supercharger on a classic

[waparamedic]

I have a '92 classic with 3.9 that is in generally great shape, but I would like to improve the power under load for towing trailers (approx 1.3T) through rough terrain and sand. Currently towing up hill feels underpowered. Has anyone put a supercharger on either a 3.9 or the bigger 4.4l engines and is the increase in power and torque worth the expense? What are your thoughts?

[fitzy]

Don't. Not worth the effort, time, money, frustration or results.
4.6 rover v8 is easy relatively cheap these days.
I have seen them advertised for $800 quite often

[Pickles2]

Agree,....don't do it.
Reason?....the basic engine ain't good enough.
By all means, seek more power, but the way you suggest ain't gonna cut it.
Pickles.

[bee utey]

I shudder to think where you'd find a super charger setup these days, I imagine they were always rare or extremely expensive. I've actually worked on a super charged 3.5 RRC and I've also fitted a 4.6 high comp motor to another one. Out of the two the 4.6 wins hands down as it isn't encumbered with this extra lump of machinery in an already crowded engine bay. The 3.5 ran an aftermarket Haltech ECU and timing system, the 4.6 ran (still runs) quite adequately on the stock ECU.

[waparamedic]

Thanks again gentlemen, your advice is much appreciated and confirms what I thought, alot of expense with questionable return. I will keep working on the options, but then again it might be as simple as reduce the weight in the trailer! Cheers.

[FisherX]

Seen this on the weekend.


The E-Charger Hybrid System - fullBOOST (http://www.fullboost.com.au/fb/index.php/2016/12/06/e-charger-hybrid-system/)


Now if I can find somewhere to fit a big Lithium Ion battery in the Rangie one of these would be sweet!!

[cripesamighty]

Easy, just put them where the left and right sill tanks would go....

[alittlebitconcerned]

Drool

[Chivalry]

Put an LS in it!




Someone had to say it...

[superquag]

Almost ANY other engine is an improvement... from 3L MAZDA diesels, to 307 Ford v8 (needs shoe-horning and light R foot....)

My 3.9 gets embarrassed on a flat road if you hitch a solid 4x'6' box trailer onto her...- before loading it... :eek::eek::eek:

ford 'Yellow' injectors may improve it a tiny bit... but the problem with the 3.9 is that it's a LOW compression design, and I'm told the inlet manifold leaves a lot to be desired... The engine is a lemon, and always will be a thirsty & gutless failure, IMHO.
Some folk like the sound of an 'unbalanced' 8 cylinder contraption...

The 4.6 is looking the most economical way.

(I'm taking the easy/sensible way out, The Lady Sarah is up for sale.... maybe replaced with a Chinese 4WD... performance & costs couldn't be worse!)

[DoubleChevron]

Almost ANY other engine is an improvement... from 3L MAZDA diesels, to 307 Ford v8 (needs shoe-horning and light R foot....)

My 3.9 gets embarrassed on a flat road if you hitch a solid 4x'6' box trailer onto her...- before loading it... :eek::eek::eek:

ford 'Yellow' injectors may improve it a tiny bit... but the problem with the 3.9 is that it's a LOW compression design, and I'm told the inlet manifold leaves a lot to be desired... The engine is a lemon, and always will be a thirsty & gutless failure, IMHO.
Some folk like the sound of an 'unbalanced' 8 cylinder contraption...

The 4.6 is looking the most economical way.

(I'm taking the easy/sensible way out, The Lady Sarah is up for sale.... maybe replaced with a Chinese 4WD... performance & costs couldn't be worse!)

Wow ... mine is nowhere near that bad. Possibly it's been freshened up at some point with some high compression bits ... who would ever know. I'm certainly not dissapointed with the performance.

She rumbles along nicely drinking vast quantities of lpg as quick as it can gulp it down. It really boogies from 2800+ rpm. So it certainly isn't a torque cam fitted.

Maybe it's had a 4.6 crank thrown into it ... how would you know without pulling it down though.

seeya,
Shane L.

[Mick_Marsh]

Wow ... mine is nowhere near that bad. Possibly it's been freshened up at some point with some high compression bits ... who would ever know. I'm certainly not dissapointed with the performance.

She rumbles along nicely drinking vast quantities of lpg as quick as it can gulp it down. It really boogies from 2800+ rpm. So it certainly isn't a torque cam fitted.

Maybe it's had a 4.6 crank thrown into it ... how would you know without pulling it down though.

seeya,
Shane L.
Hey but you're used to driving French cars.


My 3.5 feels like it couldn't pull the skin off the custard but it gets the job done.

[DoubleChevron]

Hey but you're used to driving French cars.


My 3.5 feels like it couldn't pull the skin off the custard but it gets the job done.

My french car is a 1980's Citroen CX2500 GTi Turbo that does 0-100km/h in about 7.6 seconds .................. the 602cc 2cylinder 2cv is more fun to drive though :wasntme:

If your ever in my area, your welcome to take the old POS Rangie for a spin.... It's a briliant heap of junk. I certainly wouldn't call it slow. I'm not sure what peoples expectations are from a 30+ year old 4wd. Try another other 4wd from that era.

seeya,
Shane L.

[superquag]

The old '89 / 3.5l that corrupted me, had originally been 'refreshed' and cam'd for towing. Don't know if it went to high compression, but it was gutsy with 2 tonnes behind it.
Take the trailer(and sweeper) off..and you could lose your licence by the end of the street.... That was on LPG, faster on petrol.

Downside was, it was dying at 80km/h and by 100 it was out of puff. But as most suburban roads have lower speed limits, we never worried about it.:angel:

Plus it was quick off the mark and made shrt work of traffic lights / intersections. :p

I think (don't quote me...) the later inlet manifold can be made to fit.... but it's easier to drop the whole 4.6 into it. Possibly cheaper....:eek:

[Baggy]

Hi All

The 92 Rangie I picked up is pretty spritely from 0 to 80 Klms and the auto will kick down if you want to get a move along.
Yes there's quite a few cars ( 4 cylinder) that will give you a run for your money at the lights but non can beat the burble of the V8 .....

After 80 she struggles to pull to 100 Klms with any real speed ....I've been told the auto (ZF) was swapped out for another with a better top end gearing for touring ...I can't vouch for that .
Once the rubber band is wound at 100 Klms she does get a second wind .....I've not pushed her as the steering is a little vague ....and I need to look at that before seeing what her top speed is.

I'm really happy with the way she performs ......They were never designed for speed .....Pushing a 2 ton vehicle as aerodynamic as a brick on the freeway was never going to be economical on fuel.

but off-road they are sensational and the V8 ticks over and is quite economically .....Though you need to fill up on the way to your local playground :D

But ......I wouldn't swap it for quids

Cheers

Baggy

[waparamedic]

That would be perfect.

[Davo]

Crikey, I've just done a 7000km trip and come back to read this crap. James, please, for the love of God, get your Asian replacement car and stop whining about Range Rovers. The V8 was never a lemon and was perfectly fine when it was first used because that was the level of engine technology back then. Rover only bought it because one of the directors happened to see a Buick V8 on a workshop floor and realised that it was close to the size of a British 4-cylinder and so would be ideal in a similar-sized engine bay. They weren't sold the thing, they asked for it and it was just what they needed.

During our trip I had two small problems with my engine which were probably my fault anyway and otherwise it sang its little heart out and climbed hills and cruised at 110kmh, and used a surprisingly reasonable amount of fuel. This is an engine with only 11,000km on it when we left so would be comparable to a new one from the 70s and it drove just as it has been described in car reviews from that era.

To answer the OP's question, Rovercare on here had fitted a supercharger in his murky past and I seem to remember didn't like it much. As the saying goes, "There's no replacement for displacement."

[justinc]

A high compression 4.6 will absolutely in every way eat a blown 3.9 for breakfast.

Jc

[ozscott]

My 3.9 95 Disco auto is a lovely thing to drive. The engine is so smooth and still gets up and goes at 320,000k odd and on LPG. Having said that it does notice big weights behind it and you can tell she is slowly losing her edge but with care and provided you are not towing a lot it should just keep on going. Now my low k 4.6 Thor High Comp with 5 speed manual is a different beast. It is very powerful and has instant throttle response. Towing 2 tonn with it is a pleasure. Cheers

[Meccles]

My 3.9 95 Disco auto is a lovely thing to drive. The engine is so smooth and still gets up and goes at 320,000k odd and on LPG. Having said that it does notice big weights behind it and you can tell she is slowly losing her edge but with care and provided you are not towing a lot it should just keep on going. Now my low k 4.6 Thor High Comp with 5 speed manual is a different beast. It is very powerful and has instant throttle response. Towing 2 tonn with it is a pleasure. Cheers

And that I reckon sums up crux of question. What is car going to be used for? I am anticipating something similar from my 3.5 - and around 14-15L/100km. But, for sure it wont tow as well as a 3.0SDV6 RRS with remapped ecu and 650nm torque. But I bet the 3.5 will last longer :) These engines as stated were originally designed in early 60's so expecting them to do same as modern engines just isn't realistic. No variable cam timing, etc etc. But what are the chances of forum thread 40 years from now, discussing current model RR's?

[banarcus]

Convert it to a bigger V8. I took the 4.6 out of mine and put a 5.0 Ford in it. Now I'm looking at supercharging mine.

[superquag]

With a bigger (correct size) displacement engine, you may not 'need' to supercharge. Long ago had a visit by a gentlemen who'd shoe-horned a large Ford/Chev v8 into a Classic. Not sure if it was a 350/351", but it was.... quick off the mark, and I heard a distinct 'chirp' from all 4 wheels as it changed up into 2nd:eek:

Fuel thirst was similar to mine, but was justified with the power it produced...:wasntme:

As Uncle Josef once said, "Quantity has a quality all it's own..." :angel:

[350RRC]

Plenty of room for a 350 (small block Chev) in a classic, the only issue being older versions with a distributor that need a recess cut in to the top of the firewall.

Sounds more like your visitor managed to put a big block in.

cheers, DL

[Meccles]

This is what I would love to fit:D my mate runs Affordable Engines and Transmissions in Bayside and has imported a few of Nascar all alloy Dodge V8's stunning engines 5 liter uber horsepower small and light :twisted: wouldn't one of these be fun:D http://www.aets-honda.com.au/gallery/AETS_Gallery06.jpg

[superquag]

This is what I would love to fit:D my mate runs Affordable Engines and Transmissions in Bayside and has imported a few of Nascar all alloy Dodge V8's stunning engines 5 liter uber horsepower small and light :twisted: wouldn't one of these be fun:D http://www.aets-honda.com.au/gallery/AETS_Gallery06.jpg



.... and possibly rip the inside$ out of your tran$mi$$ion, Tran$fer case, diff$ and maybe even the CV joints....

But it would be FUN doing it ! :p:p:p

If I couldn't get one, maybe this engine would be a viable 'Plan B'.

:twisted:

ENGINE
Type: Four double-acting steam cylinders
Displacement: 208.1 cubic inches x two, compound
Bore x stroke: 3 1/8 x 3 ? inches
Compression ratio: 10.0:1
Horsepower @ rpm: 150 @ 1,000
Torque @ rpm: 1,000-lbs.ft. standing still
Fuel system: 12-volt Sirocco blower and carburetor
Lubrication system: Oil in steam solution
Electrical system: 12-volt
Exhaust system: Single, cast-iron exhaust manifolds

[gavinwibrow]

PICS?
ENGINE
Type: Four double-acting steam cylinders
Displacement: 208.1 cubic inches x two, compound
Bore x stroke: 3 1/8 x 3 ? inches
Compression ratio: 10.0:1
Horsepower @ rpm: 150 @ 1,000
Torque @ rpm: 1,000-lbs.ft. standing still
Fuel system: 12-volt Sirocco blower and carburetor
Lubrication system: Oil in steam solution
Electrical system: 12-volt
Exhaust system: Single, cast-iron exhaust manifolds

[superquag]

Jay Leno is using some of his money Very Wisely...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rUg_ukBwsyo

And, just 25 moving parts in the drivetrain... :)

https://www.damninteresting.com/the-last-great-steam-car/

. . . . an unmodified Doble Model E runs clean enough to pass the strict emissions laws in California today.
- No mean feat for 1930's technology.

Edit:- More reading... http://everything.explained.today/Doble_steam_car/