Healey Sports Cars

mods & upgrades for Healey (Nash, Austin, or Jensen) cars, including engine swaps

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vgulley
Vince Gulley

(2 posts)

Registered:
11/16/2008 09:29PM

Main British Car:


Fitting a rover v8 into a 62 healey 3000
Posted by: vgulley
Date: December 01, 2008 10:31PM

I aquired a very unfinshed bt7 that has a chevy V6. I would like to install a Rover V8 into it. Any thoughts on how well one will fit? What kind of tramsmisions will easily bolt up?


Vince Gulley


BMC
Brian Mc Cullough
Forest Lake, Minnesota, USA
(383 posts)

Registered:
10/30/2007 02:27AM

Main British Car:
1980 MGB '95 3.4L 'L32' SFI V6, GM V6T5 & 3.42 Limi

authors avatar
Re: Fitting a rover v8 into a 62 healey 3000
Posted by: BMC
Date: December 14, 2008 10:45PM

Hi Vince and Welcome! Sorry no no has posted here for you as of yet...

Chevy 327 small blocks were commonly installed back in Big Healeys when they had passed along to around the second owner and are supposed to fit. The BOP/R V8 is smaller and should fit better. The Chevrolet is not an ideal choice for an MGB which has a lighter driveline but the Big Healey (I Believe) goes on a diet by installing the 327/350 V8. With the BOP/R V8, you will loose far more and may have to do a little work to get the spring height/front end corrected for the removal of all that iron! Neat.

If your using a BOP/R, a T5 is a great choice...... Well maybe, depending on where your located and all that.

Now my turn for questions to help answer your needs and resources:

Where are you located?

What are you planning to use this car for? Show, track, freeway, drag race, round the lake cruiser?

What's wrong with the V6 and which type of V6 is it? How compete was the build on that one? There are lots of good V6 engines out there. I know we power our car with one.

-BMC.


vgulley
Vince Gulley

(2 posts)

Registered:
11/16/2008 09:29PM

Main British Car:


Re: Fitting a rover v8 into a 62 healey 3000
Posted by: vgulley
Date: December 14, 2008 11:38PM

Thanks for the responce. Once completed I plan to use the car for cruis'n ocasional show around Central Louisiana. The car is no were near complete the engine was mounted in but that is it. The main reason for the rover v8 is I feel it is a bit more British, it just seems like that is the motor that should be in it. I still have a huge amount of body work before I get to the motor so I have time to ponder the options.


BMC
Brian Mc Cullough
Forest Lake, Minnesota, USA
(383 posts)

Registered:
10/30/2007 02:27AM

Main British Car:
1980 MGB '95 3.4L 'L32' SFI V6, GM V6T5 & 3.42 Limi

authors avatar
Re: Fitting a rover v8 into a 62 healey 3000
Posted by: BMC
Date: December 16, 2008 07:16PM

If your going for the British aspect of it, the Rover is more British but it did start life as a GM engine being used in Buick, Oldsmobile and Pontiac and later being sold off. I think the BOP/R will fit fine and just the weight alone that you'll be loosing will be very nice compared to the stock straight 6 which weighs in around 700 lbs with the gearbox attached.

Any idea on what gearbox your going to use at this time? T5, Rover or??? Many conversions are done with teh T5 because there are quite a number around and plenty of choices.

Other then that, it doesn't sound like your doing much more than a 200 +/- BHP engine?

-BMC.


Dave
David Gable
Jax
(112 posts)

Registered:
10/23/2007 05:40AM

Main British Car:


Re: Fitting a rover v8 into a 62 healey 3000
Posted by: Dave
Date: December 25, 2008 09:07AM

Welcome aboard, Vince. Brian has made some very good points, especially with regards to the weight issue. With that in mind, you might consider a small block Buick instead of a BOPR V8. The dimensions are almost identical, the appearance is very, very close to the BOPR and, with the 300 and 340, you can even use Rover valve covers. Weight difference is somewhere around 80 to over 150 pounds VS the alloy engines depending on if you use the '64 aluminum 300 heads/intake or the '65-on iron heads/intake used on the later 300's, 340's and 350's. Added benefits to using the SBB engines include good availability of engines and parts, they use a common and dirt cheap bell housing and flywheel, and a 2004R transmission bolts right up for those wanting an automatic.

Jim Blackwood is the go-to guy on this subject.

Here's my 300.
Banner Elk 536.jpg
Banner Elk 534.jpg



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 12/25/2008 09:10AM by Dave.


MGBV8
Carl Floyd
Kingsport, TN
(4511 posts)

Registered:
10/23/2007 11:32PM

Main British Car:
1979 MGB Buick 215

authors avatar
Re: Fitting a rover v8 into a 62 healey 3000
Posted by: MGBV8
Date: December 25, 2008 12:31PM

Then, again, there is the Chevy LS series. ;)


62Healeyhacker
Jerry Jackman

(19 posts)

Registered:
04/11/2009 10:58PM

Main British Car:


Re: Fitting a rover v8 into a 62 healey 3000
Posted by: 62Healeyhacker
Date: April 12, 2009 10:36PM

Realize that squeezing a V8 into an engine compartment designed for an inline 6 is difficult. Like you I have a '62 BT7. When I hit a pothole and broke the frame I instantly decided to get rid of the 611 pound 3 liter 6. Like you I valued the family connection of swapping in a Buick/Rover V8. It is a much better fit than a Chevy small block but actually the small block Ford slips in without the steering clearance problem you encounter with the Rover or any other V8. And the 289 and 302 parts are cheap and readily available. The 351 Ford and the newer 4.6 and 5.4 liter Ford engines are too wide. The iron Buick 300,340,350 engines are also too wide although I find them to be otherwise appealing.The one displayed in this thread is a beaut!
I originally used a T50 5 speed which has an upside down shift pattern and a notchy shift. I hated it so I replaced it with a T5 out of a Camaro and used the same adapter which is bolted to the stock Buick bellhousing. This is a much stronger, better shifting transmission. I also changed to a 10 and 1/2 inch clutch which was expensive and probably unnecessary.



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