Vauxhall XE Engine Conversion

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SMIFTER · #16 Post by **SMIFTER** » Sat Nov 12, 2005 8:07 pm

Spend most of the day trying to get the engine and gearbox in together - had to cut away some of the bulkhead by the clutch pedal in the end to give enough clearance for the bellhousing of the Getrag gearbox and its in now at last (for the time being anyway!). 
 
I did try to bolt the gearbox on to the already fitted in engine but it was hopeless trying to access the bolts so the best way was all in one go - much easier than trying to do the same with a sprint engine and box as the whole assembly is about 18inches shorter and about 2/3 the weight! The engine has probably been in and out about a dozen times so far! I'm hoping it won't need to come out again now until I paint the engine bay. 
 
One problem appears to be that the crank centre must be higher on this engine as the whol engine and gearbox will have to be tilted slightly in order to get the prop connection low enough. Either that or the tunnel will need to be enlarged. 
 
Next weekend I hope to fabricate a gearbox mount and time permitting I'll mod the 4-2-1 tubular exhaust manifold to fit. 
 
I havent bothered taking any pics of this weeks efforts - nothing to see really.

<a href="http://www.smifter1971.pwp.blueyonder.c ... >Smifter's Dolomite Sprint Website</a> 
 
Featherweight 1974 Dolomite Sprint - Soon to be XE'd, NOS'd, Megasquirted and 5 linked Lash up to scare myself (and my wallet) senseless 
 
2004 Smart Roadster (company car!!) - 698cc of turbo'd adrenaline fuelled rollerskate - destined to classic status thanks to Daimler Chrysler bean counters. 
 
1997 Audi A4 2.6 to chill out after the above and fill with baby products..... 
 
2005 Trek 1400 (ok its not a car but still fast) - 
a bit like Lance Armstrong but slower and fatter

algtj · #17 Post by **algtj** » Mon Nov 14, 2005 1:50 am

I'll have a look in the garage in the morning and see if I have a 2.0 gearbox mount. If I have one, will it be any use to you? <img src=http://www.ezboard.com/intl/aenglish/im ... /smile.gif ALT=":)">

SMIFTER · #18 Post by **SMIFTER** » Mon Nov 14, 2005 7:30 am

It would come in very handy thanks!

<a href="http://www.smifter1971.pwp.blueyonder.c ... >Smifter's Dolomite Sprint Website</a> 
 
Featherweight 1974 Dolomite Sprint - Soon to be XE'd, NOS'd, Megasquirted and 5 linked Lash up to scare myself (and my wallet) senseless 
 
2004 Smart Roadster (company car!!) - 698cc of turbo'd adrenaline fuelled rollerskate - destined to classic status thanks to Daimler Chrysler bean counters. 
 
1997 Audi A4 2.6 to chill out after the above and fill with baby products..... 
 
2005 Trek 1400 (ok its not a car but still fast) - 
a bit like Lance Armstrong but slower and fatter

algtj · #19 Post by **algtj** » Tue Nov 15, 2005 3:41 pm

Sorry it took an age to get back to you, unfortunatly I dont have one although I have asked a mate and he is going to look at the weekend when he gets back home to Coventry. 
Sorry, Al W

John Skinner · #20 Post by **John Skinner** » Tue Nov 15, 2005 6:00 pm

Hi Smifter, 
 
What prop are you going to use? 
 
I seem to remember the guy who lived in the hills with the brown 1850 saying something about there being a problem if you have the angle of the engine different to the angle of the diff. I'm not sure if it only applies to UJ type props, I guess a CV joint type would be OK...

SMIFTER · #21 Post by **SMIFTER** » Tue Nov 15, 2005 7:46 pm

I'm not sure what I'm doing yet. 
 
Hopefully it'll be one piece custom prop with no centre bearing - If I have to I'll mod the tunnel to keep the gearbox horizontal. 
 
I can't see the angles being too much of a problem though as the diff nose angle changes slightly with suspension movement anyway.

<a href="http://www.smifter1971.pwp.blueyonder.c ... >Smifter's Dolomite Sprint Website</a> 
 
Featherweight 1974 Dolomite Sprint - Soon to be XE'd, NOS'd, Megasquirted and 5 linked Lash up to scare myself (and my wallet) senseless 
 
2004 Smart Roadster (company car!!) - 698cc of turbo'd adrenaline fuelled rollerskate - destined to classic status thanks to Daimler Chrysler bean counters. 
 
1997 Audi A4 2.6 to chill out after the above and fill with baby products..... 
 
2005 Trek 1400 (ok its not a car but still fast) - 
a bit like Lance Armstrong but slower and fatter

SMIFTER · #22 Post by **SMIFTER** » Mon Nov 21, 2005 1:22 pm

Back to reality - no progress this week due to the early start of pre-christmas boozing on Friday and Saturday! 
 
Managed to get some ebay bargains though - got a gearbox mount and crossmember for a fiver and a calibra expansion tank for £1.20!!! 
 

<a href="http://www.smifter1971.pwp.blueyonder.c ... >Smifter's Dolomite Sprint Website</a> 
 
Featherweight 1974 Dolomite Sprint - Soon to be XE'd, NOS'd, Megasquirted and 5 linked Lash up to scare myself (and my wallet) senseless 
 
2004 Smart Roadster (company car!!) - 698cc of turbo'd adrenaline fuelled rollerskate - destined to classic status thanks to Daimler Chrysler bean counters. 
 
1997 Audi A4 2.6 to chill out after the above and fill with baby products..... 
 
2005 Trek 1400 (ok its not a car but still fast) - 
a bit like Lance Armstrong but slower and fatterEdited by: <A HREF=http://p206.ezboard.com/bthetriumphdolo ... SMIFTER</A> at: 21/11/05 1:27 pm

Carsreunited · #23 Post by **Carsreunited** » Sun Nov 27, 2005 7:59 pm

Forgive my ignorance Graeme but it suprised me that Escort manifold goes onto an XE. Just thought with the two manufacturers being opposed that they would have made sure that the dimensions were their own if you see what I mean. 
 
Good to see you making progress. Just bought a 19 row oil cooler off ebay for mine if you can count that as progress! 
 

Edited by: <A HREF=http://p206.ezboard.com/bthetriumphdolo ... eunited</A> at: 27/11/05 7:59 pm

SMIFTER · #24 Post by **SMIFTER** » Sun Nov 27, 2005 8:12 pm

some progress was made Friday despite it being too frigging cold and me feeling lousy - surprise surprise the escort 4 branch manifold needs serious mods to fit - the engine space on an escort must be massive thanks to Macpherson struts! 
 
Anyway I had to cut the manifold secondary pipes to get the bugger to fit and oval one of the primary pipes slightly to get it to clear the engine mount. 
 
If it wasnt for my brother in law borrowing my mig welder i would have finished the gearbox mount so i spent the rest of my time removing the heater box, old exhaust system and propshaft (complete with rusted and cross threaded bolts on the centre bearing bracket -yippee!). 
 
Next weekend I might have a crack at replacing the standard diff with the phantom grip Limited slip unit in its 4.1:1 diff and working out where I need to attach the link bars.

KLJ895W · #25 Post by **KLJ895W** » Mon Nov 28, 2005 12:05 pm

Scott, I think Graeme probably means a manifold made for fitting an XE into an escort. 
 
David

<a href="http://www.triumphowners.com/570" target="top">1980 Sprint</a> 
<a href="http://www.triumphowners.com/569" target="top">1980 1850HL with Sprint gearbox, propshaft and axle</a> 
1972 VW Camper Van

Carsreunited · #26 Post by **Carsreunited** » Mon Nov 28, 2005 1:08 pm

That would make more sense. Cheers.

SMIFTER · #27 Post by **SMIFTER** » Mon Nov 28, 2005 2:18 pm

Yep -David's Right 
 
its a 4-2-1 large bore manifold made by Yukspeed to fit an XE engine for escort applications (a very popular mod because an XE engine is peanuts compared to a Cossie YB which produces similar performance in n/a form). 
 
The primaries are 1 3/4" to 2" secondary to 2.25" main connection. 
 
An escort doesnt have a front subframe to get in the way like a Sprint does so the manifold goes too low to fit a sprint without having to do what I've done and cut the secondary pipes. 
 
Like this 
 
<img src="http://www.smifter1971.pwp.blueyonder.c ... nifold.jpg" style="border:0;"/> 
 

<a href="http://www.smifter1971.pwp.blueyonder.c ... >Smifter's Dolomite Sprint Website</a> 
 
Featherweight 1974 Dolomite Sprint - Soon to be XE'd, NOS'd, Megasquirted and 5 linked Lash up to scare myself (and my wallet) senseless 
 
2004 Smart Roadster (company car!!) - 698cc of turbo'd adrenaline fuelled rollerskate - destined to classic status thanks to Daimler Chrysler bean counters. 
 
1997 Audi A4 2.6 to chill out after the above and fill with baby products..... 
 
2005 Trek 1400 (ok its not a car but still fast) - 
a bit like Lance Armstrong but slower and fatter

SMIFTER · #28 Post by **SMIFTER** » Mon Jan 23, 2006 2:39 pm

Its been too long, so here's an update. 
 
After a lot of faffing about I finally have the engine and box securely in the car using an Opel manta gearbox mount and crossmember. I'm a bit twitchy about it because it doesnt look anything like as substantial as a Dolly crossmember but I suppose its not really taking much load - just locating the end of the gearbox. Unlike a Dolly the engine mounts are quite far back (inline with the turrets) so they take the most of the load. 
 
I've had to cut the top off the propshaft tunnel to just past the hand brake as the prop output splines are a) about half an inch higher than the sprint items and b) further back than the sprint prop flange which puts the first UJ of a manta prop directly inline with the curved box section of the prop tunnel. Its not out by much but enough to warrant modifying the tunnel. So that'll be more fabricating to do of a new higher box section to maintain the strength of the floor and tunnel. Oh Joy. 
 
The plan is for the interior to be seriously stripped out to keep the car as light as possible. So the heater and fan are gone and are being replaced with an electric plug in item for road use which can be removed for track use. The dashboard is out, going back in its place will be a cut down dash containing just the primary dials. Carpets - gone, soundproofing - gone, headlining - gone, its going to be as light as possible but it'll be noisier than sitting inside an oil drum being hit with a pneumatic drill. If my budget stretches to it some polycarbonate side windows are on the shopping list - without any winder mechanisms on the rear and passenger sides of course. 
 
The brake servo and master cylinder have been removed as have all the clutch hydraulics leaving me with a nice flat bulkhead. I might ally sheet clad the bulkhead to form a firewall - probably easier to do that than trying to block up every opening. The brakes and cable clutch arrangement will be dealt with by modifying the standard clutch pedal and replacing the brake pedal assembly with a wilwood adjustable bias pedal box with the fluid reservoirs inside the car. The plan is for no brake pipework to be in the engine bay. 
 
Recent parts acquisitions have been a sierra cosworth fuel pump and filter for a tenner and a spare set of Mintex 1144 pads for the sierra brakes for a fiver!! Both on ebay of course. 
 
I need to stock take and raise more funds to pay for the project- finances are getting very tight. I'm not at the stage where I need to sell my Dellortos yet (I'm keeping them as back up if my DIY fuel injection goes tits up). There might be an influx of standard Dolly Sprint parts on ebay shortly though. If anyone is after anything particulary in the engine ancillary department give me a shout as my garage is overflowing with Dolomite detritus such as carbs, manifolds, starters, water pumps and god knows what else built up from 15 years of collecting Sprint parts! 
 
The next stage is to finish fabricating things like the additional bracing where I've hacked the subframe and prop tunnel and to finish the rear axle tie bar installation, panhard rod and fit the 4.1:1 phantom grip diff. 
 
After that I'll be on the look out for someone preferably in the west of england who is a guru in custom propshafts, I have both a Manta and a Sprint shaft ready for morphing into a one piece prop - yep I'm ditching the centre bearing to keep it simple. 
 
Thats enough for now. Its still the plan to get the beast running for early summer. I might try and book a week off in March to get some real progress done - There is only so much you can acheive on a Saturday morning. 
 
Graeme

<a href="http://www.smifter1971.pwp.blueyonder.c ... >Smifter's Dolomite Sprint Website</a> 
 
Featherweight 1974 Dolomite Sprint - Soon to be XE'd, NOS'd, Megasquirted and 5 linked Lash up to scare myself (and my wallet) senseless 
 
2004 Smart Roadster (company car!!) - 698cc of turbo'd adrenaline fuelled rollerskate - destined to classic status thanks to Daimler Chrysler bean counters. 
 
1997 Audi A4 2.6 to chill out after the above and fill with baby products..... 
 
2005 Trek 1400 (ok its not a car but still fast) - 
a bit like Lance Armstrong but slower and fatter

algtj · #29 Post by **algtj** » Mon Jan 23, 2006 2:59 pm

Graeme, I know Coventry is a bit north! A mate has just had a Manta prop modded for the V6 for £150 if you want details i'll post them for you. 
He never got back to me about the gearbox cross- member (nice chap but away with the fairies!) so I'm glad you got sorted. 
 
Cheer's Al W

SMIFTER · #30 Post by **SMIFTER** » Mon Jan 23, 2006 6:25 pm

Sounds like it might be worth making a note of if i cant find anywhere closer. 
 
Thanks Al 
 
<a href="mailto:gjs1234@hotmail.com"> gjs1234@hotmail.com</a>

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