Jag V6 swapped Dolomite

[Boost All The Dollys]

Hi youve modified your fuel tank similar to mine,how are you running the fuel lines,and what size pipe are you using for the return fuel

Dave

I’m running a dead head system, as the Jag system was a dead head system too. I’m also going to be running a BMW E39 fuel filter, which incorporates the fuel pressure regulator into it. This means I can mount it to the boot floor and only have to run a small amount of return line as well as minimal modification to the existing fuel line. And the size will be what ever the BMW one is, I think 8mm or something

[Boost All The Dollys]

July update

Not far off having the engine running and in the car! Got around to buying up a small countries worth of MG 48mm throttle bodies, I’ll admit I had to cut some of them down to fit, but only the plastic cable guides for now. And spent hours going through the wiring loom taking out the loops and joints from the X type loom I was forcing to fit, just need to get it in the car to finalise the wire length.

All the mounts and spreader plates have been made so the engine can go in the car, just a few bits and pieces I’d like to finish off before that happens. Mainly the exhaust and oil filter relocation.

I can’t remember if I’ve gone through the issues with the oil system but basically, the S type has a remote oil filter block bolted onto the side of the engine, but this puts the oil filter basically where the rear subframe bolts are, so I’ve had to get an aftermarket remote oil filter set up but the V6 uses an M22 thread which isn’t particularly common. It also doesn’t have a regular spigot like almost every other engine so I’m going to have to get one made up!

But once I’ve got that in hand, then it’s just engine in, quick wiring job, plumb fuel and radiator and boom, she’ll be running!

Of course driving is another matter...

[Boost All The Dollys]

Huge News!

It’s In!!

Finally got a spare day and organised a trailer and got the engine to the car for the first time. Took almost 10 hours of working from arriving to engine bolted in! Granted about 5 of those hours I was alone but still.

And immediately ran into some problems.

1) bulkhead clearance

I’d done some sketches and some models and knew I had to trim the bulkhead around the gearbox, just thought it would only be a little bit but hat to basically square it of from its widest point. This wasn’t too hard except for having no power in my garage so had to run 30m of extension cables. Will just need to add more material to the gearbox cover later.

2) engine and gearbox mounts

I built the mounts around getting the dip in the sump to sit over the steering rack to try and get the engine low enough to clear the bonnet. In doing this, I put the engine really far back but what I’d assumed was enough to clear the bulkhead. But this was when the engine was level. now that it’s in the car with the gearbox on, when level, it fits beautifully. But, and it’s a big But, the output shaft of the gearbox is pointed directly at the crossmember just in front of the handbrake lever. Which means I’ve got to lower the back of the gearbox around 4-5 inches. If I lower the gearbox even 1-2 inches, the cam sensor plug in the p/s of the engine is smushed into the bulkhead, really close to the brake lines. Same with the Jaguars Fuel pressure sender, as it sits on the back of the engine. I’m going to have another look this week and see how much I can lower the engine over the steering rack and maybe redo my engine mounts. I’ll just have to cut off the welds and do it properly; with the engine in the car, sat where I need it to be... like I should have done.

But if you don’t make mistakes, you never learn

I’d taken the HVAC fan, clutch master cylinder, and the brake booster+master cylinder off as I was concerned that they’d be in the way. And yeah, they’re damn tight. The Fan and the brake master look like they’ll be fine to go back on but the clutch master is taking up the only room free the d/s exhaust needs. So my plan is to mount a more generic clutch master cylinder on the inside of the car underneath the dash with a reservoir in the engine bay. It looks like there’s enough room there, but will need to modify the clutch pedal, either bolt a small bracket or weld a tab to it.

But it’s in, and I am just so surprised how small the engine looks in the engine bay. I’ve been staring at the bare engine for the past 3 years and thinking “it’s way too big, it’s gonna be tight” but it just shocks me how well it sits

[yorkshire_spam]

Yay! Massive step forward!

[Boost All The Dollys]

Thought I’d add some more pictures of how tight it actually is in the engine bay

Roughly 4 inches between the heads and the strut towers on each side. I do have to change the engine mounts because the gearbox sits too high. I measured it at about 4 inches too high and the engine sat around 2 inches from the steering rack.

So modified my body mounts to be 1.5 inches lower but have yet to fit the engine at that height. I’m so glad it fits and looks like the heater blower, brake servo, and clutch master will fit back on no problem. The exhaust will definitely be an issue on the Drovers side but I have way more room in from of the engine than I thought I’d have so might run the manifolds forward and under the Passenger side where there’s more room

The passenger side cam sensor is very smashed from the install because it’s soo tight to the bulkhead. This isn’t even the final position for te engine either, it needs dropping that 1.5 inches and the gearbox needs dropping another 2, so that sensor is definitely going to be destroyed. I knew it would be and I’m not planning on using it, just the drivers side which sits about an inch further forward. I’ll probably have to remove it and blank it off at some point.

And yeah, the brake lines are definitely in the worst place imaginable. I will be redoing them for when I work out what brakes I’m using.

I’m doing little bits of resto work as I go to save the components and make the engine bay look less rubbish, but I keep finding more places of rot!! I pulled the washer bottle and motor off and the inner wing behind it has rusted through so there’s no corner, so I’ll have to repair that as well.

Once the engine is in its final place, next point of call is some serious structural repairs. The more I take apart, the more repairs i find need doing and even more repairs done badly in the past!
In total; front passenger footwell, front valance, and one front wing have been replaced and the boot floor and chassis rail caps have been patch repaired (the boot floor in multiple sections). And I’m pretty sure the inner sill reinforcer is shot as well, but hey, it’s a 46 year old car, it was never going to be perfect

[SprintV8]

Nice work there.

I ended up getting a Wilwood bias pedal assemble and modified it to fit.
Will probably end up with a remote servo on the front brakes as well.


How’s the steering column shaft lining up.

[Boost All The Dollys]

Nice work there.

I ended up getting a Wilwood bias pedal assemble and modified it to fit.
Will probably end up with a remote servo on the front brakes as well.


How’s the steering column shaft lining up.

Shaft went on just fine. Can just about see it in the third picture. Only issue is that at some point the column has to come out because the bush at the bottom, where it goes through the bulkhead, is missing!! And it’s carved a little slot so its been missing for a while.

I looked at a new pedal box but it’s just so expensive. I’m just going to run the existing servo and use a VW electrical vacuum pump to run it, as I don’t have a vacuum source on the intake

[Boost All The Dollys]

Nice work there.

I ended up getting a Wilwood bias pedal assemble and modified it to fit.
Will probably end up with a remote servo on the front brakes as well.


How’s the steering column shaft lining up.

Shaft went on just fine. Can just about see it in the third picture. Only issue is that at some point the column has to come out because the bush at the bottom, where it goes through the bulkhead, is missing!! And it’s carved a little slot so its been missing for a while.

I looked at a new pedal box but it’s just so expensive. I’m just going to run the existing servo and use a VW electrical vacuum pump to run it, as I don’t have a vacuum source on the intake

[Boost All The Dollys]

Another update

Been working hard to get the engine to fit better, I pulled it out and redrilled the holes lower on the plates but royally messed up the drivers side ones. I thought I had marked them directly below the existing ones but when I started drilling, the steering rack was in the way of the rear one so I’d started it further out than I had wanted without realising. I’d also managed to drill the front one further inside as well so when I went to put the engine back in, they were misaligned by about 5mm, making getting the one engine back in a real chore.

I also went to put the front suspension back on, only to realise that you need to drop the subframe to get the upper shaft in place. I could remove the suspension mount plate which will make it 100x easier to do.

I’m also debating trying to make a tubular front subframe so I can redo the engine mounts better as well as increase stiffness and reduce some weight.

But working in this heat is next to impossible, get a sweat on just from sitting in the garage

[new to this]

Another update

Been working hard to get the engine to fit better, I pulled it out and redrilled the holes lower on the plates but royally messed up the drivers side ones. I thought I had marked them directly below the existing ones but when I started drilling, the steering rack was in the way of the rear one so I’d started it further out than I had wanted without realising. I’d also managed to drill the front one further inside as well so when I went to put the engine back in, they were misaligned by about 5mm, making getting the one engine back in a real chore.

I also went to put the front suspension back on, only to realise that you need to drop the subframe to get the upper shaft in place. I could remove the suspension mount plate which will make it 100x easier to do.

I’m also debating trying to make a tubular front subframe so I can redo the engine mounts better as well as increase stiffness and reduce some weight.

But working in this heat is next to impossible, get a sweat on just from sitting in the garage

Id like to see how you go about making a Tubular Subframe
It does look tight in there

[Boost All The Dollys]

Bad news!

I’ve started again.

After spending days fiddling with engine mounts and re-drilling the holes for them on the subframe only to royally mess it up, I’ve decided to cut apart my engine mounts and start again, this time doing what I should have done all along and put engine and gearbox into the car, in the place I want it, and making the mount suit that rather than triple guessing everything.

Spent a full day taking everything out and cutting it all apart and grinding it all back but now it’s ready. Just waiting to the weekend when I can get a full day to sort it out.

Then finally I can say the engine is in properly.

On a side note, I’ve refitted all the suspension too, with new front Sprint shocks to use Rimmers updated 1” drop springs to match the rear. I’ve put the old Banjo axle back in for now just to move the car about

I’ve also bought some new parts which will help with making the engine run. I’ve got a nice electric water pump from an E9X BMW so I can ditch the Jaguars water pump. And I’ve got a a Kia alternator which is to help remove the water pump and massively simplify the ancillary belt. This alternator is a swing arm type so I can use it to tension the belt seeing as I’m only running the alternator belt off it now.

[SprintV8]

Bad news!

I’ve started again.

After spending days fiddling with engine mounts and re-drilling the holes for them on the subframe only to royally mess it up, I’ve decided to cut apart my engine mounts and start again, this time doing what I should have done all along and put engine and gearbox into the car, in the place I want it, and making the mount suit that rather than triple guessing everything.

Spent a full day taking everything out and cutting it all apart and grinding it all back but now it’s ready. Just waiting to the weekend when I can get a full day to sort it out.

Then finally I can say the engine is in properly.

On a side note, I’ve refitted all the suspension too, with new front Sprint shocks to use Rimmers updated 1” drop springs to match the rear. I’ve put the old Banjo axle back in for now just to move the car about

I’ve also bought some new parts which will help with making the engine run. I’ve got a nice electric water pump from an E9X BMW so I can ditch the Jaguars water pump. And I’ve got a a Kia alternator which is to help remove the water pump and massively simplify the ancillary belt. This alternator is a swing arm type so I can use it to tension the belt seeing as I’m only running the alternator belt off it now.

I literally done the very same.
Position the engine and gearbox where I wanted them.
Then set about making it all fit around them.
Possibly the longest and hardest engine swap I’ve ever done.
Come to thing of it the AJPV8 was easier than this one.

[Carledo]

Bad news!

I’ve started again.

After spending days fiddling with engine mounts and re-drilling the holes for them on the subframe only to royally mess it up, I’ve decided to cut apart my engine mounts and start again, this time doing what I should have done all along and put engine and gearbox into the car, in the place I want it, and making the mount suit that rather than triple guessing everything.

Spent a full day taking everything out and cutting it all apart and grinding it all back but now it’s ready. Just waiting to the weekend when I can get a full day to sort it out.

Then finally I can say the engine is in properly.

On a side note, I’ve refitted all the suspension too, with new front Sprint shocks to use Rimmers updated 1” drop springs to match the rear. I’ve put the old Banjo axle back in for now just to move the car about

I’ve also bought some new parts which will help with making the engine run. I’ve got a nice electric water pump from an E9X BMW so I can ditch the Jaguars water pump. And I’ve got a a Kia alternator which is to help remove the water pump and massively simplify the ancillary belt. This alternator is a swing arm type so I can use it to tension the belt seeing as I’m only running the alternator belt off it now.

I literally done the very same.
Position the engine and gearbox where I wanted them.
Then set about making it all fit around them.
Possibly the longest and hardest engine swap I’ve ever done.
Come to thing of it the AJPV8 was easier than this one.

Is there any other way?

The only problem i've found with this well tried and proven method is that, of necessity, when you hang the engine "just so" and exactly where you want it, there is no weight load on the rubber mounts. So when you disconnect the crane/blocks/whatever that hold it up, the engine sinks a bit as the rubber mounts load up. This can be compounded by new rubber mounts settling in time.

Both my cars run Volvo rubber mounts and a VERY tight clearance between the sump and rack, it's the governing clearance for the Vauxhall conversion. It didn't take long from first build for the Carledo sump to start contacting the rack. Fortunately the angled mounts are accessible and feature a stud and nut at each end of the rubber. So it's no great hardship to loosen the nuts a bit, jack up the engine and slip a slotted shim or two into the gap created, then let it down again. Once again, the slotted Spitfire/Herald etc lower wishbone camber shim is just about perfect for this task, less than £1 each and readily available from all the usual suspects.

Steve

[Boost All The Dollys]

I literally done the very same.
Position the engine and gearbox where I wanted them.
Then set about making it all fit around them.
Possibly the longest and hardest engine swap I’ve ever done.
Come to thing of it the AJPV8 was easier than this one.

Is there any other way?

The only problem i've found with this well tried and proven method is that, of necessity, when you hang the engine "just so" and exactly where you want it, there is no weight load on the rubber mounts. So when you disconnect the crane/blocks/whatever that hold it up, the engine sinks a bit as the rubber mounts load up. This can be compounded by new rubber mounts settling in time.

Both my cars run Volvo rubber mounts and a VERY tight clearance between the sump and rack, it's the governing clearance for the Vauxhall conversion. It didn't take long from first build for the Carledo sump to start contacting the rack. Fortunately the angled mounts are accessible and feature a stud and nut at each end of the rubber. So it's no great hardship to loosen the nuts a bit, jack up the engine and slip a slotted shim or two into the gap created, then let it down again. Once again, the slotted Spitfire/Herald etc lower wishbone camber shim is just about perfect for this task, less than £1 each and readily available from all the usual suspects.

Steve

Yeah, I’ll be mindful of that. The bushes I’m using are actually TVR Griffith wishbone poly bushes and are extremely stiff. I was debating redoing them to be more like the original Triumph mounts i.e. block of rubber with some thread sticking out, but thats a bit further down the line atm

[Boost All The Dollys]

August Update.

Made slight progress on getting engine mounts sorted, but life is really getting in the way at the moment.

I made a cross-brace for the front of the subframe to help it stay square and add a brace to the lower tie bar mounts, I put it as far forward as I could and now the sump on the engine downs clear it so it won’t go back in. I’m making provisions to have the front of the sump removed but that’s in the future for now.

I’ve also been debating getting some GFRP wings and valance but I think I might take the plunge and try to make some Carbon Fibre ones first. I posed the question if they’re considered part of the chassis and the conclusion is a resounding … . So that’s going to be a fun addition. And once they’re painted, who’s to know

I also made the mistake of trying to chase a problem and ended up with significantly bigger problems. Had a small patch of rust that wasn’t really doing any harm but was getting on my nerves so tried to cut out and replace and not the D/S chassis leg isn’t really attached to the front valance. Then again, I knew it was a bit rotten, just not this severely!! Well, the car needs a proper going over anyway when things are more settled and sorted, needs; new sill reinforcers, p/s outer sill needs repaired in the wing & rear jack point, new inner valance, and a full boot floor (current ones fine, but made of lots of patch/repair panels.

Oh well, got some patching up to do.