My Toyota Mr2 V8 project..
Discussion
Hello everyone,
This is a project that I actually started a few years ago when I was 16, had a bit of a problem with finance and room! But i'm starting to get on track and back into this project - just need to sell my landy and i'll have enough money to continue!
I'm a bit daring when it comes to cars so this is what i've done...
I bought this Toyota Mr2 3 years ago cheaply! very nice and tidy, however I then made it a bit messy;
I then bought this lump of metal for the beauty of a V8 under the bonnet to squeeze into the mr2;
The basic idea is to fit the 4.2L V8 engine in the rear of the Mr2 where the 2L engine originally sat, and then build some nice body around the car. I've done quite a few drawings to see if i can fit it into the car and i think its possible.
I'll add some more pictures asap if people are interested, and will answer any questions! Its just a bit of fun to spend my money on and a good way to learn. If it works at the end of the project, then i'm going to be spending a lot of money on fuel.. and tyres!
All the best - Alex :-)
This is a project that I actually started a few years ago when I was 16, had a bit of a problem with finance and room! But i'm starting to get on track and back into this project - just need to sell my landy and i'll have enough money to continue!
I'm a bit daring when it comes to cars so this is what i've done...
I bought this Toyota Mr2 3 years ago cheaply! very nice and tidy, however I then made it a bit messy;
I then bought this lump of metal for the beauty of a V8 under the bonnet to squeeze into the mr2;
The basic idea is to fit the 4.2L V8 engine in the rear of the Mr2 where the 2L engine originally sat, and then build some nice body around the car. I've done quite a few drawings to see if i can fit it into the car and i think its possible.
I'll add some more pictures asap if people are interested, and will answer any questions! Its just a bit of fun to spend my money on and a good way to learn. If it works at the end of the project, then i'm going to be spending a lot of money on fuel.. and tyres!
All the best - Alex :-)
AlexTatar said:
I'll add some more pictures asap if people are interested, and will answer any questions!
Interested 
Always interested in engine swaps - is there really enough room for an Audi V8 (and I assume the Audi gearbox and transaxle?) in the engine bay of an MR2? Did you think about the V6 (with or without turbos) from the A4/S4?
Mark Benson said:
Interested
Always interested in engine swaps - is there really enough room for an Audi V8 (and I assume the Audi gearbox and transaxle?) in the engine bay of an MR2? Did you think about the V6 (with or without turbos) from the A4/S4?
The V6 from the Camry is quite a common swap, this is an N/A setup though..Always interested in engine swaps - is there really enough room for an Audi V8 (and I assume the Audi gearbox and transaxle?) in the engine bay of an MR2? Did you think about the V6 (with or without turbos) from the A4/S4?
Be interested to see if this works out for you.. why did you choose an Audi motor? Over say, any other V8 available?
Wow that's a big lump to squeeze into that bay! Good work fella
I'm a fan of putting V8s in Toyotas - check out my build thread for my chevy V8 into Supra conversion.
What are you going to use it for? The position of that big lump over the rear axl will be critical to get good handling
Good luck. I'll be following this closely
I'm a fan of putting V8s in Toyotas - check out my build thread for my chevy V8 into Supra conversion.
What are you going to use it for? The position of that big lump over the rear axl will be critical to get good handling
Good luck. I'll be following this closely
If you search back you will find a bloke who tried to do exactly the same thing with a red mk2 MR2 and an Audi 4.2 V8. In the end, it didn't work out, despite his efforts. I think the biggest issue was housing the gearbox. He ended up having to cut the shell to try and make room for it and it ended up sawn to pieces. I guess he gave up when he realised he'd never get an SVA pass on the car after he had chopped it so much.
It even had the bloke from Woodsport, who is famed for mk1 MR2 V6 conversions, saying it wouldn't work.
So I wish you good luck, as the A8's 4.2 V8 is a mighty engine. I'd have kept it in the A8 though, and bought a turbo motor for the MR2. I've had both and couldn't say which one I love more.
It even had the bloke from Woodsport, who is famed for mk1 MR2 V6 conversions, saying it wouldn't work.
So I wish you good luck, as the A8's 4.2 V8 is a mighty engine. I'd have kept it in the A8 though, and bought a turbo motor for the MR2. I've had both and couldn't say which one I love more.
Excellent project chap 
Have a look at this thread for another Audi V8 MR2 project. Sadly, it looks as though the owner has had to sell the project before finishing, but hopefully it'll give you ideas on locating the gearbox.
Looks as though you've aleady done the cutting of the rear bulkhead, so best of luck with the rest.
Have a look at this thread for another Audi V8 MR2 project. Sadly, it looks as though the owner has had to sell the project before finishing, but hopefully it'll give you ideas on locating the gearbox.Looks as though you've aleady done the cutting of the rear bulkhead, so best of luck with the rest.
Good luck with the project, a lot of people have tried but unfortunately never completed. It would be great to see one on the road.
The Audi V8 is quite a compact unit and coupled with the right gearbox where the output shafts are near the bellhousing, it has a chance of having the driveshafts close to lining up with the hubs.
I've got a 320hp V6 in mine and it's a properly fast little MR2, so a V8 is really going to fly. I toy with the idea of putting my RS6 engine into a Mk2 shell should the gearbox in mine expire. That would be absolutely mental!
As for the V8 into a Mk2 it can certainly be done, there is a few swaps in the states but there isn't a vast amount of information about them. Also Woodsport would certainly have a go at it, just no one come up with the money to pay for it yet
The Audi V8 is quite a compact unit and coupled with the right gearbox where the output shafts are near the bellhousing, it has a chance of having the driveshafts close to lining up with the hubs.
I've got a 320hp V6 in mine and it's a properly fast little MR2, so a V8 is really going to fly. I toy with the idea of putting my RS6 engine into a Mk2 shell should the gearbox in mine expire. That would be absolutely mental!
As for the V8 into a Mk2 it can certainly be done, there is a few swaps in the states but there isn't a vast amount of information about them. Also Woodsport would certainly have a go at it, just no one come up with the money to pay for it yet
Hi Everyone!
Thank you for the interest!
About the gear box.. as you may know the original gearbox is way to big to fit in the MR2, infact its about twice the length of the engine itself :S and not only that, it is also 4WD so it will not work! unless i decide to turn it in to 6 wheeled car, hmm.... haha. So to solve this problem I have bought this gearbox (audi a4 01x)
This gearbox is 5 speed and the outputs are very close to the engine, but not close enough as they do not line up with wheels. This is where I come on to my next problem;
to get the gearbox output to line up with the wheels the engine MUST move towards the front of the engine:
I've drawn this scaled down version of the car, as you can see with the gearbox connect to the engine where it sits at the moment, it is 31cm out of line from the wheels, which means the engine needs to move 31cm towards the front. Well not exactly 31 cm as Cv joint sit at an angle. So the proposed plan is to cut the engine firewall... now before i get people saying "oh but SVA" that.. and "SVA" this.... I have spoken to the SVA and emailed my proposed plans, and aslong as I re-inforce the monocoque with a sub frame then it will be okay.
So I plan to build a sub frame; complete with suspension to cradle the engine and gearbox to fit in to the proposed space. Something similar to this:
Also i plan to put the engine coolant radiator at the front of the car, to distribute weight!
- Alex
Thank you for the interest!
About the gear box.. as you may know the original gearbox is way to big to fit in the MR2, infact its about twice the length of the engine itself :S and not only that, it is also 4WD so it will not work! unless i decide to turn it in to 6 wheeled car, hmm.... haha. So to solve this problem I have bought this gearbox (audi a4 01x)
This gearbox is 5 speed and the outputs are very close to the engine, but not close enough as they do not line up with wheels. This is where I come on to my next problem;
to get the gearbox output to line up with the wheels the engine MUST move towards the front of the engine:
I've drawn this scaled down version of the car, as you can see with the gearbox connect to the engine where it sits at the moment, it is 31cm out of line from the wheels, which means the engine needs to move 31cm towards the front. Well not exactly 31 cm as Cv joint sit at an angle. So the proposed plan is to cut the engine firewall... now before i get people saying "oh but SVA" that.. and "SVA" this.... I have spoken to the SVA and emailed my proposed plans, and aslong as I re-inforce the monocoque with a sub frame then it will be okay.
So I plan to build a sub frame; complete with suspension to cradle the engine and gearbox to fit in to the proposed space. Something similar to this:
Also i plan to put the engine coolant radiator at the front of the car, to distribute weight!
- Alex
Just an idea, and may sound a bit odd, but have you thought about running a chain drive from the output flanges on each side of the gear box to the half shafts (with sprocket on) in the standard MR2 wheel position.
I guess it'd take a bit of work to machine something to work, but it'd be very easy to gear up & gear down the final drive
Could something like that work?
I guess it'd take a bit of work to machine something to work, but it'd be very easy to gear up & gear down the final drive
Could something like that work?
A very similar thing was done in the US previously, so might be some tips here:
http://www.mv8r.com/wordpress/worlds-1st-running-a...
Cutting the firewall means removing and suitably re-installing a major structural member, part of the firewall / bulkhead itself, but also shortening the fuel tank, and re-directing some of the service line such as fuel, coolant, brakes line, and the gear shift cables. Not rocket science, but not completely straight-forward. Paul Woods had to do a similar thing on his V8 mk1.
The MR2 has a front mounted coolant radiator already, so no need to relocation there. Most of the ancillary systems are also mounted up front like brake servo, PS pump, various ECU's, so the engine bay is relatively uncluttered, and not too much to relocate.
Good luck with this. As I think I noted before on your previous thread, there is another version Audi gearbox that should allow you to avoid the majority of the modifications to the bulkhead / fuel tank.
http://www.mv8r.com/wordpress/worlds-1st-running-a...
Cutting the firewall means removing and suitably re-installing a major structural member, part of the firewall / bulkhead itself, but also shortening the fuel tank, and re-directing some of the service line such as fuel, coolant, brakes line, and the gear shift cables. Not rocket science, but not completely straight-forward. Paul Woods had to do a similar thing on his V8 mk1.
The MR2 has a front mounted coolant radiator already, so no need to relocation there. Most of the ancillary systems are also mounted up front like brake servo, PS pump, various ECU's, so the engine bay is relatively uncluttered, and not too much to relocate.
Good luck with this. As I think I noted before on your previous thread, there is another version Audi gearbox that should allow you to avoid the majority of the modifications to the bulkhead / fuel tank.
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