Engine and Transmission Tech

Does anyone have graphic information (photos or diagrams) of the camshaft assembly for a Rover 3500 3.5 Liter V8 including part numbers and placement of camshaft retainer plates or thrust buttons? On another forum topic (Rover V8 Oil Starvation?) it has been posited that the noise generated by my engine when hot is from the lack of a thrust button or retainer plate allowing fore and aft movement of the camshaft.

I have NO information in my shop manuals for the engine I have about these items, nor are they listed in the parts catalog.

Thanks,

Ken

I bought a "thrust button" from Kenne-Bell back when they used to be deep into Buick V6 drag racing about twenty years ago. Their thrust button installs in lieu of the bolt that's numbered "24" in your drawing above. What does it look like? It looks like a bolt, except that instead of a regular hex head it has a large (I'd guess almost 1" diameter), flat, smooth, round head. It installs with a jam nut that bears against the flat washer (number 23 above.) The head of the thrust button is installed with just a very little clearance to the timing chain cover.

You could try making your own "thrust button". If you don't like the idea of steel bearing against aluminum, I suppose you could experiment with nylon... I've had my timing cover off once or twice in the intervening twenty years, and although I can see where the thrust button has contacted and slightly worn circular grooves, they're very shallow so it seems to be working pretty well. I understand that fancier thrust buttons have a bearing built in.

Thrust plates were standard issue on 4.0/4.6 Rovers. Somewhere around here I have a spare... I'll have a look for it tonight. I'm not sure what would be involved in modifying an early block for using it. As I recall, it mounts on two bolts that thread into bosses in the late model block.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/18/2010 04:31PM by Moderator.

I haven't given it much thought... but perhaps possibly an adjustable/leveling chair glide could be used as a thrust button?

Ken,

Try TA Performance for thrust buttons, if you want to install a cam retainer plate then the cam will have to be machined as well.

Kevin.

Thanks for the posts.

This the last post for this thread. I have abandoned the Rover 3500 3.5 Liter as I have found a
Rover 4.2 Liter to install in my car.

Cheers,

Ken

You need to be real careful witht he 4.2 liters! The whole leaky liners started with that run of blocks with the 3.9 at the same time! Back when those engines and the 3.9s became available a shop I worked at has gone thru 4 bolcks to get one that did not leak and dump coolant out the exhaust!