time. It is not abnormal for the bolts to touch the gasket at the base, I haven't checked, but if you still have, or have a pic of the old gasket, take a look to see if there was some contact there.

I doubt a compression test will show you anything, but it should crank over, just make sure the big ground cables are attached to the block before doing so. But there isn't much way to get the heads bolted and torqued up, and have the heads not be set right, as long as the dowels are in the holes, and not sitting on the edge, but there would be a gap under the exhaust ports then.

I think the big issue now is that the drilling and taping went slightly off center, so the center point of the new hole is located lower in the head then it was with the old holes.

 

what about a set of jumper cables right to the starter motor to spin it over.

Savanah, is there any way to see if the manifold is bottoming out on the bottom of the runners, maybe bead of modeler clay, play doe or plumber putty lay a bead cross the bottom of the heads and set the manifold into it.

 

Rain slacked off (I'm an expert at slacking off) and I removed gasket and tried to get intake to line up. Two bolts in passenger side. Seems like I am way off even without a gasket. Perhaps 5/16 bolts, inserts, and RTV may be the way to go. Supposed to be able to do 25 ft pounds, that's about 34 newton meters, where it should be 38 newton meters.

Maybe with RTV and some advanced meat roasting to honor the Rover gods it will work. Does a Burger King woofed down while driving count, or is there a distance limit for the roasting fire to vehicle?

Or I can drill out the manifold, and without a machine shop at the shade tree, bolt holes won't be in perfect alignment. Black and Decker is not re-nowned for CNC machines.

Pix one - note overlap at bottom of end seal, and space at top of where gasket would be. That space is the other way on opposite side, too much. Last pix - how comfortable should I be enlarging this hole to 5/8 inch?

Perhaps the best path forward is insets and 5/16 bolts; if that poops out, I can go back to drilling out the intake. Except that the inserts come coated with 280 inch pound Loctite, and won't be easy to remove....

See WTF happens when you don't pay attention to directions, advice, sleep deprivation, and the genereal unwillingness to admit that a man can be whipped by his own actions while the machine sits there and just leaks...

 

Posted on 7-18-2013
Could have had that new gasket by now, just sayin'.


I hope you know I'm just bustin' chops here, no hard feelings.

 

This isn't based on experience with my rover but with an old Graymarine 327 V8 in a wood boat I have. When I had the Heads re-done the shop took off about .025 to resurface them. When I was putting the engine back together I could not for the life of me get the intake manifold to line up properly. After much sketching and head scratching I realized that on a 90 degree V8 if the heads are machined .025 then the intake manifold had to have its mating surface machined .025 as well to make the geometry of the assembly match up. This may or may not be your issue but its something to consider.