Rover P5 (3 Litre) and P5B (3.5 Litre) Service Data

Here’s some useful information that I’ll keep updating over time. Key information that I think is useful will be added here so it doesn’t get buried in the website. If you want me to add something or you spot an error just let me know and I’ll be happy to add it or fix it.

Rover P5 and P5B Service Data

ItemRover P5 Saloon & Coupe (MkI, MkIA, MkII & MkIII)NoteRover P5B Saloon & Coupe (V8)Note
Tyre Pressures26 psi crossply
30 psi radial
26 psi crossply
30 psi radial
Spark PlugsChampion N5 / Lodge HLNChampion L87YC / L92YC
Cylinder Firing Order1-5-3-6-2-4F-R1-8-4-3-6-5-7-2Left F-R: 1-3-5-7
Right F-R: 2-4-6-8
Spark Plug Gap0.75 mm / 0.029 in0.60 mm / 0.025 in
Contact Breaker / Points
(pre 1972)
Unipart GCS 102 / Intermotor 22560 / GKN MSC 36Lucas DSB 111 / Intermotor 23420 / Unipart GCS 108
Contact Breaker / Points
(post 1972)
Not applicableLucas DSB 117 / Intermotor 23430 / Unipart GCS 2117
Contact Breaker / Points Gap0.35 - 0.40mm / 0.014 - 0.016 inDwell Angle 26 - 28 degrees0.35 - 0.40mm / 0.014 - 0.016 in initial setting
Ignition Timing3 degrees BTDC6 degrees BTDC
Dynamic setting at 5-600 rpm.
Retard to TDC if not using 100 RON fuel. Some experimentation may be needed.
Oil FilterAC FF24 / Unipart GFE 111 / Fram CH 853plUnipart GFE 145 / Fram PH 25 / Crossland 313
Oil Pressure30-40 lb/sq in at 2,400rpmApproximately 50 mph in top gear30-40 lb/sq in at 2,400rpmApproximately 50 mph in top gear
Air FilterAC Delco MkI oil bath / Unipart GFE 1028 / TJB65 / Crossland 837Unipart GFE 1111 / Fram CA 2634 / Crossland 806
Fan Belt
Fan Belt Adjustment8-11 mm / 5/16-7/16 in movement11-14 mm / 0.437-0.562 in movement
Dynamo Belt Adjustment8-11 mm / 5/16-7/16 in movementNot applicable
Power Steering Belt
Power Steering Belt Adjustment6-9 mm / 0.25-0.375 in movement
Antifreeze33% concentrationGlycol-based 50-60% concentration33-50% concentrationBluecol AA or similar with corrosion inhibitor

Rover P5 and P5B Service Items

ItemRecommendationNotes
Engine OilPenrite Classic LightHigh Zinc content good for classic engines.
Auto Transmission FluidCastrol TQFConforms to Type G Ford Spec M2C-33G. Avoid any Dexron types.
Power Steering FluidCastrol TQF
Brake FluidAny DOT4 fluid
Clutch FluidAny DOT4 fluid
SU Damper OilAny SAE20 Oil or Comma ATFSAE20 but no thicker.
Anti-freezeStandard Bluecol BlueMixed 50:50. Avoid modern Organic Additive Technology (OAT) antifreezes. You want a traditional Inorganic Additive Technology (IAT), ethylene glycol based anti-freeze with inhibitors for alloy engines.
Spark PlugsChampion L87YC / L92YC
Contact Breakerspre 72: Lucas DSB 111 / Internotor 23420 / Unipart GCS 108
Post 72: Lucas DBS 117 / Intermotor 23430 / Unipart GCS 2117
Fan Belt
Power Steering Belt
Air FilterUnipart GFE 1111 / Fram CA2634 / Crossland 806
Oil FilterUnipart GFE 145 / Fram PH25 / Crossland 313

Rover P5 and P5B Service Items (Bulbs)

ItemDescriptionRatingPart No.Quantity
HeadlampRHD12V 75/45WLucas No. 59679 Sealed Beam2
LHD (Except France)12V 45/40W DuploLucas No. 4102
LHD (France)12V 45/40W Duplo (yellow)Lucas No. 4112
Front Fog Lamp (P5B)12V 50WLucas No. 54522163 Sealed Beam2
Front Side Lights12V 5WLucas No. 989 / GLB 9892
Front Indicator Lights12V 21WLucas No. 382 / GLB 3822
Side Indicator Repeater Lights12V 3W FestoonLucas No. 2564
Rear Number Plate Lamp12V 5WLucas No. 989 / GLB 9892
Reversing Lamp12V 21WLucas No. 382 / GLB 3821
Rear Side Light / Brake Light12V 21/5WLucas No. 380 / GLB 3802
Rear Indicator Lights12V 21WLucas No. 3822
Rear Luggage Boot Lamp12V 4WLucas No. 2221
Binnacle Warning Lights12V 2.2WLucas No. 9872, 3 or 4 depending on model
Speedometer, Tachometer (Coupe), Grouped Instruments (Saloon)12V 3.6WLucas No. 984
Panel Plate12V 1.2WCarr Fastener No 82/036
Interior Lamps12V 6W FestoonLucas No. 2544
Instrument Panel Switch Lights12V 2WLucas No. 9814
Clock Light12V 2WLucas No. 2811
Cigar Lighter12V 2.2WTex No. GBP-V-2.21 (2 if rear smokers companion fitted)
Handbrake / Brake Fluid Warning Light12V 2WLucas No. 2811
Automatic Transmission Selector Indicator Light12V 3W FestoonLucas No. 2561
Bonnet Lamp (Coupe)12V 6WTex SP No. 2092

Rover P5 and P5B Engine Oil

The manual suggests any 20W50 oil, but here’s our article and recommendations on what oil to use in your P5 or P5B – be careful as modern oils have a different formulation to those in the 1950’s to 1970’s even if the name is the same. There’s also a thread on the P5 Club Forum. The main issue is over the amount (or lack of) Zinc in modern oils, and that may be causing wear to classic engines.

Rover P5 and P5B Automatic Transmission & Power Steering

On to another can of worms. The P5 Club Forum has this handy thread. Seems there’s concern over ‘Dexron’ type fluids that were specified by GM, as they contain friction modifiers which help to smooth out the changes on boxes that were designed to be used with it. The P5B Borg-Warner 35 that the P5B uses wasn’t designed to use it, and it can cause slip and gear changing problems. You need an oil that conforms to Type G Ford Spec M2C-33G.

Rover P5 and P5B Wheels & Tyres

Wheels are 5 x 5in PCD pattern (5 x 127mm), 15 inch diameter. They were popularly called Magnum style (as in Magnesium style) but now are better known as Rostyle wheels. The R and O of Rostyle not being from ROver, but from Rubery Owen, the British company that produced them.

See our article on Rover P5 and P5B wheels and tyres here for a full discussion on the options.

A great generic resource on tyres and wheels is The Wheel And Tyre Bible.

SizeTypeWidthSidewall HeightCircumference% DifferenceIndicated 70mph Is ActuallyNotes
6.70 x 15Original Equipment: Avon Turbospeed or Dunlop Roadspeed6.70 inches / 170 mm6.70 inches / 170 mm2265 mm-70 mphOriginal factory-fitted tyre, crossply.
195/80 154x4 tyre195 mm156 mm2176 mm-4%67.2 mph
205/70 15Car tyre205 mm144 mm2097 mm-7%64.8 mph
205/80 154x4 tyre205 mm164 mm2226 mm-2%68.8 mph

Cross Ply tyres recommended to be inflated to 26 psi.

Radial tyres are recommended to be inflated to 30 psi.

Rover P5 and P5B Paint Codes

ColourICI CodeMix
Admiralty BlueP030-6856Indigo Blue (P030-9932) 40%
Blue Lake (P030-9930) 27%
Black (P030-9929) 26%
White (P030-9901) 7%
Silver BirchP030-4891White (P030-9901) 89%
Reduced Yellow Oxide (P062-9911) 6%
Black (P030-9929) 4%
Reduced Permanent Green (P062-9905) 1%
Bordeaux RedP030-4890Garnet Maroon (P030-9923) 55%
Black (P030-9929) 28%
Turkey Red Oxide (P030-9915) 15%
White (P030-9901) 2%
Zircon BueP030-4508Permanent Blue (P030-9904) 41%
Permanent Green (P030-9905) 27%
White (P030-9901) 20%
Black (P030-9929) 10%
Arden GreenP030-4881Black (P030-9929) 47%
Fast Yellow (P030-9970) 30%
Permanent Green (P030-9905) 19%
Turkey Red Oxide (P030-9915) 3%
White (P030-9901) 1%
Burnt GreyP030-4888Black (P030-9929) 48%
White (P030-9901) 36%
Yellow Oxide (P030-9911) 9%
Turkey Red Oxide (P030-9915) 7%

Vehicle Registration Plate (Number Plate) Years

Data is included for the years the P5 and P5B were in production where there were standardised letter suffixes t hat denote the year of first registration.

Registration LetterDatesNotes
-Pre February 1963Not year-related.
AFebruary 1963 - 31 December 1963
B1 January 1964 - 31 December 1964
C1 January 1965 - 31 December 1965
D1 January 1966 - 31 December 1966
E1 January 1967 – 31 July 1967Although pre-P5B commercial launch, some brochures show E-registered cars.
F1 August 1967 – 31 July 1968Rover P5B introduced in September 1967.
G1 August 1968 – 31 July 1969
H1 August 1969 – 31 July 1970
J1 August 1970 – 31 July 1971
K1 August 1971 – 31 July 1972
L1 August 1972 – 31 July 1973
M1 August 1973 – 31 July 1974Rover P5B ceased production in 1973.

UK Number Plate Styles

Black number plates with white or silver characters are permitted on vehicles registered before 1 January 1973. In reality, many cars of the late 1960’s and early 1970’s used white/yellow plates with black lettering as it was seen as being more modern.

The ‘year identifier’ is a handy way to know the age of the vehicle (or at least when it was first registered). Until 1967 the year letter changed on 1 January each year, so car buyers would often wait until the New Year for the new letter to be issued so they could get a “newer” car. This led to major peaks and troughs in sales over the year. To help flatten this out, in 1967 the change of year letter occurred on 1 August rather than 1 January. So “E” suffixes ran only from 1 January to 31 July, before “F” suffixes commenced on 1 August.

In reality all this change did was move the peak from January to August – a marginal improvement. It wouldn’t be until 1999 that the UK moved to a 6-monthly interval between age suffixes, which split the peak into two and seemed to significantly reduce the tendency for buyers to wait for a new suffix date before buying a car.

Back to top

Pin It on Pinterest

Share This