Buick/Rover aluminum v8 to 914 conversion Options

[pjhaun]

Sounds like you are coming along quite well with the project. I have the Edelbrock manifold along with the Edelbrock Performer 500 CFM carb. My ignition is the Crane Allison optical unit. I am concerned about exhaust manifold/headers. Any good ideas?

Dave

Dave,

Do you have any pictures of your engine?

Thank You!!!!
Phillip J. Haun
Oak Harbor, WA.

[Cheapsnake]

Tom,
I didn't read his ad well enough. He says that they are better than cast iron so I assume they are stainless like yours. I wonder if they will fit the Buick 215 heads?
I will contact D&D to see if that is the case.

Dave

Yeah, I'm pretty sure he's in KY and I'm pretty sure they'll fit a 215 head. Tell him tj100 sent you and I want my harmonic balancer.

Tom

[codices]

Phillip,
I think you have the pictures from some time ago when I was going to get out of the conversion. This year I found a '74 teener for the conversion and so it is back on schedule. It is nice to find some folks on this forum who are heading in the direction of this neat "lightweight" engine.

Hope you are doing well.

Dave Chamberlin

P.S. I will send pictures as I work on the project. Waiting for warmer weather and looking for ways to shorten the front of the engine.

[streetrover]

Trigger wheels... OK, here's the latest. On a distributor-less ignition system a trigger-wheel is used instead. As mentioned earlier a great kit for the Buick/Rover V8 is available at trigger-wheels.com. The 4.0 engine from the Range Rover already has a trigger-wheel attached to the flex plate and a sensor the protrudes out the back of the block. The reps at trigger-wheels.com said I can use these pieces (saving even more room near the firewall. Now all I need to do is see if the boys at Kennedy Engineering can swap the trigger-wheel from the rover flex-plate to the new custom flywheel.

(IMG:http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd306/Hopwood_Bob/914%20Rover%20Project/100_0671.jpg)

(IMG:http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd306/Hopwood_Bob/914%20Rover%20Project/100_0682.jpg)

(IMG:http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd306/Hopwood_Bob/914%20Rover%20Project/100_0683.jpg)

(IMG:http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd306/Hopwood_Bob/914%20Rover%20Project/megajolt_sensor_901.jpg)

[Cheapsnake]

Am I looking at this correctly? It looks like you've got a trigger wheel on your flex plate AND on the backside of your balancer. Or is this two different engines?

Tom

[streetrover]

Am I looking at this correctly? It looks like you've got a trigger wheel on your flex plate AND on the backside of your balancer. Or is this two different engines?

Tom

Yeah, 2 different engines. I included the balancer trigger-wheel photo to show how it can be mounted in the inside, not outside, of pulley.

Bob

[Cheapsnake]

Am I looking at this correctly? It looks like you've got a trigger wheel on your flex plate AND on the backside of your balancer. Or is this two different engines?

Tom

Yeah, 2 different engines. I included the balancer trigger-wheel photo to show how it can be mounted in the inside, not outside, of pulley.

Bob

Yeah, that balancer TW would work great for me except for my cleverly designed alternator mount that creates a 3/8" interference with the wheel. Thinking about cutting the wheel down and retoothing it to fit or maybe just cutting one out of 1/4" plate from scratch.
How hard could it be? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/av-943.gif)

Tom

[michaelt55]

Great stuff!! I have a 215 Buick engine and its a good match for the car....I like some of the improvements you are looking at!


Michael

[codices]

Michael,

Do you have any pictures? My 215 should be finished this year.

Dave

[streetrover]

Exhaust Manifolds anyone? Hi guys, I'm looking for some cast iron manifolds. I've seen the one's from Land Rover Discoverys and they won't work. Anyone have a pair from the old Buicks? I'd like to take a look at them!

[Cheapsnake]

Exhaust Manifolds anyone? Hi guys, I'm looking for some cast iron manifolds. I've seen the one's from Land Rover Discoverys and they won't work. Anyone have a pair from the old Buicks? I'd like to take a look at them!

Take a look at the headers on my engine on page 2. These are from a Disco and fit as snug to the engine as you can get. Unless you've got some radical custom heads I don't see why they wouldn't fit your engine. I've also got a set of headers on my TR8 from Woody that are very nice but I think they take up more room than the Disco's. I'd sure hate to see you go with cast iron (IMG:style_emoticons/default/barf.gif) headers if you didn't absolutely have to.

Tom

btw, I think I found a trigger wheel that'll fit behind my balancer - woohoo!

[codices]

Bob,

Didn't your original photos, in this thread, show the Rover tubular headers that Tom is talking about? I have some Buick 215 cast iron ones if I can find them in this mess I call a Garage.

Dave

[streetrover]

Tom, Dave... I went to my local Pick-a-Part in the beautiful SoCal city of Ontario and SCORED!!! Picked up a Rover alternator ($30) a coil pack ($39) a thermostat housing (just in case) a radiator ($50) and dual fan shroud assembly ($50). While I was there I noticed that on the engines I pulled these parts from (3.9, 4.0 and 4.2 liter Discoverys) the timing chain covers stick out WAY further than mine. I didn't have a tape measure with me but when I got home I measured mine. It only sticks out 1-3/4 inch from the block (measured from the right-hand side) Also, my serpentine crank pulley sticks out 5-1/4 inch from the block (again right-hand side). I think perhaps the combination of switching to distributor-less ignition plus maybe the thinner timing-chain cover could save you TONS of room! Does your crank pulley stick out past 5-1/4 inches? (see pics below)

Also, I have the exhaust manifolds that came with the engine. They are shaped nicely and fit close to the block but 1. have this weird accordion-like connector between the front two cylinders and the rear two, and 2. are very thin-walled. With the installed engine only inches from the driver I'm very concerned about noise. Perhaps thicker, cast-iron exhaust manifolds will be quieter. Any thoughts?

Bob

(IMG:http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd306/Hopwood_Bob/914%20Rover%20Project/100_4116.jpg)

(IMG:http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd306/Hopwood_Bob/914%20Rover%20Project/100_4117.jpg)

(IMG:http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd306/Hopwood_Bob/914%20Rover%20Project/100_4114.jpg)

(IMG:http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd306/Hopwood_Bob/914%20Rover%20Project/100_4115.jpg)

[streetrover]

Here's a pick of the accordion-like manifold I referred to...

(IMG:http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd306/Hopwood_Bob/914%20Rover%20Project/100_0809.jpg)

[Dr. Roger]

(IMG:http://www.mgbhive.co.uk/V8-tubular-5piece-manifold-.jpg)


(IMG:http://www.mgbhive.co.uk/RV8-style-manifold--exhaust.jpg)


(IMG:http://www.popbrowns.co.uk/Hugger.jpg)

[Dr. Roger]

the last thing you want to do is bolt a couple of boat anchors to your aluminum block/heads. =)

[Cheapsnake]

Good score Bob, always fun to go scrounging. Did you check the size of that radiator against your front trunk - it looks huge! I think I've got the thinner of the timing covers, my ceank pulley will be the first hit with the firewall now that my distributor is going. Right now it looks like I'm very close to hitting the stock tranny mounts. Had to relocate the brake proportioning valve and brake lines today to clear the alternator. Just ordered my EDIS and trigger wheel today.

That crinkle in your exhaust accordian may look worse than it actually is. Those are exactly the same headers I've got. I really doubt you'd gain any sound deadening with cast iron manifolds, but you'd definitely lose some power. Expect a little noise, this is not a Lexus.

Tom

[codices]

Bob,

That "accordian" is probably for a problem that Rover found in different rates of expansion between the aluminum heads and the tubular steel header. RPI in Great Britain indicates that these tubular headers (with the heatshields) are stainless steel. Cast iron will be quieter (so I'm told) but they are heavier. The photo shows those headers polished.

[michaelt55]

Michael,

Do you have any pictures? My 215 should be finished this year.

Dave

Dave, I am working nights so I will try and send you some from home...send me an email...we can swap ideas..

[streetrover]

Yeah, after closer measurement it is too big. No worries - I'll use it for the rig I want to create to run/tune/tweak the engine while it's out of the car. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif) Guess I'll stick with the headers that came with the engine. Technically won't know if it's too loud until it's runnin' and in the car! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)