To swap a serpentine '96 Griffith RV8 engine into a wedge...

[panic]

Is it possible (and how hard) to swap into a wedge 350 V8 year '86 a Griffith serpentine RV8 engine?

Any mods needed to chassis?

Thanks
Giuseppe

[TVRleigh_BBWR]

All RV8's use the same engine mouting,
You have to swap out 1/2 the wiring ECU AFM. as a 350 will have a flapper injection system with low voltage injectors. it's been done before so should not be too much of a problem,

[GreenV8S]

The main components are the same. Because you're changing the front cover type the cooling plumbing will be slightly different and the ancillaries will be different so you would need to get the ancillaries with the engine. You would have to decide whether you keeping the flapper injection system or moving to the hotwire setup. Keeping the flapper would entail replacing the hotwire manifold with the flapper one (and making sure it all fits and matches) and getting the flapper re-mapped. I would say moving to the hotwire setup was a smarter move.

[panic]

What if I went radical and fixed an Edelbrock carb on top of my griff engine?
What other mods I'd have to face then?

I'm trying to avoid complications.

[GreenV8S]

Then you'd have to find an Edelbrook manifold, port it to match the heads, change the fuel supply to suit, and get the carb set up. You'd probably need some form of choke control, too. I guess emissions aren't an issue for you, but if they are that might rule out the carb approach.

[panic]

GreenV8S said:

Then you'd have to find an Edelbrook manifold, port it to match the heads, change the fuel supply to suit, and get the carb set up. You'd probably need some form of choke control, too. I guess emissions aren't an issue for you, but if they are that might rule out the carb approach.

I mean the Edelbrok/Weber carb would go on the proper matching intake and everything would go on my Griffith engine, not on the 3.5 ltr of the wedge...so actually in one shot I'd avoid all the inj/airmeter/ecu iussue, am I right?

The next question is: will the 3.5 wedge trans match the Griffith RV8? ...and () will the half shaft, diff, etc hold the increased power.

Thanks

[grahamw48]

You're going to need at least a Griff 500 clutch and 390/400SE shafts and joints.

'pistolar' had a 5 litre Griff engined Wedge ...not sure whether he swapped over the front end of the engine though.

Sounded bloody awesome.

It won the 2005 Wedgefest loudest Wedge competition.

Here you are:

(the third one tested in nice metallic blue; silver 390 was Wedg1e's)

http://www.pistonheads.tv/clip452

Edited by grahamw48 on Saturday 3rd October 17:07

[TVRleigh_BBWR]

I mean the Edelbrok/Weber carb would go on the proper matching intake and everything would go on my Griffith engine, not on the 3.5 ltr of the wedge...so actually in one shot I'd avoid all the inj/airmeter/ecu iussue, am I right?

The next question is: will the 3.5 wedge trans match the Griffith RV8? ...and () will the half shaft, diff, etc hold the increased power.

Thanks
[/quote]

Well the 3.5 inlet will fit the on the serp engine, you could even change all the front end, so you use can use your old stuff water pump etc.

This way you will not need to change any wiring AFM etc.

Bit if your that green on these things may not be the best idea.
As said all the Rv8 blocks are the same 3.5 - 5.2 so will fit onto your gearbox.
Depending on the Gearbox on the Griff, you may need to change the crank bush, as they use different bushes, on the LT77 and T5, these can be tricky to get out.
If its a 4.0 Griff Serp engine, I think these was about 220-240 BHP, I think 3.5's was 190 so not a masive boost, but most 400SE are 220-260 BHP will have a bit more torue also.
All 400SE's had upraded drive shafts and UJ, but they still close to a service item.
So on a 350 you may have to change them every 6-10k with a 4.0 Engine, depends how hard your going to push the car.