has anyone had the v8 conversion ?

[fester]

has anyone had the v8 rover conversion done in this forum ?

[jotto]

has anyone had the v8 rover conversion done in this forum ?

TonyN had one in his pick up if that helps

[da SLUG man]

Kiwi-Jim's got a V8 too.

don't think there's "a V8 conversion", just a DIY job joining it all together and making it work.

[fester]

ive got a p6 and a sd1 engine both rebuilt and cammed up and i am toying with the idea off putting one in and gas conversion too but depends how easy it is on a 3rd gen 2.4 surf....

[Runner Andy]

Can you get a 3rd gen 2.4 surf for me? Sorry I'm a sarcastic git!!

I do Know V8 Rover's though, and I think that there is a conversion plate available. Would be a nice toy if you did it.

Andy

[Elvz]

There are quite a few bellhousings and engine mounts available to put a 3.5 or 3.9 Rover engine in a Hilux pickup. Milners have sold them in the past (and can still get them to order) and also a company called UK Castings Ltd which is based in Kent.

I was thinking of buying a conversion bellhousing off Ebay last week but when I started looking into the possibilities it became apparent that there are some problems to the conversion.

Firstly all the conversions seem to be for the very old type of Rover engine matched to a UK spec (MK1 or MK2?) petrol Hilux pickup g/box. This is not the same as a MK2 Surf g/box and not interchangeable!

Second problem, for me anyway, is that to fit the V8 engine into the Surf without modifications to the bodywork you need an engine fitted with the timing case, waterpump, pulleys etc from the earliest type of Rover V8 saloon car. This is fine if you want to fit a 3.5 or 3.9 engine but these are obsolete and don't produce any more power than the Toyota 3 litre V6 petrol engine so what's the point?

I wanted to fit a 4.6 'Serpentine' engine from a Range Rover and I discovered that neither the front parts from the old Rover engine or the conversion bellhousings will fit the later engines.

[marky]

There are quite a few bellhousings and engine mounts available to put a 3.5 or 3.9 Rover engine in a Hilux pickup. Milners have sold them in the past (and can still get them to order) and also a company called UK Castings Ltd which is based in Kent.

I was thinking of buying a conversion bellhousing off Ebay last week but when I started looking into the possibilities it became apparent that there are some problems to the conversion.

Firstly all the conversions seem to be for the very old type of Rover engine matched to a UK spec (MK1 or MK2?) petrol Hilux pickup g/box. This is not the same as a MK2 Surf g/box and not interchangeable!

Second problem, for me anyway, is that to fit the V8 engine into the Surf without modifications to the bodywork you need an engine fitted with the timing case, waterpump, pulleys etc from the earliest type of Rover V8 saloon car. This is fine if you want to fit a 3.5 or 3.9 engine but these are obsolete and don't produce any more power than the Toyota 3 litre V6 petrol engine so what's the point?

I wanted to fit a 4.6 'Serpentine' engine from a Range Rover and I discovered that neither the front parts from the old Rover engine or the conversion bellhousings will fit the later engines.

Cant you also use a range rover box ELVZ

[andy]

A couple of companies that have or will do V8 conversions.

http://www.engineconversions.co.uk/toyota.html

http://www.marks4wd.com/hilux-index.html

[marky]

ive got a p6 and a sd1 engine both rebuilt and cammed up and i am toying with the idea off putting one in and gas conversion too but depends how easy it is on a 3rd gen 2.4 surf....

3rd Gen 2.4 i dont thinl so !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 3rd gen is not a 2.4 engine

[marky]

There are quite a few bellhousings and engine mounts available to put a 3.5 or 3.9 Rover engine in a Hilux pickup. Milners have sold them in the past (and can still get them to order) and also a company called UK Castings Ltd which is based in Kent.

I was thinking of buying a conversion bellhousing off Ebay last week but when I started looking into the possibilities it became apparent that there are some problems to the conversion.

Firstly all the conversions seem to be for the very old type of Rover engine matched to a UK spec (MK1 or MK2?) petrol Hilux pickup g/box. This is not the same as a MK2 Surf g/box and not interchangeable!

Second problem, for me anyway, is that to fit the V8 engine into the Surf without modifications to the bodywork you need an engine fitted with the timing case, waterpump, pulleys etc from the earliest type of Rover V8 saloon car. This is fine if you want to fit a 3.5 or 3.9 engine but these are obsolete and don't produce any more power than the Toyota 3 litre V6 petrol engine so what's the point?

I wanted to fit a 4.6 'Serpentine' engine from a Range Rover and I discovered that neither the front parts from the old Rover engine or the conversion bellhousings will fit the later engines.

SUPRA IN A 2.4 http://www.4wd.net.nz/suprasurf.htm

[Elvz]

Reasons not to use a Rover gearbox.....They aren't very good and Toyota ones are the very best so you would be downgrading... also the transfer box wouldnt line up with the Toyota axles which are offset. You could do it but it wouldnt look nice.

Putting a Supra engine in a Surf is pretty easy but 5M engines are now over 20 years old and good ones are hard to find. The rebuilt and tuned one I'm using in my pickup has probably cost me £4-5K which is a not the sort of money you'd want to spend unless you had an ulterior motive. I did it so I drive in Pro-Truck 3 (up to 3000cc) where there are no Rover V8's instead of Pro 4 (unlimited but handicapped) where I would have to race against supercharged 4.6's, Chevy 5.7's and Mr Milner's fullrace Lexus 4.0)

[fester]

all good stuff gents i think ill leave the engines where they are then lol 3rd gen 2.4 i was talking ball ox its a 92 ssr-g with lights flush with the grill so is that a second gen ?

[Rob]

all good stuff gents i think ill leave the engines where they are then lol 3rd gen 2.4 i was talking ball ox its a 92 ssr-g with lights flush with the grill so is that a second gen ?

Yep, a 92 is a 2nd gen but the one in that pic is a 3rd gen, kind of

[da SLUG man]

Yep, a 92 is a 2nd gen but the one in that pic is a 3rd gen, kind of

the later facelift 2nd gen, has more of the look of a 3rd gen at the front with the lights you described, the early ones have the little square headlamps.

[TonyN]

Its easy, heres mine!



A stock 3.5 is only 160ish HP, not much point is swapping out the intercooled 3rd gen motor unless it blown up.

3.9's have a history of porus blocks and crappy electrics, and 4.2's are still a little dear. Personally, I'm turning my back on good ol' Rover, and heading down the Chevy route (V6 if I can get one, or V8 is not) for the new truck, it gets the same MPG as a Rover, with bags more torque and HP, unless a I6 Supra motor drops in my lap



Elvz, the water pump problem on SD1 motors is easy, you need a Buick water pump (I got one for £36 from a US parts importers in Beds), or MGB ones to clear the rad,