My Essex V6 Transplant

[Leeday]

Hi all.

Well after a long time pondering (see topic viewtopic.php?f=4&t=130056 ) have decided to replace my 2.0 pinto with 4 speed auto box to Essex V6 connected to MT75 5 speed manual.
Hopefully now have all the parts required (few small bits still needed and am searching E-Bay etc continuously).
Will be starting the transplant on Saturday 8th March and given myself 1 week to do everything (as I will be doing it all alone..... even my missus is going away, "so I can get on with it" she says )
Will be posting photos on this thread of the project which will also involve fitting power steering, new front suspension, de-greasing and cleaning the engine bay etc.
Thanks to dieselhead123 for advice and supply of many parts.

[BROWNYS V6]

good luck wiv it lee,dont forget ya camera, plenty of pics

[transitandy]

Goodluck m8
Im looking forward to reading the thread of your work

[thegreathowardo]

Are you sure you don't want to go for a Rover V8 instead????

[Leeday]

Are you sure you don't want to go for a Rover V8 instead????

That was in the thought process and I was toying with the idea, but couldn`t find a suitable rover v8 donor engine and the Essex V6 has all the components available to make the swap more straight forward
I suppose you will now tell me you have a rover v8 engine for sale

[Leeday]

Well, started on the conversion, today preparing to remove 2.0 Pinto and auto-box in one lump



Took all day removing all attachments.... exhaust took over an hour to remove (when I fitted it last year I meant it to be secure), auto cooler pipes were a pain, but now engine and box are ready to be lifted out in the morning, just sat on its engine mounts and an axle stand under the gearbox.

Have modified the mk5 power steering bracket so it bolts direct to the engine and not on an adaptor plate:

















And The Essex V6 waiting to be worked on and installed:

[robbie.cee]

Lovely motor thRe.think i encounter every possible problem on way in my van But Overcome all so If any problems i can probably help lol.

Check timing not retarded !!! Or red Hot manifolds ensue!

Loads or torque, great sound too! Enjoy!

[Leeday]

Cheers Robbie

[Leeday]

Finally lift the engine / gearbox out:



Due to the driveway sloping uphill into the garage and being on my own and the weight of the engine / gearbox combined had to use my 12 volt winch with homemade towbar support and the garage back door frame







But at last the engine and gearbox are out and safely in the garage with no incidents:





Now to start cleaning the engine bay and fitting the mk5 power steering rack, new springs and shockers, new mk3 track rod ends and new lower ball joints....... now where`s my coffee

[whitemice]

Skill

[Leeday]

Slow progress this afternoon... painted engine bay with GUNK and sprayed it off, painted it again with GUNK sprayed it off..... 26 years of oil, grease and dirt so slow progress.
Thought whilst waiting for the GUNK to soak in would remove the manual steering rack Got drivers side nut undone and separated the ball joint with a splitter, came to the passenger side, couldn`t even get nut undone, spent about 40 minutes with the 22mm spanner and a lump hammer, then switching to the 21 mm spanner and the lump hammer and finally removed the nut, however cannot separate the ball joint, am using a 18 inch fork ball joint splitter and lump hammer and gallons of WD40 but the joint will not split, so after an hour of trying to split the joint I have given up for today, need food and some beer will attack the track rod end again tomorrow.

[dieselhead123]

Hi mate, good to see you are getting on well with this, done well for working alone

Sent you a PM regarding the pulley situation.

TIM

[transitandy]

Coming along nicely lee

[Leeday]

Well, went out this morning to attack the passenger side track rod end ball joint which is one of the most defiant ball joints I have known:



So after 30 minutes of hammering, bashing and swearing decided heat was needed, but alas cannot find my portable blow lamp, so decided to use my trusty old Bosch heat gun, after 10 minutes of blowing hot air on the thing and one final swing of the lump hammer .. pop .. the joint separated:



A wave of happiness and joy flowed through me well thought thank f*** for that.
Manual steering rack now removed and can at last progress:

[whitemice]

WM: Smell that? You smell that?
Leeday: What?
WM: V6 running, son. Nothing else in the world smells like that.
[kneels]
WM: I love the smell of V6's in the morning. You know, one time we had a garage swap, for weeks. When it was all over, I walked up. We didn't find one of 'em, not one stinkin' bolt missing. The smell, you know that gasoline smell, the whole drive. Smelled like
[sniffing, pondering]
WM: victory. Someday this swap's gonna end...
[suddenly walks off]