Shortest possible front cover setup? - RV8

[katanaman]

You want a 3.9 interim front cover and pulleys (these are the original serp front end) you also need to extend the slot in the crank for the key and use the later longer key and I think a spacer is required for the end of the crank. Going this route will retain the dizzy for sparks. If you don't mind loosing the dizzy then just use all the stuff from a 4.0 or 4.6 engine again extending the slot in the crank for the key. Course you also need something like a magajolt. Slotting the crank is easy to do in a mill if the engine is apart but if it isn't then you can still do it by carefully grinding away with a dremel or similar.

[DEVONMAN]

...I found the above on http://www.britishv8.org/Articles/Short ... r-Pump.htm

This looks like EXACTLY what I'm after... it was modified by Margus Auto Electric Exchange Inc. of Los Angeles

SO the challenge is to find someone in the UK who is willing to take on this challenge? I'm betting there would be a fairly interested market given that this shorty front cover thing is a recurring challenge!!

even nicer would be engineer the above so as it will marry up with the SERP drive pulley so I could benefit from all the nice bonuses that come with a serp drive.

I'm envisioning a little kit - a new bottom pulley to use the serp drive. A modified waterpump as above picture and custom pulley (or pehaps even standard rover serp pulley)

What do you guys think??

This way - i can see saving at gaining an inch (every inch counts...) at least of clearance? For me - this would mean a difference of 5mm radiator clearance vs 30 mm of radiator clearance

Anyone know a compentant machine shop - or want to have a go at making this??[/url]

Hi. A small spanner in the works, the serp pulley runs on the back of the belt and runs anticlockwise and the modified pump looks like it's for clockwise rotation.

The later front covers (dizzyless type) will fit the 3.5 block but you need the later sump and pickup pipe.
Cheers Denis

[tvrlux]

Had a reply back from TA performance regarding the use of their 'electric' pump on the street - and they say

We have had many people use the electric pumps on the street with good success.

So all the complexities of dealing with the versions of sumps, crank keys, pulleys etc etc - I'm going to go with the TA setup and see how it goes...

looks like it will drop quite a bit of the length of the engine, which may allow me to mount an electric fan on the back of the rad using a 'suck' through setup which I believe is preferable anyway.

For what it's worth - I did look into the V6 buick front covers, which I decided were too much of a mess about - as the sump setup is different and the early ones use a rope seal, and at the end of all this messing about - they weren't actually that much shorter than the P6 setup anyway.

TA electric pump is on it's way - so when it arrives I'll post here how it all goes, how much space it saves etc.

** too bad the pound is in the toilet these days compared to the greenback...


thanks for your input guys - and i still think that there's a market for someone to shorten water pumps as per the picture...

[seight]

For what it's worth, I swapped mine from a standard Range Rover dissy front end to a Rover SD1/P6 setup but ended up swapping again to an interim setup. The only issue is as mentioned already - extending the key slot on the crank which in the end was quite easy with a Dremel and a carbide tool.

Full interim setups come up on ebay every now and then from breakers - cover, pump, pulleys, damper and brackets.

I would have gone for the 4.6 setup which is shorter but that would have made it impossible for me to mount an alternator in the correct position and I would need a new sump. The alternator is something that shouldn't be overlooked whatever you do as you'll probably need a new bracket to make it line up.

Mike

[seight]

thanks for your input guys - and i still think that there's a market for someone to shorten water pumps as per the picture...

There's a market for ally water pump and crank pulleys for interim serpentine setups !! A new steel water pump pulley is about £60 and there's nothing to it !! Crank pulley is a bit more involved but may be worth it as they are hard to source.

Mike

[tvrlux]

For what it's worth, I swapped mine from a standard Range Rover dissy front end to a Rover SD1/P6 setup but ended up swapping again to an interim setup. The only issue is as mentioned already - extending the key slot on the crank which in the end was quite easy with a Dremel and a carbide tool.

Full interim setups come up on ebay every now and then from breakers - cover, pump, pulleys, damper and brackets.

I would have gone for the 4.6 setup which is shorter but that would have made it impossible for me to mount an alternator in the correct position and I would need a new sump. The alternator is something that shouldn't be overlooked whatever you do as you'll probably need a new bracket to make it line up.

Mike

Hi Mike,

Kinda the reason I've decided to go with the electric pump.

My 'clearance' issues are mostly down to the donkey d1ck nature of the rover waterpump (with or without fan)

my alternator - using the stock bracket is not an issue as it doesn't poke out nearly as far as the waterpump snout, and is clear of the rad....

so - (I'm hoping) all I should have to do when i install the new electric pump is sort out the wiring (some kind of thermostatic controller or perhaps through Megasquirt) - and find a shorter belt to run direct from pulley to alternator... easy peasy!

[seight]

Yeah, it'll be a doddle!

BTW I have seen some people make a blanking plate to go on the timing cover instead of a pump then run an electric pump through that.

Mike