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MG MGB GT V8 Factory Originals Technical - Japanese 4 cylinder turbo?

Hi.
I have a 77 B with a 69 engine and o/d box. Love the car but its hardly original and its a 'bitsa' orginally from the UK. Instead of going the V8 path, I'm considering a Jap turbo engine setup with 5 speed box (SR20?), simply due to the vast amount of Jap parts in Australia. I have searched the web/archive etc and found very little information on swaps.
Does anyone have any links or ideas they can please share? Thanks.
MF Cody

Carl Heideman did a conversion with a Miata (MX5) engine and 5 speed. Nice coverage on the conversion on his web site. http://www.eclecticmotorworks.com/
Other inlines are similar, but the turbo plumbing along with the intercooler might pose a problem. I'd look for one with the turbo mounted on the left side of the engine as that would give the most steering clearance for a RHD car.
Bill Young


You'll like this one: http://www.britishv8.org/MG/ToddBudde.htm
I've ridden in it, and it's an absolute BLAST!!!

These two links show Japanese engines in Spitfires, but they may give you ideas:
http://www.britishv8.org/Triumph/LarryBreitkreitz.htm
http://www.britishv8.org/Triumph/JoeCurry.htm

Enjoy!
Curtis

I enjoyed an SR20de for 100000 miles in an Infiniti G20 (Nissan Primera). Fabulous dual personality engine. Driven gently, it would get great gas mileage for a relatively big, heavy car. But give it some wellie and it would scream up to the 7500 redline like a rocket. I'm sure it would have revved higher but there was an electronic rev limiter. And that was with only 140hp. The SR20DET puts out around 180hp. The JDM Bluebird GTiR puts out 220hp from the factory.

No details, but encoraging that it's been done:-

http://sawaiianpunch.com/MGB-E.htm

Keep us informed. I'd love an SR20DE in an 'A.

Derek Nicholson

I am currently involved with a conversion using the SR20DET S-14 engine. I have most of the parts on hand but at this time i am upgrading the engine for more power. The only issue i can see so far is the interferance of the oil pan with the cross member. But this will be notched and/or the engine aft as far as possible.The engine is capable of some silly power!
DTR Ross

The engine installation on that Todd Budde car looks neat, but the suspension looks awful from the outside! There's no way I would be seen in a car with its wheels placed like that :o)

My turbo I4, keeping it British (Rover T16 turbo):
http://www.biryani.demon.co.uk/misc/back_in.jpg

--
Olly
Oliver Stephenson


Wheel placement on Todd's car is adjustable, and the wheels have been moved rearward since the photos were taken. Todd is finishing up a new and revised version of the suspension which has been commissioned for another of our readers... photos should be available soon.
Curtis

Ahh cool, just looks like it's got a broken top leaf in those pictures :o)

Front is also very high, guess the Nissan motor is lighter than the V8?

I'm not a fan of the look of big alloy wheels / low profile tyres on MGBs but that's just my preference. No doubt it gives much better choice of grippy rubber! 175 lbs.ft on 165 tyres makes for a lot of fun round roundabouts...

Cheers,
--
Olly
Oliver Stephenson

I am in work on putting a sr20det in a CB gt It is taking a bit of work. As the cross member need to be modified a lot. The exhaust manifold and the Intake need to be custom made. The only major problem will be fitting the ac compressor as that is needed item here for a daily driver
Steve Mack

Lovely people. Thanks so much.
It wets my appetite a little when I read this. I'll keep researching and see what happens.
MF Cody

Hey Olly opinions are just that! My father once told me that opinions are like Ar*e holes we all have them and they all stink! To each there own. You’re just upset you didn’t think of it first! Be original my friend, I have heard them all.

Nice ride... Don't know that I would put my stinky ar*e in it though!
Todd Budde

Howdy Todd!

If it's a race to think of things, I can assure you that over the vast amount of time it took me to do my swap, I thought of just about everything... including putting a torch to it! :oD

How do you find cooling with (what appears in the photos to be) the stock B radiator? I'm struggling a bit, can't keep it on boost for very long and I have the engine turned all the way down at the moment - a mere 7 pounds of boost. Bigger radiator on the way when I can afford it I guess.

I also really like your turbo crossflow B-series - very tidy... shame that had to burst! What was it that let go?

Cheers,
--
Olly and his stinky ar*e
Oliver Stephenson

Olly

Ahh don't you just LOVE the art of deception. That LOOKS like a stock rediator but on the inside its a mean green cooling machine. It is a true 4 core radiator not a stagered core like the stock is. Also it uses tubes that are louvered. They are 40% more efficent at dispirtion of the heat than a normal copper core. So I have never had it overheat on me. Not even in standing traffic on a 100deg day.

As for the stock B series engine that went shebang. Yea that was a nice ride but nothing like this. I have a 05 Pontiac GTO with 400HP and the MGB will put that to shame off the line and in the quarter mile. The HP to weight ratio is UNBELIVEABLE in the MGB. I love that little car. Its a shame I need to sell it. Have to move on to another project.
Todd Budde

This thread was discussed between 28/08/2006 and 01/09/2006

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