Chevy v8

[WINCHMONKEY1]

Just wondering if anyone has any experences with 5.7L chevy v8 engines? Looking to put one into a project and there is a cheep set up on the devon forum, with autobox and adaptor to a lt230 as well. I know they make a lovely noise but is there any pit falls with them?

Cheers.

Neil.

[white90]

lots of broken drive train woulf be the biggest pitfall

[Hybrid_From_Hell]

I used to race a 5.7 chevy engine comp safari racer years and yonks ago

One of the main probs is the engine doesn't like to run at an angle, also massive acceleration makes the float chamber misbehave, you can get off road kits for the carbs, but if I was oing it now I'd look at the EFI version to avaiod all the pitfalls

Parts are very cheap, but seriously attractive tuning parts (such as the ali heads etc) can go for a lot

Buy something complete, drive it and make sure it all works, otherwise you could be just getting someone elses problems.

Get it right and it a big grin factor

Nige

[nas90]

There is a 90 with Chevy engine and auto box in our area. Was built about 7 years ago, sat in Chichester 4x4 for 3 years finding a buyer. Stills runs have not seen it for a while, hugely expensive on fuel could get in touch with owner if you want some more info? Very front heavy in a 90 really need to get it back in the chassis.

[WINCHMONKEY1]

The one on devon has just been bored out and rebuilt, as for fueling, i was thinking about efi and this one has no inlet manifold or carb with it so its ready for it. Ive been looking at parts from the states and they seem silly cheep, just have to make sure the parcel isnt too big and customs should leave it along.

Thanks for the advice i shall have to do some thinking. But i think £1000 for engine, gearbox, conversion plate and shaft and a transfer box is cheep. What are your thoughts?

Cheers.

Neil

[white90]

what do you plan to do with it?

comp safari?

[bill van snorkle]

I put a Chevy 327 in my brothers 2A, with Toyota 5spd and Nissan T/case about 20 years ago. Fuel usage works out at 17mpg average. Lots of power and tractability. As previously mentioned, the fuel system doesn't like steep hills or bouncing around. It eats starter motors and mechanical fuel pumps for breakfast.

There is a conversion to geared Jap starter available, and elec pump of course. Stock series 3 24 spline Salisbury diff has never been touched. Good luck with the Rover diff though.

Bill.

[pugwash]

not too sure that a £1000 is amazingly cheap although it certainly isn't bad- the most worthwhile part is the adaptor to mate a foreign box to an LT230.

the only problem is the weight of these older blocks and the fact that they have fuelling and oiling issues at angles. The newer LSx blocks are lighter and smaller than an RV8, all invariably come with EFI and have a far greater propensity to survive oil starvation at angles. the benefit of an LT230 conversion is that you get a vrey very strong american box coupled to a strong T-box. you can have a look at www.marks4wd.com as someone that can supply SBC V* to RR box adaptors.

have a look at www.mez.co.uk for sommeone who has really gone the whole hog with some intesting stuff in this line.

if you tune the engine right- with the right cam, and go for EFI, there is no reason why the economy of a 5.7 SBC can be better than a tuned RV8 which has less power! The guys in the cobra forums often get over 25mpg on a run down the m'way!

[Jon White]

You can buy a brand spanking new, genuine GM small block for £1000!!!

OK so you dont get the adaptor plate but even so.........thats what a mate of mine was quoted recently by the american car place in farnborough for one to drop into his old Zodiac!

Jon

[RPR]

If I understand that you are getting essentially a long block (plus the very handy adapter plate admittedly) for £1,000, that's not a great deal. A basic brand new 300 hp turnkey (albeit carbed) SBC goes for about £ 1,200 this side of the pond. An EFI set-up may add another £ 250 ???

Personally, I don't like the SBC because of its ubiquitousness, but they are not ubiquitous in the UK, so my major objection is gone. Lot's of cheap parts and affordable performance bolt-ons. I am not convinced about the engine itself having major oiling problems on angles given their poularity with the Jeep set aux Etats Unis, but I am prepared to be proven wrong. I don't think weight is a major consideration. They will be about 200 lbs or so heavier than a diesel lump. The thing that would concern me most (having driven up to Loch Lomond and back to Yorkshire over the weekend in a very thirsty Mercedes SL) would be fuel costs. Very worth making sure you can do a gas conversion B)

[WINCHMONKEY1]

what do you plan to do with it?

comp safari?

Im looking to winch challenge it, also looking at the set of portals on devon as well.

As for £1000 for the lot i may see if the bloke is open to offers, maybe around the £750 mark.

Cheers.

Neil