GT6 Engine Transplant

[Rijidij]

Apologies if this is the wrong section.

I am interested in possibly buying a GT6 which has the engine from a 2500S.

Before I got to check it out:
What should I look out for? Is it a bad idea?
Is there likely to be any problem with insurance? (I would almost certainly arrange it through the club).

Sorry for all the questions.

Thanks,
Craig

[NonMember]

It's a fairly common mod but, to be honest, pointless unless a LOT of other things have been changed. For starters, the 2500S engine, in standard tune, is only 2% more powerful than the original GT6 lump. It does have loads more low-end grunt but the GT6 is too light and too short geared (and with too weak a transmission) to benefit from that. So unless they've also fitted a 3.27 diff and modified the engine to something closer to PI spec, it just makes for a badly balanced package. If they've upgraded to a saloon gearbox, which is rather required if you want to put your foot down hard, then it's a major bit of surgery and you'd need to look very carefully to make sure they did it right.

I'm not sure on the insurance - it may not make a lot of difference for some of the specialist brokers (anything through the club).

[Clive]

Fundamentally nothing wrong with it at all. Quite a few GT6's and gitfires have 2.5 engines.

Downside the 2500S is the high torque but lowest power version. But that can be sorted.

 

Of more concern is carburation. The 2500S manifold or carbs cannot be used on a GT6. So possible somebody has just used the stromberg 150 carbs. Not a great idea and needles will be incorrect. Likewise distributor, the GT6 one with a cable drive will not be matched to the engine.

GT6 gearbox and diff a bit fragile, so the larger torque will test them if the car is driven at all hard.

I had a vitesse with a 2500 s engine for several years, later swapped to a warm 2500 engine, which felt much better.

 

(and I see NM has slipped in before me!)

so.... should not be a deal breaker, but be aware of potential issues. Insurance should only be slightly tricky. Some companies will not have any interest in modified cars. Others take it in their stride. Peter James are very accomodating (or have been for many years)

[rlubikey]

Just to add to NM & Clive's comments, I would say your choice of 2000 or 2500 partly depends on your driving style. The 2-litre engine rewards enthusiastic use of the gearbox, but the torquey 2500 suits a more ... ummm? ... lazy driving style - like mine in fact! Well, that's my view. If it has the saloon gearbox with its wide ratios then that's a good combination. Triumph did the same trick on the 1500 Spit.

You'll have to declare any modifications to the insurer, but I would think the club's panel are all used to these sort of engine swaps and it won't make too much difference.

Cheers, Richard

[Cavaciuti@aol.com]

Bought a GT6 Mk3 with Spitfire Mk4 body & 2500pi engine on twin Strombergs in Jan.

Insurance was £120 pa through Admiral (!!!), however I did need to get a recognised Triumph club to value it in person, then send valuation through to Admiral within 28 days of policy starting.

A ball-ache, but now insured. Seems fairly standard procedure for anything out of the ordinary.

 

[Rijidij]

Thanks for the replies.

I don't know about the dizzy, but to my untrained eye (and tiny photos), it looks like the Strombergs have been used.
So I doubt the gearbox would have been changed - and I wouldn't know what to look for if it had.

I do like to stir the box a bit, so this one might be more hassle than it's worth.

I think I'll give it a miss and keep looking for "The One".

[thescrapman]

If everything else is a plus, thendont discount it, swapping back to a 2 litre isn't too difficult,