Induction system

The variety of inlets available for the Rover V8 is endless. The standard Rover saloon inlet uses twin 1 3/4" S.U.s or Strombergs mounted back to back in the centre of the engine. This inlet works very well but a bonnet bulge may have to be fabricated depending on how high you have set the engine. The standard air filter is rather large and will require modification, alternatively pancake or K+N filters can be used.

Later Rovers and also the RV8 were fitted with fuel injection and this system works well, however compared to normal carburation this is very complex. Quite a few extra components will have to be added and alterations to the fuel system and electrical wiring will be required unless using an injection Capri. I have kept the original SU’s and have had no trouble with them although a twin plenum system would be nice. Because of the complexity of this system it would be best to obtain the complete unit from a donor vehicle also most of the components are only available from Rover and are very costly.

The Rover V8 engine was originally designed in the U.S.A. by Buick and was known as the 215, fortunately performance parts are still manufactured in America for this unit. The most readily available inlet is the single plane Offenhauser, which has been available for many years. This unit will require modifications for the servo take-off and temperature sender and a bracket for the acceleration mechanism. A new Offenhauser has been manufactured specifically for the Rover V8 and is known as the 7001 Dual Port. This unit is designed for street performance, it is a lower profile manifold than the single plane, giving increased bonnet clearance. It also has the same water temperature sender outlet as the Rover, a brake servo take-off and extended gasket sealing tabs.

There are two possible carburettors: the Holley and the Carter. The Holley is the 4160 series 8007 version, which is a 4 barrel unit with vacuum operated secondaries and a flow rate of 3990CFM. This unit has proved the most suitable for road applications. The Carter is a similar unit to the Holley, and is slightly lower than the Holley . There is also a Weber alternative but this is not a cheap option.