Cracked Blocks!

ChrisJC · Post by **ChrisJC** » Mon Jan 19, 2015 7:49 pm

I have just made a shiny new web page about the cracked block situation:
http://www.cowdery.org.uk/cracks.php

The photos are these:

Chris.

kiwicar · Post by **kiwicar** » Mon Jan 19, 2015 8:42 pm

Hi
I think it may need more than top hat liners to fix it!

Mike

JSF55 · Post by **JSF55** » Mon Jan 19, 2015 8:55 pm

Nice write up Chris, makes me wonder if it's worth taking a chance with any of the second hand blocks for performance use !

DaveEFI · Post by **DaveEFI** » Tue Jan 20, 2015 8:45 am

JSF55 wrote:Nice write up Chris, makes me wonder if it's worth taking a chance with any of the second hand blocks for performance use !

But would a new one be any better? If it is still going to crack down the line?

kiwicar · Post by **kiwicar** » Tue Jan 20, 2015 10:46 am

Hi
So why not buy an LS* chevy, they cost less (a whole long engine is about the same as getting a rover block top hat linered) produce about twice the power as standard, can be cheaply tuned, are smaller than the rover and as they have a modern combustion chamber and modern valve gear they can easily get through the emissions.
best regards
Mike

sidecar · Post by **sidecar** » Tue Jan 20, 2015 12:11 pm

kiwicar wrote:Hi
So why not buy an LS* chevy, they cost less (a whole long engine is about the same as getting a rover block top hat linered) produce about twice the power as standard, can be cheaply tuned, are smaller than the rover and as they have a modern combustion chamber and modern valve gear they can easily get through the emissions.
best regards
Mike

They sound terrible!

(Some of them are even 6 bolt mains, if I remember correctly)

chodjinn · Post by **chodjinn** » Tue Jan 20, 2015 12:41 pm

kiwicar wrote:Hi
So why not buy an LS* chevy, they cost less (a whole long engine is about the same as getting a rover block top hat linered) produce about twice the power as standard, can be cheaply tuned, are smaller than the rover and as they have a modern combustion chamber and modern valve gear they can easily get through the emissions.
best regards
Mike

Aside from the additional cost of new engine mounts, gearbox, gearbox mounts, propshaft modifications etc. a lot of people want to retain a Rover for posterity.

Additionally, LS* conversions are never, ever as cheap as people make out because no one considers all the ancillaries and fuel systems needed to actually get one up and running.

If your rover engine goes bang, it's far cheaper to buy a top hat linered 4.6 short engine than an LS conversion. You can get the 4.6 done for less than 2 grand rebuilt with top hats. That will just about buy you a LS* long engine, so double or triple that is a realistic cost of an LS* conversion as a minimum.

DaveEFI · Post by **DaveEFI** » Tue Jan 20, 2015 2:16 pm

Yes - if you already have a Rover V8 installed, changing to a different engine is not going to be cheap. If only.

chodjinn · Post by **chodjinn** » Tue Jan 20, 2015 3:30 pm

DaveEFI wrote:Yes - if you already have a Rover V8 installed, changing to a different engine is not going to be cheap. If only.

Exactly, which is why I have gone down the route of 1UZFE .... Rove V8 is underpowered, fragile and expensive, LS* are just too expensive. 1UZ is sort of middle ground, since the only really expensive part is a manual gearbox conversion. If you're happy with the auto they are hands down the best value V8 conversion IMO, even with a manual conversion costing about £1,500 they're still great value because you can get whole cars for peanuts.

DaveEFI · Post by **DaveEFI** » Tue Jan 20, 2015 4:00 pm

There was a long running thread on the SD1 forum about a guy who fitted a Soarer engine and box to an SD1. Seemed to be doing everything properly. And not long after finishing, it's up for sale.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/131404573570

No idea just why it's being sold, though. Seems such a shame after all that work.

DaviesDJ · Post by **DaviesDJ** » Tue Jan 20, 2015 5:01 pm

As I am in the middle of a fairly big rover to GM conversion - I can vouch it is definitely more expensive then you expect! It's all the little and not so little changes needed. But it's the only way to go for big reliable power. But if your ambitions are only circa 300hp I would still say a rover properly linered is a goer!

kiwicar · Post by **kiwicar** » Tue Jan 20, 2015 6:06 pm

Hi
a 300bhp rover however you do it is going to be a lot more than £2K.
Best regards
Mike

DaviesDJ · Post by **DaviesDJ** » Tue Jan 20, 2015 7:16 pm

Ohh I do t know - home ported heads - bulleted guides - buffers valves - balance - single plane manifold (used) - re-liner the block - if you have a cross bolted 4.6 use 4.0 Pistons for high CR - nice big cam - but not overboard - 280-300hp ish - plenty of advance - 2500 maybee???

JSF55 · Post by **JSF55** » Tue Jan 20, 2015 7:19 pm

As above but on my 3.9 and a 100 shot of nos ! about 290 bhp according to those online calculators, goes quick enough for now

Eliot · Post by **Eliot** » Tue Jan 20, 2015 8:30 pm

kiwicar wrote:Hi
So why not buy an LS* chevy, they cost less (a whole long engine is about the same as getting a rover block top hat linered) produce about twice the power as standard, can be cheaply tuned, are smaller than the rover and as they have a modern combustion chamber and modern valve gear they can easily get through the emissions.
best regards
Mike

Where as these cheap LS engines mike, as i never seem to find any.