Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

[UKdave2002]

UJ I agree you can't beat the sound of a V8, I love the noise my Stag makes! but be laughed off this forum if I suggested it was the best engine ever ! Although it has kept many mechanics employed over the years so done its bit for society!

Dave

[Uncle Joe]

UK, i suppose that you know that there is a good way to make the Stag reliable, dont you?

[Carl La Fong]

How about an engine that was light years ahead of other family car engines in its day, both in terms of design, refinement and performance? An engine that, in its various forms, was equally at home in a humble family car, a sporty hatchback, a 4x4 or a full blooded performance sports car? An engine that was adopted by no end of specialist manufacturers because it could deliver the goods? An engine with a good racing history? An engine that can pootle around in a fuss-free manner, but in the same car can give you quite a surprise, performance-wise, if you just let it rev?

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the Rover K-series.

[admin]

Hmmmmmmmm doesn't the K series eat headgaskets, or at least it seems to in MGFs?????? perhaps its down to the mid-engine installation?

Rick


PS I don't have firsthand experience of the K mind, just goin from what I read

[Uncle Joe]

One manufacturers engines that have been forgotten on this posting are the ones from Triumph. I'm thinking now about the Herald fours, and the later 1600-2500 sixes.

Were the Herald engines better than the A series BMC? Possibly!

[admin]

I always thought the 948 in the Standard Ten I had (same engine that went on to be used in Heralds etc) was smoother than the A series, although didn't the enlarged 6 cyl 2.5 version have problems with crankshaft thrust washers?

R

[UKdave2002]

[Uncle Joe]

UK: I would simply say pull the thing apart to the last nut and bolt, then put it together as it should have been in the first place with 'proper' components... the biggest being the engine! Dont know why Triumph got such a bad range at that time. Could it have been the accountants?

Admin: I never had any trouble whatsoever with the 2500 conversion in my Vitesse, and that got hammered. Even so, I wouldn't dispute your point about the thrust washers. I always liked the Herald / Standard engine, but the thing is, these seem to be forgotten nowadays

[admin]

UJ, yeah I know what you mean, the 2.5 Spit/GT6 I had went like a rocket, although had a habit of tearing (rotoflex) driveshafts apart with the extra torque of the 2.5 - didn't have any engine maladies with that one either, but was always on the look out for some!

Never had a Stag, but as with the Dolly Sprint engine I am sure it would have been a reliable lump from the start, if enough development had gone into it. Although why they didn't just swallow their pride and put the 3.5 Buick/Rover in front the start, I don't know

Rick

[UKdave2002]

UJ, Suspect you are right about the accountants ! the Stag went from design to production slap bang in the middle of the BL mergers, key designers were moved, budgets cut and I suspect the engine was never tested properly. The primary design fault is that you need to get about 20% more coolant round the block than is possible , the restriction being the narrow coolant castings, which being marginal to start with only need slight imperfections or some silting up to reduce the coolant flow to a point where gaskets blew and heads warped.
The car got a bad name in the states (hotter climate these problems showed up very early) and BL seemed to give in, in the early 70’s the did some cheap fix’s like increasing the coolant pressure but not addressing the core problem. They could have ditched the engine in favour of the 3500cc Rover /Buick lump that they had at the time.

30 years on we have better water pumps, more efficient radiators, and better coolant, know to flush the cooling system out every 6 months, had BL got it right Triumph could have been a sports car marque that would be around today ! ahh hindsight is a wonderful thing!

[admin]

yeah the Stag had everything going for it really, its one of very few 70s designs that I like.

Is the 16V Sprint engine worthy of a top ten placing in the best engines list too??

Rick

[Uncle Joe]

UK have you ever thought about converting a Stag engine to use Waterless Coolant? From what I've seen of it, it looks like something that could work very well in any classic engine that has a tendency to overheat.

I dont know myself why they didn't put the Rover 3.5 in it. As far as the looks go, I agree with you Rick, they are very nice, very nice indeed!

[UKdave2002]

UJ, Tell me more about waterless coolant, I run my stag on 100% antifreeze which helps, but I bet there is a high content of water in the antifreeze.

Dave

[Uncle Joe]

UK, basically, it is a food additive called Propylene Glycol. What you need to do is depressurise the cooling system eg by using a non-pressurised cap, modify the water pump a little, flush the system clear from old water/antifreeze, and refill. I know that there is an outlet for the stuff in the UK, but I cant remember where.

[Uncle Joe]

Going back to the best ever engine, there are three that do deserve a special mention, all from Chrysler. Their Max Wedge, their Hemi's, and their six packs.

Any comments anyone?