BritishV8 Forum

Handle here is "DiDueColpi". Fred alluded to having done the impossible. No pictures or dyno report, as of yet, but we are "hopeful". Fred ??

The heads are on the engine and all the cam drives work. The intake looks like it means business, just stalled out on the crank/ cam issue. Home maintenance, trip to Spain and building an ITS Acura and a Soverin Volvo are kinda eating up all the spare time.
Did I mention that I just bought a 82 TR8 in a basket and the clutch is starting to slip on the Esprit?
Cheers
Fred

I've been following this thread for a while now, and it's certainly a cool idea, but at the risk of being a heretic, why not just get a Northstar and eliminate all the problems?

I think people here don't want the easy way, but like to make it their own way.That is most of the fun in it. Plus scrounging for unobtanium parts and adapting and making your own parts. Also what if the factory did this or that.

Well put Jim. If we wanted "easy", we'd all build sbc's . That "antique" Lotus 907  head ,makes 257 hp,2.3L gas/carbs, all motor, in road racing. Two comparably prepped, on a Rover, should make for lead-dog status.

Has anything happened with this? Any pictures of the progress?

Justin, Fred Key has the gauntlet, on this one. You might "pm" him. Cheers, roverman.

Why bother, other than the engineering challenge. Drop in a Jaguar AJ8, quad cam, 32 valve 4 ltr, 290bhp/290 torque out of the box. Plenty of them at the breakers!

David and clan, "We don't do this because it's easy, we do it bcause it's hard". Modifying our lbc's is not easy. Many new cars can be bought with ample features, performance, etc. Why bother, indeed ?  For better or worse, "some" like the idea of an RV8 based swap. Maybe because of Costello or the factory GT's. We seem to be a close knit group, of strongly independant taste. Cheers, roverman.

WOW, Sept. 2012, how time flies...  I consider making (4) modular cams, more of a challenge, than adapting the 907's, to the RV8.. Time will tell.  Cheers, roverman.

I had the good fortune to meet Pete Aardema, last night. Pete and his associate, are top notch, head swappers ! Like 4 valve Porshe heads on a BBC, or Subaru heads, on a Model A block,etc,etc.  Pete and crew have been successful at Bonneville, for over 10 years. We discussed at length, the methods of making Lotus 907 heads, work on a Rover. He doesn't think I need a lobotamy, and at least for now, I'll take his word for it. I'll "try" to post pic's, when possible.  Onward, roverman.

Modular cams are progressing well. Big question is, "how crooked", after heat treat.Heat treater say's .002" TIR, is not possible. I may need to grind cam journal areas down to 25 mm, for accurate surfaces, suitable for needle bearing support.  Plan is to use Honda B16, adjustable cam sprockets,(round tooth).

(4) 907 cams weigh 30.24 lbs. ! I think modular should be 40% less ? Honda B16 sprockets should work by step-turning the 1" spine to 22mm. Next test is to "cryo-split" the 1" needle bearings,(3 center cam journals). Cheers, roverman.

Looks like some one else is playing the Lotus head game.

http://www.speedhunters.com/2014/09/im-sorry-youre-going-mgb/

Appears to be well financed at least.

Jim

They could at least, give Jim Stabe  credit for the "Pfat" idea ?  Whaats the budget, for a lap record ? Needs Batman to drive. So far out, why not mid ?  Good Show, roverman.

Hi guys,

Just wanted to say, that the idea for this came about in 1995, so it was well before this forum was formed..  The first V8 was actually bought in 2007, so it's been planned for a long time, it's only now when I've got the opportunity to build it..

Work is going well on the engine.. We are about to have the liners fitted, we've done all of the mods to get the block able to be machined for the standard lotus bolt pattern.
We have designed and made new bottom end caps for the block to make it strong. We will be using the standard'ish spec Lotus cams and timing,mas we are using a steel flat plane crank..
In the new year, the new front cover for the timing belts will be made and hopefully by April/May we will be ready to fire her up!

There is a full build of the car and engine at www.facebook.com/APSMotorsports..

We're quite open about the build.. It's been my life Lind dream to build this engine and our MGB GT3....

Cheers Peeps!

Jason, what are you doing about the head studs if I might ask? The bolt bossed in the block could be a bit stronger and certainly may be considered marginal for the sort of engine it sounds like you are building, then relocating the studs adds another question. Just curious.

Jim

Jason, Will you be using a "girdle", in concert with the new caps ? A crank like that, in a 90 deg. V8, especially with moderate stroke, creates sizeable force/couple harmonics, directly to the main bearings/bulkheads. Target hp. is ? Not using a Coscast block ?  Good Luck.  roverman.

Pete Aardema says this engine build is covered in this quarter of "Racing Engine Design", GB.  Where to buy ?  roverman.

Online here?

https://www.highpowermedia.com/c/31/race-engine-technology

M.

I bought the magazine with the car in,they are hoping to develop a kit to market the heads !
Billet sump,with longer studs to strengthen the bottom end up, I'd be interested in that,
There's no mention of the engine actually running,let alone a dyno session.
But should be going by the fall.

"Kit to market the heads", ok you got the "kit", now all you need is a 180 deg. billet crank and bottom end strong enough to take all of the harmonic hammering, fab-up a well designed IR inlet system and exhaust, OR slice and dice (4), 907 cams, like Fred did, to use the V8 crank.  Sounds easy....  roverman.

Got the magazine at Barnes and Noble.
The two pictures shown were mock-ups.
Twin turbos, intercooled "each turbo capable of 650 hp."
"Camshafts specified for an output of 600-800 hp per cylinder bank."
"Maximun rpm,9300" "estimates engine should be capable of 1200-1300 hp using about 30 psi boost."

I think that's too much to ask of a Rover block.

Jim