Engine transplants without cutting the floor

[willo]

Hi all,
I have just got the motorhome back on the road after 18 years of being parked.  It is a red 202 with a Traumatic and a 5.22:1 diff.  Motor is pretty fresh and has done 8k only. (Paperwork in camper when i bought it)   It runs OK and does all it should do really given that it is nearly 3 tonne but I am weighing up an engine swap down the track to enable it to cruise at 90k a bit easier.

I am wondering what fits into the current engine bay (if that is what we call it) without cutting into the floor and engine cover to make it fit.  Maybe a falcon 6 (AU or BA???) or some other 6 cyl or 8 cyl if I can get it low down.  I am thinking an overdrive gearbox would be handy as well so the diff ratio doesn't have to be changed as well  (I've still got to run the dual wheels for weight requirements)

Has anyone seen an engine transplant that did not require major surgery to the floor and cover?  I can now walk through to the back from the driver's seat and if I chop things around too much this would become difficult.

Cheers


Neil
 (on the road again... Apologies to Willy Neilson )

[Rogue Trooper]

An AU or BA would require some major cutting. The engine is quite tall and longer than the 202 and the manifold on the LH side takes up a lot of room. I looked at that option before settling on the V6. I would say any engine transplant worth the effort is going to require chopping of some sort.

An earlier model of Falcon engine with a carby setup would reduce the amount you had to chop out of the LH side but you're still going to be cutting and you'd lose the benefit of the fuel injection.

[Warren]

Jezzas 5.22 ratio in the diff bloody hell thats tall.

If the 202 is fresh I would look to fitting a later auto that would give you overdrive, and possibly up the ratio a bit to around 3.5 - 4.0

Warren

[restoreid]

An engineer I was talking to about engine swaps surgested a Chrisler Valliant Hemy 6 265 cu ins would be an ideal swap useing the tourk flite auto Carby & exaust is on the same side as 202 holden Probably still have to cut a bit out off floor because it would be longer Wouldnt have to cut floor on steering side but a little on pass side & prob modify engine cover Unless you could finde a OD gearbox to fit you would need a diff change but motor would have plenty of grunt Cheers Reid

[Bas / NZ]

I have seen on the net, you can get a bellhousing to fit the T700 auto to the 202, this would give you the overdrive you want, I have a Overdrive Trimatic behind mine but are real hard to find, and maybe only in NZ. If you use the overdrive you can leave the 5.22 for the low down power you need.............. Yes as Restoreid said, the Valliant would be a good option, have seen this done before with Know cutting. engine mounts moved forward and keeped low, elec fan etc.......

[restoreid]

Anybody got any info or photos of 265 swap

[rossie]

what about a 3 litre vl or skyline donk

[Zeeman]

Consider the Ford 250 crossflow six as well. A cheap motor that can easily be hotted up to produce the power you need.

[restoreid]

Remember this is a full size LWB motorhome fully loaded probably weighs close to 3 tone anything under 4/5 lieters is not going to cut it Your 3/4 lieters are fine for your SWB van with a bed in the back but your going to need a big capasity donk to haul that moyorhome around The 265 hemi would do it without much chopping & the 250 chevy would be great The 250 ford would need too much out of the drivers side you wouldnt have any where for a clutch pedal if you were running a manual & the same for the early ford 250 as it had the carby & exaust on the drivers side Another motor that has been overlooked is the toyota 4.2 Landcruser that might be worth a look should be plenty of them around Anyway with a 5.2 diff your going to need a OD transmisson to get any speed out of it otherwise your just going to be another speed hump for those B doubles out there they cruse at 110 all day That's why I got rid of my toyota coaster just too slow with a 3 lieter motor just no grunt Anyway enough of my ravings Cheers Reid

[greasey monkey]

what about a 3 litre vl or skyline donk

with the RB's you end up cutting alot out of the drivers side due to the large intake plenum,
ive got a RB20e in my van n there is no room for a foot or clutch pedal between the column and engine cover