Gerry wrote:
>I too have often thought about installing a different engine in my MGB -
>1940's technology only goes so far. Instead of going the V6/V8 route, I saw
>a very nice conversion using a Japanese Twin-Cam engine. I think it
>was a Toyota Twin-Cam from a Corolla. The advantages to this are :
>...
> - Stock power is 120HP-145HP depending on year
>The car I saw ran like stink, probably 0-60 was about 8.0 secs, and cruised
>all day at above 80mph.
I've seen some nice twin-cam 4 conversions of various Brit cars. Nice for
a more reliable engine, but I'd still go V-8 if drop dead power was the
concern. There's a fellow in St. Louis with a 3.9 hotwire 'B that does
0-60 in 4.6 secs. That's 0.1 sec slower than a Viper GTS, 0.1 seconds faster
than the roadster. The engine has high compression pistons, nice heads,
stock cam. Before we get into another Japano-engine vs Rover horsepower,
here's something from Roger Parker regarding the power output of the Rover
engines (I thought it might be worth reading for those who are interested
in potential conversion choices): (it's on the MGB V-8 BBS if anyone's
interested)
"From: Roger Parker Tamworth on 22/9/1998 21:12
(stuff regarding MG rust deleted)
2, The often quoted performance comparison between the 4 and 8 cylinder
cars usually stagnates on
the relatively unimportant maximum power quoted for both cars. In fact it
is the torque that the V8
produces and the method of that delivery which is the secret to it's still
very competitive performance.
For the record a standard car tested by Motor at the time of the cars
launch provided 124 mph and a
7.7 secs to 60 mph. Other mags at the time returned very similar figures,
but what puts the V8 apart
is that even with only a small throttle opening you can approach this
performance whereas the 4 cylinder
car has to be driven very much harder to extract the performance.
3, A hidden fact is that on every Rover V8 instalation I have yet come
across the actual power that the
engine gives when the engine is fully run in and set up properly, has
always exceeded the quoted figures.
Currently Land Rover engineers confidentally told me that the 185bhp spec
3.9 litre engine always achieves
at least 200 bhp when fully run in. In the MGBGTV8 examples that I have
been involved with have all
managed to exceed the figures that the equivalent SD1V8 has given."
-Keith Wheeler
Team Sanctuary http://www.teamsanctuary.com/
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