Rover 4.0L front cover ideas

[NCtim]

Hey Gang,

I've got a 4.0 with direct fire ignition that has a front cover with the hole for a distributor blanked off. I'm going to start with a dizzy and EFI so I don't have too many issues to deal with at once. Learning the MegaSuirt EFI is going to be enough to start with and then I can move down the road from there, like Curtis is doing.

Would a Buick V6 front cover fit the 4.0 and has anyone done it?

Thanks,
Tim

[roverman]

Tim, What about the crank driven oil pump ? Will you be using MS3, so  CT ignition will be an option, when your ready ? Aftermarket V6 cover may be an option, as they have dual bolt pattern for oil pan. I believe the "interim 3.9 cover", has crank driven oil pump with distributor ?  Cheers, roverman.

[NCtim]

Hey Art,

I'm going to look at a 3.9 tomorrow from a fellow BritishV8 member. It's got the goods you mentioned. I see MegaSquirt now makes crank wheels for direct fire ignition. Anyone ever tried one?

Cheers,
Tim

[Moderator]

I purchased an MS3-Pro controller and a bunch of installation parts from DIYAutoTune.com - but I didn't purchase one of their crankshaft trigger wheels because theirs come with eight slots for crankshaft bolts whereas my Buick 215 harmonic balancer to accessory pulley connection has a twelve-hole pattern. Instead, I purchased a trigger wheel from an eBay vendor in England called "Canems Engine Management Solutions". It came blank except for one small hole in the center.  I don't have Rover parts to compare, but you'll want to check them to see if Rover carried over a Buick style design. Why so many holes? The pulley actually mounts on six bolts but there are six additional holes to provide clearance to rivet heads that protrude from the balancer.

[BlownMGB-V8]

I've used trigger wheels from the 4.6L Ford Mod motor, under $20 from any Ford dealer, may be available from junkyard or repair shop for near nothing. 36-1 tooth pattern for EDIS. About 1/4" wide, steel. Has lightening holes, may have to be modified for Rover.

Jim

[roverman]

With (12) holes in the dampener, (6) threaded, any (2) will always cross centerline of crank. I suspect you only need (2) for securing the wheel ? If one is nervous about this, you could counterbore them, to hold concentric. Waittaminuite, how many teeth are on the roller chain cam sprocket ?  Cheers, roverman.

[mstemp]

Tim,

On a 4.6L you can use a cover from a Buick V6 but the oil pump, camshaft and pan would need to be also changed. Then you need a spacer for the crank pulley. Easy to do but....
I assume your cover also has the crank driven oil pump so you could do the same as the 4.6L. As others have mentioned, use the MS to control the crank trigered ignition may be easier than making all the changes needed to run a disy.

[NCtim]

"I've used trigger wheels from the 4.6L Ford Mod motor, under $20 from any Ford dealer, may be available from junkyard or repair shop for near nothing. 36-1 tooth pattern for EDIS. About 1/4" wide, steel. Has lightening holes, may have to be modified for Rover. Jim"

Hey Jim,

Have you used this on the BPR engine before? On yours?

Tim

[NCtim]

"I purchased an MS3-Pro controller and a bunch of installation parts from DIYAutoTune.com - but I didn't purchase one of their crankshaft trigger wheels because theirs come with eight slots for crankshaft bolts whereas my Buick 215 harmonic balancer to accessory pulley connection has a twelve-hole pattern. Instead, I purchased a trigger wheel from an eBay vendor in England called "Canems Engine Management Solutions". It came blank except for one small hole in the center. I don't have Rover parts to compare, but you'll want to check them to see if Rover carried over a Buick style design. Why so many holes? The pulley actually mounts on six bolts but there are six additional holes to provide clearance to rivet heads that protrude from the balancer."

Thanks for the info, Curtis. I'll check into this. As you know, I'm sort of following your style of build; going with EFI at first and then progressing to a direct fire. Pretty much enamored with Evan Amaya's build. He started simple and progressed to the more advanced engine management as he wrapped his head around it, kind of like I do in real life.

Tim

[NCtim]

Mike,

You make a good point. I'll do some more research. All I've gotten done lately.

Tim

[BlownMGB-V8]

Used the Ford 4.6L trigger wheel on the supercharged Olds 215 (outer ring was removed from the damper and trigger wheel was welded to the back side with a few stitch welds. Also on I-H 392, same method of attachment on a full damper. Current 340 has a custom trigger milled into a fluid damper adapter.

Jim

[roverman]

Jim B., what is the pn. for the Fluid dampener ? Back in the day, I would bore/hone sbc's, to fit. Thanks, Art.

[BlownMGB-V8]

Customized Art, it was made for a 6 cylinder Jeep engine IIRC.

Jim

[Moderator]

To follow-up now that I have some photos...

This snapshot shows my new trigger wheel, modified to fit against a Buick 215 harmonic balancer:



See the missing tooth? That's so the computer can positively identify top-dead-center. I'll add another hole 180-degrees opposite the missing tooth to improve balance. (As if!)

Also shown: Buick 215 crank pulley, reinforcement ring, and Kia/Hyundai/Mitsubishi crankshaft position sensor (to which I mounted a Metri-Pack 150 series connector).

This snapshot shows the relationship between pulley, trigger wheel, and harmonic balancer.



As you can see, I selected the 175mm diameter trigger wheel because I wanted its teeth to stick out just slightly beyond the balancer lobes. Now I'm headed back outside to fashion a bracket for the sensor which will mount on the same two bolts as the mechanical fuel pump block-off plate (just below the alternator bracket, in foreground).

[Moderator]

Sensor bracket:


0.85mm clearance from VR sensor to trigger wheel teeth:

[Scott Costanzo]

Great craftmanship as usual Curtis!

[NCtim]

Man! You do some clean work. Thanks for the update.

Tim