craig1410
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 posted on 23/8/03 at 11:12 PM |
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Rover V8 - SD1 versus P6 - Which is best?
Hi,
I have a choice between an SD1 engine and a P6 engine. Normally I would choose the SD1 engine but it is a 1978 model and has a fairly high mileage
(120K+). The P6 engine is obviously older but it has allegedly been reconditioned about 14K miles ago and "may" have SD1 heads which I
understand to be superior. Both are going for the same sort of price and come with ancillaries etc.
I understand the P6 rear rope type oil seal is a bit of a problem but according to a conversation I had today with someone it is a lot worse than I
had thought and can ruin the clutch due to contamination after only 40K miles. The guy selling the engine did mention the rope type oil seal but
didn't mention clutch contamination problems. But then he is the seller and has probably not done enough miles in it to find out yet in any
case.
So, does anyone out there know just how big a deal this rope oil seal is and whether it is reason enough to opt for the SD1 engine instead?
Advice appreciated as always!
Cheers,
Craig.
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Spyderman
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| posted on 23/8/03 at 11:26 PM |
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It would depend on the clearence between engine and rad as to which engine to go for.
If clearence is tight then you will need the P6 water pump housing. It is a lot shorter than the SD1.
We've used both engines in the past and not had any problems with clutch contamination. Neither engine was reconditioned.
Terry
Spyderman
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craig1410
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| posted on 23/8/03 at 11:48 PM |
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Terry,
Thanks for the info. My chassis is 4 inches wider than book but standard length so space is quite tight. Maybe the P6 is the way to go. Another
concern though is using unleaded fuel in the P6 engine as it is running 10.5:1 compression. I believe that the SD1 engines are fine on unleaded with a
little bit of ignition retardation.
Cheers,
Craig.
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