classic Range Rover engine swap

[Markh]

Am thinking of overhauling my Range Rover, was looking at engine swaps, was thinking some different than the usual TVR/Corvette units so was thinking of an Audi 4.2 V8 and auto box, just wondered if had been done before or anyone know someone who could undertake the project

thanks

Mark

[eliot]

Replacing a 3.9 V8 with a 4.2V8 seems a little pointless to me. A bit of googlng suggests 338 bhp at 7000 rpm, which doesn't seem all that suitable for a heavy 4x4 with an auto - although the turbocharged variant would make a far more interesting conversion.
There's a 580bhp V10 on ebay...

[Markh]

thanks Elliot I will take a look, any idea who would do this sort of work

[andyb66]

I know someone who could help you stick the later model Jag based V8 engine into a classic. I does involve getting an adaptor machined to mate it to a ZF auto box, but it goes quite well

[Markh]

andyb66 said:

I know someone who could help you stick the later model Jag based V8 engine into a classic. I does involve getting an adaptor machined to mate it to a ZF auto box, but it goes quite well

Interesting, could you give me some more info?

thanks

[andyb66]

You'll need a later ZF 24 box from a P38 or D2. I will email him and ask if he would make another engine/box adaptor.

[Markh]

andyb66 said:

You'll need a later ZF 24 box from a P38 or D2. I will email him and ask if he would make another engine/box adaptor.

Thank you, this could the way forward

[DonkeyApple]

Hi Mark,

I've spent quite a bit of time looking at this exact subject.

I focussed for a long time on the AJV8 route.

The RV8 is pointless if you want more than 300bhp with good torque and some form of fuel economy.

The Jag engine fits but you can find sump problems and a few other bits which lead it to being quite a bit further forward than you'd want. Or your cutting bulkhead, especially if it's SC.

The engine that someone I know has fitted and got 400 bhp and huge torque out of with an SC is the Lexus V8.

I've spent over a year on this and needed up full circle at the engine I wanted to avoid but have admitted defeat on as it slots in easily and is economical while lazy and powerfull. The dreaded LS3.

[eliot]

DonkeyApple said:

I've spent over a year on this and needed up full circle at the engine I wanted to avoid but have admitted defeat on as it slots in easily and is economical while lazy and powerfull. The dreaded LS3.

I vaguely recollect that thread i think!

[DonkeyApple]

eliot said:

I vaguely recollect that thread i think!

Every route kept leading back to the LS to avoid butchering bulkheads or bonnets and to keep the weight in the same place while achieving an easy 400 with bags of torque and most importantly reliability.

At the outset I spoke to JE and their product is simply wonderful and still very tempting but as it's a Rangie not a Defender there is going to be a fair amount of additional work to get to the same place.

I spoke to several people who are meant to be excellent at super charging Rover units but luckily met a few customers who's engines had never worked as well as they had been assured. I'm quite confident that getting to the target power range would have resulted in a troublesome engine.

The clincher for me in the end was that after a year of being taken for a ride by a series of supposed professional and honest specialists in the first year of owning the Overfinch and sorting simple issues I found a brilliant Chevy specialist only a couple of miles away in West London who got the car working perfectly in 2 days and I never had an issue again and he didn't try to rob me.

[eliot]

I run a LS3 in the VXR8 - very nice engine. Worth remembering I have a HP Tuners box for the GM engines.