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MG MGB GT V8 Factory Originals Technical - Corvette LS1 in mgb

im thinking of doing a mgbgt v8 conversion.
while i was browsing rover v8 performance pages
i found a site called boost perfomance that does
turbos for rover eng. they had a measurement comparison
to the ls1 and the ls1 was smaller
i was wondering if any of you have heard of a kit for ls1 v8 conv. for mgb

thanks
joshua

Hello Joshua,
I am new to this BBS but a friend, Nick who has his own site www.mgbgtv8.co.uk (I think or maybe .com) told me about your interest in the LS1 engine (he is building a Sebring). I have built and sold a few of these units in the UK as well as importing complete engines for transplant. I reckon that in most cases they can be made to fit wherever a Rover V8 formerly resided. This is a really compact all aluminium high tech engine. The gearbox, a T56 6 speed or 4 speed auto should fit most transmission tunnels and I think I read an article about fitting a T56 into an MG so I reckon it can be done with your own car. I am not aware of any fitting kits so this would have to be a one off conversion but you could get it done or do it yourself. You would have 5.7 litres of lightweight thrust to look forward to, not to mention the superior 400 bhp design plus a roller camshaft and new products coming on the market all the time. I have had Rovers, up to 5.0 Twin turbo's in my TR8 but I eventually went for the LS1 has it has ongoing potential. The Rover is a good lightweight engine but in the development stakes it has come to a dead stop because it just keeps getting more expensive to up its power/torque output. It's best quality has to be its light weight. turbo's on a Rover are great but still nowhere near as good as turbo's on an LS1! Go for it, you won't look back! My web address is www.boostperformance.co.uk or www.chevroletls1.com if anybody wants those measurements etc. Whats more as I understand it the Rover has ceased production and there will be no further development, its reached the end of the line as far as Ford are concerned, Mike.
m johnson

I am a big fan of the LS1/LS6 and think they are definitely the pinnacle of push-rod technology. The only negative of this engine is it is about 100lbs heavier than a 215 Rover. I'm confident though if unneeded ancillaries such as the power steering pump, A/C compressor and (I think) iron exhaust manifolds were removed the weight would come down to somewhere between the Rover and the B-Series.

I would love to build a full-race MGB GT with a new 405bhp, 400lb-ft of torque LS6, but I don't think the SCCA would accept it with open arms and there is this little matter concerning the amount of "cubic dollars" involved...

Mario Funk

I am surprised that an all alum block LS1 would be 100lbs more than a rover? That is interesting.

Speaking as an owner of a 5.0L Ford powered B, I am not sure you would see the full power of the ls1 unless you did major suspension work A solid rear end like a Ford 9", GOOD traction bars, Panhard bar, tubbing rear end, big tires or DOT approved Drag slicks or Drag radials. My TAME 302 tears tires loose all day long if I get on hermoderately hard. with the super high torque of the LS1 I would look into chassis bracing as well. I am borderline and watching mine closely as it is.

BUT! It can be done, would be a awesome car, and you could be happy knowing you did what no-one else has... I know that is why I went Ford with mine.
Larry Embrey

I am surprised that it may be as much as 100 lbs but I also took the view that a lot of weight could be shed from the basic LS1. Most people would only need the alternator, perhaps a smaller item would suffice on a smaller mounting bracket. They might dump the air-con and pas plus all the brackets and idler gears. I would also shorten the water pump by some 4" and use a remote electric water pump made of plastic. A current Rover 4.6 engine is a lot heavier then a basic 215, it would be interesting to obtain and compare these weights. The LS1 engine casing is certainly heavier then a Rover block but it has massive strength built in not to mention 6 bolt main bearing caps and is stated by GM to be the strongest small block they have ever produced. I hear tales of cast iron engines revving to 10'000 rpm perhaps for drag racing so there must be masses of potential in this engine for road use and hobby type race use. LS1 heads are about 1/2" longer then Rover heads, the engine is much shorter in height because there are no carbs or plenums to worry about and if the pump were cut down it would be considerably shorter then the Rover. It's a much more substantial engine to look at and the T56 is also heavier then the Rover box but it won't break 'at the lights'. Mike.
m johnson

I'm sure the 4.6 is heavier than the 3.5 but I tried to search for the specific engine weight of the 4.6 and I only found a general range of 320-380lbs.

The complete Corvette specifications list can be found at:
http://www.chevrolet.com/corvette/index_features.htm
Mario Funk

Hello Joshua,

This web site is a good place for LS1 information.
http://www.salleechevrolet.com/ChevySmallBlockV8s/LS1.html

You will see the weight is approximately 390 lbs.,
with 320 HP and 330 Torque. The engine features an aluminum block and cylinder heads with 10.1:1 compression ratio. The engine kit is supplied with ECM, and wire harness that allows this engine to be installed with a four-speed automatic transmission (4L60E) in any 1975 or earlier vehicle.

I'm considering this engine for my MGA. Should be a rocket with total car weighing under 2000 lbs.

Dennis
Dennis

So my question now is the 346 SBC smaller then the Ford 302 in external demensions?
The G

Don't know what a 346 is, but the sbc is a couple of inches wider than the sbf. The sbc sump is in a better location to clear the cross-member and it's weight is farther aft.
George B.

The LS1/LS6 is actually 346ci and is dimensionally smaller than the Generation I and Generation II Small-Blocks that preceded it. In the posts above, Mr. Johnson lists his website,http://www.chevroletls1.com/ on which he compares the dimensions of the LS1/LS6 to those of the Rover V8. It turns out that the Chevy is shorter height and lengthwise compared to the Rover and is only about 1/2 inch wider across the cylinder heads.

Here are some more pics of the LS6:

http://www.sallee-chevrolet.com/ChevySmallBlockV8s/LS6.html

http://www.sallee-chevrolet.com/ChevySmallBlockV8s/LS6_pictures.html
Mario Funk

From my experience with the SBF, i would highly recommend geting lots of block and block w/ head measurements and comparing to the car before proceeding. With my Ford the Exh ports on the head are actually over the frame rail and made header routing without cutting a big hole in the fenders very difficult. I ended up cutting long holes anyway for tire clearance and header installation issues, but it is something to keep in mind. Also,t he bas of the SBF is wider than the rover and made it neccisary to cut of the chassis mounts for the stock 4cyl motor. Another thing to keep in mind is location of the Oil filter, I have no idea where it is on the Ls1, but it did complicate things a little with my SBF..

Moral of story, PLAN, measure, plan, measure, remeasure, plan before you buy things and proceed. I really got luck on a few things that I completely space on during my build up..
Larry Embrey

Yummy! If one placed the engine high and filled the boot with steel plates in concrete, this puppy would be a dragger's wet dream. Huge flares at the rear with fatty slicks and a wheely bar, motorcycle front wheels, flames paint... or 'Grandma's 80 mph Smoke Show'... Hmm... Ah to dream! Would the twin chutes look out of proportion? Na, go for the smoke thing. Fascinating, Captain.
Angus

This thread was discussed between 15/05/2002 and 21/05/2002

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