Taimar to V8

[tuscanturner]

Im looking at purchasing a cracking Taimar soon and my thoughts are drifting towards fitting a suitable V8 under the bonnet. I sure there are many conversions out there but Im looking for advice of which engine gearbox combination works best for a DIY job, I would like to do this in my own garage if possible. Also how much Horsepower is enough without modifying the chassis?

[bluezeeland]

I'll probably get shot in flight(again), but think the turbo' output (230 bhp) should be the bench-mark ?

[Electron]

My 5000M has a Ford 302 with alloy heads - same sort of weight as an Essex. The challenges I faced were all linked to moving the weak spot around the car .

1) Overheating - Alloy rad - electric fan and electric water pump to fix cooling.

2) Transmission to match engine - T5 Mustang gearbox with clutch

3) Diff - no LSD when I got the car and it smoked tyres !! 3.54 Salisbury limited slip diff

4) Clunking driveshafts - Adrian's rear wishbone strengtheners and tougher drive shafts

5) Fuel Surge - Foam filled baffled alloy fuel tank to avoid fuel pissing out the filler at Gurston on the left hander -

6) Fuel vapourisation - ran well first time then would never restart - spacer for the Holley - probably need to heatwrap exhausts

More frustration than fun

Once I'd got this far the car had a habit of letting go very suddenly and swapping ends ... probably due to driver not having enough experience ... or time to improve with sufficient track time ...

Decided to go down a different path for the time being ...

[Adrian@]

I would agree (Turbo's list as 230BHP but they were never that figure in reality, as that 230BHP is listed when 5* petrol was available and most of these would of needed to have the ignition retarded to cope with 4* and would have given a safe 195BHP. Almost all the Turbo's will have torque twisted the rear lower wishbones, more so these days where the tyres are far better than when the cars were produced, AND valid where these days rear disc kits can torque twist the opposite way and lead to breakages!)
with a lot of the (what are considered to be) 'standard' upgrades.
Adrian@

[djc100]

The RV8 with LT77 5 speed box is a fairly simple conversion, requiring minimum chassis mods. and no bodywork mods. It's quite a lot lighter than the Essex and 240bhp is available without extreme tuning. A Edelbrock/Weber 4 barrel eliminates electrical work for injection and I also think a RV8 plenum would require a bonnet bulge.
The conversion 'story' for my car is told on M-Fix but it now runs a 3.9 rather than the original 3.5 ltr.
Bespoke manifolds are probably the most difficult items to source but I have just had new ones made by a well known fabricator so I guess they can be easily replicated. I do like the engine being from the period and also a TVR engine.
You are welcome come see a RV8M if you want to venture across the border into Lancashire (Preston).
R's
David

Edited by djc100 on Monday 5th November 13:06

[tuscanturner]

Sounds like fitting the Ford could turn out to be a bit of a handfull. I was hoping something 250-300 hp would be Ok. Maybe I should check my passport is up to date and venture into windy side of the Pennines

[heightswitch]

If you are going to go to all the time, trouble and expense of an engine swap then it should be a worthwhile exercise!

195hp is an achievable figure with the original engine?

The original engine isn't such a bad old lump.

If you are swapping then why? More power, better mpg, easier spares availability, reliability???

The cost of a properly done swap will pay for an awfull lot of tuning

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=NbXBSLRvgHU

Edited by heightswitch on Monday 5th November 18:26

[tuscanturner]

[quote=heightswitch]If you are going to go to all the time, trouble and expense of an engine swap then it should be a worthwhile exercise!

195hp is an achievable figure with the original engine?

The original engine isn't such a bad old lump.

If you are swapping then why? More power, better mpg, easier spares availability, reliability???

The cost of a properly done swap will pay for an awfull lot of tuning

That's also something I should be considering. I don't know a great deal about the essex engine at the moment which tuning companies are there out there suppose the main reason for swapping is the power, noise and reliability, I love the speed 6 I drive but that hasn't the same qualities as a v8?quote]
I

Edited by tuscanturner on Monday 5th November 19:15

[catfishdb]

You just can't beat the sound of a V8.

New transmission and engine mounts. Drive shaft. Manifolds. Cooling issues to sort. Slight modification to the frame to clear the pulleys. Where do you stop?

Arthur

[GTRene]

indeed, it can be a big + on the fun, V8 rules ;-)

what car is that btw...looks clean.


edit..seeing your profile its a 5000M ...nice!!

Edited by GTRene on Monday 5th November 19:34

[Cerberus90]

Those shock absorbers don't look like they'd absorb much,

[stainless_steve]

Most V8 engines will fit including the LS,do what you want with the car from mild to wild.

[Slow M]

tuscanturner said:

...how much Horsepower is enough...?

Is that intended to be an existential, a rhetorical, or perhaps more of a philosophical question?

Best,
B.

[GTRene]

looks like you are making a monster Steve

when do you think it will be ready?

[TVR_owner]

I am busy re-assembling a 38 year old 3000M Chassis. Its been a race car all its life.

It has been running 270-280 bhp for the last 5 years.

Its been running slicks for 4 of the last 5 years.

The chassis has been 100% visually inspected and 100% of the welds have beend NDT'd.

No damage at all to the chassis.

Why would you want to brace and modify road car chassis?

[tuscanturner]

stainless_steve said:

Most V8 engines will fit including the LS,do what you want with the car from mild to wild.

I had a look at the LS conversions for my Tuscan but the price of the whole job doiing by a third party was out of my budget althought the result would have been impressive, which of the LS range would be suitable for the Taimar?

[stainless_steve]

GTRene said:

looks like you are making a monster Steve

when do you think it will be ready?

It will be up and running around this time next year,just finishing some bits on the chassis at the moment then off to the powder coaters.so at the beginning of the year all the fun starts bolting the new bits together

[stainless_steve]

tuscanturner said:

I had a look at the LS conversions for my Tuscan but the price of the whole job doiing by a third party was out of my budget althought the result would have been impressive, which of the LS range would be suitable for the Taimar?

I fitted the Holden spec 6.0L engine in mine mated to a TKO 600 gearbox,mine is a 2500 M so I also needed to fit the jag diff

[stainless_steve]

TVR_owner said:

I am busy re-assembling a 38 year old 3000M Chassis. Its been a race car all its life.

It has been running 270-280 bhp for the last 5 years.

Its been running slicks for 4 of the last 5 years.

The chassis has been 100% visually inspected and 100% of the welds have beend NDT'd.

No damage at all to the chassis.

Why would you want to brace and modify road car chassis?

That's good to know John,the wedge chassis crack on the race cars

[DavidY]

Except that Dave Smith cracked both lower rear wishbones on his V8 conversion, possibly a bit more torque than a trick Essex, and his was running big, wide modern rubber.