Hello all,

I've now got my V8 into the vindicator all going well, just need to finish off some cosmetic bits. Not sure what to do with the air intake.

options include running a pipe down toward the front of the engine and sticking a cone filter on there.

sticking the cone directing onto the back of the Su (obscuring view a bit)

fitting a pancake filter onto the back of the su (again retrictive view and will need a much bigger hole in bonnet

or get a plate made to mate to the back of the SU and somehow fit a single trumpet to it. (with a mesh cover for stones etc)

has anyone seen this done? can anyone suggest a supplier? does anyone have any spare trumpets lying around

cheers

Paul

[Edited on 3/7/08 by swanny]

I'd put a big old trumpet on the SU then take a hose (that fits over the trumpet) and run that to an air filter at the front of the car and place it in cool air. You could omit the trumpet but then the tubing going from the SU to the filter would be quite narrow and I'd worry you'ld strangle the engine that way.

If you do just fit a single trumpet don't bother with a mesh cover. They ruin your BHP, don't actually offer any protection against dust and fine grit (ie the stuff that gets into the engine and does all the damage) and unless you're regularly driving through gravel pits aren't needed that often...

Is this a Rover V8? I notice you are referring to the SU in the singular?

Anyway, you might like to have a lok at some of the units that Rover themselves have used over the years. Most of them involve pipes running from the carbs back to an aircleaner mounter further back (to take advantage of the rising bonnet line for much needed space)

SU's are good carbs but are not really suited for V8s, if the budget will stretch to it then the Weber 500 on an edelbrock manifold is the way to go (and much better than the Holly/Offenhauser combo which is also very popular)

John

Or you could even ditch the 1960s technology a la SU and Webers altogether and put some bike carbs on!!!

The problem is the angle and position of the intake faces. Carbs on any kind other than downdraught either need to be mounted at a steep angle or above the rocker cover of the other cylinder head, or have very long inlet runners.

In any case, all these solutions except the downdraught increase the effective height of the engine. Even the DD can be a problem because they really need a decent size aircleaner

John

Before your Rover V8 was a Rover it was a Buick, and they came with 2 barrel downdraught and 4 barrel downdraught carbs. A 600 CFM 4 barrel on a light ali manifold and small round air cleaner, with a Mustang style hood buldge would get it done. PS you can now look like the Cobra crowd.

at some point in the future i'd like to go to a different carb set up, and ditch the SU's. however, funds are currently all gone and i need to find a fairly cheap way to do this.

lots of good ideas, so thanks for that. and if anyone has any of the bits for those good ideas, carbs, trumpets etc just let me know, i might be able to sell a kidney.

no chance with the liver.

paul