CRAZYDAVE Posted November 4, 2009 Share Posted November 4, 2009 Hi everyone I wish to convert my 1985 manta gte coupe to 4.6 rover v8 power and manual box. Has anyone any experience and hints and tips on carrying out this conversion? Uprating the suspension and brakes at the moment with full polybush kit 28 point adjustable spax dampers and lowered springs a quaife quickrack and all new balljoints etc using a 4 pot conversion kit from rally design and a proper bias pedal box on the braking side of things. Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick-Manta Posted November 4, 2009 Share Posted November 4, 2009 I have pretty much everything to fit a Rover V8 into a manta for sale. A LT77 gearbox with Jag linkage and manta ready mounting, a sump and pick-up, engine mounting brackets, a mocal remote oil filter and oil cooler, some clocks with the rev counter calibrated for 8 cylinder, urm I think there was something else... I'm after a monkey for the lot. If it's of no interest then it should give you an idea on what's required or let me know if you've got a question I maybe able to help with. If you're doing the brakes now and changing the pedal box, you'd be best to change the servo over for a smaller unit (early 90's VW polo), have a remote one behind the headlamp maybe or do away with a servo all together if you're brave enough. You'll find one of the V8 heads/rocker covers will foul the standard manta servo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CRAZYDAVE Posted November 4, 2009 Author Share Posted November 4, 2009 I have pretty much everything to fit a Rover V8 into a manta for sale. A LT77 gearbox with Jag linkage and manta ready mounting, a sump and pick-up, engine mounting brackets, a mocal remote oil filter and oil cooler, some clocks with the rev counter calibrated for 8 cylinder, urm I think there was something else... I'm after a monkey for the lot. If it's of no interest then it should give you an idea on what's required or let me know if you've got a question I maybe able to help with. If you're doing the brakes now and changing the pedal box, you'd be best to change the servo over for a smaller unit (early 90's VW polo), have a remote one behind the headlamp maybe or do away with a servo all together if you're brave enough. You'll find one of the V8 heads/rocker covers will foul the standard manta servo. Cheers for the quick reply rick i've sent you a pm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simon p Posted November 4, 2009 Share Posted November 4, 2009 Thought about a Chevy? same about of work but muuuuuuuuuuuuch better engine with loads more power. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CRAZYDAVE Posted November 4, 2009 Author Share Posted November 4, 2009 Thought about a Chevy? same about of work but muuuuuuuuuuuuch better engine with loads more power. I did consider it mate. But what concerned me was the high weight of the chevy ruining one of the mantas best qualities. The handling. And also the high cost of the engine in comparison with the rover. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andyc Posted November 5, 2009 Share Posted November 5, 2009 I think you would have to throw alot of cash at a Rover Engine even a 4.6 to get anywhere near the sort of power that a CSB will make. Tuning parts for CSB or even FSB are so cheap fron the US its a bit of a no brainer. From a 350cui Chevy motor you can pull 600bhp + without spending vast amounts of money. As for weight, if you put the engine in the correct place with a good suspension setup then you won't muck up the handling. Simon P IS the V8 guru for Mantas and i think he has fitted most V8's into most Mantas and then some. The Manta in his picture doesn't do Simons work credit, that engine bay is a pure work of art Andy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manta Nut Posted November 5, 2009 Share Posted November 5, 2009 CRAZYDAVE, Its the chevy you should go for. Better power to the pound. Although it may be heavier, as long as the engine is in the right position the handling is better than standard. Simon moved the engine/bulkhead on my car back so the weight of the engine is behind the front axial. Simon is the guru ho yes! Apart from the sheer power of the small block 350 the car handles like it is on rails and pulls like a train. As andyc states the engine could easily be built to 600bhp+ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CRAZYDAVE Posted November 5, 2009 Author Share Posted November 5, 2009 Andy and manta nut cheers for the info. Still struck on the rover at the moment. What running gear are you running with the chevy? Which box and axle? Cheers for all the help Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MANTAMAN Posted November 6, 2009 Share Posted November 6, 2009 aren't 4.6 Rover type V8's built for torque rather than power to lug Range Rovers about, might be able to get as much power from a Vauxhall V6 and there must be loads of these going cheap in old Omega's. Message to Simon P, is there anything you dont want to stick an American V8 in? Simon Downs is coming to see you just to check that his Commy hasn't aquired an LS 1 ( by the way,dont let Simon loose with a wire brush,he'll explain..) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CRAZYDAVE Posted November 6, 2009 Author Share Posted November 6, 2009 (edited) They do indeed But thats what i'm after torque lightweight and that awesome v8 soundtrack A lot of my mates own hondas so best to let them understand whats it like to have torque The civic type r's are great little cars and very quick for what they are they just seem to really lack going uphill due to the low torque figures. I remember the first time the guys saw the manta i just got a chorus of whatssssss thattttttttttt :lol: Edited November 6, 2009 by CRAZYDAVE Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
opel2000 Posted November 7, 2009 Share Posted November 7, 2009 (edited) The 3.5 Rover V8 is actually lighter than the standard Manta CIH (Cam in Head) engine, so unlike fitting a Chevy V8 there will be off the shelf (what bit of shelf is left these days for the Manta) suspension to cope with fitting a Rover V8, and you won't need to "Move the Bulkhead back" to achieve "better handling" Fitted a 3.5 RV8 myself a few years back and won car of the show at Billing with my conversion, (just to let you know I know what I'm talking about) conversion/fitting was simple enough. I started out by positionoing a bare block in the bay to work out the engine mounts. This needed minor adjustment by adding spacers to the rubber mounts to the engine crossmember when finished. Transmission tunnel needed minor dressing with a hammer (sounds crude but a ridiculous neat job can be done) to clear the gearbox bellhousing. I used a gearbox from a Sherpa van (ex Police riot van type thingey) (same hand that grasped my shoulder in the past could have been grasping the very same gear lever ) Anyway....... The gea lever from the sherpa van thing will come through the Manta Trans tunnel in the same place as the Manta gear lever does, failing that and you get a geabox from an SD1 for instance simply contact Rimmer bros http://www.rimmerbros.co.uk/Item--i-GRID005702 as these cansupply you eith a shorter remote linkage for the box. other good sources for info prices and good bits o' kit are Real Steel http://www.realsteel.co.uk/ Prop was cut matched and balanced to suit the rover box and the manta diff, sounds scary but was done out of my hands for little cash outlay. OIL was a bit of a headache as I was using an oil cooler an thermostat, and clearance for all the gubbings involved meant a bit of cash outlay to http://www.thinkauto.com again these are a bunch of good ol' boys who can put you right about a lot of stuff, remote oil filters and take off plates etc. What i would say to you though is.......... Rover V8 is a damn good lightweight lump which is 20lbs lighter than the standard Manta engine, no need for excessive mods to fit thid over heavier V8's at the end of the day it is all about power to weight ratio, and a hell of a lot of cheap tuning can be done to a 4.6 RV8 to compete £ per £ and lb per lb against any cast iron headed and blocked US V8 However, upon saying all that I am slightly biased towards the US V8's but having looked into this extensively, if a cheap 4.6 Rangie engine was going spare (and I mean a couple of 100 £sovs Guv'nor) then I would be having a 4.6 RV8 engined Manta on my drive ONLY problem with any of the bigger engine conversions is..... the fabricating of engine/gearbox mounts etc, by engine conversions I mean.... rather than engine swaps RV8 is pretty straightforward. Hope that has been of help Forgot to add........... Lots of cheapo tuning goodies for the Rover V8 from the godd old US of A too, oh and you won't need to move your bulkhead back and lose your heater either Edited November 7, 2009 by opel2000 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick-Manta Posted November 7, 2009 Share Posted November 7, 2009 With the quad barrel carb + big air filter and some edelbrock chrome rocker covers (for the Chevy small block) using readily available adaptor plates, you can give the RV8 an Americanised look on the top. The twin SUs I had first off screamed British leyland even with K&Ns so I forked out a bit under £400 for a secondhand edelbrock/weber carb with performer manifold (offenhauser sits lower and is probably the better option for bonnet clearence). Not that I got to use them in the end but I bought the unmarked moroso covers with adaptors which keep the line of the heads slanted, the Rover types give a flat top which again looks instantly Rover. Next time, if there is a next time, I'd pay some builders for a recon short block 3.5 or 3.9 RV8. It maybe okay for the chaps who've replied to this topic so far who've made show winning and awe inspiring cars, but for someone with limited skills like myself, I found rebuilding the bottom end a real pig of a job. I'd also save on any mods, with the exception of the quad carb, exhaust and cosmetics, I'd have everything standard as I found the power of the engine to be more than enough in a manta which comparitive to the SD1's, Range Rovers and modern cars is lightweight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CRAZYDAVE Posted November 8, 2009 Author Share Posted November 8, 2009 (edited) The 3.5 Rover V8 is actually lighter than the standard Manta CIH (Cam in Head) engine, so unlike fitting a Chevy V8 there will be off the shelf (what bit of shelf is left these days for the Manta) suspension to cope with fitting a Rover V8, and you won't need to "Move the Bulkhead back" to achieve "better handling" Fitted a 3.5 RV8 myself a few years back and won car of the show at Billing with my conversion, (just to let you know I know what I'm talking about) conversion/fitting was simple enough. I started out by positionoing a bare block in the bay to work out the engine mounts. This needed minor adjustment by adding spacers to the rubber mounts to the engine crossmember when finished. Transmission tunnel needed minor dressing with a hammer (sounds crude but a ridiculous neat job can be done) to clear the gearbox bellhousing. I used a gearbox from a Sherpa van (ex Police riot van type thingey) (same hand that grasped my shoulder in the past could have been grasping the very same gear lever ) Anyway....... The gea lever from the sherpa van thing will come through the Manta Trans tunnel in the same place as the Manta gear lever does, failing that and you get a geabox from an SD1 for instance simply contact Rimmer bros http://www.rimmerbros.co.uk/Item--i-GRID005702 as these cansupply you eith a shorter remote linkage for the box. other good sources for info prices and good bits o' kit are Real Steel http://www.realsteel.co.uk/ Prop was cut matched and balanced to suit the rover box and the manta diff, sounds scary but was done out of my hands for little cash outlay. OIL was a bit of a headache as I was using an oil cooler an thermostat, and clearance for all the gubbings involved meant a bit of cash outlay to http://www.thinkauto.com again these are a bunch of good ol' boys who can put you right about a lot of stuff, remote oil filters and take off plates etc. What i would say to you though is.......... Rover V8 is a damn good lightweight lump which is 20lbs lighter than the standard Manta engine, no need for excessive mods to fit thid over heavier V8's at the end of the day it is all about power to weight ratio, and a hell of a lot of cheap tuning can be done to a 4.6 RV8 to compete £ per £ and lb per lb against any cast iron headed and blocked US V8 However, upon saying all that I am slightly biased towards the US V8's but having looked into this extensively, if a cheap 4.6 Rangie engine was going spare (and I mean a couple of 100 £sovs Guv'nor) then I would be having a 4.6 RV8 engined Manta on my drive ONLY problem with any of the bigger engine conversions is..... the fabricating of engine/gearbox mounts etc, by engine conversions I mean.... rather than engine swaps RV8 is pretty straightforward. Hope that has been of help Forgot to add........... Lots of cheapo tuning goodies for the Rover V8 from the godd old US of A too, oh and you won't need to move your bulkhead back and lose your heater either Exactly what i'm thinking weight factor ease of tuning limited mods to car to fit cheap to buy. This is definately the way i'm going Cheers for all the help everyone some good info there Edited November 8, 2009 by CRAZYDAVE Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GTEPETE Posted November 10, 2009 Share Posted November 10, 2009 The 4.6 V8s suffered from porous blocks, many were replaced under warranty...another thing is that some have run on LPG which despite what people say can cause problems in these engines...as the engine has a strange looking induction system you will need to check if aftermarket inlet manifolds fit this engine as I beleive it is a taller block than a 3.5, so distance between the heads is wider...I would go for a TVR engine and box, a 5.0 would match a 350 carb'd Chevy engine in power, but be lighter...and they sound great!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sabrina Posted September 17, 2011 Share Posted September 17, 2011 Hiya, manta nut i am looking for a manta and just noticed that you are close to me i live in chatham do you know of any and do you still have this one? as havent seen it about. CRAZYDAVE, Its the chevy you should go for. Better power to the pound. Although it may be heavier, as long as the engine is in the right position the handling is better than standard. Simon moved the engine/bulkhead on my car back so the weight of the engine is behind the front axial. Simon is the guru ho yes! Apart from the sheer power of the small block 350 the car handles like it is on rails and pulls like a train. As andyc states the engine could easily be built to 600bhp+ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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