RV8 Into MGB Costings?

Chorlton · Post by **Chorlton** » Mon Feb 21, 2011 8:35 am

Posted for a friend.
He has a Rubber Bumpered 1978 MGBGT.
His son blew the engine at the weekend and I suggested that, as the car was totally restored 3 years ago, might it be a good idea to bung an RV8 into it, rather than replacing the 1800 lump.

So. assuming he can buy his own RV8 engine and box, does anyone know the rought costing of labour to do the job, and does anyone know someone reputable enough to do the work for him along the South coastal area (or within reasonable distance?
Thanks

richardpope50 · Post by **richardpope50** » Mon Feb 21, 2011 12:42 pm

MG Owners Club do an RV8 conversion kit, I seem to recall. They also do their own RV8 body shell. They also have lots of information on this conversion.

This is lined up to be my next project when I get the current Dax Rush one out of the way.

DaveEFI · Post by **DaveEFI** » Mon Feb 21, 2011 12:59 pm

Chorlton wrote:Posted for a friend.
He has a Rubber Bumpered 1978 MGBGT.
His son blew the engine at the weekend and I suggested that, as the car was totally restored 3 years ago, might it be a good idea to bung an RV8 into it, rather than replacing the 1800 lump.

So. assuming he can buy his own RV8 engine and box, does anyone know the rought costing of labour to do the job, and does anyone know someone reputable enough to do the work for him along the South coastal area (or within reasonable distance?
Thanks

Be prepared to spend a great deal on money with no chance of recovery on selling. Finding a good engine and box isn't as easy as you may think - the SD1 has been out of production for 25 years, so those from a scrapped car won't likely be perfect.

Of course, if you do all the work yourself it becomes more affordable.

Why not price up fitting an improved version of the original engine? Done sensibly should add value to the car too.

Chorlton · Post by **Chorlton** » Mon Feb 21, 2011 3:12 pm

I'm doing the enquiry for a friend.
He's just toying with the idea. I think he has access to an RV8 and LT77Box, which is why hes thinking about it. But he would rather pay someone to do it rather than attempt it himself.
His MGB engine has a piston through the side of the block or so he says.

kiwicar · Post by **kiwicar** » Mon Feb 21, 2011 3:28 pm

Hi
I would work on the basis of about £35 per hour if you get a good deal off someone who takes on this sort of work, recon on about 250 hours work by it is all sorted, electrics, suspension and actually fitting the engine, so £8,700 plus say £2,500 for the engine £700 for the induction (if you use a carb), £1,500 for the box and £400 to sort out the clutch. Bear in mind no garage in their right mind will fit anything but new parts (their business insurance will efectivly prohibit it) so you will find anything that comes up will be replaced with a new bit, you will have virtually no control of the cost!
Personally I would go out and buy one already done.
Best regards
Mike

Chorlton · Post by **Chorlton** » Mon Feb 21, 2011 7:35 pm

Thanks. I'll pass all this on.

CastleMGBV8 · Post by **CastleMGBV8** » Tue Feb 22, 2011 1:39 am

Chorlton,

Not something that you can do for a couple of grand which would buy a high spec MGB engine with Burgess head etc..

The rover V8 will fit straight into the late model MGB but does require quite a lot of conversion parts.

Start from the front, heres the basic parts.

New V8 Rad
Engine & LT77 or R380 g/box
EFI or Edelbrock 500 and Performer manifold
SD1 front cover
P6 front pulley and alternator cradle and alternator.
RV8 Exhaust system
New engine and gearbox conversion mountings
Modified V8 propshaft
Rebuild diff with 3.07 Ratio

You would also need to consider some suspension upgrades to handle the increased power and torque.

I see Mike has posted now and agree it could cost that much but there are probably some saving to be had on the labour side in terms of hours if it's all planned properly.

I might be selling mine

in the near future.

Kevin.

Chorlton · Post by **Chorlton** » Tue Feb 22, 2011 8:19 am

Thanks Kevin, I'll pass this all on to him. I just suggested it as an option when I was told his existing engine was pretty much useless.
As someone who rebuilt 3 MG's in the 70's and 80's I realise the problems, other than the engine and g/box swap that he's liable to find.
I think after I suggested it he just considered it as another option but suspect he will just get another 1800 engine and replace his buggered one.

kiwicar · Post by **kiwicar** » Tue Feb 22, 2011 9:29 am

Hi
I believe the 2 litre engine out of the rover 600 with it's box pretty well goes straight in and transforms the MGB engine wise, not a V8 but a newer engine.
Best regards
Mike

DaveEFI · Post by **DaveEFI** » Tue Feb 22, 2011 9:45 am

kiwicar wrote:Hi
I believe the 2 litre engine out of the rover 600 with it's box pretty well goes straight in and transforms the MGB engine wise, not a V8 but a newer engine.
Best regards
Mike

I'd be surprised - the 600 is FWD.

CastleMGBV8 · Post by **CastleMGBV8** » Tue Feb 22, 2011 11:52 am

DaveEFI wrote:
kiwicar wrote:Hi
I believe the 2 litre engine out of the rover 600 with it's box pretty well goes straight in and transforms the MGB engine wise, not a V8 but a newer engine.
Best regards
Mike
I'd be surprised - the 600 is FWD.

Not too difficult, Rover 820 EFI engine, sherpa bellhousing and LT77 box and a modified propshaft.

Only snag is the Plenum and specifically the throttle body will face backwards and want to be in the same place as the heater box, but can be solved.

The gear box mounting is easy but you would have to fabricate ones for the engine.

Food for thought.

I have an article on how to do it somewhere.

Kevin

It's a very good conversion with 140 BHP and very good fuel consumption in a MGB

Kevin.

DaveEFI · Post by **DaveEFI** » Tue Feb 22, 2011 12:54 pm

Wasn't querying the fitting of a 600 engine - just the box. And of course a decent RWD box is the difficult bit.

kiwicar · Post by **kiwicar** » Tue Feb 22, 2011 3:20 pm

Ok so it is the 820 rover, sorry mid '80s rovers are not my big thing

. Just knew you could put a more modern rover lump in an MGB with little modification and they were meant it go alot better.
Best regards
Mike

DaveEFI · Post by **DaveEFI** » Tue Feb 22, 2011 4:44 pm

kiwicar wrote:Ok so it is the 820 rover, sorry mid '80s rovers are not my big thing . Just knew you could put a more modern rover lump in an MGB with little modification and they were meant it go alot better.
Best regards
Mike

The 800 series is FWD too.

Which makes the SD1 box the only easy one to use - or rather at reasonable cost.

Quagmire · Post by **Quagmire** » Thu Feb 24, 2011 2:00 pm

My brother is fitting a 2 litre T-series Rover engine into his series landrover, coupled to an LT77.

He bought a complete rover "mpi" engine and the LT77 it came with from a MOT failed Discovery for £60. They go cheap in Landrover circles as they were massively underpowered for the Disco. They can be hard to find though.

Apparently the mpi engine is the same block as the T-series but without the turbo and a few other minor details. So now he has the LT77 (and more importantly the funny bellhousing) to bolt straight up to the turbo engine.

I guess you could try the same route?

I know nothing about MG's so could be talking poo.

The V8 Owners Forum -

RV8 Into MGB Costings?

RV8 Into MGB Costings?

Re: RV8 Into MGB Costings?