MGB V8 Conversion
Discussion
Many thanks for the detailed reply Andrew, much appreciated.
You read my mind - the intention is indeed to go for a twin exit system - despite the extra work it wouldn't be 'right' in my opinion otherwise. Did you use RV8 headers or have them custom made?
Lots of metalwork to do before then anyway but good to know what I need should I stumble across bits in the meantime. Stripping of the V8 has already begun while I wait to get my welder operational again. Have a feeling I'll be going to next years show at Stoneleigh with quite a shopping list!
Thank you, I may well take you up on that visit when I'm closer to installation.
You read my mind - the intention is indeed to go for a twin exit system - despite the extra work it wouldn't be 'right' in my opinion otherwise. Did you use RV8 headers or have them custom made?
Lots of metalwork to do before then anyway but good to know what I need should I stumble across bits in the meantime. Stripping of the V8 has already begun while I wait to get my welder operational again. Have a feeling I'll be going to next years show at Stoneleigh with quite a shopping list!
Thank you, I may well take you up on that visit when I'm closer to installation.
I used the MGOC SuperSports st/st exhaust system complete. This is designed for live back axle so will install off the shelf if your keeping a live back end; though you'll need to think what type of tank you'll use. MGOC has an alloy tank ready made for this application. Or use an RV8 tank from BMH.
If going IRS the SuperSports system can be used but you'll have to redesign the last 1/3rd of the exhaust pipe routing to fit. I have a Hoyle Suspension with Cosworth LSD, have remodelled the pipework to fit tight to Hoyle frame ensuring max' ground clearance and then retained/shortened the baffled st/st tail pipes...it's not easy, and have seen a number that sit too low to the ground which is impractical.
The shopping list can be endless with this type of project and the cost can spiral if not kept in check. Have you a project.xls? [component, price and supplier listing?] If not, pm me your email address and I'll forward my working copy...it's very handy to have. Plus, keep all your spare parts to sell on when ready...I've just had a major clearout of MG, V8 and TVR parts. It's netted a very tidy sum with parts ending up all over Europe and even the US.
If going IRS the SuperSports system can be used but you'll have to redesign the last 1/3rd of the exhaust pipe routing to fit. I have a Hoyle Suspension with Cosworth LSD, have remodelled the pipework to fit tight to Hoyle frame ensuring max' ground clearance and then retained/shortened the baffled st/st tail pipes...it's not easy, and have seen a number that sit too low to the ground which is impractical.
The shopping list can be endless with this type of project and the cost can spiral if not kept in check. Have you a project.xls? [component, price and supplier listing?] If not, pm me your email address and I'll forward my working copy...it's very handy to have. Plus, keep all your spare parts to sell on when ready...I've just had a major clearout of MG, V8 and TVR parts. It's netted a very tidy sum with parts ending up all over Europe and even the US.
Congrats... roll on Spring eh? 
Now if only mine was that close...
Finally apologies for my tardiness responding to your email, some excellent information so many thanks. I've been scouring the MGOC parts catalogue as a result in anticipation of my birthday at the end of the month - you provided quite the shopping list of new shiny things I simply must have!
Now if only mine was that close...
Finally apologies for my tardiness responding to your email, some excellent information so many thanks. I've been scouring the MGOC parts catalogue as a result in anticipation of my birthday at the end of the month - you provided quite the shopping list of new shiny things I simply must have!
SPT28 said:
Congrats... roll on Spring eh?
Now if only mine was that close...
Finally apologies for my tardiness responding to your email, some excellent information so many thanks. I've been scouring the MGOC parts catalogue as a result in anticipation of my birthday at the end of the month - you provided quite the shopping list of new shiny things I simply must have!
Crikey, Sam, that's some serious new metal being let-in there! Yes, the shopping list is quite interesting. When the project's finished and the V8's settled-in I plan to post a blog type report for others which will include a list of suppliers...including the the small/obscure type supplier that has hidden gems of components. Often these suppliers are only known in other sectors but have components produced for auto-part vendors that are extremely difficult to find...or are known for other products yet are superb suppliers of other parts e.g. where to find good quality and sensibly priced 304L grade imperial stainless steel fasteners.Now if only mine was that close...
Finally apologies for my tardiness responding to your email, some excellent information so many thanks. I've been scouring the MGOC parts catalogue as a result in anticipation of my birthday at the end of the month - you provided quite the shopping list of new shiny things I simply must have!
And may your Birthday presents be plentiful...
Wow, can't belive it's been 9mths since the last posting. Project progressing slowly and not too far away now...though a house move and work has slowed things up, plus lot's of small jobs, rework and general faffing about. So here are some pics for fun.
Here's the back end finished
Spent much time thinking through the swirl pot, low pressure lifter pump and high pressure injection pimp options. Most folk simply fit these to the inner rear wings. I wasn't happy with this as in time of accident the areas to be hit are the single skin wings. And really they should be sat within the chassis rails for security. So, came up with this...made a st/st hinged alloy cover and finished in black VHT wrinkle paint to match plenum and rocker covers, and then found lots of shiny bits for system install. From tank to filter#1, to Red Top Facet, to swirl pot -to- Bosch044 injection pump, to injection filter -to- injector rail. Rail then returns via regulator to swirl pot, with swirl pot upper o/p returning to the tank for final overflow. Just waiting for injection fuel hose and fittings to arrive this week...then fit 90deg st/st cover latches and st/st safety cords.
In other news, I kept reading about the appalling atomisation of the standard Lucas ERR722 injectors so had a good chat with Mark Adams of Tornado Systems fame. Convinced, have bought a set of upgraded Bosch injectors + once car's fully running and shaken down I'll be replacing the 14CUX chip with a Tornado chip and spending a morning with Mark and a rolling road. For those interested in this techie stuff his site makes for good reading. And here's a picture of the RV8/TVR ERR722 injector atomisation compared to the Bosch injectors
edited to add: for those of your thinking of a good V8 conversion, remeber this when things take five times longer than planned
Here's the back end finished
Spent much time thinking through the swirl pot, low pressure lifter pump and high pressure injection pimp options. Most folk simply fit these to the inner rear wings. I wasn't happy with this as in time of accident the areas to be hit are the single skin wings. And really they should be sat within the chassis rails for security. So, came up with this...made a st/st hinged alloy cover and finished in black VHT wrinkle paint to match plenum and rocker covers, and then found lots of shiny bits for system install. From tank to filter#1, to Red Top Facet, to swirl pot -to- Bosch044 injection pump, to injection filter -to- injector rail. Rail then returns via regulator to swirl pot, with swirl pot upper o/p returning to the tank for final overflow. Just waiting for injection fuel hose and fittings to arrive this week...then fit 90deg st/st cover latches and st/st safety cords.
In other news, I kept reading about the appalling atomisation of the standard Lucas ERR722 injectors so had a good chat with Mark Adams of Tornado Systems fame. Convinced, have bought a set of upgraded Bosch injectors + once car's fully running and shaken down I'll be replacing the 14CUX chip with a Tornado chip and spending a morning with Mark and a rolling road. For those interested in this techie stuff his site makes for good reading. And here's a picture of the RV8/TVR ERR722 injector atomisation compared to the Bosch injectors
edited to add: for those of your thinking of a good V8 conversion, remeber this when things take five times longer than planned
Edited by v8250 on Wednesday 14th September 16:23
v8250 said:
Hi Alex, thank you. What's new with you/the car?
Busy days for me, less so for the V8 Planning to replace the armstrong rear shock absorbers with a set of Spax and will probably add anti-tramp bars, was the rear has parabolic springs (which I rate highly yet they seem to suffer from the V8's torque).
Your car looks extremely nice Andrew, and your attention to detail is awesome!
Do you have an idea when you want to be 'ready'? (if such a thing exists)
Church of Noise said:
Busy days for me, less so for the V8
Planning to replace the armstrong rear shock absorbers with a set of Spax and will probably add anti-tramp bars, was the rear has parabolic springs (which I rate highly yet they seem to suffer from the V8's torque).
Your car looks extremely nice Andrew, and your attention to detail is awesome!
Do you have an idea when you want to be 'ready'? (if such a thing exists)
Understand re' rear suspension, Spax, Gaz or Koni Classic are the way to go. Re' project end date...April 2015... seriously, that was the original completion date. Good news is that I'm not too far away now, just a mass of small jobs and fire the old girl up; ka-boom! Followed by a thorough shake down and then off to rolling road. Only slight irritation is that I've missed this summer which has been superb, but hey, there's always next year Planning to replace the armstrong rear shock absorbers with a set of Spax and will probably add anti-tramp bars, was the rear has parabolic springs (which I rate highly yet they seem to suffer from the V8's torque).
Your car looks extremely nice Andrew, and your attention to detail is awesome!
Do you have an idea when you want to be 'ready'? (if such a thing exists)
Andrew, I've come to this thread just as your project is ending. Mine is just beginning, as I start out on the parts acquisition phase of what will become a V8 conversion, more B-road explorer than your thoroughbred racer, but one of the MGB attractions is it's such a broad church. Thank you for the pictures, insights and thought provoking ideas, you've set an extremely high bar in terms of finish and attention to detail.
I made an early decision was to go with the Advance Autowire kit which I think you've installed. How did this work out in practice, did you keep the front to rear cable runs in-car or underneath?
I made an early decision was to go with the Advance Autowire kit which I think you've installed. How did this work out in practice, did you keep the front to rear cable runs in-car or underneath?
mgbdon said:
I made an early decision was to go with the Advance Autowire kit which I think you've installed. How did this work out in practice, did you keep the front to rear cable runs in-car or underneath?
Hi Don, thank you for the kind words. Re' Advanced Autowire...it's a great kit. If I may, I suggest this is wired out of car to the dash on the workbench as this enables all the centre wiring to be bench tested before final install. The front wiring loom has been ran to right hand side, over steering column and through bulkhead to upper inner wing and then forward to front end...including alternator, starter, front lights, horns and twin fans. The rear loom is ran internally tucked up tight to the passenger side of the gearbox tunnel, on to rear shelf and through in to the boot with rear lights and LP lifter pump passing through existing wiring loom hole to rear drivers side, the HP injection pump through the rear passenger side hole. This as the HP pump is driven from the EFi ECU, the LP pump from the Autowire install with each having individually powered relays...and it makes for easier fault finding should that happen in the future. As a note, I would not recommend fusing any fuel pump as this can lead to potentially dangerous fuel cut outs. Lastly, I have no wiring underneath the car except for the battery +Ve cable and the 3no earthing straps[engine, gearbox and rear diff']...this to keep everything clean, tidy and dry ETA Don, I've just noticed what you have done with your PH name; very good. Surname Hayter by any chance, or an homage??
Edited by v8250 on Thursday 29th September 20:06
Edited by v8250 on Thursday 29th September 20:07
Hi V8250, love your project: nice. My project is on your project planning: fifth or tenth turn. It's an older GT V8 conversion in need of body restauration. Got the Hoyle IRS build (lsd and vented disks)and the Fast Cars Inc. front suspension has arrived. Can you post a photo of how you got the exhaust round the IRS?
hellem said:
Hi V8250, love your project: nice. My project is on your project planning: fifth or tenth turn. It's an older GT V8 conversion in need of body restauration. Got the Hoyle IRS build (lsd and vented disks)and the Fast Cars Inc. front suspension has arrived. Can you post a photo of how you got the exhaust round the IRS?
Morning Hellem, of course. This challenge had two options 1. solid st/st pipe or 2. flexible st/st exhaust pipe. I thought about this for a good while and chose the flexible st/st pipe for a some good reasons...it's not easy to position a fixed solid pipe through the rear arms without the guarantee that it wouldn't knock the suspension at full load[hard cornering]. Having a suspension arc of movement restriction is the worst thing to happen when full movement's required. So, I chose flexible...this runs from the rear of the main silencers and passes between the front and rear arm, over the rear arm to the raised position, horizontally inline to the rear baffled tailpipe. Also, you'll note that I've raised the tailpipes to exit cleanly...here, I made two alloy plate L-brackets for the rear hangers and positioned between the inner chassis rails and the centered fuel tank; it's very tight. Where the install is tight I chose to wrap the flexible pipe with Magma Wrap from the rear of the main silencer to the rear tail pipe to keep temperatures down when passing near the fuel tank. It all works very well. The other advantage with flexible is that it has good flexibility should it ever touch the suspension arm and...it's very easy to replace in years to come. Of note, there are a number of poor quality flexible st/st suppliers. The one to buy is Polylock [available on ebay and direct suppliers] as its mechanical structure is effectively twin walled and smooth bore[non-ribbed] which is ideal for exhaust gas flow.Will post pics when finished another round of Marmite on toast and second cup of tea
PS intrigued to see your Fast Cars front end set up. I nearly chose this option...
Andrew, sorry sadly no lineage to the great man, but I did like the nod in his direction simply sharing a Christian name provided
The advice to assemble on the bench for ease of testing is well taken, and not just for the wiring. I am hoping to cable the whole dash to a single connector to assist with access during and after the build. There's another part I'll need to add to find after adding to the spreadsheet
I do like the clean look, particularly when done to this standard
http://www.britishv8.org/MG/JimDurham.htm
The advice to assemble on the bench for ease of testing is well taken, and not just for the wiring. I am hoping to cable the whole dash to a single connector to assist with access during and after the build. There's another part I'll need to add to find after adding to the spreadsheet
I do like the clean look, particularly when done to this standard
http://www.britishv8.org/MG/JimDurham.htm
mgbdon said:
I do like the clean look, particularly when done to this standard
http://www.britishv8.org/MG/JimDurham.htm
Hi Don, yes, Jim's car is amazing. The US guys seem to be able to produce brilliantly shiny clean looks but this is very hard to do when running RV8/TVR EFi engines as there are so many more components to install. I have thought that if I do another[read, mad ?!!] conversion I'd have a carb based one or a more modern LS series V8 as the 'package' enable less clutter.http://www.britishv8.org/MG/JimDurham.htm
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