Rover 75 1.8 Turbo...

[FatKev]

Just curious as my dad and I were looking at a cheaper lower tax bracket business car for him. We were looking a the Rover 75, but the 1.8T and 2.0 CDTI models, as his current 2.5 V6 75 was costing too much (damn CO2 emissions...). I totally forgot the 1.8T was a K series.

I was going to ask if someone knew if this engine would be suitablet for a K series conversion. I know someone else asked this in another thread, but they never got a response. What gearbox does the 1.8T from the 75 use? Would Watsons' K subrame still be an option (guess I should email Geoff and ask...)?

For anyone who doesnt know anything about this engine - it's a 1.8 K series with a turbo, produces just over 150hp (if I remember correctly), and would probably cost less to pick up than a VVC engine. However, I'm guessing it's more hastle due to the turbo and intercooler (bulkhead mods and flipfront clubman?).

Any info would be greatful. Still have a while yet till I can afford a 16v project, so the 1380 MED engine will have to do for now! Yeah, a bit costly for just over 100hp but a lot less hastle (until it blows up or needs a rebuild).

Crikey, thats a long post.

Cheers

Kevin

[Geehawk]

Basically it would be an even tighter fit. I presume the turbo is at the front of the engine. I would guess that it uses a PG1 gearbox which will not drop straight into a Watsons frame, but can be made to fit. Best to start off with an MGF frame which should have the correct mounts.

Would have thought the price would NOT be much cheaper than a VVC unit, after all the VVC is found all over the place, but the turbo is limited to 1 car.

A one off frame like PicKups, and a Clubman front might give you enough room.

Graham

[picKup]

We had to mod the exhaust manifold as it is! Putting a turbo there would be V tricky. I say in a clubman it could be possible tho!
Have you a pic of the engine bay for us to look at???

Mike

[Richard]

I would be tempted to fit the R1 box to the 1800, with the low weight of the Mini it should be OK - no problems with my 150 bhp 1600.
We have a PG1 box lying around here attached to a blown up VVC if anyone is interested though.
Mike, stop thinking of turbos and clubby fronts for the pickup, its not going to happen :roll:
Richard

[Richard]

I would be tempted to fit the R1 box to the 1800, with the low weight of the Mini it should be OK - no problems with my 150 bhp 1600.
We have a PG1 box lying around here attached to a blown up VVC if anyone is interested though.
Mike, stop thinking of turbos and clubby fronts for the pickup, its not going to happen :roll:
Richard

[Geehawk]

Is the turbo lump not going to produce more torque than your 150bhp 1600 engine though??

But yes the 1600 gearbox would probably be strong enough.

Would the flywheel be correct to allow the use of MEMs ECU, or would a 3rd party one be needed???

[picKup]

Me, think of that :roll:
The turbo yes, clubman front no.

Actually his engine was a 1400 so has a gear box from that!
he changed pistons and liners to get it to 1600

Mike

[Geehawk]

Actually his engine was a 1400 so has a gear box from that!
he changed pistons and liners to get it to 1600

Mike

Doh! I knew that. Presumably its a late 1400 box though with bolted rather than bonded bits inside.

[FatKev]

I've been looking for an engine bay pic of the 1.8T, but I just can't seem to find one! Yeah I was guessing it might have been a PG1 'box on it, which is quite big and bulky isnt it?

I've been slowly coming around to the look of a widened (due to K series Metro subframe) and clubby fronted Mini, but nasty Honda engines cost silly money for a half decent B16\18, and Vauxhall engines look a bit too bulky, and extended fronts arent nice! What price do VVC units go for these days anyhow?

If anything, what other K's fit into Mini's apart from the tried and tested 1.4's? Something a bit bigger and more powerful - once I'm by with the highly tuned, gearbox munching, ticking time bomb of an A sereis, I'd like something that'd have at least 120hp (a bit much to ask for I know...).

Thanks for the info guys!

Cheers

Kevin

[Geehawk]

The 1.1, 1.4, 1.6 & 1.8 K series engines are all externally the same, so you can fit any that you want.

120 bhp ? 1.4 with filter, exhaust, headwork and cams should see this (plus a bit more). 1.6 with less effort (and expense). 1.8, thats a pretty much standard figure give or take a few bhp.

As long as you fit a MPi 1.4 engine then upgrading in future is as simple as bolting in a new engine, as the 1.6 & 1.8 can be run from the 1.4 ECU 8)

If you want VVC the you'll need the whole engine loom, ecu etc.. and I suspect the PG1 gearbox that goes with it. A few subframe mods mods, and different mountings, oh and MGF driveshafts.

All that assumes you are using a metro fram as the base.

Graham

[B20GT]

I've been slowly coming around to the look of a widened (due to K series Metro subframe) and clubby fronted Mini, but nasty Honda engines cost silly money for a half decent B16\18, and Vauxhall engines look a bit too bulky, and extended fronts arent nice! What price do VVC units go for these days anyhow? :? Nasty, we have the best engineered engines out the lot, and who makes engines for rover Kevin? :wink:

[FatKev]

I would still love to go the Honda route, but the engines just cost way too damned much! Silly money for a high milegage, highly abused B16A1... Yeah they are the best renouned engines of the lot, for reliability, for a valver. Mind you, I have read about problems with certain bits of kits - like some brackets on Watsons' kits being a bit poor, SAE thats a whole (emphasis on WHOLE) different problem... but thats not the engine now is it?

But you (B20GT) are creating a B20 monster, better than any 1.8 ITR unit if you ask me, due to the nice torque it should produce! If the VTEC engine could be run on a nice cheap megasquirt unit, with some modded motorbike TB's, then I might end up going that route, as £800 for a DTA unit doesn't sound tempting! Also the hastle of the Honda ECU.... bah!

Like I've been saying, I managed to pick up a nicely spec'ed 1380 MED unit for a great price - don't worry it's been inspected! I might as well have a "fast" A series first... rebuilds every couple of thousand miles here I come! It'll do till I take the year out at uni for a work placement!

Cheers guys!

Kevin

PS - B20GT, do Honda still make engines for Rover? As far as I was aware most engines in Rovers, are Rover (okay, diesel engines and the Mustang V8 in the 75's aside!)

[Richard]

Rover engines are built by Powertrain of Birmingham http://www.powertrainltd.com/
Richard 8)

[mininut]

Vauxhall engines look a bit too bulky, and extended fronts arent nice!

You've got more change getting an XE in a standard round nose with standard track width than any Honda/Rover motor Joe!!


M.

[evolotion]

pic of 1.8 turbo is on the site above :)

[mic]

thought id bump this back up from page 7 out of interest :D
should i get my hands on one of these engines, would i need the wiring loom/driveshafts etc out of the same car or would any K series be ok?

mic

[dam_buster]

would probably cost less to pick up than a VVC engine.
Kevin


Wrong!

vvc's you can pick up from 300 to 600, for a decent low mileage runner.

thats the 143 engine.

160 vvc's tend to go for 450 to 800.


and 1.8 turbo k-series tend to go for 1200 quid, in good running order!

ive looked into it many a time,

for a conversion to my old metro gti

[FatKev]

£1200 for an engine? Jeeze louise ya got me on my knees. Thats a rip off and a half! Hell, you can pick up a lightly tuned Cosworth YB lump for that and amongst other more reputable performance engines! Makes a Honda Type R motor look cheap. Evo has proved that you can create a decent turbo'd K for a modest ,considering what some people spend going turbo, budget. Having said that I don't think it'd be an easy task for the average backdoor mechanic. But 200hp from a turbo 1.4 K beats your VVC and 1.8 Turbo K :shock: :D All while retaining cheap road tax :wink: have to do a lot of chopping and changing with the 1.8 K turbo no doubt.

[evolotion]

thought id bump this back up from page 7 out of interest :D
should i get my hands on one of these engines, would i need the wiring loom/driveshafts etc out of the same car or would any K series be ok?

mic

this is all info that iv gleamed from passing comments on teh 1.8T over the years so dont rtreat it as gospel, could easily be wrong!
the 1.8T runs a siemens ecu, so ecu and wiring loom are totally different to almost all other k-series. it runs some getrag gearbox, so box, gear linkage, clutch and driveshafts are again different to all other "k"s however this is easy to overcome by swapping out for one of the more popular gearboxes, PG1 or R65.

last i heard the pistons for the 1.8T were NLA due to a company that rover owed alot of money too not releasing them, tho there is a rumour this is no longer the case, but unconfirmed. if you turn the boost up even a tiny wee bit from std you wil lmelt the pistons.

IMHO get a good k-series engine, take the head off and open the chambers, throw it back on get a 1.8T manifold and turbo and some megasquirt action and away you go all in it should work out cheaper than a "proper" 1.8T and due to lower CR and mapable ecu you will be able to run more boost and produce mor power, AND have a cheaper alternative for a new bottom end when it lets go.

[pengy666]

http://www.16vminiclub.com/gallery/albums/userpics/RGS-0702-586.jpg


and here is my manifold of that engine!

http://www.16vminiclub.com/gallery/albums/userpics/stuff_376small.jpg