VW V8 Project

[DentedDevon]

Thanks for that information Aidan. Looked at vagcat and can see what you mean, why the finer gears? quieter maybe?
I had been wondering whether to use the box as it was ! May have to wait a bit , keep trying to weigh up mph per 1000rpm v mph per £££ . Gone quiet at work so not so much of the £££ until spring maybe

Fitted a different thermostat for the electric water pumps last week. Although not overheating the system wasnt working quite how I had planned, I wasnt 100% sure about making changes. 140 mile round trip yesterday on A1 & A43, much better control of the pumps than before .

The original stat was an intermotor 50219, 88-83 & 92-87 deg, the new one is an intermotor 50215, 92-87 / 97-92 deg. Once up to temperature and cruising the water pumps were running at max speed nearly all the time. Now pumps run at medium speed when cruising and come down to low speed at light loads and standing still.
Max speed for extreme conditions, only cuts in if temp hits 97 deg.

[Sir Brixalot]

Really interesting. Real stealth machine. What is the 0-60 and top end (on a private road of course)? How does she handle at speed

[DentedDevon]

Ive always preferred "street sleeper" style rather than "all show and no go"
Acceleration in 1st 2nd & 3rd is quite brutal if you floor it !
4th gear still gives rapid acceleration even from 40 ish , and just keeps on going - off the end of the speedo (Private road of course)
Steering gets a little light "at speed" but quite happy up to 80 ish
Currently have no syncro on 3rd gear so change from 2nd to 3rd has to be double de clutched quite carefully. So no record breaking 0-60 times at present.
Apparently it has run 16.21 for the 1/4 mile in its past.
Im not sure that I will be taking it on the drag strip.The real fun is that you can short shift into 4th at 20 mph and cruise effortlessy at whatever speed you want

[FindingReimo]

Hi, a little Google search brought you up.
Am doing the same conversion as you have,Rover V8 Edelbrock carb Holley manifold etc.Any good pics of how the gearbox front mount was moved ?
Any problems to help me along that you noticed.
I am in contact with D S Tuning in Germany as could't find anyone closer to home to make up the adaptor plate and gearbox output shaft.They want 400 Euro plus a Rover flywheel to modify.Am awaiting more info before i hand over my cash (they only speak German it seems when i called them and i don't) so we talk via e mail.

[faggie]

d and s adapter plates are top notch we have used quite a few on v8s we have built the kennedy plate is even better though

[DentedDevon]

Here are some more pictures of the adaptor plate(s)
The beauty of this arrangement is that it is short - no need for a longer gearbox input shaft & no mods to release bearing.
As said befor its a Phillips engineering adaptor to fit the V8 to a landrover series gearbox. On the gearbox side it has a ring of 12 threaded holes, which makes it easy to work with.
I believe an engineering firm was responsible for cutting the 8 mm steel adaptor plate.
As with most of the conversion it left a bit to be desired. It was only drilled for 5 of the 12 studs possible and it was neither central nor dowled on the vw bell housing.
It is now drilled and bolted through all 12 holes in the adaptor plate.
I had to weld up & re drill the holes and make & fit dowels to locate in the bell housing. I also drilled the plate so the 2 top holes in the vw bell housing were bolted plus 2 8 mm bolts through the webs at the bottom of the bell housing.
I think the bell housing was removed to be machined down , you should be able to tell from the pictures by how much.
The rover flywheel has been drilled and doweled to take what I think is a series Landrover clutch cover. It uses an audi 200 turbo clutch plate. there are 2 versions and one has the same splines as the vw plate , QH catalogue has details.
I had a brass bush machined to allow the VW spigot bearing to be fitted in the rover crankshaft.


Flywheel & clutch asslembly


With Phillips adaptor fitted


Steel adaptor plate



Bell housing cut down



All assembled on gearbox ready to bolt up to engine


Spigot bearing in crankshaft

[DentedDevon]

Heres my first effort at making a video !
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NEV2chPFTss
Creaky fan belt sounds naff at tickover

[carpmaster]

Like the track to go with the vid...done yourself proud with the amount of work and effort you have put in..What's your next project ?? ??
Probably contact you at some point in the future with regard to the access hatch (steel) section..
well done Richard....
Tom

[FindingReimo]

Well, been spending more on my V8 bus.Bought a alloy adaptor plate like yours with a view to making an adaptor plate kit then spent 2 days wondering if my box would be up to the job.
Did some Google internet searching and er bought a box instead.Renault UN1 box with V8 adaptor plate inc in the sale. 3.89 final drive had lengthy chat with the vendor and i reckon this way i will be happier esp as i don't have Porsche g50 money and what i have bought was a killer deal.Can't wait to get the engine rebuilt now and start ripping my daily to bits.

[DentedDevon]

I will be interested to see how it goes , I had half considered the UN1 box but am sticking with what Ive got for now. Maybe when I uprade to the 4.6..... dreamin again
Any plans for the cooling system yet ?
It will nice if you can do a thread with pictures when you start work , makes a change seeing other engines instead of subarus and diesels

Carpmaster wrote,

What's your next project ?? ??

Maybe some onboard footage , sometime ......

[FindingReimo]

This is a winter project, power steering conversion,Porsche front brakes,servo upgrade plus the engine and box.Re the cooling my mate who builds hot rods for people is doing the install and he is still convinced that the waterpump can be kept for cooling and there will be enough room without it sticking out, we shall see though.

[faggie]

the only way you could keep the original water pump system is if you move the gearbox more forward what would need porsche cvs as the vw ones dont give you enough movement to move the gearbox forwars enough

[carpmaster]

the only way you could keep the original water pump system is if you move the gearbox more forward what would need porsche cvs as the vw ones dont give you enough movement to move the gearbox forwars enough

Hope you don't mind me posting/replying Richard..quite curious..
Have you done a project which you needed to move the gearbox forward? I would be interested in what methods/techniques you adopted. I have modded a petrol gearbox mount allowing 45mm extra drilling a new set of holes at equal distance/trimmed the fin off by 30mm and flattened one of the edges..


would like a bit more..something I might consider doing in the future..depends how I cope with the first cambelt change...

Tom

[DentedDevon]

The hole through the centre of the bush is offset towards the rear of the van. Fitting it the other way round moves the hole & the gearbox forwards. Also gets the bush sticking out infront of the chassis rail so it is out the way of the gearbox.
I cut the arms off the gearbox plate. Turned the plate round so the folded edges face to the rear and made and welded on new arms. The chassis plate of the mounting bush is now only about 15 mm from the gearbox plate. the gearbox will go no further forwards than this without cutting the chassis.




I think my gearbox is also mounted a bit lower than normal, maybe about 50mm ?
This is a diesel or 2.1 mounting bush. The spare hole in the new arm is so that I could use a petrol one if I wanted.

[DentedDevon]

Ive been learning about the fuel injection system on the rover engine.
Started of with erratic/no control of the idle speed so replaced the idle bypass valve which had siezed.
This prompted me make use of the engine managment light output from the ecu and wire one up to the dash.
On all the time, more reading , unplugged the ecu for 30 sec , bingo, cleared it.
Not for long though , take it for a drive and as soon as I put my foot down for a hill or overtake and on it comes again (have to unplug ecu each time to clear it).
More reading ... dont have a fault code reader but on the list of possible faults is "Road speed sensor output
too low at medium rpm and high air flow".... oops no road speed sensor.
The range rover one is big heavy and expensive !
I know the ecu is looking for 12 pulses per revolution of the wheels.
Took a small chance after trawling fleabay and bought a f0rd fiasta sensor, it screws into the gearbox befor the speedo cable , cost £8 including post.
Tested it and it gives 8 pulses per turn , my wheels are smaller then th RR ones so makes it equivalent to about 9 pulses per revolution of the wheels .
An evening of filing and whittling and it fits neatly on the back of the speedo.

As bought.

Fitted to back of speedo.

Installed.
Road tested...no problems, engine management light stays off and engine feels more driveable, hard to explain what the difference is but its there