Triumph Sports Cars

engine swaps and other performance upgrades, plus "factory" V8s (Stag and TR8)

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wolfskin
matt blair
Portland Oregon USA
(2 posts)

Registered:
05/09/2012 03:57PM

Main British Car:
1980 tr-7 buick 231

supercharged 3800 and t5 plus more
Posted by: wolfskin
Date: May 09, 2012 04:08PM

I have an 80 tr7 which has already been converted over to a Buick 231 with a 4 speed. I want to swap in a supercharged GM 3800 series II from a late 90's grand prix or Bonneville and a t-5 from an 86 camaro z28. I'm also thinking I should swap the rear axle from an s-10 and the front suspension and steering from a mid 90's camaro. I am wondering if there is anything I need to know before I start this build? Any tips, tricks, or hints would be greatly appreciated. I've always owned camaros before.


BlownMGB-V8
Jim Blackwood
9406 Gunpowder Rd., Florence, KY 41042
(6468 posts)

Registered:
10/23/2007 12:59PM

Main British Car:
1971 MGB Blown,Injected,Intercooled Buick 340/AA80E/JagIRS

authors avatar
Re: supercharged 3800 and t5 plus more
Posted by: BlownMGB-V8
Date: May 09, 2012 05:37PM

The Camaro suspension may be a big challenge and I'm not sure there is any advantage to it, but the rest of it should be fairly easy.

Jim


chevykillerx13
Trebor Dodge

(4 posts)

Registered:
05/07/2012 06:51AM

Main British Car:


Re: supercharged 3800 and t5 plus more
Posted by: chevykillerx13
Date: May 09, 2012 11:35PM

Don't you have to flip the intake manifold on them? Read on another forum that the manifolds are too far forward for the pullies. I may be wrong though as I am new to gm v6's


thewedgeshop
Clint Cooper

(20 posts)

Registered:
04/09/2012 10:06AM

Main British Car:


Re: supercharged 3800 and t5 plus more
Posted by: thewedgeshop
Date: May 10, 2012 09:12AM

We had a car similar to this. Currently it is become a Turbo Rover V8 instead. Sold all the components to a local guy. All the specs are here.

[www.thewedgeshop.com]

Thanks
Clint


wolfskin
matt blair
Portland Oregon USA
(2 posts)

Registered:
05/09/2012 03:57PM

Main British Car:
1980 tr-7 buick 231

Re: supercharged 3800 and t5 plus more
Posted by: wolfskin
Date: May 13, 2012 11:34PM

Thanks for replying. I wasn't sure what I'd have to do about the intake for the supercharger. Otherwise it seemed like a pretty straight forward swap as far as the engine and transmission. I'm figuring on 300hp at the flywheel after a few mods to the engine an know that I'm probably pushing the limits of an s-10 rear axle but it it cheap and easy to find one with LSD. As for the suspension I was just figuring that the fourth Gen camaros have a similar set up and were designed for the Buick 3800. Also they are cheap and easy to find. But if you figure the stock set up can handle the added weight I guess I'll keep it. Keep in mind though I'm used to the handling of the third Gen z28s and irocs. My other car is actually an 87 iroc with a 350/t-5 and six point Cage. It's getting a big block and 4l80e with manual valve body and a Doug Nash overdrive after I finish the tr7. Hoping for 12 second 1/4miles and a top speed of 200 on the salt. Unfortunately this means it won't be a daily driver anymore. Hoping to get 20+MPG from the tr7.


rficalora
Rob Ficalora
Willis, TX
(2764 posts)

Registered:
10/24/2007 02:46PM

Main British Car:
'76 MGB w/CB front, Sebring rear, early metal dash Ford 302

authors avatar
Re: supercharged 3800 and t5 plus more
Posted by: rficalora
Date: May 14, 2012 07:48AM

Matt, I may be wrong, but I don't think any modification to the front suspension is required for the GM V6. Haven't measured it, but I'd bet there'd be quite a bit of work to narrow the camaro suspension sufficiently. Same with the rear end. S10 axles may be plentiful, but if you have to pay for shortened axles, narrowing one that'll hold up may be cheaper in the long run.


BlownMGB-V8
Jim Blackwood
9406 Gunpowder Rd., Florence, KY 41042
(6468 posts)

Registered:
10/23/2007 12:59PM

Main British Car:
1971 MGB Blown,Injected,Intercooled Buick 340/AA80E/JagIRS

authors avatar
Re: supercharged 3800 and t5 plus more
Posted by: BlownMGB-V8
Date: May 14, 2012 08:57AM

Go for something with an 8 to 8-1/2" ring gear. 8" may be a little marginal for 300 hp but it really depends on the axle shafts and spider gears. 8-1/2 is usually good for around 500.

The stock subframe should be lowered 1" for the Buick V6 or the Rover V8. Typically 4 aluminum biscuits are used, though hockey pucks should also work fine. Then it is just a matter of fitting your motor mounts. Since you already have a V6 in the car this should have already been done.

The springs will probably need to be a little stiffer than OEM, (possibly already upgraded) and the brakes could stand an upgrade. If you find that there is a way to do it, swapping the GM struts, spindles and brakes in could be worth pursuing. Chances are that would be easier than trying to swap in the entire suspension. But you run into the opposite problem. The Camaro probably weighs 1000 lbs more than the TR so the springs and shocks will be way too stiff. The brakes would be worth having. The rest I'm not so sure about. And there are other brake upgrades that are probably a whole lot easier.

Jim



sinner
bill sinclair

(5 posts)

Registered:
11/21/2013 03:16PM

Main British Car:


Re: supercharged 3800 and t5 plus more
Posted by: sinner
Date: November 25, 2013 02:02AM

The early Ranger 7.5 is almost the same size as the 7 rear end. It will take 300 hp I have one in my 7 with a Ford 3.8 supercharged v6.
It has 300 hp and 400 foot pounds of torque.


rampant racing
gary fraser
sarnia ont,canada
(83 posts)

Registered:
03/28/2009 02:45AM

Main British Car:
69 spitfiremk111 ford 347 stroker

Re: supercharged 3800 and t5 plus more
Posted by: rampant racing
Date: November 26, 2013 03:00AM

7.5 ford rears are junk.alot of us are breaking them in our 2005 and newer v6 mustangs .if you are looking at a 7.5" ford then just get the 8.8" as they come with a posi and will take 500hp easy. lots of guys in the v6stang crowd who ignored this advice are regretting it .they spent more money beefing up there 7.5 than doing a 8.8". just my two cents.


BlownMGB-V8
Jim Blackwood
9406 Gunpowder Rd., Florence, KY 41042
(6468 posts)

Registered:
10/23/2007 12:59PM

Main British Car:
1971 MGB Blown,Injected,Intercooled Buick 340/AA80E/JagIRS

authors avatar
Re: supercharged 3800 and t5 plus more
Posted by: BlownMGB-V8
Date: November 26, 2013 02:03PM

I've been afraid we would start seeing comments like this. The 7.5" has been gaining some popularity but people are overlooking the unavoidable fact that ring and pinion gear strength is determined by ring gear diameter. The MGB ring gear diameter is just under 8" and is good for under 300 hp. Anything above that should be using a larger ring gear for adequate reliability. You might get by with it for awhile...

Ring and pinion technology has seen very little change in the last hundred years. If you go back 50 years there has been virtually no change whatsoever. Sure, there have been a few incremental improvements in metallurgy but not that much really. High strength steel alloys have been very well developed ever since the era of the two world wars so the gains in that area have been very small indeed, especially in the last 30 or 40 years, and not enough to rely on when specifying an axle. We'd all love to be able to use a smaller lighter axle, but not if it's going to break or start growling.

Jim


rampant racing
gary fraser
sarnia ont,canada
(83 posts)

Registered:
03/28/2009 02:45AM

Main British Car:
69 spitfiremk111 ford 347 stroker

Re: supercharged 3800 and t5 plus more
Posted by: rampant racing
Date: November 29, 2013 12:38AM

afraid of comments like what ? the truth? lol they go for a dump with a 210 hp v6.a 300 hp motor with decent torque will do it in .you get the odd one that lasts a while but it is babied if it does. the v6 in my stang makes almost 600 hp and the 8.8 is holding up just fine so far with over a hundred full on passes with it. the 7.5 has let down a lot of v6 stang owners even with a good trac lok and aftermarket gears. much cheaper to build a 8.8 that will last.


BlownMGB-V8
Jim Blackwood
9406 Gunpowder Rd., Florence, KY 41042
(6468 posts)

Registered:
10/23/2007 12:59PM

Main British Car:
1971 MGB Blown,Injected,Intercooled Buick 340/AA80E/JagIRS

authors avatar
Re: supercharged 3800 and t5 plus more
Posted by: BlownMGB-V8
Date: November 29, 2013 10:07AM

An 8.8 is pretty heavy for a LBC such as a Triumph or MG, Even heavier than the 9" Ford axle. And it is physically large and often a challenge to fit in the available space. But plenty of other choices are available in the range of horsepowers we're likely to see in these cars. The 10 bolt GM (later) axle is popular as well as the Dana 44 which is good for 500 hp, both are about 8-1/2" on the ring gear. The Jag IRS used the Dana 44.

Jim


rampant racing
gary fraser
sarnia ont,canada
(83 posts)

Registered:
03/28/2009 02:45AM

Main British Car:
69 spitfiremk111 ford 347 stroker

Re: supercharged 3800 and t5 plus more
Posted by: rampant racing
Date: November 29, 2013 07:24PM

agreed I was just throwing it out there as an option. use anything you like as long as it isn't a 7.5" ford. they really are trash with any decent hp.


flylear45
Jim Franks

(8 posts)

Registered:
11/28/2013 07:29AM

Main British Car:


Re: supercharged 3800 and t5 plus more
Posted by: flylear45
Date: December 10, 2013 06:52PM

Ford 8.8 fits fine in TR7, no need to narrow housing and can use Mustang axles with FWD offset wheels to get close to original track width. Maybe overkill, but cheap and hardy. The trick is in the wheel choice if you go this route, investigate that first if you are looking at it. The choices are limited in a readily available wheel.


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