V8 Knowledge Required

[Young Pretender]

Hi

 

I'm considering re-entering the fold in the no-too-distant future and I'm thinking of going for a v8 (buy not build).  I guess I have a lot of questions so I'm just going to spit them out and would be hugely grateful for someone with experience to take me by the hand

 

1.  Most of the engines I see in Westy's are Land Rover variant from 3.5 - 5.0 Litre - are there any other variants that might pop up that are also worth consideration?  I read that the LR variants are aluminium block and head and commonly used in all sorts of performance applications (due to being light weight) so are they the only real choice?

 

2.  Are the different LR variants all of a similar level of reliability or are issues more common in the higher capacity engines?  Are there any common issues that can be called out?

 

3.  Are the different LR variants (3.5 - 5.0L) all compatible with a Westfield in terms of fitment e.g are any of them compromised in terms of being close to the ground or poor angles from being shoe horned into the front of a Westy?  Do they fit better in wides rather than narrow's etc? 

 

4.  Is a SEIGHT chassis significantly different to those with more common engine configurations?  I ask because I'm wondering if a chassis not originally built for a V8 but having one subsequently fitted should have anything specific done to it?

 

5.  Is it fair to say that the higher capacity LR engines will weigh more? Possibly a silly question but what sort of weight differences might be expected?  I read the 3.5L has a dry weight of 170Kgs.

 

6.  What sort of gearboxes are compatible and what gearbox would be considered the best match? 

 

 

Cheers in advance for any help.

 

Mark

 

 

 

 

[alexander72]

Buy Pete Gouldings… no further advice necessary :-) 

[Mark (smokey mow)]

Regarding questions 3 and 4 the SEight was never officially sold as a narrow body, only ever as a wide. The chassis is significantly different to a standard SEIW chassis particularly in the transmission tunnel area so as to accommodate the V8 engine and much larger gearbox.

[Mark (smokey mow)]

And what James said ^^^^^ unless you want a windscreen, in which case I'd buy Tiggers

[simon besant]

The chassis is also heavier grade tubing

The early ones do tend to crack a little !

[SootySport]

One thing is for sure though,   if you go for the larger capacity engines, you'll be filling up yer tank very regularly, even the 3.9litre gulps fuel on carbs. Peter g  V8 is not too bad on MPG. and does have the long range tank. 

 

The LR V8's are the most plentiful, so that's why they are common in kit Cars and other Sports cars, so the price is reasonable.  It was originally based on the USA Buick V8 a long time ago, before you was born I guess.  More about the Buick V8 on Wiki.  First car fitted with his engine in the UK was the Rover P5B-

[corsechris]

Not Westy experience of the RV8 but from previous cars I had. Only a choice of two gearboxes really unless you intend getting creative with adapter plates etc, the LT77 and another type I can't recall the number of....both are pretty huge and heavy and tend to leak oil. They use ATF which doesn't help the leak situation. All alloy, they do tend to have an appetite for camshafts although that's mostly on big miles poorly maintained ones. They will run apparently fine with a cam so done for it'll be almost perfectly round. Sump leaks, again, on the older ones with gaskets rather than goo. Headgasket failures along the outer edges due to uneven clamping...yet again, on the older ones and resolved on the Range Rover engines by using better gakets and getting rid of the outer row of head bolts. Valley gaskets...and yet again, later composite gasket solved that. They run low pressure high volume oil systems driven by a skew gear off the cam - can wear.

 

Actually, read this page, far more authoritative than my dim & distant recollections of my own DIY blundering...

 

http://www.v8engines.com/engine-4.htm

 

One thing - power figures on them often seem to be wildly, er, optimistic for some reason. They make good torque but big power is expensive. My own efforts made barely over 200bhp first time (a mildly tuned 3.5 on a carb) the second one was a 4.2 on injection with a mild cam and that made 250/250. ISTR that the torque was over 200lbft from about 1500rpm though.....

 

They make a nice noise too.

 

 

...and I am old enough to remember working on P5B as well as P6 V8s. Happy days.......

[Lawrie]

I looked at putting a Rover V8 in a standard car a few years ago, but apart from cracking the chassis, there isn't room for the gearbox, and the brace tube at the front would be in the way of a standard exhaust.  If you want that sort of power, a Duratec or Vauxhall would be easier, or even a Hyabusa.  But it wouldn't sound as nice.

 

On a slight tangent, I have a friend with a V8 powered kit car and it eats gearboxes.  (SD1 boxes are like hens teeth, but the later Range Rover box was stronger, but needs a tailshaft.)  This doesn't seem to be a problem with Westfields

[blue ass fly]

"Only a choice of two gearboxes really unless you intend getting creative with adapter plates etc, the LT77 and another type I can't recall the number of...."

R380 is the other (better) gearbox

Far more robust than the earlier sherpa van job

Also be aware that the comp ratio was dropped on landrover engines from car ones for torque

I think the 3.5 on carbs was 135,down from 155

Sweetest engine imho was the 3.9 / 4.0 ( same engine apart from inlet manifold-landrover built the classic 3.9 along side the P38 4.0 and wanted to make the newer model appear better) , seemed more willing than the larger engines

[Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman]

The Ford T5 gearbox is also used with the V8's, particularly in more highly tuned examples. - TVR used the T5 on some models. Likewise, you'll see a few Westfields around using TVR versions of the Rover V8

[Young Pretender]

Thanks for the info everyone, that sets me straight on a few points.  Plenty to get me started!

[Nicks100]

Apparently you should also look for the later Seight chassis with the braced diff members as tuned V8s tend to crack the older ones.

A cross bolted block may also be desirable.

My sump has had cork and synthetic gaskets and the cork type won hands down! Probably down to even bolt tightening rather than anything else!

Happy to be shot down because I am FAR from being an expert on here!

[pete g]

mines a later chassis and my 4.6 engine is cross bolted block built by v8 developments

[Young Pretender]

Nicks, thanks for your comments. Do you (or does anyone) know at what point the chassis had a braced diff members.. How get I get a picture of these?

Also, what on earth is a cross bolted block

[pete g]

block has extra side bolts at the bottom to brace the crankshaft main bearings .I think it was done after the year 2000 but earlier blocks could be machined to have done.