v8 engine differences - robert grinterv8 engine differences with dart engines becoming scarcer, you...

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V8EngineDifferencesWithDartenginesbecomingscarcer,youmayneedtouseanenginefromaV8Saloonsoitpaystoknowthekeydifferencesbetweenthetwo.TheEdwardTurnerdesigned2.5litreV8isuniversallyacceptedtobeoneofthegreatBritishengines.AfterJaguartookoverDaimler,theywerequicktointroducethisengineintotheSaloonwhereitwongreatacclaim.SomuchsothatpopularlegendhaditthattheDaimlerSaloonwasbuiltforBankManagerswhilsttheJaguarMkIIwasbuiltforbankrobbers!HoweverpackagingtheV8intoacardesignedforastraightsixbroughtitsownproblemsandthese,togetherwiththerequirementontheSaloonforluxuryfeaturessuchaspowersteeringandairconditioning,haveledtoanumberofchanges.

ThemostobviousdifferenceonopeningthebonnetisthecarburettoraircleanerwhichonearlymodelsoftheSaloon(left)iscentrallymounted.LaterSaloonversionshadtwosmallerpancakefilters(right)whereasDartsallhavesmall,mesh-filledfilters(below)

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TheSaloondistributorincludesanelectronicmoduletodrivethetachometer(below,left)whereastheDarthasacabledrive.

DartdistributorsarebecominghardtofindsoifyouareputtingaSaloonengineintoaDart,besureyoucansourcethemechanicaldrive.Thetwosumpsareverydifferent(below,left)asthefrontsectioniscutawayontheSalooninordertoclearthecrossmemberanditsincreaseddepthrequiresalongeroilpumppick-up.Internally,thebafflinginthesumpisalsoslightlydifferentandthedipsticktubeontheDartemergesfromthefrontnearside.Inthepicture(below,right)theDartsumpisontheright.ItshouldbementionedthattherearetwodesignsofDartsumps--theearlieronehasasmaller“U”shapecut-outforthecrankshaftsealthanthelateronewhichisknownastheBigSump!HoweveritispossibletoconvertaSaloonsumpbycuttingandweldingittomatchtheDartprofile.

NotealsohowontheSaloontheoilfillertubeiscrankedtocleartheaircleaneronSaloonsfittedwiththesingle,largeaircleaner.ThetubeisstraightontheDartandonlaterSaloonswhereitisstraightbutalittlelonger.Anyofthe3canbeusedonaDartandperversely,theincreasedlengthofbothtypesofSaloontubemakeforeasiertopping-uponaDart!

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Ifyouarebuyingapartlydismantledengineoronewheretheancillarieshavebeenremoved,itisworthcheckingtheenginenumber(seeBuyingTipsforlocation.)Dartengineshave5-digitdesignationsthatstartwitheitherthenumber8or9whilstSaloonenginesstartwiththenumber7followedbytheletterAorHand4furtherdigits.Lookinginsidetheenginerevealsmoredifferences.TheSaloonhascylinderheadboltswhereastheDarthasmoreconventionalstudswithnuts.ThisallowedthecylinderheadstoberemovedinserviceontheSaloonswithouthavingtoremovetheenginewhichwouldhavebeennecessaryifstudswereused.EvenintheDarthowever,boltsmakeheadremovalmoresimpleandIrecommendalwaysfittingboltswhenaDartengineisdismantled.AnotherfeatureonSaloonsandverylateDartsisthatsoundinsulationisincorporatedonthevalvechestcover(below,right.)

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Ifyoulookcloselyatthetwophotographsoftheoilreservoirbeneaththecamshaftlocation,youcanseethattheDartengine(above,left)hastwolongitudinalwebseithersideofthecambearinghousingswhereastheSaloon(above,right)hasasinglecentralweb.ThiswaspresumablyeasiertocastandhencecheaperthantheoriginalDaimlertreatmentandcanbefoundonverylateDartswhichusedSaloonblocks.

Movingontotherearmainbearing,youcanseethattheDartunit(below,left)hasanoilthrowerarrangementwhiletheSaloonismachinedtoincorporateaseal.Yes,thebearingshellsareatouchworn!

ThepistonsonSaloonswerealsoslightlymodifiedtoincorporateslotsinplaceofdrilledholesontheoilgroovebuttheyareinterchangeable.

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AnotherdifferencebetweentheSaloonandtheDartishowthemainoilgalleryissealedontherearoftheblock.OntheDartitisplugged(below,right)whereastheSaloonissealedwithaboltwhichcanbeseenonthepicturetotheleft.

Enginessealedwithabolthaveabackplatethatincorporatesacutoutforaccess/clearance(below.)Notethatalthoughthestartermotoriscommontobothengines,thestarterlocationsaredifferentandthebackplatesarenotinterchangeable.

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Theexhaustmanifoldsarealsodifferent.ContrasttheSaloonexhaust(below,left)wherethemanifoldsarehandedandsweptaftwiththeDart(right)wherethemanifoldsareinterchangeableandexitamidshipsoftheengine!

AnotherdifferenceisthattheoilfiltermountingontheDartaccommodatesatakeoffforthedirectreadingoilpressuregauge.TheSaloonhasapressuresensormountedontheblockwhichneedstoberemoved(andtheholeplugged)asitwillfoultheenginemountingsonaDart(notealsothedoublepulleyarrangementusedonSaloonswhichispictured(above.)DartexhaustmanifoldsareavailablefromDaimlerpartssuppliersbuttheyareexpensivesofactorthisintoyourbudgetifyouarefittingsSaloonengineintoaDart.ItisalsoworthconsideringthataveryhighproportionofSaloonswereautomaticandthatunlessyouareoneofthefewpeopletoownanautomaticSP250,youwillneedtosourceaflywheelaswellasthediscandpressureplate.Whilstlookingattheflywheel/crankshaftunion,bearinmindthattheDartcrankshafthasadeeperspigotbearinglocationthantheSaloonandsoasalooncrankshaftwillneedtobedrilledsome10mmdeepertoaccommodatetheDart’sfirstmotionshafttoallowyoutofitthegearbox.

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AnotherdifferenceisthemountingbracketforthealternatoronaSaloon(below,left)andthedynamowhichisnormallyusedonaDart(below,right.)HoweversomeDartsdidleavetheworkswithalternatorsfitted--Policecarsforexample.IfyouareplanningtouseanalternatorthentheSaloonbracketmaybeusablebutmayrequiresomemetalremovalinordertoclearthewaterrailswhich,togetherwiththewaterpumphousing,aredifferentonthetwoengines.Alternatively,theoriginalDartdynamobracketcaneasilybefettledtoaccommodatea3pointmountedalternator.

FurtherpointsofdifferencearetheenginemountingbracketswhicharemuchlargerontheSaloonandarenotinterchangeablewiththeDart.MinordifferencesarethetreatmentofthewateroutletontheinletmanifoldwhicharemetaltubingontheSaloonversustherubberelbowusedonDartsandtheSalooninletmanifoldincorporatesavacuumtakeoffpointwhichcanbeusefulifyouarefittingabrakeservotoaDart.

Thethrottlelinkagearrangementalsoincorporatesprovisionforkick-downonSaloons.Alesswell-knownfactisthattheSaloonandDart,whilstbothhaving

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SUHD6carburettors,havedifferentneedlesandpistondampingsprings.TheDarthasAUD1359TSneedlesandAUC1167springswhilstthecorrespondingpartnumbersfortheSaloonareAUD1469TZandAUC4387.ThefuelpipestothecarburettorsonSaloonsincorporateTpiecesandcompressionolivesonthefloatchamberinletswhereasDartsusestraightpipessecuredbyclamps.Finally,saloonsdestinedfortheAustrianmarketwereof2498cc(calledthe2.4)thiswasachievedbyreducingtheboreto2.97”(75.43)from3”(76.2mm)SUMMARYTofitaSaloonengineinaDart,youneedtousethefollowingDartcomponents:•Sump(theSaloonsumpwillseriouslyreducegroundclearance.)•OilpumpdriveandoilpumphousinginordertousetheDartoilpressuregauge•Mechanicaltachometerdriveonthedistributor•Exhaustmanifolds,enginemountingbrackets•Backplate,flywheel&clutchassembly•Frontpulley,waterrailandpumphousing•Dynamomount•Carburettorneedles,pistondamperspringsandaircleaners.YouwillalsoneedtodrillthespigotbearinglocationontheSalooncrankshaftinordertoaccommodatetheDart’sfirstmotionshaft,drillaholethroughtheDartbackplatetocleartheoilgallerysealingboltandplugtheoilpressuresensorlocation.Ifallthisseemsalittletoomuchlikehardwork,Iwillbepleasedtoundertaketheconversiononyourbehalfandhaveagoodstockofenginesandancillaryparts!