Turbo engine conversion

[jagman]

Here's a conversion that may not have been done before...

I recently scrapped my dear old mums shopping trolley Montego. Before you all laugh yourselves silly, it just happened to be the petrol 2.0 litre turbo variety, with a modified turbo. Now the car was truly rubbish and just couldn't handle the power, but...

I also have an E30 318i tourer, which is a fantastic car weighed down by a terrible unreliable and underpowered 1.8 ships anchor. Can you see where this is going yet??

The Montego 'O'series engine in it's final Montego form is a very good and well made engine. Standard in turbo form it gives 160hp, with the mods on this one it's closer to 190... I'm thinking it will make my E30 go very well, and give similar economy to what I'm getting now. I've measured up and all dimensions are very similar, with the exception that the 'Tego engine is a proper upright one! I like doing odd conversions. I recently put a Capri 3 litre engine into my 1995 VW LT van, and I'm presently fitting a V8 into my recently mechanically deceased Navara pickup. Are all modern, or semi modern engines rubbish, and designed with flaws built in? The Navara lunches on its con rods... Frequently!!

So... anybody done it before? Any thoughts or words of wisdom or do you all think it's a dumbass idea??

[Turbo-Brown]

Perhaps try and measure vertically from the E30 cross member to the underside of the bonnet to see if the Rover engine would fit in whilst sitting upright.

Don't suppose it'd be toooooooo difficult to get the engine to lean over if you could fiddle with the oil pickup and sump.

I'm all for the idea anyway

[jagman]

Thanks Turbo-Brown for your comments... 190 odd reliable hp for peanuts can't be too bad can it?!

[fowler]

Buy my 318 turbo in the for salesection thats got more poines thab the montego

[james3320]

could be done, ive seen an o series turbo in an anglia before! all depends how the sump clears the crossmember, which gearbox r u thinking of using? ive owned 3 maestro turbos, the o series is a very strong engine, the weak point being the headgasket!

[jagman]

Hi James3320, I've already got the box hooked up to the engine. It's a Rover Sherpa van 5 speed box with a 2.0 litre Sherpa, flywheel and clutch ('cos it's a much bigger clutch on the Sherpa van) But if the ratios don't suit it's the same box as the Rover SD1. It's the bellhosing that's the important part. Good old Sherpa van!! You're right, the original head gaskets are weak, but the new composite ones you can get do seem to have solved that particular problem. It's more of an issue on the twin cam version as fitted to the 220 turbo etc. And indeed that makes a useful power upgrade again if required by sticking the twin cam head on off a dead rover 820 or 220, etc. The sky is the limit with the good old Monty engine. And, more importantly, it can take it. Perhaps not possible to stretch it as far as the cossie (pinto) Sierra unit, but still pretty good. It's also a very nicely made engine by modern standards as you'll know.