16 years after the MGB GT V8, the RV8 was launched with a 3.9-litre Rover V8
The early and later oil and water pumps use different front covers. John has developed a solution.‘ These are new front covers that we make,’ as he points to half a dozen castings being bagged up.‘ Which use the old water pump style off of the P6 and the SD1, but with the later type oil pump.’ These are in demand, even for the people who desire that original look,‘ Because it’ s got the original water pump and ancillary bits and pieces, nobody can see the oil pump underneath.’
They eventually deleted the distributor and made the covers narrower. So, unless you use a management system, you’ re stuffed with no ignition. We’ re doing another one to suit the serpentine belt front cover but with a distributor.’ Clearly, despite half a century of work on the Rover V8, John is still finding ways to develop and improve the engine.
It’ s much easier now than it was.‘ When we first did those crossover manifolds, it was a bloody nightmare. That was £ 10,000 of pattern work when we first did it. I actually made one with plates and tubes, bits welded on the side and bits of rubber pipe between the two.’ That’ s how it started …‘ Three other people, quite clever people I know, had said,“ How the hell did you manage to get that to work?” And it was only the fact that I’ d found somebody that had a very early computer programme to draw it.
‘ The pattern for that originally was 31 pieces. Hugely complex and very few people could cast it nicely. But in those days, the pattern maker was a pattern maker. He did it in wood. Now, my man will come in with this scanner and we’ ll scan it. As he scans it, it appears on the screen and then we edit it. We print a rapid prototype and go,“ No, that’ s not quite right.” Alter it again, print another rapid prototype.
Spring 2026 The Engine Rebuilder 29