Engine and Transmission Tech

Hey all, new to the site and hoping to find some answers.

I'm currently working on an aluminum V-8 swap project centered around the Buick 215.
So far I have a mock-up block with heads and intake bolted into the engine compartment with a D&D Fabrication bellhousing and Camaro T-5 bolted up. Everything is working out well with no clearance issues but now I'm leaning toward using a Rover variant.

Does anyone know which Rover blocks would use the same bellhousing as the 215?
I also need to know if the motor mount bolt bosses on the blocks are in the same location, as I already have my mounts and crossmember plates fabbed up and bolted in. I'm hoping to switch to the Rover 4.0 but don't want to start over from scratch.

The reason for going to the Rover powerplant is that I may be moving to a state where emissions testing is required and swaps must be the same year motor as the vehicle or newer which leaves out the Buick 215's I have. Also I've decided to run a remote mount turbo and like the idea of the stronger Rover block and EFI which will make the turbo a breeze to install and tune.

Any help is greatly appreciated.

THANK YOU!
Mike

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/18/2008 02:27AM by Black P-38.

The simple answer is that all Rover V8's share the same bell housing and motor mount bolt patterns and locations. There are detail differences in other areas but as far as bolting any Rover up in place of a 215 you are good to go.

THANK YOU DAVE!!! You just made my day!!! I really appreciate you taking the time to post a reply.

Many Thanks!
Mike

Hello again,

I spoke with Mark today at D&D Fabrication to inquire about clutch and flywheel support for the 4.6 Rover swap using his custom bell housing and the Camaro V-8 T-5. Apparently the only issue will be the fabrication of a 1/4" spacer plate between the block and bellhousing to correct for the difference in the Rover crankshaft flange.

He also advised that I will find a locating pin for the factory flexplate that must be cut off which will then allow the install of the manual flywheel and clutch kit he stocks for use with the T-5's 26 spline input shaft. All in all it should be pretty simple to make the block spacer from some 1/4" plate aluminum using the bellhousing as a template. I look forward to receiving the 4.6 and seeing it bolted in once I fabricate the spacer.

Stay tuned,
Mike

Beleive it or not, but, I've seen several articles from Brit mags that encourage you to take a Sawzall to the back of the crank and cut the protrusion off about a quarter inch....

No kidding...

Greg

WOW!!! Those crazy Brits... don't get me wrong, I'm pretty good with a sawzall but it hardly takes the place of machining.
Seems a bit barbaric 'eh? Well I'm happy to report that I took delivery of my '98 Range Rover 4.6 V-8 yesterday, appropriately in a rainstorm. I stripped off the factory engine mount brackets, P/S pump/compressor bracket/idler, alternator bracket/tensioner, fan clutch, exhaust sheild/covers, headers and all the flexplate associated pieces including the ignition trigger plate.
I bet I removed at least 50 lbs in the process!

The 4.6 looks great, no sign of valve cover or rear main seal leakage. All EFI pieces are intact, even the harness, plus they left the starter mounted. I'm very pleased with my purchase and look forward to getting it installed. I was a little concerned about radiator clearance since my 215 with the short water pump left me just enough room for a radiator and the E-fan I want to run.
The good news is, when Rover redesigned the front cover and water pump they made it MORE compact. with the fan clutch removed I measured 6 inches from the front of the block to the face of the threaded hub that mounts the clutch, remarkably compact. I believe the threaded hub is a part of the water pump but if it is not removable could certainly be cut down, (maybe I'll use the sawzall : ) ...), which would reduce the length to just over 5 inches!

I guess it's time to come clean regarding my V-8 swap candidate... Well, how do I broach this subject? Hmmm...
Let me try... My vehicle of choice is of necessity a pick-up truck, a small one, which will become my daily driven work truck.
No, it isn't British at all... well it will soon be British POWERED anyway. I hope I'm not shunned here for my choice of ride, I don't know where else to go for the experience and resources that are available here. Hopefully I will have something to offer in return regarding my experiences with the 4.6 and the Megasquirt EFI controller I'll be using.

So... my vehicle is a little project I've named "Silver Bullet". It is a 1991 Ford Ranger short bed standard cab 2wd saved from the car crusher on it's last day. It is of course Silver and a cute little truck if I do say so. The owner of many years was driving it to work when the head gasket on the little 2.3 4 cylinder blew. The cost to have it repaired was in his opinion more than the truck was worth so he called a friend to arrange to haul it to the wreckers to be scrapped.

Several months earlier I had seen the truck and asked the owner if he would sell it to me, he declined. I gave him my phone number and told him to call if he changed his mind and added that I didn't care if it was running or not... the rest is history.

While it won't be as light or sporty as the vehicles on this site it will be fun to drive and capable of hauling my equipment for work. It should easily surpass the 12 to 16 mpg of my current work truck "Black P-38" my 1994 F-150 Lightning which now has 206k miles of service on her.

Well, I feel better having admitted the identity of my V-8 swap project, hopefully I haven't alienated anyone here. Thank you for all your help and encouragement and I hope to still be welcome here.

Mike

OK, that's it. Don't talk to him anymore guys, he's an outcast.... No, Really!
I have to admit Mike, it's unusual to see a Brit engine in an American car. Even more so when the Brit engine in question is a GM (derived) product in a Ford. Any idea how many other 'rules' you plan to break along the way? You have a great start, why stop now?

I hope you realize I'm just kidding. How much does that truck weigh? I think under any definition that we cared to adopt you'd still be accepted here. It sounds like a fun conversion and you've already contributed.

Jim

I second that!

For what its worth - I'm also a big fan of 2wd, short-bed, standard cab pick-ups. It's a pity that they've about disappeared from the market. I really miss my '92 S10 (2.8L V6) - a great little truck. It almost got to 300K miles, and the engine was never rebuilt.

Whew, you had me going for a minute there Jim... I see you have a sense of humor to go along with your expertise!
Thank you for continuing to make me feel welcome in spite of my lack of a British sports car. I'd love to have one someday but for now the Ranger project is about as close as I can get.

Some folks think I'm a tad crazy for taking this direction but I say a little crazy goes a long way when it comes to hot rodding. I think the outcome will at least be interesting and at most be a blast to drive. Driving it every day will make going to work a pleasure. With the 5 speed and planned suspension upgrades it should be pretty sporty for a truck.

The Ranger should be near 2600 lbs complete, as the Rover engine is actually lighter than the 2.3 even though it's twice the displacement. I will also be removing weight in several areas keeping an eye on weight distribution. There may be a stealthy remote mount turbo someday in the distant future if I can manage it. Of course, there's always the more subtle approach such as the Blown, Injected and Intercooled Olds 215 Powered 1971 MGB 'eh Jim? Hehe...

I have always liked the late 80's to early 90's Rangers and S-10's, "still looks like a truck" styling. I don't see that many on the road anymore at least in short box standard cab form but remember seeing a handful of homespun smallblock versions that were pretty cool if not scarey.

The great thing about the Buick/Rover connection is the ability to drop weight off the nose while raising the tq/hp rather than adding weight. I've dreamed of an all aluminum engine, injected and blown for years but who could afford it?
Especially with bare smallblock castings starting around $4,000. Well folks, thanks to GM, Land Rover and "British V-8 Magazine", the dream has become possible and affordable and for that I am excited and grateful! I believe a contribution is in order!

I look forward to sharing my progress with you guys and appreciate the easy going forum. I lurked here quite a while before registering and like the way the place feels.

THANKS AGAIN!
Mike