Rebuilding a v8 engine

[robison]

Not strictly tractor related, but our machine shop rebuilds anything. In these photos I show how we make up pistons and liners for an old Bentley engine for which parts are no longer available.

The techniques here are similar to what is done to rebuld any antique motor with removable liners when you can't buy parts any more.

http://www.pbase.com/robisonphoto/bentley_overhaul

The pictures start with s stripped and cleaned block and end with a running motor.

 

[sneaky_pete]

Cool! /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

I love to see custom machine work like that, and love to see old iron kept on the road. Thanks for posting.

 

[HGM]

John,
Very nice.... I'd love to have machines like that at my disposal /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif....

 

[ToadHill]

Lovely work. It reminds me of days spent rebuilding Alfa Romeo engines for my SCCA racer. That kind of work is truly a labor of love. I loved it so much my wife referred to it as " The Iron Mistress".

 

[Joe1]

John:

Am I right in thinking that Rolls and Bentley used the same engines in those days and that they were essentially copies of Cadillac V-8's driving thru Hydramatic transmissions built under license to GM?

When I was working for the US Treasury Dept, we seized a 67 Rolls from a dirt bag back around 1981 and it had essentially a Cadillac designed V-8 Plus Huydramatic and it even had Delco AC, at least that's what the "Unautorized" Rolls shop said.

 

[robison]

Rolls Royce bought transmissions from GM. Until the mid-1980s they also bought GM AC compressors and other parts.

The V8 engine shown in the photos is a Rolls Royce design with aluminum block and steel liners. It is based on the early OHV V8 Cadillac had in the 1950s but that engine was cast iron.

The Rolls and Bentley engines were essentially the same from the end of WWII until the introduction of the Turbo V8 for Bentley in the 1980s. After that the Bentley engines diverged in the direction of performance while retaining the same V8 block design.

In 1961 when this motor was made they were essentially the same.

The 1967 Rolls you refer to has an engine derived from the 1961 in my photos. It's also an aluminum motor with iron sleeves. So although some engine design parameters were from GM it was a Rolls engine.

The use of superior materials, conservative design, and the 9 quart oil system meant these engines last a lot longer than their GM brothers. But they are a lot more expensive to rebuild, too.

 

[Joe1]

John: Thanks for the detailed info. My 25 year old memory was a little fuzzy. I didn't recall that the RR engines were aluminum, although from the pictures it clearly is. I do clearly recall, however, that the dealer said a set of used RR wheel covers cost $1,000 and a new set was $2,500.00.

As I recall back in 1981, the "unauthorized" rolls place said at that time that a rebuilt RR engine cost $8,500.00. He also said that Rolls would put 12 bolts where GM would use 8 and that RR thought the engines would never break so they were not concerned with easy teardown. Consequently a lot of stuff had to be removed to get at the engine.

The RR we seized had 91,000 miles on it and had a little hydraulic lifter noise. We surveilled that car from West Los Angeles to Santa Barbara, CA and back, about 180 miles, at about 85+ mph on the open road. It was a little smokey, but it could hold that speed just fine. Of course, the Malibu I drove with the 4 barrel 305 Police package did OK too.

That 1967 was appraised at about $20,000 - $21,000 in 1981, or about the price of a new Cadillac Seville. It was in pretty nice original condition with only minor rust. It had no particular claim to fame, other than Wayne Newton had been the original owner.

Thanks again for the update.