I put the Crower cam in a 4.6 D2 that I bought to part out (to myself... not for money). I wish I'd left the damned engine alone. In any case, there was a very noticeable power boost (seat of the pants) pre and post cam, but I also replaced the rings and just about everything else. My original engine (which is now back in the truck) is amazingly WEAK compared to the 4.6 with the Crower cam, both pushing heavy 33 inch tires. On a normal 54 mile round trip that I make, I know exactly where the 4.0 downshifts to maintain 75. Eight times per trip. The 4.6 with the Crower cam did not downshift once on the same trip. With the upgraded 4.6 I didn't have to do advanced physics calculations regarding mass and inertia to merge.

I got terrible gas mileage with the 4.6 because I was always zipping around corners and gunning it. The old D2 seemed like a different vehicle with that engine, which is why I covet the Chevy conversion.

It is definitely worth it if you have the engine out anyway because there aren't many other engine-internal upgrades you can make... the rover engine is just that good .

 

Thank you sir, that's great to hear.
Especially since I went ahead and bought a Crower cam!
I am doing a full engine rebuild too.
Parts should be arriving any day now.
But, I'm in no hurry. I've had my share of working in the cold. My D2 is outside, and I have to finish pulling the engine. I'll rebuild it in the garage.
Thanks again for your input, it's what I was hoping to hear.

 

I did find a roller cam and lifters too.
It was a deal at only $1400!
lol, no thanks.

 

Soooo...

 

Since taking the above pics, I've pulled the crank, mic'd it.
Pulled the cam, mic'd it.
Mic'd the pistons.
Mic'd the cylinders.

Cam is worn so it and its lifters have to go.
Crank measures out as being ground by a prior Owner. Sigh... I'm taking it to a local machine shop tomorrow to see if it can be finished within book tolerances.

Pistons are fine. Piston wrist pins are fine. Rings show enough wear to warrant changing.

Cylinder Mic'd fine.

No cracks in the block.

Cam bearings were the best of the bunch, but still worn.

My 2,000 mile "old" standard rod bearings were fine except for 1 which was already worn to the copper. Crap!

Main bearings were toast.

Oil pump was busted, chain was loose, and front cover scored. Crap!


Heads are fine. Pushrods are fine. Connecting rods are fine. Cylinder liners are fine and show no signs of slipping.

 

What's the best parts source (price and availability)?

Is there a full engine rebuild kit? Especially one without new pistons/liners?

What about for the front cover, oil pump, and chain?

 

Also, does anyone know what markings would be stamped onto ERR 1773 factory rod bearings to indicate/differentiate between Standard size, +.01, or +.02?


Previous rod bearings had B R G stamped on them?

 

I'm not as far along as you(haven't got the engine out yet), but I've got all the parts.
Lucky8. Best prices, and good quality.
I had already bought the timing chain(gears look new), push rods, rocker shafts.
I just got a front cover, all gaskets, crank, rod, and finished cam bearings. Basically everything but the cam(because they only sell stock cams), I got a Crower from Summitt.
There is a small bushing at the back of the crank, and they had that too.
I have a set of refurbished heads coming also.
I ordered standard bearings and rings, but I'll exchange them if I end up needing oversize once I measure everything.
I think I have a slipped liner(s), and that everything else should be ok.
I'm going to pin all 8 while I have the engine out, whether it shows signs of it or not. I got a new flex plate too. I'm replacing anything and everything that can tick.

And, the front cover comes with a new oil pump.
Lucky8 doesn't have a total rebuild kit that I know of, just the head gasket kit with all gaskets for the job and new bolts. But they do have everything you'll need for a full rebuild, and will hook you up with a great price on it all.
No one sells liners that I know of, unless they are aftermarket top hats.
If the bores look and measure good, I can't justify that kind of money in the engine. Especially considering a Land Rover Master Tech on this site pins them too.

 

Ha! Local machine shop remeasured my crank.

I had botched the micrometer measurements. My crank is actually in tolerance!


That's the good news. Bad news is that it had a slightly rough surface (journal?) so it has to be polished or ground or some minor something to make everything perfectly smooth/round again.

 

What quality of mic's are you using? If you dont have access to a mitutoyo, starrett, or B&S in .0001" incriments i wouldnt even bother trying to make any more measurements. for crank and rod tolerances you need to be able to rely on a minimum of .0005" accuracy. Not preaching just speaking from machining/engine building experience. being .001" off the mark can leave you really disappointed. double check rod and crank tolerances with plastigauge when reassembly time comes around.

good news about the crank though, they should be able to polish it out. There are oversize bearings available.