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MG MGB GT V8 Factory Originals Technical - Engine bay strip out

Using the idea that there is no such thing as a stupid question,

I am stripping out my engine bay ready for V8 conversion, I take it that i remove the heat protection for the standard engine exhaust?

Do i put anything in its place to cover both sides of the new exhaust?

Also, can anyone send me a photo of the new engine mounts in place before their engine was fitted? It is for a RB conversion.

Thanks in Advance
Graham
GLG Lavis

If it's a RB conversion your existing mounts should be OK unless you want to move them forward to locate the gear lever in the original MGB place?

My understanding is that the manifold will try to cook everything within a 2 mile radius, so I'm planning to cover both the manifolds, starter and some brake lines with heat shield.
Liam

Liam
The rover v8 engine ive got has no engine mount brackets fitted, so it is these to the original mounts info i am after.

I am Ceramic coating the manifolds inside and out to hopefully cut down a bit of the heat, wondered if there was anything else to do to the rear of the bay?

Don't know if i will need to cover any brake pipes as well.

Thanks
Graham
GLG Lavis

Have you not got the V8 conversion book Graham ? - it covers a lot of this.

You need a pair of these Item number: 4621109944 (Ebay, but they dont come up on ebay that often) to fit the rubbber mountings to. The rubber cotton reel type mounts you have now are identical to the V8 ones in appearance, but are softer so are no good. You will need to replace them with V8 spec ones, buy from a proper supplier, not from a private seller who wouldn't be able to tell the difference (I cant)

I was planning to re-route brakes away from the manifold using various banjos and 3 and 4 way connectors I have, and cover with sticky heatshield what I can't move (e.g. brake light switch/4 way junction for my CB). I'm replacing the whole system with new anyway, but don't want to muck about with it too much.

I think the engine bay is fine in the RB as it is. I'm doing a CB, but I have heard you ~may~ need to dress down the sides to allow clearance for the manifolds in the RB (big hammer), and you may need to dress back the chassis rail a touch depending on what you do with the steering column. But I suppose if you are not altering the engine mount location it wont be an issue.

Also though, you have a very early RB which has the radiator panel the same as the CB. If the rad panel only comes backwards 2 or 3 inches from the slam panel support you should are OK. If it's more like 8 or 10 you need to get the cutter out.

For what its worth, I'm cutting out all of the bits I need to (thats a lot in the CB), test fitting the engine, then welding up holes. I think its always a case of get the lump and box in then see where you are.
Liam

Your body side engine mounts on a RB are OK as is.
For the engine brackets, you can buy a standard cast factory style set off clive wheatley (and others). You can buy a set off Glenn Towery of "Towery Foreign Cars". His set the motor further back and lower (which help solve many radiator/bonnet clearance problems). You can make a set like I did. If I do another car I would buy a set off Glenn. At the time I was not aware of them. Not hard to make, its just all that trial fitting is very time consuming.
The objective to to get a place for your rubber bumper style rubber mounts to attach as close to the block and as high up you can get. Between your engine mount brackets on the car body you've got to fit your engine, two rubber mounts and the engine brackets. Not alot of room and this is the main constraint on how low you can set your motor.
Each side of the block I bolted flat pieces of 70mm by 5mm steel using the two bottom bolt holes. They are long enough to reach forward to where the front cover bolts on. Roughly 150mm long. I then welded a couple of bits of steel to these, at the same angle as the brackets on the car, as high as I could get them to go. I then added some gussets either end.
Your gear lever is going to be off centre no matter what you do, as the MG gear lever is offset about three quares of an inch to the left. What kind of exhaust manifolds are you getting? Many people prefer the RV8 style, through the inner guards. Solves all your overheating problems.
I rerouted my front brake lines forward and across the front cross member. Just like in the RV8. This gets them away from the exhaust. Also stops you bashing the passenger side one when fitting the engine.
Very easy to do. Measure the distance you want to cover and take the ends of the old bit to a brake shop. Tell them how long.
Peter

Peter
I have managed to buy some engine brackets which should do the job, will find out when i test fit next weekend, I have gone for the hugger manifolds and am having them ceramic coated to cut down on some of the heat. I am converting onto an already restored body so don't fancy the idea of cutting more holes. The brake routing sounds a good idea though, might try that one.

Thanks
Graham
GLG Lavis

I've heard tell of people mounting their engine down on the cross member (instead of the brackets on the rail). If I ever do another MGV8 (likely) then I will try this. This would get you at least another inch and I have a suspicion that this would get your engine low enough to ovoid tranny tunnel and plenum alterations in a rubber bumper. Just a thought.
Peter

This thread was discussed between 15/03/2006 and 19/03/2006

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