Rover V8 > SWB Transit

[UK_ANDY]

Yes got to sadley agree here the rover v8 was a good engine in its day but times moved on its not cheap to tune costs an arm and a leg to rebuild 155bhp from a stock carb 3.5 around 175 bhp from an injected 3.5 fuel injection can be a right pain as I found out with my last SD1 Cosworth v6 for instance puts out 195bhp at 4,500rpm with203 ft/lb of torque .

cosworth info here
http://www.fordscorpio.co.uk/24valve.htm

[bob cratchit]

I've got a v8 mk2 lwb.......yay!

Yes, the rover v8 is a tried and tested design. but it works. Same with any v8, big hp costs big money, but it is possible to liberate a few extra ponies relatively easily. Bit of gas flowing, polished ports, decent manifolds (matching the ports to the manifolds is VERY important for smooth exit of gasses). Skim the heads, slightly higher lift cam, with altered duration. You could go really mad and rebore so the liners are wafer thin, bang in some high comp pistons, stroked crank etc, but then your reliability is going to suffer. Yer better off sorting it as standard, making sure all bearings etc are cock on, making sure gasses flow as smoothly as possible, then whanging a supercharger on..... well worth it

[Buzz-Billsberry]

more options other than the rover or merc lump could include the chevy small block 305, ford 302 or 351, they are all pretty much to americans what the pinto engine is to us and are ludicrously cheap to rebuild. I've run vehicles in the past with all of the above engines, and I reckon the chevy was the best for power and economy. I had a caprice with this engine, even dragging 2 tons of detroit leviathan it could do 25mpg and 125mph. plus there are plenty of bolt on goodies for it (holly, headers, supercharger, you name it) parts are no problem but finding one in the first place could be tricky..you dont see cheap yanks around so much now.
I love the rover V8, I'm currently running an sd1, but 155bhp from a 3.5 litre isnt that wonderful by todays standards, and looking at rimmer's catalogue it seems that gaining more power is pretty expensive!

Rimmers are ok for running standard kit and there are much more specialist tuners around. I run a TVR 4.6 in my Westfield road car. the TVR is essentailly a Rover V8 adapted by TVR.

John Eales

http://www.rover-v8.com/JEEngineering/web.nsf/pages/000Homepage?opendocument

V8 Developments

http://www.v8developments.co.uk/

DJE

http://www.djev8.com/

RPi

http://www.rpiv8.com/

V8 Tuner

http://www.v8tuner.co.uk/

These are but a few of the tuners about.I use Ray/Rob at V8 Developments for my V8 as they're help and technical support plus there price s a excellent


Buzz

[dangeeeeerousss]

hi all
my v8 shall be going in very shortly ill do a how to if anyone is interested ill be using the lt77 manual 5 speed box... and cant wait

[madmark]

dont forget to take picks!

[snap-on]

Must admit I love the sound of a v8 but dont like the sound of the insurers calculator

[dangeeeeerousss]

hi mark
ill take plenty of pics dont worry
its looking bit of a mess at the minute though its totally gutted just the 2 front seats left in it not much longer now

adrian flux insurance is good for customs i have also a 1963 beach buggy that only costs £150 a year fully comp.
but that is sat in a sorry state at the minute. ill be starting that after the vans done thats gonna be having a nut and bolt rebuild

and if i aint got enough on my plate im also rebuilding my gsxr 750 on an evening. which i want ready for spring

[Andrew-v4]

Must admit I love the sound of a v8 but dont like the sound of the insurers calculator

Im 25 and got a quote for a transit with a 5.7 chevy for under £600 from adrain flux.

[CK0505]

I was gonna post the same question as this thread. Guess I'll be folowing it with great interest. Love the SD1 and there is one for sale near me if I can find it again. Would be better than a 2.5 conversion.

[hitman]

hi all
my v8 shall be going in very shortly ill do a how to if anyone is interested ill be using the lt77 manual 5 speed box... and cant wait

hows the progress goin on this pal?

[MRspivvy]

hi there, if you are using the Lt77 box and you have a good one, make sure you put plenty of slick 50 in there and use a semi-synthetic gearbox oil, NOT an EP lubricant. These boxes are starting to get hard to find in good nick and do tend to suffer from bearing failure resulting in lots of whining and backlash. If anyone has a spare good one for my V8 sd1 Im interested

[shaun2067]

i had a v8 mk 1 and to this day i wishd i never got rid of it but the ipswich council gave me notice to get it off the frount garden a few years age.
it had rover v8 carbs and a jag frount and back axles and camarow wheels yank boots ( sorry for bad spelling) jag dash and bukets seats, up graded brakes and the first gear box from the van whitch was heavy oil. i got it off a guy in the vilage were i lived and he had it from new, the gear box bell housing was wellded aly of to difrent units also had over drive. the best van i ever had. how ever 'if i was puting in a v8 in mine i would consider a efi from a rang rover the loom ,all' but 2 wires is sepret from the main loom, so you can make good use of this and save on your cash......
shaun why the sad face, i shuld have finishd the van and put it on the road insted of selling it cheep......never mind theres al ways a second one to put to gether.............................

[hitman]

any news on the v8 yet dangeeeeerousss

[chrisuk]

Great thing about using the Rover V8 is the simple mods to gain extra horses, the best mod you could ever do is to toss those SU carbs, machine the inlet manifold and weld on a base plate for a Weber carb, more power and uses less of the fossil stuff, nice and smooth power from the bottom all the way up

I could go on like shaving of te block and the heads but then it gets a bit on the lumy running side, dizzy mods along with cam make for great simple improvements too, just remember when replacing cam with a different profile you must have the dizzy redone for the power curve match, its like replacing exhaust header will branhes and leaving the reat of the exhaust stock, no point

[madmark]

dont start me off on the rovers again , i want one!