R-V8 Into A Exmo Project

[richardm6994]

After my last posts regarding my v8 into robin hood exmo project, it was suggested that I post the project under one topic so that all the information is in one place for people to follow.

 

As I've got a dose on man-flu, swmbo has banned me from the garage this weekend (or at least today anyway.....) so I've decided to write up my RV8 project so far.

 

Start at the begining;

 

I bough Nick's (shaft) 3.9 serpentine engine off him after he spent the summer lovingly re-building it.

http://www.rhocar.or....r project&st=0

 

 

The project specification so far is as follows;

3.9 serpentine V8 (re-built)

Piper 285 cam

9.75:1 CR

Duplex Timing Chain

1.6:1 rockers

Stage 3 heads

JWR Offenhauser Duel Plane inlet manifold

Edelbrock 500 carb

Megajolt ignition

Facet red top fuel pump

Superlight flywheel

AP Racing Clutch

 

Type 9 gearbox connected to engine via adapter plate and SD1 Auto Bellhouse

 

4-core radiator

115 l/s electric water pump (ally housing) with digital controller (for vary pump and fan speeds).

 

 

Photo below is the bit's I've got so far (I've also got the clutch and flywheel but they are in the garage);

 

 

 

 

 

I see this project breaking down into 4 main sections;

 

1) Engine onto gearbox

 

2) Engine into car (new mounts etc...)

 

3) Exhuasts

 

4) everything else

 

 

 

 

Section 1 - Engine onto gearbox

 

For this solution, basically bolt the SD1 Automatica bellhouse onto an "polo mint" shape adapter plate (15mm thick) and then this bolts onto the gearbox.

 

The Rover SD1 clutch has the same spline as the ford type 9 gearbox so this is quite handy

 

You also have to use the ford galaxy slave clutch cylinder. This caused me a slight problem because of the release bearing diameter onto the rover clutch...soon found a solution though...

http://www.rhocar.or...elease +bearing

 

Next you have to replace the input shaft cover from the type 9 and make a replacement cover which also holds the hydraulic clutch (the correct distance away from the gearbox face to ensure enough clutch travel to disengage);

 

I've not yet finished this section yet. As you can see from the photo's, my next step is to drill the polo-mint adapter plate to suit the gearbox and bell house;

 

 

 

 

 

[richardm6994]

[Snapperpaul]

Don't forget the recess in the adaptor plate for the gear selector rod, this also need to be oil tight or gearbox oil gets into the bellhousing

[richardm6994]

That's why I love this club...I hadnt thought of that...I was just going to put a clearance hole in!!!

 

Many thanks for saving me a problem later on down the line!

[Al Milton]

That'll be engine porn when it's fitted.

Be careful there isn't an 18 certificate slapped on any pics

 

:D

[richardm6994]

Swmbo just read this and gone nuts! Correction to the above......Claire bought nick's engine for my 30th b/day! Ooppps....forgot that bit!

[Guest mower man]

Thats a cracking project Richard and alltho not easy by any means I'm sure you will make a belting job of it regards mick

[speedtripledan]

Swmbo just read this and gone nuts! Correction to the above......Claire bought nick's engine for my 30th b/day! Ooppps....forgot that bit!

what a woman buying her fella a v8 for his birthday!!!

[Bob Tucker]

May be worth looking at upgrading the type 9......that'll be a lot more torque than it's been used to...!!!

 

 

BTW Al.....I'm seriously starting to worry about you "That'll be engine porn when it's fitted." LOL

Bob

[richardm6994]

I'm sure the type 9 will be fine. I know of at least 2 robin hoods running the rv8 on a type 9. It is more power / torque than was intended for it, but its not pulling a sierra anymore!

[Guest Tim Norman]

Unless you put very sticky tyres on the back gearbox should cope.

[Al Milton]

BTW Al.....I'm seriously starting to worry about you "That'll be engine porn when it's fitted." LOL

Bob

It's your magazines that started it Bob!!

[steve_wilson]

great project

 

lots of pictures, measurements and details please

im pretty sure that one day it'll come in handy for me

 

cheers, steve

[richardm6994]

So I got a few more hours on the project today and I've got the polo-mint spacer drill and tapped (complete with boss welded in to seal the gearbox selector shaft) and the gearbox bolted to the engine without flyweel and clutch to check how far the input shaft goes into spigot bearing (which happens to be about about 10-15mm);

 

edit (12/07/13) - when welding the boss from the rear of the polo-mint spacer, make sure you grind the welds perfectly flat or better still, stick the polo-mint in a lathe and skim the face to ensure that the face bolting up to the gearbox is completely flat! THIS IS CRITICAL!!!

At the end of this thread, you'll see I had a gearbox leak. This was because I got carried away when grinding the welds on the back of the boss and took too much metal away from the polo-mint meaning the polo-mint didn't seal onto the gasket around the gearbox seletor shaft!!

 

In sort - make sure the face bolting onto the gearbox is 100% flat (faced in a lathe would be the prefered choice).

 

[richardm6994]

Update;

 

Yesterday I bolted the engine and gearbox together with the flywheel and clutch properly fitted. The SD1 bellhouse has a couple of handy sized inspection openings which allow me to check the hydraulic clutch slave cylinder to clutch pressure plate interface.

 

Slight problem.....but I was expecting this so I wasn't too disheartened....

 

When everything was bolted together, the slave cylinder is suppose to be pushed right back on it's stoke (less 5mm) by the pressure plate. This way it has enough stroke to push on the pressure plate and release the clutch (handy tip from Jase!).

 

When I bolted everything together, I found the the slave cylinder was no where near pushed right back on it's stroke....in fact, with various thicknesses of metal I was able to establish that there was still 15mm left on the clutch stroke before it hit it's back-stop!!

 

This basically means that the centre boss which I machined was 10mm shorter than it was needed to be...

 

Solution..

 

I've machined a 10mm spacer plate to set the slave cylinder off the original boss face...If the slave cylinder had 15mm of stroke left before....now I have brought it 10mm closer it should only have 5mm stroke left which is the desired distance....