need4speed

Lol maybe not. However if the whole thing was up scaled that could be a different tool altogether..

That is very clever indeed

That is very interesting Mikey. Didn't know that. I will have to check mine before its maiden voyage as I'm pretty sure when I rebuilt my tbox I thought they were the same...

Sighnbox regardless of colour that looks to be a very neat job on those seats.. Regarding the fitment of non LR seats, there are a few neat looking options. Seats from a smartcar of all things look really tidy. There is a guy on another forum who has fitted 5 of the heated ones. Another option I've seen is the RX8. The main problem with a lot of non LR seats, as has already been mentioned, is the height of them. If you are 6'2" like me, your head will likely be scraping the roof..

Thanks quagmire. This Schraeder valve you mention. I assume that's the valve on the fuel rail that looks like a tyre valve? Also I'm running MS1 so I guess there's no way to check for spark without turning the engine over? Edit: would something like this be suitable for measuring the pressure at fuel rail http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SPX-fuel-pressure-gauge-and-hose-VR-2047-a-/221834883243?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item33a663b0ab

As well as my engine being fully rebuilt it has also been squirted. Obviously in order to aid cam/lifter bed in I would ideally like it to fire up without too much dicking around. Otherwise I could end up wiping the cam lobes and lifter faces. Therefore if there is any way I could check that I will be getting a spark and fuel pressure before I start turning the engine over for real that would be a bonus. I can't think of anything but that doesn't mean there isn't a way

Every time my mates tdi goes past me when I'm in the garden I end up looking like Louis Armstrong....

Meant to add, was the starter ok when you bench tested it?

Oh boy I've seen lots of folk fall on they're face believing that! What did you check on the engine before fitting? I take it turned over ok? I personally don't think it sounds like an engine problem your experiencing as it should at least turn over even when knackered. But an engine should always be KNOWN to be good before fitting..

Another very useful link that I was unaware of. Thanks Dave

Thanks Ralph. Very helpful link indeed

When giving length of belt, is that taken as the circumference?

Your probably right Ralph. Especially as it's a non-standard setup. Is there a preferred make/brand?

Fitted a Bosch 120A alternator to the v8 with the appropriate pulley suitable for v-belt. After checking Allbrit I can only see part numbers for the alternator mounted on the passenger side, not the drivers side as mine is mounted...

I know. That's more or less what I've just said... But there is another way to look at that from a business perspective... How many people can afford/willing to pay £70k or whatever that "Zulu" costs? Not many.. Whereas how many people would pay ~£1k for a fitting kit including engine/gearbox mounts, wiring kit, and instructions etc that would allow you to source your own engine/gearbox? Probably a lot more.. I know I would. I dunno. Just thinking out loud. It's just a pity that option isn't available.

The thing that gets me is, not only wont someone like JE Engineering not sell parts individually, they're not even willing to give you a shopping list of parts needed/measurements etc. I can understand this to an extent. They want you to buy a completed vehicle from them.

But surely 1 of the reasons it was a long, difficult process for you Nige was the fact that you wanted to do away with the crappy standard LR ignition/fuelling control setup? Surely with something like the Jag, that side of things is pretty good out the box and wouldn't need meddled with. Wouldn't that simplify the process somewhat?

It would surprise you how much grunt an LT77 or R380 (and the rest of a standard LR drivetrain for that matter) can handle if driven correctly/smoothly.. As John (fridgefreezer) eluded to in another thread, some people can wreck a drivetrain with 100hp. It's all about having a little finesse..

In fairness to the OP I would love to hear of a way to transplant the AJV8 except it would be the supercharged XJR/RRS version.. I know there is a company doing it (can't be arsed looking up who it is right now) but they charge a fortune and no doubt wouldn't give you any details/measurements etc of what's involved.. Edit: Just remembered its JE Engineering that fits the Jag.

And on the flip side I stripped an old ford pinto down many moons ago that had done over 100k bigs and mains were near perfect. However it needed rings and camshaft etc. The point is this: if you buy a used engine that has relatively high miles, the least you are going to do is have a look at the bigs and mains etc. And if it's down that far it seems sacrilegious not to renew 'em while your there...

I can tell you right now that being German is no guarantee of reliability. I have a good friend that runs an independent garage specialising in BMW. Every time I go to visit there are engines and gearboxes lying like exploded cigars all over the place lol

I agree that diesels can do USS Enterprise miles sometimes without needing refreshed. Especially if we'll looked after. But therein lies the rub. When buying a used motor, you really don't know how it's been treated. Has it had regular oil changes? Has it been thrashed from cold etc etc. When it comes to petrol engines it's a little different mainly because they are revved harder due to the power being delivered in a different way to a turbo diesel. I agree that a more modern petrol engine such as the jag will do more miles than a rover engine before needing rebuilt, but at 100k it's nearing the time for a major inspection/work...

I'm not flush. Far from it. Why do you think my build has taken so long...However that being said I like to do things properly. Even if that means it's a little harder to do and takes more time to save up. To transplant an engine (any engine) properly takes cash. Ask anyone on here that has done an engine conversion and by the time they have finished it wil be ££££... That's why I'm saying the Jag idea is probably a non starter for you. Because rebuilding/refreshing that engine will no doubt be way more expensive than an RV8 or anything else for that matter...

There is something your not considering here.... You should be looking to do a basic rebuild on ANY 2nd hand engine you buy. That jag engine you linked to might be £250 but how much you need to spend before fitting would remain to be seen. It was nearly round the clock afaik.. Sure you COULD put a used engine in and hope for the best but that could be a very expensive gamble.. I would never dream of doing that. Goes against the grain going to the trouble of transplanting an engine without rebuilding first.

Bare in mind though that a 4.6 can be built from a 3.9 relatively cheaply. I picked up 4.6 crank and rods for buttons.