If one looks around, one might find the Buick Alum V-6 (the little brother
to the 215 Alum, 188 cubes, 90 degree, mfg. 1961-62)
Mark
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> From: DANMAS@aol.com
> To: curry@wolfenet.com; RICHARD.JACKSON@nene.ac.uk
> Cc: triumphs@autox.team.net
> Subject: Re: V-8 Spit???
> Date: Wednesday, October 08, 1997 11:07 AM
>
> In a message dated 97-10-08 12:20:13 EDT, curry@wolfenet.com writes:
>
> > There seems to be a lot of talk going around regarding cramming V-8's
in
> > Spits. Here's my take on that.
> >
> > 1. If you simply want more HP, consider a V6 rather than a V8. The
> > reason is that in all the cases I have seen in the past 35 years where
> > people have undertaken such a project, they have been stifled by the
> > problem of what to do about the interference of the steering shaft.
> > Most cut it into pieces and link it back together with U-Joints. Do
you
> > know what that does to the sharpness of the steering????
>
> Joe:
>
> If you use the correct u-joints, there is precious little impact on the
> crispness of steering. Street Rodders quite commonly use them, in
multiples,
> with no ill effect. But I agree, the steering can be - and usually is -
the
> biggest problem of the entire swap. I am using Borgenson u-joints in my
> project. The car is not on the road yet, but so far, I can't see any
> difference at all compared to stock, either in the amount of play or the
> smoothness of operation. The TR6 uses two u-joints, from the factory.
>
> > 2. The other main consideration is the weight. Spit suspension was
> > not designed to handle the extra weight, nor were the brakes.
>
> If you use the aluminum engine, such as the BOP/Rover, there is no
additional
> weight - in fact, it most likely will weigh less. Besides, if you are
going
> to all that trouble to swap out the engine, I would think you would want
to
> go all out, and up-grade the chassis and the brakes as well.
>
> > With the V-6 option, you get less weight and because all the V-6's I
> > have studied are built on a 60 degree slant (90 degrees for V-8's)
most
> > of the engine is kept closer to the center, helping to ease
restrictions
> > of the steering.
>
> Most of the V6 engines still in production (domestic) are of the 90
degree
> variety. The 2.8L Chevy being the most common 60 degree type, as well as
some
> of the Ford engines used in such cars as the Capri. There is a
performance
> penalty associated with the 60 degree engines, in that the intake
manifold
> mating surfaces with the heads are so close together, it is difficult to
> provide adequate intake performance. Also, most of the 60 degree engines
are
> of a smaller displacement than the 90 degree type, eg, 2.8L vs 3.8L.
>
> > The Buick Park Avenue's built in the mid-late 80's (and possibly
still)
> > have an 3.1L (I think) V-6 with Port injection and lots of chrome.
This
> > engine would look so cool in the engine compartment of a Spit.
>
> The Buick engines are all of the 90 degree type. This is the same engine
> block, basically, as that used in the Indy racers of a while back. If I'm
not
> mistaken, Indy was won by a Buick V6 powered car once. There is a vast
amount
> of performance parts available for this engine, rivaled in quanity only
by
> the Chevy small block and the Ford 5.0. I have a Buick V6 in my workshop,
and
> it is about 2 inches wider than the Ford 302 that I am putting into my
'71
> TR6. (just for the record, The Ford engine/transmission weighs about 25
> pounds less than the stock TR6 engine/transmission)
>
> Never-the-less, I agree wholeheartedly with you, that a 60 degree V6
would
> make a much neater, and extremely easier, swap than a V8, and should
still
> give a real performance boost.
>
> Of course, you have to understand that I am more than a bit biased
towards
> the V8s. Being somewhat vertically challenged, I have to compensate
> somewhere!
>
> Dan Masters,
> Alcoa, TN
>
> '71 TR6---------3000mile/year driver, fully restored
> '71 TR6---------undergoing full restoration and Ford 5.0 V8 insertion -
see:
> http://www.sky.net/~boballen/mg/Masters/
> '74 MGBGT---3000mile/year driver, original condition
> '68 MGBGT---organ donor for the '74
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