Classic Calling V8 experts!

Good morning,

I am restoring a '84 Classic 4 door. Originally it would have had a 3.5 carb engine, but I bought it with a Perkins (now removed and sold).

I want to try keep the car as original as possible so want to put back in a 3.5 carb engine. I have a '88 3.5 Efi engine from a classic I have broken. Other than the Efi, are there any other differences to the two engines? Could I simply just convert the Efi engine to carbs and have the correct period engine or would I be better sourcing an engine that is originally carb?

Also, does anyone know when the engines were changed to SU carbs?

Thank you!

I think @Saint.V8 would be the guy to know!

Mark Piercy said:

I think @Saint.V8 would be the guy to know!

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Thank you

Engines are the same to look at but the efi had different compression ratio.

in all specs of v8 lr you could have either 8.13 l/c or 9.35 h/c which your was would be found in your vin ,though high compression is all id fit, compression ratio is done by the dome in the piston and apart from cam and carb jet needle is all that is different between high and low efi are the same engine again either high or low and only differencebetween carb and efi is some notches in inlet ports on the efi plus cam inlet manifold

jamesmartin said:

in all specs of v8 lr you could have either 8.13 l/c or 9.35 h/c which your was would be found in your vin ,though high compression is all id fit, compression ratio is done by the dome in the piston and apart from cam and carb jet needle is all that is different between high and low efi are the same engine again either high or low and only differencebetween carb and efi is some notches in inlet ports on the efi plus cam inlet manifold

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Thank you for your advise. I need to check the vin then from the one I broke. Still have the v5, somewhere! The reg was F101 JNX and was a 1988 3.5 Efi. Sounds like if it's a h/c I'd be better keeping it and just changing Efi to carbs. Can obviously get the carbs a lot cheaper than I can get a complete engine for.

rangie1998 said:

Thank you for your advise. I need to check the vin then from the one I broke. Still have the v5, somewhere! The reg was F101 JNX and was a 1988 3.5 Efi. Sounds like if it's a h/c I'd be better keeping it and just changing Efi to carbs. Can obviously get the carbs a lot cheaper than I can get a complete engine for.

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yes and the inlet manifold

Great, there's one on eBay at the moment, complete manifold and su carbs which looks like it would be perfect.