Engine and Transmission Tech

I may have another source, I'll get back to you.

Jim just pinged me to join this conversation.
I'm sure I've got an engine's worth of stock RV8 single wide groove keepers I can share if someone is struggling.

But looking back several pages, I saw posts of double and single groove valves? Are they being replaced with Rover groove valves?

Reminder there was a lot of info in this post (below) about keepers, angles, modifying caps to use beehive springs but with stock keepers, etc.
[forum.britishv8.org]

Dave, He's replacing the old valves with the larger aftermarket valves from Rimmers. I remember you did also. I'm helping on another build where we used the Comp Cams 11 degree retainers with the Z28 Chevy .550 lift springs. You would think Comp Cams would sell 11 degree keepers for their retainers, but they don't.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/29/2025 12:28PM by mgb260.

Jim, what’s the dims /specs on those springs you speak of? Specifically the ID the top…

Maybe I should send an email to comp advising them of a potential market to accompany the heavy 11-deg retainers.
Did Jim Blackwood get his motor running with the modified comp 795 retainers?

Dave, the springs are all over Ebay for under $50. Usually Elgin, enginetech or Pioneer. Upgrade for stock SBC springs. Here is an ad with specs:

[www.ebay.com]

As far as I know, Jim B has not got his motor going yet but working on his low profile Supercharger.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 06/29/2025 10:57PM by mgb260.

I've finished all that, both engines are ready to go.
The one I think you are referring to is the one with the Rover heads which is the 340. It's relegated to being kept as a spare, is bagged and will likely go up on the pallet rack in the not too distant future. All those details did work out in the end. I noticed yesterday I still need to install the rear cam plug, the blower may not be bolted down to the intake, and I need to get some dessicant for long term storage. I could consider selling it to the right buyer but it wouldn't be inexpensive. I figure it's about a $20K engine once an accessory drive is fitted.

The other one, the 300 stroker with the underslung blower is going in the car this winter. I want to build a new hogshead for the rear end, swap out that and the gas tank and run the exhaust out the back first but I'm not doing any of that until the weather turns bad. I think I'll make a new scoop body for it to clear the injector rails and incorporate a MAF sensor. The existing one can go on the 340 but I may not make another throttle body. That's a delicate bit of work and not really required I think unless I decide on a new method of mounting it. Besides, I'm concentrating on the bus and the baggage bay car (cut down MGB).

I've forgotten all the details about what we did but it's in that thread. Thanks again for the retainers btw. Doing them again I don't think it was necessary to skim cut the tops of them and that might have made them a smidge stronger but I doubt that really matters. Of course on that engine the spring pressure is around 350 lbs open due to the roller cam and the elevated redline but I suspect it would take much more than that to cause a failure. If the stroker outlasts me we will never know. That's my goal anyway, and the reason for keeping the 340 as quote, "cheap insurance". Yeah. cheap. That's it alright. If I didn't already have it I would never have built it. But it's a great engine, just not really suitable for an MGB. Most MGBs that is.

On the stroker I used keepers with the more common single radiused groove and cut the valve stems to match. Finding the parts for those wasn't so difficult. That combination of the 11 degree keepers and the beehive retainers is really the difficult part here, and unless you need to live at high rpm I really don't see the point. There should be straight springs that will work.

Of course you could ditch the Olds heads and go with Buick, Rover, or even 300 depending on the pistons you use. There really isn't anything particularly special about them. On my Olds heads back when I was running the Jetfire I believe Harry had swapped in longer valves to run straight springs and on the Olds blower motor I'm pretty sure Lumley's speed shop had done the same thing. I bought both engines after they had been built by others so I have no first hand knowledge of the details. Wish I could be more helpful.

Jim

Jim B, We are running straight Z28 springs on Jon's and Scott's problem is he had IN valves with two grooves and single groove EX. When Scott went to the bigger aftermarket Rover valves he had no keepers to match. For some reason the new ones are rare and stupidly expensive.

I called Egge and they couldn’t tell me anything about the Keepers. The guy that was going to call me back with a ETA isn’t there today. The price he quoted was half of what Rimmer Bros or TWS. In the end after talking with Egge today I gave up on them as a source and ordered them from TWS.

Scott, You could have got used ones from Dave? You could PM him and see.

That was my plan B

Got the valves, retainers and springs in, waiting on those pesky keepers (they’re shipped). Get those down to Tacoma and I’ll soon have the block and heads back. Then the fun starts. I’ll look at all the info here on the oil mods and finish the oil pump part of that. Thanks!

Scott, You must have got the rest of the pistons too.

Yes got the pistons over to John’s Specialty Services