Another Engine required

[Snow Mole]

Having had the car at the engine builders for 3 months, its fianlly been decided that the engine is not worth rebuilding. The options I've got is to rebuild the 400 using a 4.6 block , but I really want to keep this car as original. I know that this is a long shot, but does anyone know where I might be able to pick up a 3.9 engine to have rebuilt and the good bits form the 400 swopped over.
I'm gutted about this but I'm sure that the final result will be fine - Suppose I'll tell the missus its another £99.95 bill!!!
Thanks for any suggestions
Richard

[matt-man]

Go for the bigger engine!

Tell ya what, if you want my engine, its yours for the price of a 4.6 fully rebuilt lump in mine...

Im to good to some people.....

[rev-erend]

As far as I know - they can only get the 4.6 block - this is much better as it has 4 bolt mains.. big improvement.

They then take this an reliner to the piston size needed.

You do not have to keep it as a 4.6 !

See below - I took this as an example from John Eales :

www.beebold.com/clients/johneales/short%20block.htm


SHORT ENGINES.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Block, crank, rods and pistons.Fully balanced. Camshaft and timing chain assembly. Assembled and Crated. Built from all new parts. Outright sale NO exchange unit needed.


Engine Specification. Price +VAT
3.5. litre 88.9mm x 71.12mm High and low compression £ 1450.00
3.5.litre 94.04mm x 63mm 10.5:1 to 12.5:1 CR £3,200.00
3.9. litre 94.04mm x 71.12mm High and low compression £1,450.00
4.0. litre 94.04mm x 71.12mm High and low compression £1,450.00
4.6. litre 94.04mm x 82mm 8.13:1, 9.35:1, 10.5:1 CR £1,450.00
4.8. litre 94.04mm x 86.36mm 9.35:1 to 11.0:1 CR £2,250.00
5.0. litre 94.04mm x 90mm 9.35 to 11.0:1 CR £2,750.00
5.2. litre 94.04mm x 92mm 9.35:1 to 11.0:1 CR £3,150.00

[badredwedge]

Richard. There are a number of brand new 3.9 bare engines around for sale at the min, try auto trader, If you want one to rebuild try ebay always a few on there

Good Luck

[l33]

I know you have said you don't want to but the 4.6 route is the way to go. The extra power it gives over the 4.0 is insane.

Like Matt-Man, I will happily donate my 4.0 engine for the low end price of a 4.6 conversion

[medieval]

I've got the 4.6 in mine and it is rather brisk..

[boll-x]

Have just picked up a wedge with a 4.6ltr lump and in a straight line there isn't that much difference to my griff 500.......

[jagdpanther]

Im having thoughts of buying a 350i with a blown lump, buying something big to drop in it....maybe a 4.8 a'la Simon Cole

[gsx600]

I had the same issues when my 400 broke it's engine at the first wedge fest. Wanted to keep it as a 400, but also had a high spec Chim 4.5BV lying in the garage. Swapped over to get the 400 working so I could sell the 350 and never looked back. Still need to coax extra power out of the beast

I reckon now the 450 has the power of the TVR acclaimed output now for the 400, so goes like stink. It still looks the same on the outside as the 400 so will still look ariginal albeit with a more uptodate grunt

[s.hogan3]

if you are going for a short block motor remember that your heads might not be compatible as when i had my 5.0 rebord to a 5.2 the cr in the heads and had to have them worked on to match the 5.2 cr
if you are thinking of a bigger engine i would go for a complete engine
hope this helps
ps i req v8 develipment all day long if you wont the phone no e/mail me

[pwd95]

Upgrading the engine to what they should have had in the first place makes perfect sense. If TVR could have done it they would have. They certainly quoted it. (275bhp ) So make it so.

Shouldn't affect the insurance as you're only matching the original quoted figure

Edited by pwd95 on Thursday 22 February 00:38

[brap_brap]

This is one time where I should probably keep my mouth shut.... especially as the new kid on the block in wedges, but this topic really got me thinking...

What do I do when the rover block's toast and I need an new engine? If a guy in the UK can't even find the home-grown engine he needs, how hard will it be for me in Kanaduh?

If and when my engine ever dies, I'll definately want to keep it rover and I'll enquire how much it'll cost to crate it and ship it home for a rebuild. On the other hand, if it's too expensive, I'll probably choose a mazda 3-rotor twin turbo that's ported and pumping out 550HP. I could double the power and shave 150 lbs or more off the car at the same time. You can't do that with a Chevy lump.

Go ahead, laugh away guys. :P



Rotorhead

[jagdpanther]

brap_brap said:

This is one time where I should probably keep my mouth shut.... especially as the new kid on the block in wedges, but this topic really got me thinking...

What do I do when the rover block's toast and I need an new engine? If a guy in the UK can't even find the home-grown engine he needs, how hard will it be for me in Kanaduh?

If and when my engine ever dies, I'll definately want to keep it rover and I'll enquire how much it'll cost to crate it and ship it home for a rebuild. On the other hand, if it's too expensive, I'll probably choose a mazda 3-rotor twin turbo that's ported and pumping out 550HP. I could double the power and shave 150 lbs or more off the car at the same time. You can't do that with a Chevy lump.

Go ahead, laugh away guys. :P

A ROTARY IN A WEDGE????


Go stand in the corner young man


Rotorhead

[brap_brap]

jagdpanther said:

A ROTARY IN A WEDGE????


Go stand in the corner young man

Don't under-estimate Dr. Wankel's cool toy.

http://videos.streetfire.net/search/3

If you can ever produce a video of a 5L rover, a speed 6 or even the speed 12 leap off the line line that, I'll reconsider.

[jagdpanther]

Oh I understand where you're coming from, but personally I could not live with a Wedge that sounded like a psychotic vacuum cleaner

The BEST thing about the Wedge, was the way it sounded


Now, if it was that engine in something like....ermmm

Ford Cortina or something equally as ridiculous, then Id be converted!

A true Wedge should be a V8 regardless of performance figures

although that Gen 3 did sound an awfull lot like a 787B and for that reason alone, it rocks!!!

no need to worry about a rotor engined TVR loosing its oil...it would drink it all before it could leak

runs for cover from Wedgers and Ricers alike

[brap_brap]

I'm inclined to agree...don't get me wrong. I did state keeping with Rover would be plan A.
I can actually relate to what you're saying tho. I've seen 2 rx-7's with a 350 small block in them
and it was sacrilegious to the core....LoL V8's don't belong in a 7.

Edited by brap_brap on Thursday 22 February 07:14

[jagdpanther]

Hahaha it works both ways

The thing that I found really wrong, but understood it was a guy who has a tri-rotar engine in a Delorean DMC12

Now, I understand that the old engine was fairly lame and didnt perform as it should so the 3 rotor was a good way to go.....but its not a Delorean when you remove the gammy leg engine

Although I am always for going for the same engine, but bigger

[adam quantrill]

brap_brap said:

What do I do when the rover block's toast and I need an new engine? If a guy in the UK can't even find the home-grown engine he needs, how hard will it be for me in Kanaduh?
Rotorhead

Well duh - you use a Buick 215 cu in engine from just over the border. see www.wikimirror.com/Buick_V8_engine.

You should be able to pull one out of an old Plymouth - I saw one installed in a taxi I took in Jamaica 15-odd years ago.

[toltec]

As matt-man et al.

With the addition that the engine is already out of the car to change the clutch...

I assume you could still use the plenum with 3.9 on it even if the engine was 4.6.

[rev-erend]

toltec said:

As matt-man et al.

With the addition that the engine is already out of the car to change the clutch...

I assume you could still use the plenum with 3.9 on it even if the engine was 4.6.

Yes you can .. no problem.