Omega Owners Forum

Omega Help Area => Omega General Help => Topic started by: soupdragon44 on 06 May 2010, 08:37:50

Title: Info on V8 fitting....
Post by: soupdragon44 on 06 May 2010, 08:37:50
I assume it's been done but has anyone got info on fitting GM V8 to an Omega B, have a 2.0 auto so would the box fit? Axle ratios etc etc..... :)
Title: Re: Info on V8 fitting....
Post by: Elite Pete on 06 May 2010, 08:40:29
Why would you want to spend ££££££££££££ on a car worth a few hundred £s :-?
Title: Re: Info on V8 fitting....
Post by: 2woody on 06 May 2010, 08:48:10
whereabouts are you ? - want me to cruise past in the Holden ? - it's basically the same car.

fitting a V8 is likely to give you problems with steering box clearance mostly - the Aussies fixed this by moving to a steering rack.

and then there's all the other stuff required to make it safe :-

a PROPER brake package, gearbox, diff and suspension improvements.

Budget on £4K for an engine/box combination and about the same for the rest.

and no, there are no V8s that would fit to the current auto box, but then again I can't for the life of me understand why you'd want to keep an auto anyway ?
Title: Re: Info on V8 fitting....
Post by: Sixstring on 06 May 2010, 09:51:23
A good friend of mine fitted a ROVER 4.6 V8 into his, but spent £3k getting the brakes, suspension, gearbox etc to fit/run/work properly, and then was gobsmacked when his insurance company told him how much they wanted (plus an engineers report) to insure it. Good effort/idea/proposal, but extremely expensive for little real gain. what about doing something good with your 2.0 like TURBO or supercharge??

done properly, the insurance companies are better moved to insure it than what they consider is a "non standard" engine swap, however good/proffessional it is.
My buddy was quoted £1500 for fully comp on his, and he's 52 and has a clean licence, and he's a motor engineer by trade!!
Title: Re: Info on V8 fitting....
Post by: soupdragon44 on 06 May 2010, 17:01:55
elite pete... why do any of us spend money on cars? 'caues they give us pleasure and it's called a hobby!!
woody....cheers, i have full access to proffesional workshop equipment and help but does seem an awefull lot of work, so will leave it well alone.
There was a chap on ebay selling a MK1 Carlton/Holden estate with a factory fitted V8 that needed little work and got no bids and was only £350, trouble is it was on the Isle of White. that's what gave the idea......
Title: Re: Info on V8 fitting....
Post by: Pitchfork on 06 May 2010, 18:35:50
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elite pete... why do any of us spend money on cars? 'caues they give us pleasure and it's called a hobby!!
woody....cheers, i have full access to proffesional workshop equipment and help but does seem an awefull lot of work, so will leave it well alone.
There was a chap on ebay selling a MK1 Carlton/Holden estate with a factory fitted V8 that needed little work and got no bids and was only £350, trouble is it was on the Isle of White. that's what gave the idea......
You can float it across from the Isle of Wight ;)
Title: Re: Info on V8 fitting....
Post by: KW on 06 May 2010, 22:04:20
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I assume it's been done but has anyone got info on fitting GM V8 to an Omega B, have a 2.0 auto so would the box fit? Axle ratios etc etc..... :)
Your 2 litre box isn't going to withstand what a V8 can output.
As far as fitting a V8 goes, South African MIG's have the Corvette 350 cubic inch (that's 5.7 litre in old money) lump as standard.
Title: Re: Info on V8 fitting....
Post by: flossbag1 on 07 May 2010, 01:35:59
i have actually fitted a 5.7 v8 to my y reg 2.6 mv6, it had a six speed gearbox, think the engine was from a monaro, i know its definitley an LS1 engine and it does go some, had a few confused faces as i blapsed past a couple of sub's, what a great feeling, shes a sleeper to, no new body kit, just lowered with vented and grooved discs at the front and grooved at the back, found myself right up the arss of an rs6 the other week too  :) i think he thought his car was faulty, maybe he took it back the next day and asked for a refund
Title: Re: Info on V8 fitting....
Post by: MV6Matt on 07 May 2010, 08:11:17
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i found myself right up the arss of an rs6 the other week too  :) i think he thought his car was faulty, maybe he took it back the next day and asked for a refund


...................just the sort of thing that makes it all worth while - I think I'd have been a bit confused if I was in the RS6!

How difficult was it to put in and did you have to go to a steering rack (like the aussies?)

Any pics of the car?

Yum, Yum 8-) 8-) ::)
Title: Re: Info on V8 fitting....
Post by: GardO71 on 07 May 2010, 10:17:08
i've never done a V8 into an Omega, but i'm sure there would be ways to skirt round the steering box, i would have thought it was the drivers side headers(exhaust manifolds) that would foul the box, although i've never looked tbh as, now, this will get me shot lol, i don't find the omega a worthwhile project, but only by it being 'too modern' for my appeal.

now, give me a nice opel monza and we'll talk lol, but it would have to be something a little bigger than a 350 chevy, something like a 454 big block would be better  :)
Title: Re: Info on V8 fitting....
Post by: 2woody on 07 May 2010, 10:18:56
Quote

now, give me a nice opel monza and we'll talk lol, but it would have to be something a little bigger than a 350 chevy, something like a 454 big block would be better  :)

would you like one ?

I have a GSE without engine/box that could be yours for peanuts
Title: Re: Info on V8 fitting....
Post by: Mr Skrunts on 07 May 2010, 11:21:46
It's a tightish fit.

This is a GTO fitted into a 2004 Catera.


(http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/kk106/skruntie/Cars%20-%20Bitz/2004_Pontiac_GTO_Engine.jpg)
Title: Re: Info on V8 fitting....
Post by: Mr Skrunts on 07 May 2010, 11:27:18
Havent read it, just looked at the pics, early on in the thread you will see the headers, interesting how they have indentations in them to fit the engine in place.

http://www.ls1tech.com/forums/conversions-hybrids/778988-ls1-into-cadillac-catera-56k-death.html
Title: Re: Info on V8 fitting....
Post by: Mr Skrunts on 07 May 2010, 11:29:01
(http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/kk106/skruntie/Cars%20-%20Bitz/opelomegav83cy8.jpg)

This is how we would all like ours to look.
Title: Re: Info on V8 fitting....
Post by: tunnie on 07 May 2010, 13:09:07
there are full specs for 5.7 V8 being fitted, as GM almost produced it, but pulled out at last minute, apparently due to cooling issues  :(  :-/
Title: Re: Info on V8 fitting....
Post by: flossbag1 on 09 May 2010, 13:09:11
Quote
Quote
i found myself right up the arss of an rs6 the other week too  :) i think he thought his car was faulty, maybe he took it back the next day and asked for a refund


...................just the sort of thing that makes it all worth while - I think I'd have been a bit confused if I was in the RS6!

How difficult was it to put in and did you have to go to a steering rack (like the aussies?)

Any pics of the car?

Yum, Yum 8-) 8-) ::)

jamsport done it, they said it was very testing, the ecu was the hardest bit to do, just cleaned the car up, here is a piccie   

(http://i1010.photobucket.com/albums/af229/ebbelles713655/car/100_0684-2.jpg)
Title: Re: Info on V8 fitting....
Post by: andyc on 10 May 2010, 13:16:15
I bet you have a large grin on your face every time you hit the loud pedal ;D

A mate of mine had a 5.7 Commodore with supercharger and engine work by Monkfish. I;ve never seen the distance get so close so quick, it made his Lotus Carlton look like a 1.8.

Some more picks would be nice

Andy
Title: Re: Info on V8 fitting....
Post by: flossbag1 on 11 May 2010, 14:20:17
yes mate everytime,  but my wallet starts to feel my sudden power urges and beings as i'm a tad stingey a little tear comes to my eye when i look at the fuel gage :'(

here's some more piccies

i put some ice in it too  :)

(http://i1010.photobucket.com/albums/af229/ebbelles713655/car%20medium/100_0737.jpg)

(http://i1010.photobucket.com/albums/af229/ebbelles713655/car%20medium/100_0717-1.jpg)

side view of the beast

(http://i1010.photobucket.com/albums/af229/ebbelles713655/car%20medium/100_0686-1.jpg)

inside view with the new six speed gear box

(http://i1010.photobucket.com/albums/af229/ebbelles713655/car%20medium/100_0719-1.jpg)

side view she's been lowered too just enough at 25 mm

(http://i1010.photobucket.com/albums/af229/ebbelles713655/car%20medium/100_0674-1.jpg)

rear view

(http://i1010.photobucket.com/albums/af229/ebbelles713655/car%20medium/100_0713-1.jpg)

had the breaks done too, got grooved and vented at the front and grooved at the back

(http://i1010.photobucket.com/albums/af229/ebbelles713655/car%20medium/100_0705-1.jpg)
Title: Re: Info on V8 fitting....
Post by: 2woody on 11 May 2010, 16:05:40
fuel gauge, hmmmmmm.

My Commodore is actually quite a bit more economical than either my 3.0s of my 2.6.

my 2.6 struggles to get above 28mpg in normal use, whilst the Commodore has been over 30mpg on every time I've measured it.

last week I did home (Northumberland) to Bristol on the M5 and back again avoiding mortorways, including a cross-Wales blast. 30.5mpg for the trip.
Title: Re: Info on V8 fitting....
Post by: UrbanFox on 15 May 2010, 11:01:40
Loving the V8 in the Omega  :y

Did you manage to retain the A/C?
Title: Re: Info on V8 fitting....
Post by: flossbag1 on 23 May 2010, 21:52:34
Quote
Loving the V8 in the Omega  :y

Did you manage to retain the A/C?

na unfortunatley not mate, u can imagine coz of the colour it gets hotter than a cat in a couldren
Title: Re: Info on V8 fitting....
Post by: tunnie on 23 May 2010, 23:31:49
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Loving the V8 in the Omega  :y

Did you manage to retain the A/C?

na unfortunatley not mate, u can imagine coz of the colour it gets hotter than a cat in a couldren

Cooling issues was the reason GM did not put V8 into production  :'(
Title: Re: Info on V8 fitting....
Post by: Broomies Mate on 23 May 2010, 23:45:00
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Quote
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Loving the V8 in the Omega  :y

Did you manage to retain the A/C?

na unfortunatley not mate, u can imagine coz of the colour it gets hotter than a cat in a couldren

Cooling issues was the reason GM did not put V8 into production  :'(

I cant remember where I read it, so unfortunately I cant cite my source, but as I recall, "there were minor issues which may have been problematic at full throttle for long periods of time on Autobhans".

Minor issues which *may* have been problematic.....  Unfortunately, I think this was just an excuse.  I'm not sure the V8 would have been a successful seller in Europe, and definitely not in the UK.  Just look at the VXR8. Such a shame our fuel costs are as extreme.  :'(
Title: Re: Info on V8 fitting....
Post by: tunnie on 24 May 2010, 09:04:57
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Quote
Quote
Quote
Loving the V8 in the Omega  :y

Did you manage to retain the A/C?

na unfortunatley not mate, u can imagine coz of the colour it gets hotter than a cat in a couldren

Cooling issues was the reason GM did not put V8 into production  :'(

I cant remember where I read it, so unfortunately I cant cite my source, but as I recall, "there were minor issues which may have been problematic at full throttle for long periods of time on Autobhans".

Minor issues which *may* have been problematic.....  Unfortunately, I think this was just an excuse.  I'm not sure the V8 would have been a successful seller in Europe, and definitely not in the UK.  Just look at the VXR8. Such a shame our fuel costs are as extreme.  :'(

Police forces would have bought them by the truck load, but guess that was not enough  :(
Title: Re: Info on V8 fitting....
Post by: Kevin Wood on 24 May 2010, 10:33:45
Quote
Police forces would have bought them by the truck load, but guess that was not enough  :(

I don't know so much. They have gone over almost exclusively to tractors here - mostly BMW or Volvo. Makes me think they were happy to sacrifice some of the V6 performance to appease the beancounters so I'm not sure they would have gone for V8s on a large scale. :-/

Kevin
Title: Re: Info on V8 fitting....
Post by: TECHNOPUG on 24 May 2010, 10:55:25
There are enough plod Scoobies and Evos on the road to suggest that they could have justified some V8 saloons.
Title: Re: Info on V8 fitting....
Post by: tunnie on 24 May 2010, 11:30:46
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Police forces would have bought them by the truck load, but guess that was not enough  :(

I don't know so much. They have gone over almost exclusively to tractors here - mostly BMW or Volvo. Makes me think they were happy to sacrifice some of the V6 performance to appease the beancounters so I'm not sure they would have gone for V8s on a large scale. :-/

Kevin

I suspect GM's price would be significantly cheaper than what plod pay now for the 530d's until the Omega was cut, most forces used them. But i guess they must save quite a few quid on their fuel bills
Title: Re: Info on V8 fitting....
Post by: Kaycee on 24 May 2010, 12:20:37
just as an aside i was parked in a shopping precint bloke came up and said "My these are grand cars ive just retired from police force on traffic duty and the new volvos arnt a patch on these , the running costs of the volvo is far higher than the Omega " and went on to say if GM had not said they were discontinueing the Omega it would still be in use to this day
Title: Re: Info on V8 fitting....
Post by: VXL V6 on 24 May 2010, 12:36:09
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Quote
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Loving the V8 in the Omega  :y

Did you manage to retain the A/C?

na unfortunatley not mate, u can imagine coz of the colour it gets hotter than a cat in a couldren

Cooling issues was the reason GM did not put V8 into production  :'(

I cant remember where I read it, so unfortunately I cant cite my source, but as I recall, "there were minor issues which may have been problematic at full throttle for long periods of time on Autobhans".

Minor issues which *may* have been problematic.....  Unfortunately, I think this was just an excuse.  I'm not sure the V8 would have been a successful seller in Europe, and definitely not in the UK.  Just look at the VXR8. Such a shame our fuel costs are as extreme.  :'(

I'm sure there was a similar story with the Lotus Carlton/Omega, It would overheat if driven full throttle for a certain period of time..... then a development engineer pointed out that it would be impossible to run the car for that period unless the roads had been closed and all traffic removed  ;D

Title: Re: Info on V8 fitting....
Post by: Rogusu on 25 May 2010, 13:45:31
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Quote
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i found myself right up the arss of an rs6 the other week too  :) i think he thought his car was faulty, maybe he took it back the next day and asked for a refund

...................just the sort of thing that makes it all worth while - I think I'd have been a bit confused if I was in the RS6!

How difficult was it to put in and did you have to go to a steering rack (like the aussies?)

Any pics of the car?

Yum, Yum 8-) 8-) ::)

jamsport done it, they said it was very testing, the ecu was the hardest bit to do, just cleaned the car up, here is a piccie   

(http://i1010.photobucket.com/albums/af229/ebbelles713655/car/100_0684-2.jpg)

Is it possible to record a video with this beauty? :) I would watch it everyday before sleep and set it on alarm clock, so I would be woken up by sound of V8... :)
Title: Re: Info on V8 fitting....
Post by: I_want_an_Omega on 25 May 2010, 18:27:18
Quote
just as an aside i was parked in a shopping precint bloke came up and said "My these are grand cars ive just retired from police force on traffic duty and the new volvos arnt a patch on these , the running costs of the volvo is far higher than the Omega " and went on to say if GM had not said they were discontinueing the Omega it would still be in use to this day

The British Police Forces really had their moneys worth out of GM. The Omega being a replacement for the Senny and Carlton was down to Senny sales being 50% real market, 25% GM Management & 25% British Police! I seem to recall the cops getting Sennys for about £8k.