Discussion
Hi all,
A friend of mine recently bought an engine to put in an off road landrover. We were told it was a Tuscan Challenge engine, but when I went round to inspect it the other day, I realised that it is in actual fact an original flapper EFI 450 SEAC engine with all original ECU, loom, NCK stamps on the plenum, block etc. It is engine NCK 122 if I remember correctly and we're now thinking that the may be a bit too rare to put in an off road landy. So this looks to be one of about 25 built, and has been rebuilt 8k miles ago. What we're thinking now is to sell it to a good TVR home and put it to proper use, then by a boggo 5L to stick in the landy with a torquey cam in there. So the question is, which SEAC might it have come from, and does anyone need one?!
A friend of mine recently bought an engine to put in an off road landrover. We were told it was a Tuscan Challenge engine, but when I went round to inspect it the other day, I realised that it is in actual fact an original flapper EFI 450 SEAC engine with all original ECU, loom, NCK stamps on the plenum, block etc. It is engine NCK 122 if I remember correctly and we're now thinking that the may be a bit too rare to put in an off road landy. So this looks to be one of about 25 built, and has been rebuilt 8k miles ago. What we're thinking now is to sell it to a good TVR home and put it to proper use, then by a boggo 5L to stick in the landy with a torquey cam in there. So the question is, which SEAC might it have come from, and does anyone need one?!
At the moment its sat mounted in the land rover chassis but is not plumbed in so does not run, but I guess it could be made to run without too much trouble.. Not sure what it's worth at the moment but I'll do some homework..
Speaking with a couple of specialists, its certainly a rare engine, and very strong by the sound of things as its essentially a tuscan challenge engine without quite such crazy cams. As long as we can confirm that it has been rebuilt correctly and runs well then I should think it should be worth decent money. As long as it goes to the right use, being a TVR guy I want to make sure it goes to proper use!
Speaking with a couple of specialists, its certainly a rare engine, and very strong by the sound of things as its essentially a tuscan challenge engine without quite such crazy cams. As long as we can confirm that it has been rebuilt correctly and runs well then I should think it should be worth decent money. As long as it goes to the right use, being a TVR guy I want to make sure it goes to proper use!
This sounds very interesting. Can I assume that this is the rare 4.5 with the iceberg crank and not the standard 4.6 that TVR put into their 450s
One of these running Dellorto 48mm DHLA downdraft carbs came up a little while back. I was actually quite tempted but it went before I have even thought about it.
One of these running Dellorto 48mm DHLA downdraft carbs came up a little while back. I was actually quite tempted but it went before I have even thought about it.
Sorry Jeff, read that in a hurry and didn't register the joke (very long day..!)
Yes its a very rare engine, one of around 25 produed by NCK for TVR along with the 30 or so Tuscan engines. I haven't found the full spec yet but speaking to specialists and looking at the engine it has:
72mm NCK plenum, cosworth pistons, iceberg crank, h beam rods, hot heads - not sure of the spec yet but it sounds like gas flowed and large valves but not as large as the race engines. Highlift cam (fast road - not race), standard rockers. We also have a serpentine conversion kit to put on it so it can be made to run the serp belt etc. On the flapper ECU they're supposedly good for around 330bhp, and its a proper TVR 4.5 - not 4.6 like in the Chim.
If anyone's interested please get in touch, or indeed if you have any information on which car it came from. There can't be many SEACs without engines so I'd say it should be fairly traceable.
Yes its a very rare engine, one of around 25 produed by NCK for TVR along with the 30 or so Tuscan engines. I haven't found the full spec yet but speaking to specialists and looking at the engine it has:
72mm NCK plenum, cosworth pistons, iceberg crank, h beam rods, hot heads - not sure of the spec yet but it sounds like gas flowed and large valves but not as large as the race engines. Highlift cam (fast road - not race), standard rockers. We also have a serpentine conversion kit to put on it so it can be made to run the serp belt etc. On the flapper ECU they're supposedly good for around 330bhp, and its a proper TVR 4.5 - not 4.6 like in the Chim.
If anyone's interested please get in touch, or indeed if you have any information on which car it came from. There can't be many SEACs without engines so I'd say it should be fairly traceable.
450Nick said:
At the moment its sat mounted in the land rover chassis but is not plumbed in so does not run, but I guess it could be made to run without too much trouble.. Not sure what it's worth at the moment but I'll do some homework..
Speaking with a couple of specialists, its certainly a rare engine, and very strong by the sound of things as its essentially a tuscan challenge engine without quite such crazy cams. As long as we can confirm that it has been rebuilt correctly and runs well then I should think it should be worth decent money. As long as it goes to the right use, being a TVR guy I want to make sure it goes to proper use!
What a ball part figure mate??? as maybe interested.Speaking with a couple of specialists, its certainly a rare engine, and very strong by the sound of things as its essentially a tuscan challenge engine without quite such crazy cams. As long as we can confirm that it has been rebuilt correctly and runs well then I should think it should be worth decent money. As long as it goes to the right use, being a TVR guy I want to make sure it goes to proper use!
cheers
ralph
Sounds like a cracking buy you have there, If the engine has been fully rebuilt it should be a goodin inside.
If you have a look at the SEAC pages you will see the spec that TVR built the engines too.
When i rebuilt SEAC420 NCK 105 it had the kent 234cam as per TVR.
The heads are well ported and have SS valves, all engines have the iceberg crank and even though not cross bolted bottom end very strong indeed.
Mine is running at 320bhp so the engines can good power if tunned.
Still it would make the landy realy shift but a 4.6 cross bolt with stage 2 heads and balanced bottom end will make 300 to 320 ftlb and about 290 bhp, you want torque for the landy to help shift the weight.
Nice one.... ill gove you 50quid for it
Cambelt
If you have a look at the SEAC pages you will see the spec that TVR built the engines too.
When i rebuilt SEAC420 NCK 105 it had the kent 234cam as per TVR.
The heads are well ported and have SS valves, all engines have the iceberg crank and even though not cross bolted bottom end very strong indeed.
Mine is running at 320bhp so the engines can good power if tunned.
Still it would make the landy realy shift but a 4.6 cross bolt with stage 2 heads and balanced bottom end will make 300 to 320 ftlb and about 290 bhp, you want torque for the landy to help shift the weight.
Nice one.... ill gove you 50quid for it
Cambelt
Campbell said:
Sounds like a cracking buy you have there, If the engine has been fully rebuilt it should be a goodin inside.
If you have a look at the SEAC pages you will see the spec that TVR built the engines too.
When i rebuilt SEAC420 NCK 105 it had the kent 234cam as per TVR.
The heads are well ported and have SS valves, all engines have the iceberg crank and even though not cross bolted bottom end very strong indeed.
Mine is running at 320bhp so the engines can good power if tunned.
Still it would make the landy realy shift but a 4.6 cross bolt with stage 2 heads and balanced bottom end will make 300 to 320 ftlb and about 290 bhp, you want torque for the landy to help shift the weight.
Nice one.... ill gove you 50quid for it
Cambelt
Well the landy isnt too heavy, its a short wheelbase TD5 chassis with a 60s tub on and no rear. Its on a big lift kit and will have full cage etc so itll be a proper off roader - sort of a home built Bowler wildcat. The SEAC engine would be good for it but I think its probably a bit peaky for what we want it for, and it would be a shame to mess about with it and put in a torquey cam etc so we're thinking best to get it in a road/track car and buy a standard engine to put in it instead, especially as water/offroading my well ruin it in time and that'd be a shame for such a rare engine. I'll do a bit of a research and come up with a ballpark figure for the engine tomorrow; not looking for silly money but enough to fund a replacement engine would seem fair. We've turned it over, checked under the rocker covers and given it a once over and it looks to be in good condition and has all of the original bits there, including even the throttle plate heater and mechanical idle valve so its in totally original condition with all of the NCK stamps on it. If you have a look at the SEAC pages you will see the spec that TVR built the engines too.
When i rebuilt SEAC420 NCK 105 it had the kent 234cam as per TVR.
The heads are well ported and have SS valves, all engines have the iceberg crank and even though not cross bolted bottom end very strong indeed.
Mine is running at 320bhp so the engines can good power if tunned.
Still it would make the landy realy shift but a 4.6 cross bolt with stage 2 heads and balanced bottom end will make 300 to 320 ftlb and about 290 bhp, you want torque for the landy to help shift the weight.
Nice one.... ill gove you 50quid for it
Cambelt
I'll try and get some photos up and maybe see if we can trace the engine to a car - again its one of about 25 so it can't be too hard to place surely! I'm told a couple of years ago you'd be looking at around £10k to put a similar one together so its a nice piece of kit..! Half tempted to put it in my Chim with the blower but I have too many other projects on at the moment!
TVRleigh_BBWR said:
Hi Can you enlighten me on why a 4.5 is so much better than a 4.6 x-bolted, if all other parts are the same.
Thank you.
It isn't the same that's the point! A 4.6 may be X bolted, but the 4.5 uses much higher spec components and higher compression than the 4.6. And I remember hearing from someone that they weren't X-bolted for a reason, something to do with the race cars and the cranks they used.. Feel free to enlighten me anyone..Thank you.
450Nick said:
It isn't the same that's the point! A 4.6 may be X bolted, but the 4.5 uses much higher spec components and higher compression than the 4.6. And I remember hearing from someone that they weren't X-bolted for a reason, something to do with the race cars and the cranks they used.. Feel free to enlighten me anyone..
I thought TVR racer V8's was X-bolted but small Journal same as the Group A SD1's, this was a modification (not standard), but I could be wrong.Fair point about the Spec of the parts in the 4.5 TVR RV8's, but in some ways the big journal block and crank setup as per the 4.6 is better. if used with better components.
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