coozer
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| posted on 26/5/06 at 07:19 PM |
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Rover Engine Donor
Here we go! Away from the blue oval I am looking at using a Rover 620Ti engine in my next build.
The interweb doesn't have much on converting this engine to RWD.
Advise and experiences required. My last car, a Striker had a Montego turbo (see the link?) with a SDI gearbox. Rover parts bin conversion.
Not knowing much about the 620Ti engine I wonder if anyone knows how to convert it? How easy to fit a type 9 etc. I have a mighty fine RWD gearbox
from a Toyota ST but the starter sits where my clutch foot wants to be.
For me the rover engine has 200bhp out the box, loads fo drivable torque and a whole Rover 600 can be had for beer money!
Any advise, help, pointers would be mucho appreciated. 
1972 V8 Jago
1980 Z750
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Simon
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| posted on 26/5/06 at 07:28 PM |
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Robin Hood were using this engine in their "Sooper Dooper" model. No idea what it was called, but a call to them, may help.
Alternatively, try
http://www.gearboxman.co.uk/psbellhousings.html
ATB
Simon
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bilbo
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| posted on 26/5/06 at 07:29 PM |
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My tintop is a 620ti - Goes like stink and cost next to nothing to buy. I seriously considered using this engine for my build, and still might yet
as the gearbox is not sounding too healthy these days
The engine has never gone wrong in the two years I've had it so I don't know expensive parts are and how easy it is to work on yet.
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TPG
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| posted on 26/5/06 at 07:33 PM |
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In PPc mag,One of the people there is putting one in an Mg.....Well its a RwD config isn't it.
..Which was nice..
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rusty nuts
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| posted on 26/5/06 at 07:33 PM |
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Didn't PPC do an MGB conversion using this engine,a sherpa bell housing and a SDI gearbox? Back issue may still be available?
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coozer
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| posted on 26/5/06 at 07:58 PM |
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"My tintop is a 620ti - Goes like stink and cost next to nothing to buy"
Yes, thats why i want to use the turbo engine. My tintop is a 1991 214 and I love it! Slow but cheap to buy and 40mpg
"O" series engine? if so it will connect to a Sherpa gearbox~~~~
The Sherpa uses an adapter plate. Its a 1/2 plate of steel. I've got one in the garage... wait for it - it weighs 2kg!
If I'm going to use an adapter plate I can use any gearbox. I was wondering if there was a bolt together conversion available.
1972 V8 Jago
1980 Z750
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craig1410
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| posted on 26/5/06 at 10:57 PM |
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Hi,
I used to have a Rover 800 Vitesse Turbo which had the exact same engine and I agree 100% - it is a great engine!
However, they do have a recurring cylinder head oil leak which you should be aware of. Look for wet patches on the left hand side of the engine (as
viewed when driving) at the cylinder head/block interface. I rebuilt the top end of my engine including a head skim and replacement gasket but it only
lasted 9 months before it started leaking again. A bit of a pain in the a$$....
As for gearboxes, I believe that the MT75 gearbox is your best bet as this is what the Robin Hood uses IIRC. You will need a bellhousing adapter
though.
Another thing to be aware of is the shear weight of this engine. It is very heavy - heavier than a Rover V8 for example.
Cheers,
Craig.
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UncleFista
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| posted on 27/5/06 at 02:07 AM |
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quote:
Originally posted by craig1410
However, they do have a recurring cylinder head oil leak which you should be aware of. Look for wet patches on the left hand side of the engine (as
viewed when driving) at the cylinder head/block interface. I rebuilt the top end of my engine including a head skim and replacement gasket but it only
lasted 9 months before it started leaking again. A bit of a pain in the a$$....
There's an updated head gasket to fix this problem, alternatively there's a fix detailed on the internet which involves 3/4 of an inch of
plumbing pipe , and some stick-backed-plastic, probably.... 
Tony Bond / UncleFista
Love is like a snowmobile, speeding across the frozen tundra.
Which suddenly flips, pinning you underneath.
At night the ice-weasels come...
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britishtrident
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| posted on 27/5/06 at 07:38 AM |
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From the head gasket down the Montego 2 litre and the Rover 820 Vitesse /620ti/220 Turbo engines are essentially the same engine. RWD conversion uses
the same Rover and LDV parts.
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craig1410
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| posted on 27/5/06 at 09:36 AM |
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quote:
Originally posted by UncleFista
There's an updated head gasket to fix this problem,
Yeah I know, I used it and it lasted 9 months... 
In case you are wondering, I took every precaution possible with regards to prep'ing the block and head for the new "Klinger"
gasket. There are solutions available but to do the job properly you need to strip the block and have it machined to incorporate a ring around the oil
gallery which applies more pressure to the gasket to create a better seal.
Don't get me wrong though, if it wasn't for the weight of this engine I would very probably have used it on my Locost instead of the RV8.
It's quite a tall engine which might cause a few problems but nothing major I don't think - just use tall bodywork if you can or build the
chassis slightly deeper.
Cheers,
Craig.
[Edited on 27/5/2006 by craig1410]
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andyps
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| posted on 27/5/06 at 11:19 AM |
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The solution I thought of when I had an 800 Vitesse Turbo for the leaking head gasket was to never turn the engine off - it only ever leaked when the
engine was cold, once warmed up it was oil tight. I eventually replaced the gasket when it was costing me about £15 a month in oil! Sold the car about
a year and 20k miles later and it was still OK. I did put a lot of gasket sealant (blue) around the hole when I put it together. Great engine though,
and easy to up the power to about 230bhp, beyond that you need new injectors and pump apparently.
Andy
An expert is someone who knows more and more about less and less
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craig1410
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| posted on 27/5/06 at 01:25 PM |
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Andy,
I had mine at about 240BHP with a variable bleed valve. There is a trick which lets you go above this but it is a bit heath-robinson in nature. IIRC
you crush the return pipe from the fuel pressure regulator slightly and it apparently increases the pressure enough to go up to about 280BHP before
the injectors run out of capacity. Down side it that it increases fuel consumption quite a bit.
Very torquey engine though and will pull hard from 2000-6800RPM rev-limit!
Craig.
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andyps
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| posted on 27/5/06 at 02:56 PM |
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Knowing the gearbox was a weakness in the standard car I didn't modify mine, but at one stage the wastegate actuator failed and provided the
throttle balance was rigth it really flew. Trouble was, if I overdid it the engine cut out briefly as apparently the engine management would not allow
too much boost because of the lack of fuel it would get.
Andy
An expert is someone who knows more and more about less and less
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