T16 Series (n/asp) Feature Car

This car belongs to Chris Hassall from Cornwall.  I met Chris when Brynmor and I went to visit Frontline in June 2008.  Chris was looking into various options from K Series to Ford Zetec.  However, after discussions, and the chance purchase of a new/unused old stock T16 engine complete with all its bits, Chris's MGB ended up in my garage.  There's method in my madness as I have a T16 turbo to go in mine so the opportunity to practice on Chris's was too good to miss.

Having sold off the gearbox and various other bits not needed the whole lot has stood Chris at £100 give or take a bit. As we discovered with the O Series, the crank can take the normal 4spd o/d box.  So, although the adaptor bellhousing to fit the 5spd LT77/R380 gear box to the T Series exists, we made a calculated decision to not use the 5spd box.  Allegedly these boxes are seen as a bit agricultural and to be honest, who doesn't like playing with the o/d button?  Staying with the original MGB gearbox again makes the conversion simpler and cheaper, eliminating transmission tunnel modifications and the need for altered propshafts and speedo calibration issues.  Whilst the T16 will have as much power, and more, perhaps, than a factory V8, the torque is not going to be anywhere near as high as a V8 so this should be a safe bet.  

Once stripped down there is not a lot to the engine - doing away with the PAS pump, air-con compressor and alternator/water pump leaves a very thin block.  

This last year (2009) has been a learning process wherein we have discovered a number of things that make this potentially the best modification of the lot at a price that's less than reconditioning a B Series.  Ok, the T16 is no ball of fire being an iron block and alloy head, but with the factory claiming 140bhp at the flywheel on the Rover models to which the T16 was fitted, it is certainly a more reliable upgrade on power, offering 50% gain, without the stresses and costs imposed on trying to achieve this sort of power from a B Series.  But that is not the whole story as these engines have a good torque spread and with not having a CAT, and improved air inlet breathing, then the power should be up a bit, too, at around 150-160bhp at the flywheel.

We do not have to cut and modify the chassis rails on a chrome bumper car.  Chris's MGB is a 1970 US import converted to RHD and it would seem we can make the engine mount brackets to fit to the existing mounts on the chassis rail, allowing Chris to refit the B Series should he wish to at a later date.  We toyed initially with using twin SU HIF6s as per Stephen's plan with his O1 Series.  However, making a manifold to suit would be complex although one was on Ebay c/o of Bob Pulleyblank who had started to fit a T16 to his MG Magnette but had switched to using a K Series engine instead.  We did avail ourselves of Bob's exhaust downpipes, though although these will need shortening.  We then looked at the possibility of bike carbs and an individual throttle body for each inlet port.  But in the end we settled for the original EFI system, which means retaining the trigger ring from the flywheel of the T16.  We could use an aftermarket ECU but why spend on somethhing that comes free of charge with the engine.  And Rover's MEMS is reputedly self-learning so will adapt easily to our set-up.

Inlet Manifold

However, as with fitting the T Series turbo, the original inlet was designed for the FWD cars and so the throttle body points at the heater box.  This is easily solved by the purchase of a Land Rover Discovery 2.0 MPI inlet manifold which points forwards, usually at a cost of around £25 or so for the complete manifold.  It is possible to modify the inlet manifold by swapping the end but a Disco unit looks neater and is cheaper if you can get one.  It might be a tightish turn against the wing for the inlet tubing, but we should manage to run to a cone filter in the cooler area ahead of the radiator riaphragm.  The FWD inlet manifold can be sold on as the Ford chaps like it to use with the Zetec, I think.  The top part anyway.

Water Pump

The T16 has a very cumbersome water pump combined with the air-con compressor, and the alternator needs to be moved up to clear the chassis rail.   Whilst the general wisdom was to use the M16 water pump, (see Fitting an M/T Series engine), which locates the pump on the opposite side, it still conflicts with the chassis rail, which then needs relieving for clearance.  To fit the M16 water pump, one needs to remove the engine mount at the front of the block as used on FWD cars.  We decided against going the M16 route as these pump housings are becoming more difficult to obtain now.  In addition I did not like the way the timing belt is stressed around all the pulleys in order to run the water pump.

On removal of the FWD Rover engine mounting bracket it immediately became apparent that the gaping hole left from the engine mount (photo below) is in fact the original water pump hole going back to the O Series.  On checking with Karsten Mikkelsen and Roger Parker, it became obvious that a Montego EFI water pump would fit the spot exactly and clear the timing belt.  As can be seen in the photo above the Montego pump is in place.

The out turned pipe will clear the timing belt, but you will need to adapt a pulley to fit this and the alternator.

Since looking into this option and buying a pump as pictured above, it transpired that we would need a pulley machining as the off-set required is not standard.  In addition fitting the tensioner for the cambelt would be tricky.  We could attempt to use an O Series and set the tension up manually.  Then we would have to play with the plastic covers to ensure the belt was protected.  In the end we have scrapped all our plans for belt driven water pumps and have decided to use the Craig Davies electric water pumps with controller that can also manage the radiator fan.  This will mean we can refit the old engine mount to blank off the water pump hole, re-use the spring loaded automatically adjusting belt tensioner that comes with the T16 and refit the original plastic cam belt covers saving our selves a load of extra work.  In addition, going the route of the electric water with a controller, this will also eliminate the need for a thermostat and the controller can take care of the electric radiator fan, plus minimise heat soak after a run by continuing to circulate the water and the fan.  It should also be a bit quieter and put less drag on the engine (albeit with the extra load on the alternator to consider).  We will need to machine a bracket for the side of the engine with a tube stub for a radiator hose, but this is going to cost less than a specially machined pulley.  We may be barking up the wrong tree with electric water pumps, but why not try it.  

Oil Pump

The oil pump was the next issue with clearance being the same problem as before.  We had been warned off cutting the cross-member!  Yes, plenty do modify the cross member, but we decided for two reasons to avoid this route.  We're lazy!  No, in all seriousness, we want to keep the car as standard as possible to allow it to be returned to B Series at any stage.  Secondly we wanted to avoid any heavy modification that might alert the authorities and enforce an IVA test which is increasingly being mentioned with respect to modifed classics.  The oil filter fouls the cross-member.  We needed to blank off the filter head and pipe the oil flow to a remote filter housing.  We did suspect that an early O1 oil pump could work but when seen alongside the T16 below left, although the bolt holes all match, there is a difference in both the pump internal diametre and the body width.  We considered a billet machined housing to take the pump, but cost was against us so we opted for a modified pump, and thanks to Karsten in Denmark, this was easily sorted at a very reasonable cost.  As described on Karsten's page, the modification is the same.  

And here it is fitted to the block, courtesy of Karsten in Denmark, many thanks.

Clearance is going to be tight!  The oulet is pointing right at the cross-member so we need to figure that one out.  Perhaps we may just drill a large hole to allow the pipe some free movement without chafing and this should not weaken the cross-member.  However as can be seen below the filter head is no longer present and is not conflicting with the steering rack anymore.

Sump

The sump and pick-up pipe were next on the to do list.  We were lucky enough to source a Sherpa sump and pipe/strainer at reasonable prices, although these are getting more difficult to obtain, but as said on other pages, the T16 pick-up pipe can be re-soldered.  The T16 #3 main bearing cap still has a threaded hole in it for the pipe support bracket so it is an easy modification.  

The sump should be a straight fit, but our initial trials hanging the engine in the bay highlighted the need, surprisingly, to relieve the sump.  I know the common wisdom is that the Sherpa sump will fit and it may well do if using the 5 spd LT77 box, but in our case we needed to allow clearance at the front.  The Sherpa sump is also a bigger cappacity unit compared to the T16 alloy sump and the Sherpa pick-up pipe sits lower which is a benefit for the new RWD , North-South arrangement of the engine.  Also, the Sherpa sump holes need drilling out by a fraction to allow for the metric bolts of the T16.  I think it would be possible to use a modified alloy sump but you will need to find a good welder.  In addition I would ensure the sump is baffled adequately to ensure a good supply of oil.

Backplate

The next step is adapting the T Series to fit the 4spd o/d box.  As stated we want to keep it as original as possible and to this end it seemed a good idea to utilise the B starter, backplate, flywheel and clutch set-up.  

The backplate was easy.  We sourced a very nice alloy backplate from a company in Birmingham who drilled the holes we needed for the T Series block and re-cut the top to fit.  At £130 this was very reasonable, and needed little in the way of re-drilling - there is a surprising amount of similarity with the B Series block.  Using a B Series backplate also does away with the argument that the Cathedral Door shaped oil seal support is too weak for RWD, as it eliminates this altogether and the rear main seal is the same dimension as the B Series.

Courtesy of another T16 Turbo nutter, Derek Oliver, the backplate and the flywheel were sorted in Feb 2010. Here's the fitted backplate below (photo by D Oliver)

Flywheel

The T16 is considered too small a diametre and too heavy a mass for successful use in a RWD application.  Plus we wanted to use a B Series backplate modified with  the B Series starter motor to avoid clearance issues.  This meant using a B Series flywheel, which would also allow us to use a B Series clutch. Keep it B Series and parts will be easier to obtain!  

Where we came unstuck for about six months was the need to get the trigger wheel fitted to the B Series flywheel.  Chris sourced a lightened flywheel but this did not work as we needed sufficient depth for the trigger wheel.  It is a 36-4 gap trigger ring and we need to ensure we get this in exactly the same position as on the T Series flywheel.  Chris has decided to stick with the MEMS ECU, so there is no getting away from the fact it has to be done precisely.  Things might have been easier had we opted for a 36-1 trigger wheel on the front pulley with an aftermarket ECU, but I suspect not in terms of cost.  

So we sent the engine to a local machine shop to get these bits sorted.  Unfortunately the owner took ill and although now on the mend he had a huge backlog of work awaiting in his workshops.  Derek Oliver, a fellow member of the MGOC, and T16 turbo afficionado stepped in to assist and took the bits back to Lincolnshire where he'd had some bits machined.  The result was superb, not only did Derek get the trigger ring transposed to the B Series flywheel, he also modified the sensor body so it did not foul on the starter motor.  In addition he had the machine shop take a bit more mass out of the flywheel, and then proceeded to rig up his own balancing system and sorted the unit.  So, fingers crossed the ECU will work, but more to the point we should be ok for buying clutches as it is the B Series flywheel.  It is possible to also use a late model Sherpa diesel flywheel and mount the trigger ring the existing groove if you can get the flywheel.

The only mistake we have made is not referencing the two fly wheels and drilling holes in the modified backplate and the B Series flywheel for the locking pin when changing the belts!  Once we get the engine timed we will do this to ensure it is easy to do later.  

Also, we need to make sure a standard B Series spigot bush will fit the T16 crank, but getting a new bush machined is fairly straight forward.

(Photo below by Derek Oliver)

Exhaust

So far we got lucky and managed to get a set of 2 2-1 pipes but these will need modifying the clearance by the chassis rail is tight, and they're too deep having been set up for an MG Magnette.  We'll also need to position an Oxygen sensor on the exhaust at some point.

The photo shows one of the 2-1 pipes.

Trial Fit

In August 2009 Bryn and myself refitted the B Series engine in order to get Chris on the road again but it came to nothing as his B Series engine refused to fire up and was leaking coolant.  Usefully, it did re-establish where the gearbox sat in his car though so this last weekend (March 2010) Chris removed the B Series engine and we trial fitted the T16.  Whilst Friday night seemed a bit disheartening with what looked like a clash of engine, cross-member and bodywork, we had a major breakthough on Saturday morning.  It all seemed to suddenly slot into place, admittedly with some tight clearances but all possible and safe.  We have updated Chris's car to use a tie rod from the gearbox cross-member so that should prevent any issues with the rack and front pulley under heavy braking.  As the last of the T16s are distributorless, space at the back is ok.  Ideally we could move the gearbox back may another 5-10mm but it isn't really necessary and we want to avoid making it impossible to select reverse, 2nd and 4th gears.

Using 6mm steel we are fabricating the engine mounts accordingly to work with the existing chassis rail mounts. The block sits wide of the actual mounts but we can fabricate the mounts to accommodate that.

Whilst we have gone down a few blind alleys in the last 15 months, in general I feel we are on target to do this conversion for less than the cost of rebuilding a standard B Series engine, nevermind building a fast road modified B Series.  With 150-160bhp and a good torque spread across the rev range, this should be good for a 0-60mph time of around 8 seconds or less, and if driven sensibly, capable of 45-50mpg according to a few experts on these engines.  It won't have the burble of a V8, but then it will be able to pass petrol stations with abandon!  It may not be a super-light K series,, but the car's original handling should remain similar since the mass of  the B Series is much the same as the T16 with maybe a useful weight saving on the alloy head.  The engine is true to the roots of the B Series, and we'd like to think that the MGB may have ended up with this engine had it still been in production in the 1990s.

Sure, in addition to the engine cost of £100 or so we will be spending on:

• an electric water pump and controller, (£200)
• machining the flywheel and other works (£100)
• purchasing the sump and pick-up pipe, or modifying the T16 items, (£30)
• purchasing a Land Rover Disco MPi inlet (£20)
• purchasing a high pressure pump and swirl pot (£50).

That puts us at a spend of £500 so far and perhaps another £250 to spend on consumable like a clutch, engine mounts and other little bits that one would normally renew as a matter of course when rebuilding a B Series engine, too.  Although one might want to keep the original bits, some of the costs could be recovered selling on the B Series carbs, engine and exhaust manifold that will no longer be needed.

But allowing for the fact the engines cost very little, then how else could you approach getting this much power for less than £1000? The insurance company said there' be hardly any increase in the premium when they heard it was a standard Rover engine!  The grearbox remains as is, there's no modifying the propshaft or the speedo, and if the government bring in the IVA for modified classics, this should be exempt largely because there is no bodywork cutting involved.  And that's going to be the best part, this car can be returned to normal in less than a weekend.

And, if you planned ahead and got all your parts lined up ready, then there is no reason why a T16 could not be bolted into place over a weekend.

What's left:

• Engine mounts to be made
• Plumbing in the cooling circuit
• Modifying the exhaust downpipes and fitting an Oxygen sensor
• Plumbing in the new fuel pump, swirl pot and high pressure lines
• Wiring in the ECU
• Checking the bonnet clearance (we may yet need an MGC bonnet!)

Check back soon for up dates!

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