1969 Triumph 2000 MK1

[andyborris]

Jan 4, 2012 19:42:48 GMT vitesseefi said:

I have a suspension arm if you're still stuck.

Cheers

Nick

How much do you want, if it it's a N/S ARB one?

And sorry, but I'll have to hold fire on the 6-3-1 and just in case the BMW won't fit, (won't be changing it to left hook!), the Triumph will get re-built and re-installed!

However, if it does (fit) and then it works, I'll be selling everything!

Andy

[ChasR]

I shall be watching this closely. If it works talk about having your cake and eating it!

[andyborris]

After a few days where I had to do work and family, I'm back in the garage!

As I think I said earlier, I've got 2 garages about a 3 min walk apart, one set up as a store/workshop while the other holds the car.

BMW engine loaded onto a trolley for the short journey between the two.


The two engines side by side.




The BMW in the car, fits quite nicely.



The cross member bolts up into place, though I may need to use a spacer to lower it (crossmember) slightly, it's very close to the sump, or I may get away with running the engine at an angle front to back or even at less of an incline (side to side), I'm not sure what the incline angle of the engine is when fitted into a e36.





I may have it hanging from the crane at the wrong angle! Anyone know how far a M52 should lay over?

Won't be using the Triumph rad, it won't fit, so any recommendations for a substitute?

The Triumph engine and box is much heavier then the BMW stuff, it was hard work pushing it back to the other garage compared to the BMW!

Next session, I'll be measuring for mounts and making sure both the steering column and the alternator fit, had to remove the alternator to get the engine past the chassis rail.

Then it's clean, de-rust and paint the engine bay and under the trans tunnel, re-con the heater and tidy up the wiring. Easy when you just write it down!

Plan on using World Cup style mounts, but reversed, I.e. angled down from the chassis.

[vitesseefi]

That looks really quite promising. Why have I just picked up two Triumph 2.5 engines to hopefully replace my knackered one ? . You are right - they are VERY heavy!

Have you hung it that low because it need to be down there to clear the bonnet? A pic down the bulkhead and from the side looking down at the manifolds would be good. Might be able to sit the engine back a bit more in a mk2 as the heater is inside the car.....?

As to the engine angle, looking at the pics, I reckon if the bottom face of the sump is horizontal (looking at it end on) then you are about right. Having said that, if tipping it a few degrees either well helps it fit round something else then it probably won't matter much.

How much do you need to lower the cross member? Don't forget that this will also lower the rack and affect the steering arm angle which will increase bump-steer if nothing else.

Suggest taping over the inlet ports to stop anything sneaking in there and spoiling your day when the time comes for the grand fire-up....

Will PM about the drag link

Cheers

Nick

[andyborris]

Took the picture before I'd postioned the engine into it's best place, so very pleased it fitted!
The cross member will need to drop about 1/2 inch, which is about the same as factory did on MK2s, plus I think because the lower arms move the same amount, bump steer won't be an issue?

Taping over the ports is a good idea, I'll do that tomorrow, after I've had a go at the inlet manifold, seeing how it'll fit.

I do have some wrinkle room, depends by how much I can lean the engine, front to back and sideways.

Hope to have some better pics and some accurate measurements for the mounts, then engine out again to tidy up the engine bay.

[jaminben]

Fair play, ball's out going for it. Bookmarked...................

[hairnet]

andy nutter

ALANZ ARE YOU WATCHING.......

looking forward to this.........

[andyborris]

Need a rad, please see my post in the Tech section.....Thanks

retrorides.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=techni&action=display&thread=120209&page=1

[yoeddynz]

Looking good- what a great conversion. I'm watching this one. I think you'll have a fair bit of room when it comes to angles as a few degrees here or there you should still have the oil pump pick up covered in oil.

[vitesseefi]

I wouldn't sweat too much about a 1/2" X-member drop. You could be right about moving the rack together with the TCA pivot too.

PM'd you about the drop link.

Cheers

Nick

[andyborris]

Slow couple of days, yesterday was mostly spent tidying the garages, I put the BMW engine onto a little trolley to move it around and then I started cleaning the engine bay.

Quickly realized that I should have taken the car to the jet wash before removing the engine! The lower part of the engine bay, cross member and ARB bracket are all covered in that special blend of 20/50 and dirt only found on old cars!

Today I removed the battery tray, the battery will live in the boot now and also the rad overflow bottle bracket. I'll probably be using a rad without a filler cap, so will use a E30 header tank, it's designed to bolt to the strut, (I think!) so hopefully it'll work in the Triumph.

Where the battery used to live.



While the grinder was out, I chopped a little bracket of the gearbox, that'll give me 12 mm (or so) extra space, not much I know, but it all counts.

Can see both the ex-battery tray and the improved gearbox in this picture.



Cleaning with petrol has revealed the huge amount of black underseal smeared around the engine bay, slow, dirty work taking this off, but now is the best time to do it. Not quite sure why some of it painted, very sticky, it's taking the paint underneath it, as it comes off.

A before and after picture



Much more to go!

Having read the post by kai retrorides.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=general&action=display&thread=120236 , feel I should explain why I'm posting even the really boring bits of this conversion, the feeling that I'm being watched (in good way!) by you helps to keep me motivated, esp. through the boring bits.

Starting to think about engine/gearbox mounts. Will run some ideas up the RR flagpole and see if they flap.

(Came over all C.J just then! Sorry)

Thanks

Reggie

[cudley]

:)nice one matev I'm running a rover 3.5 v8 in my matte black 68 mk1 ;D. few mods done and a few more to go. keep up the good work and keep old triumphs going..going and going ...FASTER, YEEE HAAA.

[pompeypaul]

following this one closing....bmw lump is going into my p4 rover
good luck and keep updates comming

[andyborris]

Been quiet for a good few days, not much point in talking about the boring cleaning and painting of the engine bay and strut towers!

Anyway it's painted and not very well! Unfortunately one aspect of this conversion is that I'm working in a small garage without power, which means it's out with the paintbrush.
Picking the coldest week with a strong North wind blowing all kinds of junk around my garage didn't help either.
Still, hopefully it'll slow down the rust!

Being a bit of an impatient chap, I moved onto the next stage, which is the fun part, but also the most worrying, getting the engine to fit and then to work.

All the parts necessary were fetched from the second garage and then pushed under the car, the car was then lowered and the engine was raised into the bay.

And after a bit of jiggling, it looks like it belongs there!







The steering column looks fine.




Clearance is pretty good, with the only issues being the top of the cylinder head distance to the radiator, which at the moment is the original Triumph one.
2 options, a modern slim rad or get the Triumph one re-built, but shorter, 1st option needs brackets made, the 2nd may not provide enough cooling, even with a double core.





The cross member may need lowering, because I haven't finalized the front to rear angle of the engine yet, that will be affected by the drive-shaft angle.



Because the gearbox is about 12 inches shorter, I'll need a longer drive-shaft made and I think I'll add a center bearing too.



The bonnet also looks like it'll clear without resorting to a bulge.

So I need mounts and in a very small garage without electric, it's going to be hard to make some, add the fact that I'm a ham fisted bodger.... any one know where I can get some help, I'll swap beer tokens for decent mounts and some other stuff.

Have found someone who can re-program the BMW ECU, removing all the parts of the program that will stop the engine running because the ECU can't read the ABS etc. systems. And at a reasonable price along with an extra 20 hp too!

Found out too that I've fitted the wrong Getrag gearbox, the gear lever will incline slightly towards the driver, instead of straight up, butafter some thought, I'm going to see what a thin chromed wand will look like!

Tomorrow will be spent getting the car back on wheels and talking to the local rad company.

I'm very happy!

[andyborris]

Sorry, no matter what I do the 2nd picture of the rad appears on it's side!

[mirafioriman]

Great progress. Personally I would go for a modern crossflow rad. How about a matching BMW one. One big benefit is if anything went wrong with it it's easier and cheaper to replace.

[pompeypaul]

looks like a good fit

[andyborris]

I think you're right, it'll be more "long term" to use a modern rad and have a bracket to hold it place.

And a Fiat 130 saloon? Just fantastic!

[Seth]

Really good looking progress Does look lie a nice fit in there.

[hairnet]