MGB GT - Engine Swap....

[Gavin J]

Just thought i'd post some pictures in here for anyone interested

This is my 1978 MGB GT, owned it for 7 years now - started off as a standard GT, rubbers bumpers, 1800cc b series engine etc... and this is how it stands now,

Bonnet Vent serves a purpose

It's a 3500cc Rover V8 with a 5 speed box running a webber carb

However its being removed:S

As i've decided for an upgrade to a 3.9 Rover V8 with EFI (fuel injection)

So the strip down has started,

All disconnected and ready to be taken out this weekend....

Will update this with progress pic's if you any of you guys are interested, will include pic's of engine removal, build up of the new engine etc...and some vid's once its up and running....

 

[Paul.M]

Going to keep an eye on this
nice project to work on

 

[Djw Dave]

Nice!

Although im not keen on the black bonnet or the vent, but as you say serves a purpose.

 

[Gally]

My dad has had a green one and an orange one! I love em!

And 3 chrome bumper mg midgets.

 

[Dangerous_dave]

Nice, my old man used to have one in his 20's was the mgb gt v8 with chrome bumpers, he has been looking at a few on ebay just out of interest, think his retirement money is going to burn a hole in his pockets!

Nice restoration / project!

 

[conneh]

Awesome, really awesome.
There was one at Combe running a V8 of somekind (I would imagine it was a Rover varient) and it was seriously rapid - was eating everything on the track.

 

[Christopher]

My Uncle has the GT V8.

I drove it once and the brakes are appalling!

 

[Englebert]

Awesome!

 

[bmh.01]

Nice! Will be keeping my eye on this.

 

[Addz]

Brilliant project i saw a v8 one today and it sounded lovely!

 

[Gaz.]

Oooh nice. Did you not fancy going down the T-Series route? Seen a couple of really nice MGBs with Ts in.

 

[pip.]

I love BGTs. That will be a weapon matey.
I once saw one with a Jag V12 in it. Now that was a tight fit.

 

[MATT BLACK]

It's actually an early 60's Buick 215 ci lump is the Rover V8



anyway ........... SR20DET anyone ??

 

[MATT BLACK]

Or maybe a nice YBB ???

 

[_Tom]

Was gunna say its all about a SR in one..lol

My mate had one and i dont understand how they handle with such engines though.

 

[Gaz.]

My mate had one and i dont understand how they handle with such engines though.

They're probably lighter than the V8, might not be though.

 

[_Tom]

I cant really see it and from driving my mates old one i know theyre pretty shocking imo!

Still like them to look at though.

 

[Gaz.]

Well it is a 30+ year old car at the end of the day, Suspension technology has come a long way.

 

[Waitey]

I hate the rover V8 with a passion but well done for for the effort of doing it.

I'd love an SR20 one done to look like this...

I heart the sebring kit

 

[MATT BLACK]

Lots & lots of upgrades for these cars available.

Buick V8 was aliminium block but Rover built them with Iron ? - original weighed aroung 150kg which isnt to bad.

 

[Waitey]

Beyond awesome

 

[pip.]

I hate the rover V8 with a passion but well done for for the effort of doing it.

I'd love an SR20 one done to look like this...

I heart the sebring kit

That's an MGC (well, the bonnet is anyway).
Now they REALLY handled like shite. The engine was monumentally heavy.

 

[.Ben.]

^ WOW

Like the look of the Cossie-engined cab too! *drool*

 

[MATT BLACK]

I hate the rover V8 with a passion

Issue's with the TVR ?

 

[pip.]

Issue's with the TVR ?

He has a TVR?

 

[MATT BLACK]

lol

 

[Waitey]

I have a speed 6 engine lol

We had an old Range with the 3.5 V8 in it. Thing never worked right lol

 

[pip.]

You need to get yourself to a big MGOC meet. Some real monsters turn up.

 

[Budgie]

Always had a soft spot for these.

My grandad fully-restored one. Took him about twenty years!

 

[Gavin J]

Cheers for the replies guys i will be sure to keep this updated.

The Rover v8 is an alluminium block, so a weight saving on the original cast iron 1.8 b-series engine!

I went down the Rover V8 as it required minimal modifications, only mod was a little bit of cutting and welding to the tunnel to allow for the LT77 5-speed box - plus i love the sound of a v8! currently running a single silencer system and it sounds so good.

Bonnet is changing aswell, as i no longer need the vent for the cold air feed for the carb, so i've now got a fibreglass bonnet with a very subtle bulge to allow clearance for the plenum on the injection system.

The Sebring Kit - i love it - i've already smoothed the back end using a sebring rear valence and keep contemplating fitting the sebring arches - but i only had it resprayed about 2 years ago and it seems a shame cut out all the rear arches and fit new front wings or the arch extensions and need new paint again! but then again i could be tempted......but then again i quite like the sublte look of it as it sports no v8 badges but i think the rumble is the big give away!

 

[Weeman]

Any plans to go full cage through to the front to strengthen the whole thing up?

love it BTW

 

[Gavin J]

Some old vid's of it just after we got the engine up and running,

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AbQfNrpKjKc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0Ia_1os0_g
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5SxA31J8ZTc

 

[dalla]

More Sebring awesome (allthough a roadster)

 

[keefy]

Hi Gavin nice work there mate...i have just bought an MGB GT after owning many R5 GT Turbos and Jap stuff...i bought it for something to mess about with its a 1980 Rubber bumper...i was wanting to start a V8 Conversion in
the next few months after collecting the bits and bobs...i was wanting to go like you with the 3.9 efi V8 and the LT77 5-speed box...can i ask you what bits you needed with the engine? and was the engine and bits from the Discovery?
its just there seems to be a few 3.9 v8s on ebay most of the time but they are bare engines..any help would be fantastic mate... my email is ke_ef@hotmail.com

Thankyou Kind regards keef

 

[Ali]

I generally hate the MGB! Especially those with the massive rubber bumpers. The V8 is the exception tho! And Matt, those conversion's look incredible!

 

[Christopher]

It's actually an early 60's Buick 215 ci lump is the Rover V8



anyway ........... SR20DET anyone ??

LOL!!

I bet that's terrifying!

 

[Gavin J]

The Sebring Kit - i love it - i've already smoothed the back end using a sebring rear valence and keep contemplating fitting the sebring arches - but i only had it resprayed about 2 years ago and it seems a shame cut out all the rear arches and fit new front wings or the arch extensions and need new paint again! but then again i could be tempted......but then again i quite like the sublte look of it as it sports no v8 badges but i think the rumble is the big give away!

Ignore that! things have changed, 2yrs on and i'd forgot i'd even posted this on here, well i'm still at....here's a copy and paste of a thread i've got running on another forum from the start to where i'm at now,
Right i've been on here ages and never done a proper readers rides thread so heres goes.
I've had my MGB now since 2004, first ever classic and it was a completely standard '78 rubber bumpered MGB GT.
It has gone through many looks, engines (x3)and rear axles/diffs (on my 4th!) and ive loved it apart from the numerous mechanical failings
Now I didn't know how to start with this thread as i've got literally hundreds of photo's so I will skip through some pictures year by year and finally get upto date where the serious work is taking place.
How she looked when I bought her in 2004 for £2000.

Half cage and bucket seats, harnesses fitted so I could get her on the track with some safety,

First Trackday with www.mgs-on-track.co.uk

A very often sight on the drive....

Car driven daily for almost two years..

Some more track action...

Piston rings then let go after the above trackday,

Puffing smoke from the dipstick,

Perfect Excuse for a V8 ;D out she goes...

Being a rubber bumper shell only minor tunnel mods needed to allow clearance for the lt77 5 speed box, engine mounts etc need no mods.

(all seam sealed and tidied up after this but don't have a pic)
V8 in place,

Slight clearance issue with the current carb/filter set up!

Good view though!

I was told it would be tight and they wasn't lying,

V8 Axle and prop being fitted easily the most expensive part of the conversion,

Oil pressure always nices to see on a v8!

How it ran for a bit, bonnet bulge is a baking tin from asda

After this it underwent a major revamp but I seem to have misplaced the progress pictures for now,
Mod's were,
Debumpered, Sebring rear valence, st front spoiler, custom bonnet, lowered and some fresh paint (£500 self prep jobby)....

Steel bulge off a Mistubishi Prajero and louvres off a hotpoint microwave grafted in ;D

End result,

The 3.5 v8 then started rumbling quite badly on start up so new engine time and were now at about 2009 and this is how she looked before she was taken off the road this time for the 3.9 v8 EFI to be fitted.

Yet to be posted the 3.9 v8 installation, new cills, floor repairs, inner wing repairs and sebring kit...

 

[Gavin J]

A couple of vids of how she sounds
http://youtu.be/0l5AXZNXvGs
http://youtu.be/5SxA31J8ZTc

 

[Gavin J]

V8 build time - I bought a second hand 3.9 v8 off here for a very good price, sold as being bought from a breakers and arrived on a pallet complete with loom ecu etc as it was an EFI engine.
Upon first inspection it seemed very clean and with the water pump pulley snapped off, so it looks like it may have been pulled from a something with a front end smash and it was an auto so the fly wheel needed to be swapped over.
So I then set upon stripping both v8's down as I had to swap the front timing cover, water pump etc as you need to fit p6 items in order for it to fit the engine bay, shorter water pump and swap the sump over etc...
The old lump,

and the new one,

All painted and all bits swapped over well most it,

Next thing was to tidy up the engine bay and was oily, rusty and a complete mess if i'm honest, the inner wings had been battered by the manifolds so a tidy up was needed,
From this,

To this,

Lift off time,

Engine in,

Improved manifold clearance and air flow,

 

[Gavin J]

Right here's some rust....
I started out by cutting away a section where my screw driver had gone through to find,

Cut some more....

So it was clear that although the bulk of the outer sill was fine, but the inner was not.
I then removed the front wing as its had never been removed in all the time i'd had the car but i'm glad I did.

Hmmm as you can see its going to need full sill replacement, inner wing repairs and now to check the floors...

Not bad at all as I was expecting the worst.
This was replicated on the p/side and required the same repairs