| Author | Message | ||
     Anthony Wright (Antzhill) New Member Username: Antzhill Post Number: 7 Registered: 04-2003 |
I interested and replacing my 3.9L V8 '94 with a non RR engine, which short block can I use (i.e. Ford). | ||
| Peter Sharratt (Gummikuh) Member Username: Gummikuh Post Number: 155 Registered: 02-2003 |
300Tdi | ||
| Land Rover Certified Used A**hole (Jason) Senior Member Username: Jason Post Number: 512 Registered: 04-2002 |
Small block Chevy. Cheap and easy to find. Do a search on the net...there is at least one place out there who sells the engine mounts and bellhousing adapter to aid the swap. Certainly no reason why you could not use a Ford...you'll just need to find an outfit which will fabricate the parts you need. As far as the short-block goes, I hope you realize you are replacing more than the shortblock...otherwise you're going to look like a ham-fisted 3-year old wedging Duplo blocks together as you attempt to mount the Rover heads and induction on a non-Rover engine... | ||
| Ron Johnson (Chauner) New Member Username: Chauner Post Number: 20 Registered: 05-2003 |
I've talked to the outfit in Australia that makes the adaptors for the chevy small block V8 conversion but they said you would have the make your own motor mounts since the adaptors they made were for ealier Rover models. Still not too much of a problem finding someone around you to make the mounts since I still believe converting the original motor to a newer and more powerful chevy V8 is well worth it. I'm thinking about a newer fuel injected 327, I think the last year they were used was either 2001 or 2001 in the new trucks. | ||
| Ron Johnson (Chauner) New Member Username: Chauner Post Number: 21 Registered: 05-2003 |
I almost forgot, you have to replace the front shocks and springs to heavy duty since the chevy motor is heavier than the original LR one. | ||
| Norm Orschnorschki (Norm) Member Username: Norm Post Number: 78 Registered: 02-2003 |
Anthony, have you ever thought about putting in a LR 4.6 motor? It literally just drops in with a chip upgrade and will save you a lot of time, money and aggravation trying to "make fit" a Ford or Chevy V-8. ---Norm | ||
| Chris Browne (Chris_browne) Member Username: Chris_browne Post Number: 204 Registered: 02-2003 |
Norms right..stick to a 4.6 those that have gone the chevy route end up very unhappy with the end result even if they can get it to work.... | ||
| Shaun Power (Shaunp) Member Username: Shaunp Post Number: 76 Registered: 05-2003 |
Marks adaptors in Australia make kitts for this sort of things. Heaps of Rangies in Oz have Chevs in them. | ||
| Norm Orschnorschki (Norm) Member Username: Norm Post Number: 80 Registered: 02-2003 |
So when they put a Chevy motor in a Rover, what other modifications do they have to do to make it work? I'm guessing a new front suspension, a transmission that can handle a 350, maybe a transfer case, propeller shafts, fuel injection (if they don't switch to carbs, a step backwards), radiator, etc. plus all the ancillary parts and electrical work to make it go. How much does it cost in dollars, time and aggravation to get this thing running and keep it that way vs. a drop in 4.6 or even a 5.2? ---Norm | ||
| Roland Kutasi (Disco1) Senior Member Username: Disco1 Post Number: 317 Registered: 10-2002 |
You need to do all of the above except going back to to carbs. If you do buy the chevy motor you will need to get with it the complete wiring harness or else you will be spending a fortune on electrical engineers trying to wire up your rig, plus you will need a 4L80E transmission (Camaro). Yes! it can be done, but how much money do you have? If you want an engine swap, chose the 4.6L drop in. | ||
| Mark McLain (Mtndisco) New Member Username: Mtndisco Post Number: 18 Registered: 05-2003 |
Are there any diesel alternatives for the D1's here in the US? | ||
| Michael Slade (Serious_one) Member Username: Serious_one Post Number: 107 Registered: 04-2003 |
Guys, Have any of you actually *done* a Chevy V8 conversion? Have you spoken to people who have??? Have you ever seen one??? Have you also ever done a 4.6/5.3 conversion so you could personally do a side-by-side analytical comparison? NO? Okay then, now we're getting somewhere. IMO, the Chevy V8 conversion into a RR would have been less desirable than a straight Rover swap/upgrade. I watched a friend do his RR with a 350 and yeah, it was a pain, but get in it and you forget all about it. Until recently I was of the opinion that for a RR you should just live with the Rover motor and forget the swap because it was too much of a 'hack' job and needed too much to be changed out. Recently on Pirate a guy called MichaelRangie from Australia was showing us his ChevyV8 conversion that he did and it is SWEET beyond words. He used the factory transmission and has had no issues. Having done two Chevy V8 conversions myself (the Serious One and now the CrewCab), I will give the Australian Chevy V8 conversion very very serious thought when it comes time to do my '94 LWB. Those who so flippantly dismiss the Chevy conversion have probably never seen one nor driven in one. Also, do you ever think that maybe the challenge of doing it and reaping the rewards of that challenge might be one of the motivations behind someones decision to attempt such a feat? It's not always about dollars and sense guys. Flame away, I've heard it all before. But...before you chime in take a good hard look at it and see what is truly feasable before you go spouting off. | ||
| Norm Orschnorschki (Norm) Member Username: Norm Post Number: 81 Registered: 02-2003 |
Michael, I'd very much like to see some pictures of your Chevy conversions. I have an open mind, I'm just curious as to what lengths you have to go through to make it run right. If you've got the time and the inclination, go for it. In my situation (w/ a '95 5-speed), it was better to buy an Rpi 4.6 with a Tornado chip and have the local LR dealer install it (to get a 12/12 warranty). It was not cheap, but it only took 2 days to install and I've been very satisfied with the power increase over the 3.9. After 2 years and 25,000 miles I have had zero problems with it. I didn't have the time to take on a project like putting in a Chevy 350 -- I needed to keep my truck as a daily driver. But if I did have the time and inclination to take on a project like that, I think I'd go for a diesel conversion. ---Norm | ||
| Michael Slade (Serious_one) Member Username: Serious_one Post Number: 108 Registered: 04-2003 |
Norm, If those were your parameters then you did exactly the right thing. I had to do an emergency 4.2 swap into my '1990 RRC a few years ago, and at the time it was quick, relatively inexpensive and somewhat painless. Believe me, I completely understand people's hesitation to tackle such a project, I have been there and done that, and in the end do believe I did the right thing under my circumstances. Now that I am a little more comfortable with things such as engine swaps, have seen a very sucessful one into a RRC and am learning about how common it is to do it in Aus., I'm pretty sure I'll do the Chev. when it comes time to do it. Yes, you do have to go to some lengths to get it right, but it's not impossible. I'm waiting for a friend to come and install a bumper/winch, otherwise I'd dig up some pics. Michael | ||
| Shaun Power (Shaunp) Member Username: Shaunp Post Number: 77 Registered: 05-2003 |
Have any of you considered a P76 or Boxer engine. These are an easy swap as they are based on Rover engines. You can also run a P76 crank in a rover block if grind down the mains. | ||
| Roland Kutasi (Disco1) Senior Member Username: Disco1 Post Number: 321 Registered: 10-2002 |
OK Michael, lets get down to business.... "MichaelRangie from Australia uses the factory transmission and has no issues". He must only drive it church on Sundays, because I have already destroyed one transmission in my 95 which is stroked and blown and a chevy has slightly more horsepower. BTW, is his truck a RR or a Discovery, because to my knowledge no one in Australia has done a Chevy conversion in a discovery as yet. "Have you actually done a chevy conversion? Have you spoken to people who have?" No I haven't done a Chevy conversion, because when I researched what was involved and the amount of money required I decided on the 4.6L swap. FWIW, I was looking at doing an LS1 conversion not the iron block crate versions. Estimated price, including 4L80E transmission, LS1 motor complete with wiring harness, motec computer, new radiator, engine mounts etc, $21,000 Aust$ thats about US$13,500. You cannot buy an gearbox adapter for an LS1 as noone makes one as yet, hence the need for either a 4L60E or 4L80E transmission. How many guys on the BBS could afford it. Even if you swap an old iron block 350, you are still looking at big bucks to make it work properly. Yes it is all about dollars and cents! If you have already done two chevy conversions why do you need to do the Australia Chevy V8 conversion. What is different between what you did? When you finish installing the bumper/winch how about the photos? | ||
| Shaun Power (Shaunp) Member Username: Shaunp Post Number: 79 Registered: 05-2003 |
I thought "Michealrangie" actually had a 308 Holden out of a VS Commodore in his car not a Chev, maybe I'm thinking of the wrong car. A mate of mine has a 350 in 2 door rangie,It took a bit of sorting and diggs a bit in the sand. | ||
| Bill Bettridge (Billb) Senior Member Username: Billb Post Number: 819 Registered: 02-2002 |
FYI There are LOTS of pics of Slades trucks on POR - go take a look there. He posted many during the build of the CC. Bill | ||
| Michael Slade (Serious_one) Member Username: Serious_one Post Number: 109 Registered: 04-2003 |
Last week I was in Portland looking for a 4L80E myself. I found one in a Suburban with 77K on it for $1000. I know you can get crate 350's for 3-4 grand all day long, so you are talking 5K for the engine/••••••• combo. You will need a stand alone harness for both the 350 (should you decide to go TPI, which I will eventually in the CrewCab), and also the 4L80E. Both have harnesses and there's also a stand alone computer for the 4L80E. Ok, so maybe 600-800 for the harnesses/ecu. Motor mounts? 150-200 Rad. 350 Adapter from 4L80 to LT-230? Dunno. Never been done before. I was planning on using the divorced t-case method that is already in place on the CC. Throw in 2K for 'misc.' stuff that might come up, maybe another 1K for 'other misc. stuff', and we're up to what...under 10? How much was a blown/stroked Rover motor? I don't know, which is why I am asking. The 4.2 I put in my 1990 RRC was only about 3500 once it was rebuilt. Also, maybe a forward looking approach might be in order too. Already I have saved over 1000 smackolas by having chevy's in my two converted trucks rather than Rover motors. I will also disagree in a friendly manner about the statement that it's not about dollars and cents/sense. For some people the challenge is more than half the fun. For others getting it in inexpensively, quickly, and predictably is more important. That is fine, and like I posted earlier, I have been on that side of the fence. The conversions I did are really not fair to compare them to a disco/rrc because they were both frame-up custom trucks where we literally re-engineered the entire drivetrain. In the case of the disco/rrc I would assume that the retention of the t-case and axles is important, maybe even the ••••••• too. I will go with that premise and agree that it's a valid one. BTW, when I was originally building the CC, I did want that 4l80E, but I couldn't buy one for less than $4500US. I also had to buy 50,000 units because this was during the initial production run for GM and they couldn't afford to have any slipping out the door onsie-twosie style. So...I decided the SM-465 would be better. Now that I've run it a while I'm re-considering my transmission choice and heavily swaying toward the 4l80E (there's also a heavy duty version called the 4L80EHD). Anyway, this is an interesting discussion because perhaps there are so many ways of correctly skinning this cat. Meow. | ||
| DARRELL (Puppywhopper) New Member Username: Puppywhopper Post Number: 31 Registered: 06-2003 |
would be cheaper to buy a hopped up something..puttin a chevy in a rover is silly ...must be a 200lb difference on the front...plus the power would smoke the axles if ya fixed the wieght problem...if ya wanna do it ya gotta redesign it from the ground up and make it a chevy | ||
| Roland Kutasi (Disco1) Senior Member Username: Disco1 Post Number: 322 Registered: 10-2002 |
Sorry Darrell but I don't agree with you. It can be done. Heaver duty springs will solve the additional weight problem, although if I were doing it, I would fit the LS1. Slightly less weight but a lot more HP. Maxi-Drives will solve the axle issue, and either 4L60E or 80E transmission will solve power distribution, otherwise all the other components will hold up. | ||
| Roland Kutasi (Disco1) Senior Member Username: Disco1 Post Number: 323 Registered: 10-2002 |
Michael, with due respect, there is a big difference between saving money and doing the install yourself as opposed to have the install done by others. I doubt that there would be too many posters who would have the skills to source the required parts and accessories and do the install especially if they have no guidelines. Admittedly, for the most part, enquiries about chevy installs are from those who think that its cheap, perhaps easy or have nothing better to post. Very few, if any actually go ahead and do it. | ||
| Roland Kutasi (Disco1) Senior Member Username: Disco1 Post Number: 324 Registered: 10-2002 |
Here's an alternative: 4.6L + Vortech supercharger with intercooling, or Eaton M112 supercharger with water injection. HP? Right up there with a Chevy 350 iron block! | ||
| Phillip Perkinson (Rover4x4) Senior Member Username: Rover4x4 Post Number: 333 Registered: 02-2003 |
what about the NV4500 and or atlas or Dana 300. the $afri Gard buggy has the rover 3.9 with a NV4500 behind it. I think it would be cool to see a person put a Chevrolet motor in a Rover | ||
| Michael Slade (Serious_one) Member Username: Serious_one Post Number: 110 Registered: 04-2003 |
Yeah Phillip, I think it would be cool too. Roland, you are 100% correct. There is no way I could have pulled off the conversions I did alone. But...now that I've seen how it works, I think that I could pull off a Chevy into a RR w/out too much difficulty. The parts that I couldn't make myself I could have subbed out locally, and now that I know a little more about trucks'n'stuff I believe I have the skills to get it just about right. The guidelines to make sure you're not going to really screw something up and kill someone have been set, now there is a LOT of room for personal interpretation, or variations on a theme. I wish more people would give it serious consideration that just dismissing it because of 'cost' or 'difficulty'. If someone REALLY wants to do it, they'll figure out a way. I think that any project like that would be best tackled with 2 or 3 pairs of eyes looking at it giving ideas and searching for ways to make it better. Unfortunately you are also right about inquiries into doin a Chev V8 conversion being a dime-a-dozen. | ||
| Ron Johnson (Chauner) New Member Username: Chauner Post Number: 22 Registered: 05-2003 |
Buy a late model chevy truck from a salvage auction that is a rollover. That should provide you with everything you need minus the adapter and motor mounts(plus the suspension of course) at a much cheaper price. You shouldn't have to worry about burning out the axles with a chevy...Ford yes...but not a chevy, plus Ford blocks tend to be longer. Hey, I know someone that put a Ford 302 in a RX-7, if he could do that, then a chevy V8 conversion to a LR can be done. Ignore those who think it's sacrilege to rip out a totally incompetent motor in a LR and put in a chevy motor. I had to deal with that once when I swapped the old Buick aluminum V8 into a Maserati Biturbo, which was another piece of junk motor. | ||
| Roland Kutasi (Disco1) Senior Member Username: Disco1 Post Number: 329 Registered: 10-2002 |
What I can't figure is that there are quite a number of chevy/Range rover conversions, but like I said earlier, I haven't heard of a Chevy/discovery transplant. The engine bay looks the same size in both. | ||
| Norm Orschnorschki (Norm) Member Username: Norm Post Number: 83 Registered: 02-2003 |
I just had a novel idea -- if your aim is to have a capable off-road vehicle with a big American V8, why don't you just buy and old Chevy Blazer, Ford Bronco (the original version), IH Scout or a Jeep Grand Wagoneer to begin with, and put your money into suspension, lockers, lifts, etc. I'm sure it would be cheaper and less time consuming than trying to make fit a Chevy 350 into a Rover. ---Norm | ||
| Jorge Verdeflor (Jrolfedrev) New Member Username: Jrolfedrev Post Number: 8 Registered: 02-2003 |
Does anyone know where can I buy a used or new rover engine for DISCO 94? | ||
| Perrone Ford (Perroneford) Member Username: Perroneford Post Number: 177 Registered: 02-2003 |
This is silly. How long has Overfinch UK been putting Chevy 350s in Range Rovers? 10 year? More? It's not a question of IF it can be done, only how, and for how much. Someone actually mentioned adding 200 pounds on the front of the truck? How much does the ARB and winch combo weigh? And how much further is that from the truck's center. Geez. It's a couple hundred pounds. You've never sat on the hood of a car with a buddy? -P | ||
| Shaun Power (Shaunp) Member Username: Shaunp Post Number: 91 Registered: 05-2003 |
The TDI engines are heaps heavier then the V8 and while it doesn't bother the car you can notice the differance when you drive one. I have driven a mates 82 Rangie with a 350 in it and it's ok. He did have a bit of trouble keeping it cool,and had to get a custom Rad made up other then that it's been fine. Some Australian Defenders were fitted with Izusu 3.9 diesel engines,I wonder how one of these would go. |
