Stewart Posted May 17, 2014 Author Report Share Posted May 17, 2014 I found some images of the prelim layout in a donor car we did a while ago. Most of the clearance issues are sorted with a new mount in progress to fit the starter motor to the left side of the block. I have a 1.7kw new starter which will bolt up to an angled adapter block to fit up like a SBC starter mount. Got hold of some 604 ventilated front discs last week and I just need some calipers to suit. I reckon I'll just use 604 units for simplicity. I fooled around some time ago and knocked up a rear x member anti twist bracket which attaches to the torque tube. 504 rally cars used similar things. This was also a first attempt which has led to some better ideas which will go into the new car. The new 505 I have is a 2 owner until I got my filthy paws on it. The fluffy steering wheel may stay for that old car driven by pensioner effect. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bean Posted May 17, 2014 Report Share Posted May 17, 2014 Great update Stewart - I LOVE seeing fabrication pics, especially ones specific to Peugeot's! Particular favourites are the tail shaft, and the anti- twist bracket. Questions about the anti twist bracket - I've seen such a modification, but seeing it now it makes total sense: My planning for my increase power has lead me to the idea of rigid mounting the silent blocks at each end so that cross member is rigidly mounted to the chassis. I've read that rally cars used c-channel welded into that beam to add stiffness - but I've always read that as it went lengthwise to the section and not across it like you've done. I would not be able to add the anti twist bracket with a rigid mounted cross member, but some reinforcing should have the same result. Since the trailing arms have rubber bushings - I thought this would make NVH bearable - but maybe I'm missing something - especially since I think I got the rally mod mixed up! The new 505 looks outstanding and I fully agree on leaving the fluffy wheel cover on. Rabin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stewart Posted May 17, 2014 Author Report Share Posted May 17, 2014 You can make up an alloy block to replace the front x member mount which works well. The member stops twisting and wriggling with power. I have found this to also be as quiet as rubber mounts, too. If the torque tube is held fast to the x member the engine fore aft and twist is also better controlled. I actually enjoy this craziness, now I can see light at the end of the tunnel! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stewart Posted June 23, 2014 Author Report Share Posted June 23, 2014 The small end bushes arrived today. 23mm or 0.905" from a Holden V6 Supercharged. Gudgeon pin circlips from the former as well . Only 15 more circlip grooves to cut! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stewart Posted June 26, 2014 Author Report Share Posted June 26, 2014 Purchased a matching pair of Factory Range Rover stainless headers or the 4.6. Beautifully made and with factory heat shields. Cool. Starter to steering still a big issue , a solution will happen soon, I hope! I picked up an SD1 starter which has the solenoid facing the tarmac but with a huge Lucas shell. It should help determine a high power starter option for me though. The rods will get the small end bushes fitted in a week or two. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stewart Posted January 7, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 7, 2015 Splendid news! I think I've found a way through the starter issue. ( Apart from giving up). Some time spent with a flap wheel and some turning of the starter housing in the lathe has given me hope. I shall move the engine toward left hand side of the vehicle, 13mm off centre line and this 1.7kw starter by Frankenstein should be swweeet. The engine will be sitting 25mm lower than in the mock up car as well so, it's almost full steam ahead from here. I also wrecked out an SRDT 505 Monday which had a 10 bolt 3.3:1 diff centre and a BA10/5. I think that diff ratio would be a good one to keep for slightly bigger wheels and tyres. The gearbox has 80 000kms on since rebuild by a reputable engineer. I don't need it though so it may be sold on or put under the bench for later. The images are of the V8 engine sitting almost perfectly for a 505 on the 505 cross member and right hand drive power steer rack valve. Images are Upside down of course, due to the effect of Equatorial Balance on the Australian Librarian's Tutorial Globe being finely balanced with a Northern Hemisphere Bias.....................................................??????????????????.! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keebs Posted January 9, 2015 Report Share Posted January 9, 2015 Pretty cool. Are you going to do any head work or use a different cam? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stewart Posted January 10, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 10, 2015 Yep. My mate and I have been developing theories and engines on the Rover 3.5 to 4.6 and we have got a very grunty 4.6 unit running at the moment in his race car. 6000rpm in 4th (1:1) gives us 140 mph in a stripped down (1000kg) P6 Rover. We're using a solid flat tappet , points and a 650 Holley. . Standard valve sizes and some really simple exhaust work. Ports are hand done on the carb engine but on mine, which is one of the very last Rover V8's will get exhaust ports massaged but the inlets will stay as they are. I'm running a close grind to a Chevy 327 factory 3863151 which was a 300hp in a 327 sbc. The engine will have 11:1 and engine management which I intend to set up myself. I had it custom made by an ECU supplier for the Rover sensors. I'm using a Thor engine manifolds, 4 bolt 4.6 liter and a BW 65 auto which I've reworked to bolt up to the torque tube. Call it far fetched but it is really looking good. I'm aiming for a tyre frying, discrete and light, 505 sedan. So far I have front slotted rotors from a 604 and will run 4 spot RX7 front calipers, 3.08 a 3.3 and a 3.46 diff to get maximum flexibility once it's all set up. No matter what, as most 505 owners realise the last series 505 sedans are such a beautiful drive so I'm really happy to be getting into this idea. The engine weighs the same as the old XN1 engine ( before a/c, p/s etc) and certainly lighter than the Diesel so, it sort of makes sense to try this. A chap over here has a 504 fitted with the Australian Leyland version of this engine at 4.4l and BA10/5 . Negligible change in balance, in fact he reckons it's made the car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keebs Posted January 10, 2015 Report Share Posted January 10, 2015 I don't think any of this is far fetched at all. I thought for a long hard while about throwing a v8 in one of my dead 505s, so you're not the only one. For weight balance it's hard to say without scales, but the n9t is a brick that has about 4 inches of room to be moved back. The rover engine is small so get it tight to the bulkhead and balance might even improve over stock. Maybe tomorrow I'll get out and measure the n9t's length vs a chevy, and maybe even a 4.6 dohc mustang just for kicks since I doubt it would be narrow enough to fit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stewart Posted January 11, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 11, 2015 If time permits this week I'll be reworking the starter and will make two new engine mount brackets offset 1/2" to the left to give a factory like clearance to the power steer valve. This is getting close to being enjoyable again. Over the last year I've managed to grab a fair bit more tooling and knowledge so I can see the pieces of the puzzle falling down in place without a lot of fuss. All I need next is a hoist in this shed at home! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stewart Posted January 31, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 31, 2015 Well this last few weeks have been hectic so not much progress on the starter bar welding a flange on the nose. However progress has been rolling along on an engine dyne/test bed I've been wanting to make to tune and run in engines for Voiture Anciennes. It is taking up a lot of brain cells. It will use a GM disc and dual GM 2 piston calipers as a brakes which will react against a Crane Scale to give a torque reading. Early days but it will be cooled by a radiator fan and it will be covered by a cut up 60 l drum to reduce risk and heat. Hope you like it so far. It uses a cut down 404 sedan torque tube so it is a very French de Prony Brake, indeed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stewart Posted February 9, 2015 Author Report Share Posted February 9, 2015 Engine mounts are almost completed. Starter motor is also almost done too. The next challenge is to push my errant engineering shop to fit the piston pin bushes to the conrods. Once that is done the engine bottom end and mounting system is complete. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stewart Posted April 17, 2015 Author Report Share Posted April 17, 2015 After some delays with work getting in the way of being serious, the engine has finally been positioned sweetly on the 505 cross member. I moved it off centre towards the passenger side to give clearance to the power steering valve body and starter. The angle is less than 5 deg off dead centre . The con rods are getting pin bushes fitted at last to give a fully floating wrist pin so engine re assembly is imminent. The little engine test bed is also coming along where I made a couple of adapters out of a rear hub from a 504 so the drive shaft , which will be a 505 rear axle , can slide into the 504 hub splines. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andrethx Posted April 18, 2015 Report Share Posted April 18, 2015 The little engine test bed is also coming along where I made a couple of adapters out of a rear hub from a 504 so the drive shaft , which will be a 505 rear axle , can slide into the 504 hub splines. that's pretty cool. is the length the same as on the car? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stewart Posted April 18, 2015 Author Report Share Posted April 18, 2015 Yeah. I just sort looked around and hey, there's a 505 axle, it's spring loaded so if we fit between and close the gap so the spring is compressed a little, it's got to be good. The idea is to set an engine on it to get the starting, cold start hot start cruise tuning done and also test run the engine for 2nd head tension, bedding in rings and cams. It will give me a torque reading too, while the brakes load the engine which will help me get mixtures and the ignition timing safe. I believe the term is Least Timing for Best Torque? I do a lot of odd ball things over here, one is the V8, another is a full rebuild on a Toyota S800 engine. 2 cylinder , 2 carbs and 800 cc of air cooled awesomeness. All this old stuff is worn out so we usually have to remake/reface a cam , get new pistons made and, the fuel is different today.So tuning a rebuild is an integral part of the process. In the course of all this we've found a great new ignition idea which is tuneable via laptop. Set your own ignition curve without springs , weights or contact breakers. We are going to try one on the S800. Very compact stuff and the spark becomes a big fat blue crack about 1/2" long during cranking. http://www.accuspark.co.uk/Blackbox.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bean Posted April 21, 2015 Report Share Posted April 21, 2015 Awesome progress Stewart! I can't wait to see how the dyno worka out. Really looking forward to progress on this build too. Rabin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stewart Posted March 4, 2016 Author Report Share Posted March 4, 2016 Some new yesterday. I am using Ford spec 3.68" pistons in the RV8. Cutting a long story short, the wrist pin diameters are 24mm Rover to 23mm Ford. A nice fully floating option for this project. It turns out Peugeot XN1 wrist bushes will press into the Rover rods and will be honed out to 23mm nicely. Once done I can now proceed with setting squish and building up the engine. Like Wade I am leaning toward a MS2 kit as I have sold on the ecu I had built. It is now going to run the XN2 engine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bean Posted April 11, 2016 Report Share Posted April 11, 2016 Hi Stewart, Are the piston pin heights the same, and do the Ford pistons have the correct deck protrusion at TDC? Curious is all - finding another piston that needs minimal mods that drops in must be quite the feat! Rabin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stewart Posted November 19, 2016 Author Report Share Posted November 19, 2016 Hi again. Since my last post I have sold my business. Very busy and difficult time. However the 505 V8 project is reignited . I have almost completed the engine testbed to tune the engine. I had a slant 6 rebuild and had to hot run it before it went out so a Chrysler was the first engine on the semi completed bed. Im having to remake and invent some tools as I go partly for cost saving and partly for fun but the project is still rolling. Fully floating piston pins with bushes from an XN 1/2 Peugeot engine fitted into trhe stock Rover rods. Nice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goce Posted November 19, 2016 Report Share Posted November 19, 2016 Very interesting project, a proper reengineering of a vehicle, by the rover v8 and RHD i presume you are from england, i always i'm amazed how innovative people can be from there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bean Posted November 19, 2016 Report Share Posted November 19, 2016 Gasp! Â Stewart is Aussie - another country with an incredible car culture! Awesome to have you back Stewart! Â Congrats on selling the shop - hopefully it worked out your way and you can enjoy your projects properly now! Rabin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goce Posted November 19, 2016 Report Share Posted November 19, 2016 My bad i apologise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stewart Posted November 19, 2016 Author Report Share Posted November 19, 2016 No offence taken Goce, I'm a big boy! Selling my shop was selling the last 20 years of my life. It had to happen though, I couldn't cope with the stress and it certainly had a terrible effect on my health it seems. All I have to do now is find enough time to do the Peugeot stuff I want to do! I'll find some images to share today. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stewart Posted September 26, 2017 Author Report Share Posted September 26, 2017 After having semi retired, I am making faster progress. I'm going to rework my engine brackets to use 407 V6 diesel top engine mounts.  Fluid filled. I just happen to have nos and it looks a good fit. To get clearance for the rhd power steer valve to the starter we decided to cut the alloy rack housing to twist the valve away from the starter. May need to add a little spacer into the rack body too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bean Posted September 26, 2017 Report Share Posted September 26, 2017 Cutting and rotating the pinion on the rack is pure genius - well done! Looking forward to more progress Stewart! Rabin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.