|
Part 8 The Engine
The heart of any conversion is of course the engine, whether it is uprating the TR7 engine to Sprint spec or going all the way with the Rover V8. As we all know, the Rover V8 has been
around since 1961, when it began life in the USA powering the compact Buick and Oldsmobile. It was first seen in the UK during 1967 residing in the Rover P5. Such was its success that it found its way into many
other models of which the Rover SO I is most well known. Others, perhaps less well known, were the Land/Range Rover in an its various guises, the Rover Vitesse, the Rover Vanden Plas, the V8 MG's, the TVR and of
course the Morgan. So when trying to find a donor engine there are many places to look
First, a word of caution regarding the early engines fitted to the P5, P6 and early Land Rovers. These engines had compression ratios of 10.5:1 which may look attractive from the point
of view of power output (160bhp) but they suffered from serious oil leaks. These were due to the fitting of rope type seals to the main front and rear crankshaft journals. This problem, and others, were addressed
when the engine was redesigned in 1976 with the introduction of the SD1. The crankcase was strengthened, lip seals fitted to cure the oil leaks, modified heads were incorporated using larger inlet and exhaust
valves, the porting was improved to obtain better gas flow and the pistons modified giving a compression ratio of 9.35: I. The resulting basic engine has continued in production until the present day in various
forms.
So, as a general rule, any engine built after 1976 should be a good starting point when looking for a suitable engine for the conversion. Another factor is that dreaded scenario
-unleaded fuel -I now have it on good authority that an UK EFI engines and also carburettor engines from 1987 are fitted with cylinder heads compatible with unleaded fuel. However, a word of caution, the timing will
probably have to be backed off a few degrees if using 9.35:1 pistons, this will minimise pinking.
The next major consideration is cost. A V8 engine can be obtained from a scrapyard for as little as £100 or a new/rebuilt engine could cost in excess of £2000. A scrapyard engine will
probably be from an SD1 which may or may not be a runner, alternatively some diligent searching through Exchange & Mart or the free ads might produce a complete running car. In either case try and get the manual
gearbox version as this will have the flywheel and bellhousing that will be required for the conversion. If buying a complete car, don't forget it will need to be stored somewhere until it is stripped!
-A third choice would be to buy a new short block from a reputable dealer and build the engine up from scratch -this could get expensive considering all the parts would be bought at
spares prices.
If opting for the second hand engine, my advice would be to strip it completely and investigate its condition. Remember, these engines are at least ten years old and have probably had a
hard life. Fitting the engine directly into the car may work, but if it subsequently fails, it's a great deal of work to take it out again. Another point to bear in mind is that it will be working a great deal
harder in the TR 7V8 than it did in the SD1 -that red line at 5500 revs looks very inviting! !
After stripping the engine. it will need cleaning inside and out to get rid of the dirt and particularly the burnt -on oil inside the engine block. A good indication as to the condition
of the engine is the amount of sludge that hides the recessed head bolts - I have seen
|
