Alternative engines - Which other engines could be/were put in

Faced with a choice between an O series and a Rover 4 cyl I'll take the Rover any day! I agree totally with you Richard, and this is the phillosophy behind both my P6's - to make them how I consider the factory would have made them had they been equipped with 20/20 hindsight! My comments on the O series were in relation to replacing the 1800 B series in an MGB. The B might be OK as a 1600 in a Farina, but the installation in the MGB is a catastrophe aided and abetted by apalling build standards (different cam timing for different cylinders anybody?). The O series is a credible generational lift in the spirit of the original.

Were I personally to be tackling this project, I would have three options under consideration:

1 Upgrade the existing Rover engine with an improved primary drive (gears or belt? - but not 2 stage chain!) and fuel injection.

2 Land Rover 5 cylinder 2.5 diesel

3 ex Vauxhall Carlton V6

Sorry webmaster Richard, but the M16/T16, whilst an engine I have a lot of time for - it works brilliantly in a sports car eg Morgan for instance - just isn't torquey enough to suit the character of the P6.

If anyone could demonstrate a straight six would fit, that would be in the list as well, but my knowledge of P7 doesn't fill me with hope for the result. All the candidates mentioned would make the car far too nose heavy even if they could be persuaded to fit.

Chris
 
Is it just me that i think that the Rover 4 cyl is way too long for a 4 cyl? No wonder the 6 cyl version of this engine needed a longer engine bay! I think that other straight sixes are not that long.
 
Demetris said:
Is it just me that i think that the Rover 4 cyl is way too long for a 4 cyl? No wonder the 6 cyl version of this engine needed a longer engine bay! I think that other straight sixes are not that long.
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Yes I was thinking the same too. I would have thought its partly down to the bores having to be spaced apart a lot compared to newer engines to cope with low tech casting methods. Also I feel it would have been better to drive the water pump, cam from a belt and the oil pump from inside the sump. But then it would have started to look like that famous ford unit, the Pinto. :;):
 
Audi / Volvo etc 5 pot ? Probably no longer than the standard 4pot

What about the supercharged Merc engines used in many of the recent cars, benefits from already being RWD.

Alfa V6 ?
 
webmaster said:
Audi / Volvo etc 5 pot ? Probably no longer than the standard 4pot

What about the supercharged Merc engines used in many of the recent cars, benefits from already being RWD.

Alfa V6 ?
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Had not thought about Merc engines. Are they sitting upright unlike the slanted BMW engines??? May be a better option, interesting. I'm thinking that what ever engine it is it needs to be as close to the 2L or 2.2L of the Rover 4 pots so that your get similar performance / fuel economy. Ok both these will be up being a modern engines but not that much more. Once the engine size gets nearer to 2.5 -> 3.0L then its going to burn more go go juice. One of things I like about the four pots is that you don't have to consider the cost for taking the Rover to the office. So mine is never going to be as good on petrol as my new Astra 1.8 but that's only returning around 30mpg and my Rover was at about 22/24 mpg so the extra cost soon vanishes with a fry up on the ferry. ;)

I do like Rovers four pot, just that in the future the spare engines are going to dry up and the only recourse is expensive rebuild or an engine from some where else. I hope its going to be a long while before we get there, mine is going back together now with the help of a bottom end I've got from Alan (don't know he's name on the forum) Its been rebored and the crank done and it came with all the parts needed. Just needed to be put together. Thankfully it had been stored away well, she's cleaned up a treat. Thanks Alan. :D The engine will be like new. I'm going to after this baby, were at that time where the costs are starting to climb.
 
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