V8 power

[madmark]

mate the wireing in them days were simlpe ,just a live to a coli bloock and then to the coil and away you go!
i n mine for 2and half years ad it was fantastic ! and aslo 24mpg on a run !

[doggypaddle]

Mark
isnt the gearing a bit low for a V8 with an autobox thats direct drive in top? even with a 4.11 or 3.9 diff?
more modern autoboxes have overdrive gears? or does the old gm108/bw65 in the rover???
I likestuff to be high geared, theres nothing worse than doing 3000rpm at 60mph,...........unless you got an engine that wont pull another gear,
Then again i have gotten used to diesels, 3000rpm @ 60 would still give you 120mph on the rovers redline
with a good 3.9 it will do it too.......

[214si]

well i got a 4.63 rear diff so i should be ok, whats the diffrent options on the boxes i can use then?

borgwarner 65 from a p6

[madmark]

mate bw65 is from sd1 , bw35 is p6 i think ,there is also gm180 this was also used in late sd1 cars!
as for the other v8 rover powerd veicles i am not shure!

[AndyG]

Mark, I know how you feel about them

But wouldn't the best bet here be an auto box out of a ........................ LDV V8 Ambulance

Has a very nice 4 speed overdrive box and is already bolted to the rover V8 So the plate is already correct and present

[madmark]

yes andy i think that would be a nice combo, engine and box from a ldv!

[AndyG]

But fit the higher compression rover car engine and fuelling

[madmark]

maybe a 3.9 range rover lump!

[214si]

4.2 boys, if its worth doing its worth doing properly!!

the bugger of it is i coulda bought a v8 ldv a while back

[madmark]

[doggypaddle]

well i got a 4.63 rear diff so i should be ok, whats the diffrent options on the boxes i can use then?

thats going the wrong way mate! you want taller gearing so the diff ratio will need to be lower, giving you higher overall gearing. 4.11 or 3.9 is the direction you need to be going
if i remember correctly my 4 speed van with a 4.63 was 75mph at 3500rpm.
so a 4.63 would be acceptable with a 5sp box, but it will leave you looking for 6th gear on the motorway. a 4.11 would be better a 3.9 the best.
Automatic rangerovers use a 3.54diff, a direct drive transfer case and they are on much taller tyres too........so i cant help thinging you need an overdrive autobox IE the LDV

[214si]

thanks for the input!

<slides off to browse the internet for an old ambulance or riot van>

[doggypaddle]

I would still favour the R380. i always think autos are for old men and paraplegics, or engines that are too powerful for commonly available manual boxes. a 4.2 in a transit dont come into any of those catagories for me.(unless i lose a leg this morning) Its all down to your fabrication and welding skills and inginuety at the end of the day, with a bit of thought and the right bits theres enough different gearlever options including remotes for the r380 you should be able to get the gearstick in the same place as the old one(more or less)
if you are not good at fabricating engine mounts crossmembers and welding,and vehicle wiring then it wont be an easy or pretty conversion, theres a lot of wires to get right on a 14cux ecu.
also good v8 are like hens teeth, expect to have to at least partly rebuild anything thats done 70,000 miles (cam, followers,timing chain,gears,heads,rocker shafts) they dont do the milage like a DI would.(ref the RPI website)
the shim headgaskets blow into the valley between the cylinder banks and sh*t up the oil, they fill with black sludge and die