What Rover V8 engine is best? Plus tuning options?

DaveEFI · Post by **DaveEFI** » Mon Apr 21, 2014 3:01 pm

I can think of lots of engines which would complain if you revved the s**t out of them when cold. Which is why no one in their right mind does it.

Why would you expect a petrol engine to convert to a diesel unchanged? The design requirements are so different that it would be silly to engineer for both without changes.

Bearing caps falling off? In the hands of the engine builder.

I'm not talking about which version has the most tuning potential. Just that all the standard versions are pretty strong. And that when choosing an engine for a kit car and want impressive BHP there are cheaper ways of doing it than tuning an RV8.

stevieturbo · Post by **stevieturbo** » Mon Apr 21, 2014 4:42 pm

If this is a new build and you have no Rover engine as a base....I'm going to say dont waste your money with the Rover.

You'll pay a pretty penny to have 300hp from one n/a and it will be pushed at that.

Save your money, buy a used L33 or similar late model 5.3 alloy V8 ( LS based )

You should be able to get a complete engine shipped and landed for around £2k, it will have 300hp and be totally reilable. And with all the tuning potential you could ever want.

Now yes the transmission side will also bump the cost up a bit. But overall value for money, it would be the best setup in my opinion.

unstable load · Post by **unstable load** » Tue Apr 22, 2014 6:00 am

How much more does the LS based alloy engine weigh compared to the RV8?

chodjinn · Post by **chodjinn** » Tue Apr 22, 2014 8:07 am

unstable load wrote:How much more does the LS based alloy engine weigh compared to the RV8?

They're about the same mate.

Ian Anderson · Post by **Ian Anderson** » Tue Apr 22, 2014 1:18 pm

The Seer wrote:
Ian Anderson wrote:Firstly decide what you want to do with the car

Secondly decide how much you want to spend

Do the two equate?

Power costs money, sure it is fun but if you are driving to car shows do you need a 600hp fire breathing monster in a 1200kg car? Would you be.happy trying to keep that in check on a damp drive home?

So I have a GT40 replica at about 1100 kg and I have.a John Eales tuned 3.9 in it and it gives 256hp at 6700. The car goes like poop off a shovel.but try to drive slowly through town and it is not happy below about 1900 rpm.

I had it at a GT40 guru and when I turned up to collect it he had a grin on his face he could not shake off and said he had to apologise about knocking my engine as it was the best pulling car he had driven for ahes. He reckoned it would out accelerate most of the Ford 5l carb fed cars he sees, but he did mention that the ford units were so much smoother low down.

He could not believe that my car only got 256hp as the standard sort of Ford unit is about 350hp, but then mine is fuel injected (Hotwire) as opposed to Holley carb so power delivery up the ref range is more usable?????

Now
Ford engine is about £5000 and my JOhn Eales monster has receipts for about £10000. You can do the maths.

Aaaaannnnnnnnddddd if you go for a Chevvy engine they are even cheaper

So I ask the question again
What do you want to do with a the car?

How much do you want to spend?
Ian
Thanks for the info there Ian

The Rush will be used for fast road, mostly straight line acceleration. I do like the idea of the Chevrolet small block very much but I wondered how much it is to tune the Rover V8 and what I'll get for my money. 10K sounds quite a lot for 256 bhp??

Wet weather doesn't worry me too much, it won't see a great deal of it.

Ok so as not to confuse anything
Engine cost £4000 new
John Eales was paid £6000 To lighten, balance and tune
Total is £10000

This was a brand new engine - not a rebuild
No work was done by the owner - totally farmed out (Including collection and delivery)
It included everything ECU remap etc

It is not the route I would go but I bought the project and the deal was I got all the receipts wwith it so I could getSVA and "new " not "Q" plate

It was bought from an Ex BA pilot who threw money at it but never actually did much work. Example Bought a brand new gearbox not recon, Bought new brakes etc.

Ian

Baracus · Post by **Baracus** » Tue Apr 22, 2014 4:06 pm

Hi Ian, is the 258 bhp at the wheels rather than the flywheel? I seem to remember you had a fairly serious cam ~300 duration on a tight LSA with loads of overlap which should give 70bhp+ per litre and a somewhat narrow powerband.

Ben

Ian Anderson · Post by **Ian Anderson** » Tue Apr 22, 2014 6:50 pm

Sure is a bit of a radical cam
It is a JE 102

Power is at the flywheel, it was done by JE and again worked back from twice when I have had it on the dyno

Cam specs here http://www.aulro.com/afvb/1445578-post8.html

The work was all done in 1990 and the the motor sat until 2006 other than being turned by hand to change pressure on the springs

Ian

stevieturbo · Post by **stevieturbo** » Wed Apr 23, 2014 8:22 pm

5.3 L33 based LS engine

http://www.carcraft.com/techarticles/cc ... ewall.html

stevieturbo · Post by **stevieturbo** » Wed Apr 23, 2014 9:00 pm

iron block version, new crate

http://www.gmperformancemotor.com/parts/19244096.html