As you might recall, I'm swapping out the 2.0L TR7 engine for a nice healthy GM
V6.
I'm posting a little progress report, because I'm extremely happy that things
are going to work without major reconstructive surgery on either the Triumph's
hood, or the V6's engine.
Yeah!!
This weekend, I began again. I hoisted the 3800V6 fully dressed with
accesories, manifolds, sensors, and wiring into the gaping empty 7's engine
bay. The objective? To see how well things are going to mate, and how much
chopping will have to be done.
My worst fear was that the engine would sit up so high that the hood would not
clear the alternator and mass airflow sensor (Betcha that's the first time
those three words were used on this list!), and or that the oil pan would need
"re-engineering" to clear the K-member.
Well fears were quickly put aside when I lowered the v6 into place. It acted
quite at home and seemed to snuggle in without the slightest worry. In
reality, as I lowered it down, it came to rest, perfectly level, supported on
the driver's side by the Exhaust manifold resting on the steering shaft, and on
the passenger side by the AC compressor bracket resting on the Rack and pinion,
and leaning back against the triumph's coil still mounted to the firewall.
Certainly not ideal for driving conditions, but this was just the first run, to
check major clearance problems.
So with the engine squarely supported, I removed the hoist, and it looked GOOD!
No, it looked like it belonged. First then the hood: The V6 has the intake
port that ends in the throttle body and mass airflow sensor sticking out the
front of the engine, at the same relative height as the top of the rest of the
intake manifold. Given the slope of wedge hood, I could just see the nightmare
of a homemade, ugly as sin, offset on the driver side, scoop protruding like a
cancerous lump from the 7's hood. Talk about unfounded worries...
As the engine sat, the Mass airflow sensor ended where the stock radiator would
have been. The sensor body was 1 inch below the hood to nose interface, and
daintily pointed down at a slight angle to accommodate a short run of tube to
an air filter box (yet to be constructed). The alternator sits up relatively
high, but falls nicely within the confines of the factory hood bulge. With the
hood on, there is ample clearance, and no indication that there has been any
monkey business done.
Ok good the top end fits, but what about the oil pan? is it resting on the
concrete? And what about the bell housing? is the engine low enough to have
the bell housing clear the tunnel in the body?
So I scoot under the front end. Wow, the oil pan is perfect. It looks like it
was made for this cross member. There is 1/2 inch clearance between the cross
member and the shallow part of the pan, and as soon as the cross member ends,
the pan dips down to the deep part. The bottom of the oil pan sits a mere 1/2
inch lower than the bottom of the cross member, and as luck would have it, the
drain plug is located on the rear vertical side of the pan, where it cannot be
sheared off by speed bumps. This is too good to be true.
Time to check the bell housing area. Hmmm.. not as perfect as everything else,
but not a deal breaker. The top two engine to bell housing bolts are up about
an inch too high. I'll never get the bolts in there, even if the bell housing
would fit up that high. Hopefully I can tilt the motor back a few degrees to
make things work, I can't get the engine much lower without the cross member
and oil pan meeting. I'll have tilt distance, as soon as I take the 7's coil
off the firewall.
Then there is the Exhaust manifold on the driver's side. Remember the steering
shaft? it lands squarely in the center of the manifold to pipe flange. There
is plenty of room aft of the steering shaft, but that means I'll have to find a
different 3800 series exhaust manifold, or have a set of headers fabbed up. oh
well, if this is the worst I get, this will be much better than I anticipated.
The last interesting fact to consider: When the TR7 chassis was fully
supporting the V6, the front end still sat up a noticeable bit more than when
the original 2.0L boat anchor was in there. I have not weighed the engines but
I'm guessing the V6 is lighter than the 2.0L four. Jeeze, and here I was
worried I would have to get heavy springs to keep the nose off the ground. Yes
there is the transmission, and radiator and AC condenser and coolant to add
back to the picture, but all in all, it's a pretty encouraging sign.
Richard S.
80 TR7-V6 (I must be nuts)
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