Head gaskets... now camshaft and lifters?

[Roby466]

Morning!
I started a head-gasket job job on the 04 Disco and just came to finding this last night (see pictures).
I’m really puzzled. All the worn lifters (and one appears to be pitted) are on the driver side and what do I do now? The pictures show the worst ones. The cam appears nice, I think the colour difference is just oil staining where the lobes don’t contact the lifters.
Can I just put new lifters on? Do I have to replace the cam? How do I do that with the engine in...
Anyway, this is my first job that involves getting this “intimate” with an engine so you guys with more experience may chime in please.
I have to admit after discovering this last night I texted my neighbours and they joined me for some pints leaning over the engine compartment. At least I have great morale support!!
Thanks in advance!!
David

 

[joey]

Here is some good reading on the subject. http://www.v8engines.com/faq-gen.htm Also a great source for upgraded engine parts.

 

[Roby466]

Thanks Joey. I guess I’ll be doing a cam as well

 

[BeemerNut]

That's false insurance or thinking as these Rovers eat lifters and cams.
Your lifters already made a worn in profile into the cam hence new lifters only your asking to redo everything at a later date like 20K miles later.
Without miking the cam lobes your just guessing or hoping for the best wallet wise but false hope.
Do yourself a favor, do not use another LR cam and lifter set as well their cheap crappy link timing (fake chain) belt plus the OEM cam sprocket.
Go with a true roller timing set, best if it has indexing keyways on the crank sprocket allowing you to set the cam timing correctly.
I prefer 2 1/2 to 4 degrees advanced cam for better low rpm torque which is already too weak plus this allows for timing chain stretch as well late cam timing with added mileage.
Piper cam with their lifters plus a true roller timing set for starters.
Hope you still have and noted the positions of the old (left & right bank) intake gaskets? They will leave marks allowing you to see how bad the intake port runners are out of alignment. Port match them is like a larger cam

 

[BeemerNut]

That's false insurance or thinking as these Rovers eat lifters and cams.
Your lifters already made a worn in profile into the cam hence new lifters only your asking to redo everything at a later date like 20K miles later.
Without miking the cam lobes your just guessing or hoping for the best wallet wise but false hope.
Do yourself a favor, do not use another LR cam and lifter set as well their cheap crappy link timing (fake chain) belt plus the OEM cam sprocket.
Go with a true roller timing set, best if it has indexing keyways on the crank sprocket allowing you to set the cam timing correctly.
I prefer 2 1/2 to 4 degrees advanced cam for better low rpm torque which is already too weak plus this allows for timing chain stretch as well late cam timing with added mileage.
Piper cam with their lifters plus a true roller timing set for starters.
Hope you still have and noted the positions of the old (left & right bank) intake gaskets? They will leave marks allowing you to see how bad the intake port runners are out of alignment. Port match them is like installing a larger cam. Free up the exhaust manifolds (port match) as well a free flowing exhaust system. Mark Adams chip another great addition if (?) they make one for your later LR as it will properly fuel up until redline vs a leaned to death LR engine with problems. I've been wrenching and playing with these aluminum LR engines dated back to the 1960's when GM owned the engine rights long before LR purchased them hence know a little about them. A 4.6 with many additions to it making it run properly on my 95 D1 5 speed fun project since 2000.

 

[BeemerNut]

Double

 

[Roby466]

That’s what I did. I ended up replacing the camshaft and found a bad cam bearing. So I did the cam bearings (except no.5 as the engine is in).
It’s running now!!
Thanks
David

 

[Roby466]

I didn ‘t see this in time though for looking at roller timing cam. So I have the oem style quite agricultural stuff...

 

[BeemerNut]

Congrats, your up and running again.
My laptop is at death's door, several attempts just to reply.
BTW, 4 hole 15 degree injectors (balanced matched set) a vast improvement vs Lucas single dribble injectors. I built a cleaning an flow test plus a cold ram air intake this another hp plus. How many miles on your LR? The insides looked rather clean with minimal varnishing vs so many sludge buckets running around. Did you replace the valve springs if over 50K miles, how many miles on them?? Dropping a valve saving a dollar isn't too smart.
Another plus is to add a pre-oiler and oil pressure gauge.
Why you lost cam bearings would worry me why it happened vs just replacing them.
Done rambling before I get called out again as a "PLAGIARIST or PLAGIARISM" as I was once called out in the past after posting my injector tester with timer, pulse duty cycle with frequency (rpm's 300 to 11K rpm's) injector testing and injector flow balancing photos. I also posted pictures of the intake extensions I machined out lowering max torque from 3.1K to 2.715K. Pulls like a mule 400 rpm's to 5,900 rpm's. No fake BS at my end just results. Prost.....~~=o&o>.....

 

[Roby466]

One bearing had delaminated babbit material. I discussed with the machine shop and they said if the head gasket had gone and coolant went on the camshaft and sat in the bearing it could cause the material to become porous and wipe off. That was bearing no.4. The engine has 130000 miles. I dis replace the injectors with 4holes ones and the machine shop checked all the springs and valves. All was perfect.