realistic upgrade for a 350i
Discussion
The most effective option would be a capacity increase, but that's outside of budget. A cam change might help, especially if yours is getting worn. Probably the first thing might be a decent session on a rolling road with someone who knows the RV8. That might identify areas that need to be addressed fairly cheaply (plugs/leads/change of ignition timing etc.).Going from there you might consider having the injectors checked /cleaned. Don't think there's any benefit in looking at BV heads or other induction mods. with a 3.5. Just a proper set up of what you've got may well be the most cost effective thing. That's as far as my thinking takes me.
Paul
Paul
paul gotts said:Thanks, I'm sure the injectors could do with a good fettle, would upsizing make a difference ? would a bigger plenm chamber help ?
The most effective option would be a capacity increase, but that's outside of budget. A cam change might help, especially if yours is getting worn. Probably the first thing might be a decent session on a rolling road with someone who knows the RV8. That might identify areas that need to be addressed fairly cheaply (plugs/leads/change of ignition timing etc.).Going from there you might consider having the injectors checked /cleaned. Don't think there's any benefit in looking at BV heads or other induction mods. with a 3.5. Just a proper set up of what you've got may well be the most cost effective thing. That's as far as my thinking takes me.
Paul
Realistically - Flog yours for 4K and buy something like this for an extra 1K. www.pistonheads.com/sales/detail.asp?i=35279&s=5 (there are many others)
I put a "wild cam" in my 350i fitted a rising rate fuel pressure regulator. Although gains are made it all starts to add up if you go down this route.
Best upgrade is to buy an already sorted 390,400,450 Bad boy
I put a "wild cam" in my 350i fitted a rising rate fuel pressure regulator. Although gains are made it all starts to add up if you go down this route.
Best upgrade is to buy an already sorted 390,400,450 Bad boy
dickymint said:Thanks dicky, certainly food for thought ! would really like to keep "my" car, as i now know its ins n outs, the cam route sounds like fun tho ! lol
Realistically - Flog yours for 4K and buy something like this for an extra 1K. www.pistonheads.com/sales/detail.asp?i=35279&s=5 (there are many others)
I put a "wild cam" in my 350i fitted a rising rate fuel pressure regulator. Although gains are made it all starts to add up if you go down this route.
Best upgrade is to buy an already sorted 390,400,450 Bad boy
The most effective upgrade (£=bhp) would be cam & ported heads but well over your budget, you could have yours set up with a few details like injectors cleaned , "boost regulator" modified trumpets and probably be within budget but gains would be small,unless yours isn't at it's best right now ?.
In your position and speaking as somebody slightly power crazed, i would be thinking of changing for a naughtier hooligan type wedge, the current prices make the "jump" relatively small.
In your position and speaking as somebody slightly power crazed, i would be thinking of changing for a naughtier hooligan type wedge, the current prices make the "jump" relatively small.
Capacity increase is certainly within budget if you could have the bores taken out to 94mm and fit Rangey pistons - but it depends whether the liners have enough meat on them and whether you can do most of the work (remove, strip, rebuild & replace engine, for starters) yourself.
IIRC last time I had a rebore and crank grind it was £180 with me supplying all the parts and waving all the tools. Doesn't matter whether it's a 20 thou rebore or several millimetres to the machine shop!
Edit: alternatively, try Ebay for an ex-Rangey 3.9 engine complete. Swap the cam for something a bit more sporty and Fanny is your maternal parent's sister.
>> Edited by wedg1e on Sunday 22 May 12:57
IIRC last time I had a rebore and crank grind it was £180 with me supplying all the parts and waving all the tools. Doesn't matter whether it's a 20 thou rebore or several millimetres to the machine shop!
Edit: alternatively, try Ebay for an ex-Rangey 3.9 engine complete. Swap the cam for something a bit more sporty and Fanny is your maternal parent's sister.
>> Edited by wedg1e on Sunday 22 May 12:57
How helpfull can a bunch of guys be ! thanks for all the input ! the 3.9 option sounds groovy....a 4.6 could be tempting ! though i'm sure a little over budget ! right........ ok....can sum1 lend me a grand lol Just kidding ! Has ne1 put a 4.6 into a standard 3.5? any problems i should look out for?
Are you interested in more hp or do you want to make the car really go faster?
1k doesn't buy you much in RV8 tuning .. but for that you could have a very lightweight fibreglass bonnet (the std one is very heavy, is high up and at the front of the car where you least want something heavy) and a pair of cheaper light bucket seats to make hooning more of a pleasurable experience.
Or you could just about get a carbon bonnet made for that price. Both are much better ways than a few extra hp.
1k doesn't buy you much in RV8 tuning .. but for that you could have a very lightweight fibreglass bonnet (the std one is very heavy, is high up and at the front of the car where you least want something heavy) and a pair of cheaper light bucket seats to make hooning more of a pleasurable experience.
Or you could just about get a carbon bonnet made for that price. Both are much better ways than a few extra hp.
tribbster said:
How helpfull can a bunch of guys be ! thanks for all the input ! the 3.9 option sounds groovy....a 4.6 could be tempting ! though i'm sure a little over budget ! right........ ok....can sum1 lend me a grand lol Just kidding ! Has ne1 put a 4.6 into a standard 3.5? any problems i should look out for?
Beware the amount of swapping arount of components from one side of the engine bay to the other you'll have to o if you try to put a newer rangey engine in.
Read SHpub's stuff on the tower view website regarding this.
Realistically, for a grand, an older 3.9 rangey is more realistic, allowing a few quid spare for a hotter cam.
I can't believe Streaky's car is still available at that money...
tallbloke said:
Beware the amount of swapping arount of components from one side of the engine bay to the other you'll have to o if you try to put a newer rangey engine in.
Thankfully mine was all done by a previous owner (range rover unit shoe horned in). It certainly looked like a few problems presented but overcome. Though bespoke overcome.
jmorgan said:
Beware the amount of swapping arount of components from one side of the engine bay to the other you'll have to o if you try to put a newer rangey engine in.
Thankfully mine was all done by a previous owner (range rover unit shoe horned in). It certainly looked like a few problems presented but overcome. Though bespoke overcome.
I don't think that wedg1e meant that at all. The 3.9 option was to rebuild the existing block with larger dia pistons then get the FI to match, that's all.
19560 said:
tallbloke said:
Beware the amount of swapping arount of components from one side of the engine bay to the other you'll have to o if you try to put a newer rangey engine in.
Thankfully mine was all done by a previous owner (range rover unit shoe horned in). It certainly looked like a few problems presented but overcome. Though bespoke overcome.
I don't think that wedg1e meant that at all. The 3.9 option was to rebuild the existing block with larger dia pistons then get the FI to match, that's all.
Ah, me thought he was refering to slipping in a rang rover unit, when all the ancilleries are tother side. Sorry.
tribbster said:
Turbo.
How raelistic would that be ? ie cost ? who would be a good supplier/fitter ? I want to increase the grin factor a little ! lol
Depends on your attitude to DIY I guess. It'd certainly be well over a grand if you paid someone else to do it. I won't be turning up the boost past 5 or 6 psi once I've fitted mine until much more development can be afforded anyway.
I'd say for about a grand you can get around 25Bhp if not a bit more depending on how handy you are with the spanners.
If you do all the work yourself then I would proceed as follows:
1) remove heads and broddle chambers and ports to improve airflow, then have skimmed to raise compression to 10.5:1 ish cost - about 100 quid and should gain 10-12 Bhp
2) Fit a high lift / lairy cam of your choice around 300 quid (including a new double timing chain) if you want to use the revs your new cam will require, you'll also need cro-moly pushrods (about 80 quid) and hi-rev lifters (60 quid) and h.duty valve springs (50 notes), shorten the trumpets inside the plenum about 25mm and then get it re-mapped ( cost - the rest of your budget)
Of course if you want someone else to weild the spanners / die grinder then you can probably only afford a cam swap, without a re-map. In which case just buy a bigger wedge.
Matt
If you do all the work yourself then I would proceed as follows:
1) remove heads and broddle chambers and ports to improve airflow, then have skimmed to raise compression to 10.5:1 ish cost - about 100 quid and should gain 10-12 Bhp
2) Fit a high lift / lairy cam of your choice around 300 quid (including a new double timing chain) if you want to use the revs your new cam will require, you'll also need cro-moly pushrods (about 80 quid) and hi-rev lifters (60 quid) and h.duty valve springs (50 notes), shorten the trumpets inside the plenum about 25mm and then get it re-mapped ( cost - the rest of your budget)
Of course if you want someone else to weild the spanners / die grinder then you can probably only afford a cam swap, without a re-map. In which case just buy a bigger wedge.
Matt
350Matt: this is a 350 we're talking about, you can't have the ECU 'remapped' as such... How did you arrive at 25mm off the trumpets? I was planning on taking 15mm off those in the system I'm building at the moment.
One possibility if anyone's brave enough: I still have the JEM/ Omega forged pistons that were originally in my NCK 390 engine. They are flat-topped with valve pockets and give 10.5:1 compression with 93.5mm bores.
Although there is some slight wear to the thrust side and two of them are missing the top compression ring, I reckon they probably could be reused. Some of them have a slight mark at the botom of the skirt from where I pressed the gudgeon pins out (the press table was marked) and they could do with a decoke.
I found them again last night in the workshop and was intending to put them on Ebay
.
The reason I changed them was that two compression rings had snapped: one had scored the bore quite severely, the other had barely marked it. There's no damage to the ring lands that I can tell. Of course the only way to repair the bore damage (and in hindsight it may have been not worth doing!) was to go oversize. I spoke to JE Engineering and they said that whilst there wasn't an oversize as such, they could do me some 94mm flat-tops that they'd have to machine valve pockets in. Mine for a mere £600!
My cheapo alternative was, of course, to use Rangey 3.9L 9.35:1 dished pistons and have the valve pockets put in by a mate for beer money. 10,000 miles later and it's still going...
Incidentally there's still enough meat on the liners for another +20thou. or so rebore, so could potentially just scrape a true 4000cc....
How did you arrive at 25mm off the trumpets? I was planning on taking 15mm off those in the system I'm building at the moment. One possibility if anyone's brave enough: I still have the JEM/ Omega forged pistons that were originally in my NCK 390 engine. They are flat-topped with valve pockets and give 10.5:1 compression with 93.5mm bores.
Although there is some slight wear to the thrust side and two of them are missing the top compression ring, I reckon they probably could be reused. Some of them have a slight mark at the botom of the skirt from where I pressed the gudgeon pins out (the press table was marked) and they could do with a decoke.
I found them again last night in the workshop and was intending to put them on Ebay
.
The reason I changed them was that two compression rings had snapped: one had scored the bore quite severely, the other had barely marked it. There's no damage to the ring lands that I can tell. Of course the only way to repair the bore damage (and in hindsight it may have been not worth doing!) was to go oversize. I spoke to JE Engineering and they said that whilst there wasn't an oversize as such, they could do me some 94mm flat-tops that they'd have to machine valve pockets in. Mine for a mere £600!
My cheapo alternative was, of course, to use Rangey 3.9L 9.35:1 dished pistons and have the valve pockets put in by a mate for beer money. 10,000 miles later and it's still going...
Incidentally there's still enough meat on the liners for another +20thou. or so rebore, so could potentially just scrape a true 4000cc....
Gassing Station | Wedges | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff