V8 transplant, info and opinions please?

[frank308d]

Hi all,
Been mulling the idea over for a while and the LEZ in London from January has made me sure its the way to go.
I have a MK4 190 2.5di. Diesel will be a bad thing according to Boris et al. Have seen many threads and info on the V6 but... I've been reading up and getting ideas and it seems to me that a Rover 3.9l injected lump is just about the most straightforward way to go. Nice sound, not too much messing around and limited arsing around with wiring and no management systems to fry my brains. Possibility of mating it to my existing MT75 box, thus keeping the same gearbox, prop, axle, brakes etc.
However, I'm very open to ideas and opinions regarding other possibilities.
Please let me know if you have done a swap, have ideas or websites etc etc etc for info and inspiration.
Cheers all
Frank

[frank308d]

Yahoooooo....
My mate has just rung me and it seems I am now the owner of a sensible mileage 3.5ltr Holley carbed Rover V8 !! All complete, running sweet and I get everything with it, dmanifolds, downpipes, rad, coil, wiring, the whole shooting match.
Now, do I keep the ??77 box, make up new mounts and have my prop altered to suit or try and get an adapter plate and keep my MT75?
Should have the lump etc home by the end of the summer which gives me a goal to get the bodywork in order....
Now, where did I put that chain link steering wheel?

[AlanN]

Hmmm, do love a V8, but I think my V6 is bad enough for fuel comsumption

[frank308d]

Stick an LPG kit on and fingers crossed, mpg 'should' be somewhere near acceptable.
Who am I trying to convince? Me and 8 pots under my right foot with that exhaust note, I'm gonna be permanently skint

[AlanN]

Yes, but at least it will make you smile

[rover]

Yahoooooo....
My mate has just rung me and it seems I am now the owner of a sensible mileage 3.5ltr Holley carbed Rover V8 !! All complete, running sweet and I get everything with it, dmanifolds, downpipes, rad, coil, wiring, the whole shooting match.
Now, do I keep the ??77 box, make up new mounts and have my prop altered to suit or try and get an adapter plate and keep my MT75?
Should have the lump etc home by the end of the summer which gives me a goal to get the bodywork in order....
Now, where did I put that chain link steering wheel?

If you keep the Mt75 you will need to cut into the front crossmember to allow enough room for the bottom pulley Is the box with it auto or manual? I personally would (we did) modify the bulkhead slightly to allow the engine to go further back, this way if its auto you can use the original rover rear mount and a 6" piece of drilled angle iron and mount it straight to the standard MT75 crossmember. You would stll need to have the prop altered to suit!

We made some custom mounts for the V8 to utilise the Mk3/4 transit di engine mounts. Luke may still have these and if so a small donation to the forum project fund would save you a lot of hassle

The downpipes won't fit, you will have to make some/ alter the ones you have.

Use your existing rad and mounts as the top hose on the V8 will reach almost perfectly.

[madmark]

Hmmm, do love a V8, but I think my V6 is bad enough for fuel comsumption

v8 is better on fuel ,i used to get 24mpg out of mine

[madmark]

Yahoooooo....
My mate has just rung me and it seems I am now the owner of a sensible mileage 3.5ltr Holley carbed Rover V8 !! All complete, running sweet and I get everything with it, dmanifolds, downpipes, rad, coil, wiring, the whole shooting match.
Now, do I keep the ??77 box, make up new mounts and have my prop altered to suit or try and get an adapter plate and keep my MT75?
Should have the lump etc home by the end of the summer which gives me a goal to get the bodywork in order....
Now, where did I put that chain link steering wheel?

If you keep the Mt75 you will need to cut into the front crossmember to allow enough room for the bottom pulley Is the box with it auto or manual? I personally would (we did) modify the bulkhead slightly to allow the engine to go further back, this way if its auto you can use the original rover rear mount and a 6" piece of drilled angle iron and mount it straight to the standard MT75 crossmember. You would stll need to have the prop altered to suit!

i have yet to see a rover v8 on a mt75 transit box!
We made some custom mounts for the V8 to utilise the Mk3/4 transit di engine mounts. Luke may still have these and if so a small donation to the forum project fund would save you a lot of hassle

The downpipes won't fit, you will have to make some/ alter the ones you have.

Use your existing rad and mounts as the top hose on the V8 will reach almost perfectly.

[frank308d]

There is a 5 speed LT77 box with it. Is it more straight forward to keep that box and make up new mounts? I was expecting to have to modify the tunnel to accept the engine. Still need to chop into the front cross member?
Talking to a mate about it today and he raised the issue of gearing. My Mk4 190 has, I think, the 5.14? diff, with the LT77 box in front of that, would I still be able to hit 70-ish or would it be screaming its nuts off at that speed?

[rover]

There is a 5 speed LT77 box with it. Is it more straight forward to keep that box and make up new mounts? I was expecting to have to modify the tunnel to accept the engine. Still need to chop into the front cross member?
Talking to a mate about it today and he raised the issue of gearing. My Mk4 190 has, I think, the 5.14? diff, with the LT77 box in front of that, would I still be able to hit 70-ish or would it be screaming its nuts off at that speed?

I have never had any dealings with that particular gearbox, I would think 70 would be about its limit with a 5.14 Although I dont know what the final drive ratio is in the box.

You wont need to chop into the crossmember if you modify the bulkhead whatever you use.

Ask Luke if he still has the mounts we made, at least that would give you a good starting point

[frank308d]

Think its a 5.14 diff? Original reg L421 DFJ. Better diffs are a bit rare for the 6 studders aren't they? Having the extra bhp/torque of the V8 would allow me to use a different ratio without suffering too much pulling a bit of weight around I suppose?

[frank308d]

Saw my mate last night and he said to use the later R380?? gearbox. Stronger and a better gear shift. Only thing is he said the box has a splined shaft on the rear to pick up the transfer box but.... Seems sure that an LDV prop has the correct end to pick up to the shaft? Any ideas LDV boys out there? I know I'd have to have a lwb prop adapted to fit the new set up of course.
Cheers
Frank

[oldyellar]

Saw my mate last night and he said to use the later R380?? gearbox. Stronger and a better gear shift. Only thing is he said the box has a splined shaft on the rear to pick up the transfer box but.... Seems sure that an LDV prop has the correct end to pick up to the shaft? Any ideas LDV boys out there? I know I'd have to have a lwb prop adapted to fit the new set up of course.
Cheers
Frank

Try beefy the ldv guru

[frank308d]

PM'ed him but the message is still in my outbox, he must be busy? See what comes back.
Will probably pick up another lwb prop to chop about so I can keep my van on the road til the last moment.

[conrod]

LT77 box is okay to use, R380 is better, but you need one from an LDV, as it was made for RWD. The ones from a Landrover/Rangerover cannot be used as the tailshaft is made for a transfer box to go on the back. R5-150 was a later version of the LT77 fitted to LDVs, I have one in mine. Overdrive is 0.77, and with your 5.14 diff gives the same as a 4.1 diff with 1: 1 top gear. My LDV is a factory Rover V8, has teh R5-150 box, (0.77 top gear) and has a 4.9 diff with this box, and gearing is still too short, it really wants a 4.45 or 4.1 diff ratio. It does 2700rpm @60 mph, which is a bit high for an eight.