Chimaera 4.0 engine rebuild help

[China100]

Hi all, I have had the bottom end on my 4.0 engine stolen as i had taken this out. (block and sump) so I need a new one. would a RANGE ROVER P38 4.0 petrol engine work with my original heads ancillaries etc..... or anyone know of anyone selling a cheap 4,0 tvr engine ?

Edited by China100 on Wednesday 26th April 16:45

[The Aardvark]

I bought a new block from these guys when I had a rebuild done 3 years ago -

http://turner-engineering.co.uk/html/V8blocks.html

[peaktorque]

Sounds like a good opportunity to upgrade to a 4.6

There are a few differences, internally, between a 3.9, 4.0/4.6. All will work, but an earlier 3.9 non-cross bolted will be the cheapest.

[QBee]

4.0 and 4.6 (3.9 and 4.5) Range Rover blocks are identical. It's the crank and pistons that differ.

A 4 litre or 4.6 P38 Range Rover bottom end will work fine in your car, but get a top hat linered one if you can, as these cars suffer from porous blocks over time and slipped liners.

If you buy a whole engine, that will work fine too. But the chip in your ECU won't be correctly mapped to the cam/heads etc. TVR changed the cam and heads to suits the needs of a sports car. There are a couple of experts who can remap your chip.

Proof - this is my newly built 4.6 engine, in my TVR, after being reinserted into the car. It is a standard RR 4.6 block, crank and pistons, has standard Range Rover heads and even a standard RR cam, just a different inlet manifold and 72mm plenum, as that is what I had to hand. Chip is actually my old 5 litre one, as I still have those injectors, and it runs fine. I needed a rock solid, low compression engine to allow me to add a hairdryer up front.

Just take advice from a decent engine expert would be my suggestion - mine was built professionally.

[China100]

Thanks all, How do you generally rate the engines?

My TVR wont be standard as I am doing an entire rebuild on the car - so taking the opportunity to " right some wrongs" so would you go professionally built TVR Engine - or look at alternatives ford 302 etc...?

[QBee]

China100 said:

Thanks all, How do you generally rate the engines?

My TVR wont be standard as I am doing an entire rebuild on the car - so taking the opportunity to " right some wrongs" so would you go professionally built TVR Engine - or look at alternatives ford 302 etc...?

What do you want out of the car?
Then are you doing anything other than road use?
Then what budget do you have?
That will help you decide.

FWIW, LS3 conversions get discussed a fair bit on these forums. Complete, including gearbox, clutch and all the other bits, you are looking at the thick edge of £24,000, less what you get back selling your old bits.

Turbocharge or supercharge, including intercooler, oil cooler, ECU and mapping is about £6-7,000, plus you will need to refresh your RV8 stuff, so allow another £1-2000 for that.

Neither adds the total cost of doing them to the value of your car, but all the above can give you 400-550 bhp and similar torque - torque is higher with the turbo than the LS3.

Standard engine rebuild a couple of grand.

V8Developments bigger engine £5000-7000 plus installation.

You get more power for your money going TC or SC than you do changing heads or cams on a naturally aspirated engine, but if all you want is a nice, standard, fun road car, you might not need to consider FI or LS.

And do remember that when you come to sell, factory standard tends to attract more potential buyers. They have to want your modifications to want to pay for them.

I did ask about a Ford 302, and was told it was too big and too heavy, and too many other problems with fit. How true that is i don't know. Only one I have seen was at my local garage in a 1961 Humber Hawk. Nice installation, and he showed me the supercharger he had, ready to go in.

Edited by QBee on Thursday 27th April 09:51

[Sardonicus]

QBee said:

4.0 and 4.6 (3.9 and 4.5) Range Rover blocks are identical. It's the crank and pistons that differ.

A 4 litre or 4.6 P38 Range Rover bottom end will work fine in your car, but get a top hat linered one if you can, as these cars suffer from porous blocks over time and slipped liners.

If you buy a whole engine, that will work fine too. But the chip in your ECU won't be correctly mapped to the cam/heads etc. TVR changed the cam and heads to suits the needs of a sports car. There are a couple of experts who can remap your chip.

Proof - this is my newly built 4.6 engine, in my TVR, after being reinserted into the car. It is a standard RR 4.6 block, crank and pistons, has standard Range Rover heads and even a standard RR cam, just a different inlet manifold and 72mm plenum, as that is what I had to hand. Chip is actually my old 5 litre one, as I still have those injectors, and it runs fine. I needed a rock solid, low compression engine to allow me to add a hairdryer up front.

Just take advice from a decent engine expert would be my suggestion - mine was built professionally.

Not identical to what he has fitted already though thats an interim pre/serp or serp motor with the smaller journal crank more in common with the 500 motor these also have different pistons and con-rods to the 4.0/4.6 motors