Bmwrover Mark Van Lenten Pennsylvania (2 posts) Registered: 03/31/2018 07:57AM Main British Car: 1995 Land rover discovery 3.9 v8 |
3.9 rover rebuild
I'm currently sourcing parts for my 3.9 rover rebuild.
I have everything on order but the Crank Main bearings... seems to be a bit of confusion on pricing from my general sources (AB and RN in the states) for Rover stuff. Luckily I'm rebuilding this buick 215, so i've been able to source "other" parts much cheaper. But with these Main bearings... I've got the later motor (36dxxxxB) so i pulled out the main center bearing (#3) with only the top thrust shell. There seems to be 1 billion percent mark up on these (assuming very specific low production numbers jacking the price). My question to the group... Can I use the EARLIER 3.5/3.9 bearings with the thrust shell on top and bottom?? Assuming it was for the added protection from the 5spd trans push, and mid-late 95 switched to auto trans (which is mine). But rotational clearance is there... and issues known? and can it be done? Way easier to source the early dual thrust shells, and WAY cheaper. |
minorv8 Jukka Harkola (269 posts) Registered: 04/08/2009 06:50AM Main British Car: Morris Minor Rover V8 |
Re: 3.9 rover rebuild
You can use the earlier bearings but the middle main bearing cap is not machined for the thrust bearing. Instead, you will need an extra plain bearing shell for the middle main bearing cap. See [realsteel.co.uk] for info (Page 1, bottom right corner). The part number is unfortunately shopīs own but I do have a new 3,9 block and IIRC I did buy bearings for that block. I will check if I can find the bearings and correct part numbers. I donīt think that the plain shell is in any way special, probably the same as other main bearing shells.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/03/2018 01:40AM by minorv8. |
minorv8 Jukka Harkola (269 posts) Registered: 04/08/2009 06:50AM Main British Car: Morris Minor Rover V8 |
Re: 3.9 rover rebuild
OK, I checked my block (acc. to block ID a Morgan item) but it has old style main bearings with two thrust shells. Funny thing since it has provisions for main cross bolts and actually has been machined for cross bolts. Anyway, it has new old Clevite bearings dated year 1997, mains are MB-3135P and thrusts are MB-2075P. These are your typical 3.5/3.9/4.2 litre bearings and Clevite carries them as MS-558P set.
But, the same bearings were used in other makes, the MB-3135P shells were used in Chevy 250 cid inline six (Clevite MS-617P set). They should be dirt cheap. Thrust bearings are a bit more dififcult, acc. to Clevite catalogue only used in 215 V8 and GMC 198 engine. |
Re: 3.9 rover rebuild
Bumping this back up...
I'm still waiting to hear back from Real Steel... I have the 3.9 block with the "half" thrust. This means that in addition to the MS-558P set, I need a spare plain shell without the thrust. What I'm not understanding is how come the cheapest I can find the MS-558P is $190, but Real Steel has them for $91 at todays exch rate... Has Real Steel somehow found a significantly cheaper option for putting together a whole set of bearings? |
minorv8 Jukka Harkola (269 posts) Registered: 04/08/2009 06:50AM Main British Car: Morris Minor Rover V8 |
Re: 3.9 rover rebuild
Most likely. Or maybe they are old stock. A recent example: I managed to damage one piston ring for my stroker pistons and RS no longer has these in their catalogue. Luckily I found some reference numbers in the ring package and these turned out to be rings for some Pontiac 6-cylinder engine. NLA of course. I contacted RS and they were a bit surprised at first but then replied that they may have bought 6-cylinder ring sets and made 8 cylinder sets for stroker kits. Luckily I found one set at Ebay and got my ring.
I donīt know the logic of using some out of production engine parts, a PITA to source replacements 10 years later. Maybe they were cheap then. MS-558P over here is 110 . MS-617P is only $64 at Summit Racing. |