In our last installment, we took the engine and transmission out of the Range Rover’s chassis and separated the two. For now, the transmission is sitting on the floor, but we did mount the engine to a proper stand. Over the course of a couple weekends, we’ve now stripped the engine down to its bare essentials.
Starting with the front side, we got all the drive accessories off. These included the power steering pump, water pump, A/C compressor, and alternator, plus all the pullies and mounting brackets. As with other phases of the teardown, we took a lot of reference pictures and labeled anything that’s not obvious. Notes included the original finish on these parts, which were revealed behind long-ago fastened hardware. Most the steel parts are standard satin black or golden cadmium. Aluminum parts are all unpainted.
Only one fastener refused to yield. A flush-mount hex bolt that held the power steering pump bracket to the left cylinder head. Despite numerous attempts (and one permanently twisted hex bit), it wouldn’t budge. The only short-term solution was to drill off the bolt head off, setting the bracket free.
Further on, we disassembled the valvetrain starting with the rocker arms, pushrods and hydraulic lifters. There appeared to be rust on the pushrods, presumably from condensation buildup under the valve covers. Thankfully it turned out to be nothing more than some milky oil instead.
The contents of the oil pan were more concerning. The car has been off the road for nearly eight years. It’s been at least four years since it last started, and that’s a long time for oil. Condensation had indeed settled inside the engine, resting in a murky layer on the bottom of the pan. Needless to say, the inside of the oil pan will be spotless before we refinish it.
Everywhere we looked inside the engine revealed very little wear. Camshaft, cylinder bores, pushrods, and lifters all look healthy, though we’ll confirm before proceeding. When last run, the 125,000-mile motor ran smoothly and silently. We’re hoping that bodes well as we move through the overhaul.
The next phase will involve cleaning everything thoroughly and refinishing anything that was originally painted or plated. We’ll also replace some common maintenance items like thermostat, water pump, and alternator. The last item (the original unit, based on its production date) is literally missing part of its cast housing, even if it seems to work fine.
There’s still a lot of work to do, but we’re counting on a little free time between the winter holidays to catch up. Stay tuned and we’ll share the progress in a future update.
