8BA & 8RT engines in LP Bren Gun Carriers

[Lynn Eades]

Some extra cubes give some low end gain. better breathing is for the higher end of the rpm range, and is not what you'll want. Save that one for your hot rod.
Being able to turn the thing, and get it rolling is where the problems lay.
Not much point in making it breath better (stainless manifolds, port job, cam etc.) wont help if its still restricted at the exhaust elbows.(and what else are you going to mod?)
The truck cam is probably as good as it gets, as cams go. The adjustable tappets will work with std cams, and the extra cost here is somewhat offset by the extra labour costs of the standard setup.
With an oversize set of pistons to increase the cubes, I'd say the last two posts have completely covered what is nessesary, for a great performing carrier power unit.
As with any motor job, just do it all well. (and yes Rich you do have to drill the block to use adjustable tappets, but it is also easy to make a minor adjustment later)

[cletrac (RIP)]

On some of the adjustable lifters you can get a special wrench to do the adjusting without drilling any holes. It sort of looks like a 90 degree snap ring plier that goes down from the top to hold the lifter body while you tighten the adjusting nuts.

[Philliphastings]

Hey guys,

Don't get me wrong, I can see the merits of many suggestions on this thread and I know the satisfaction of modifying and improving the performance of collectible vehicles (when I used to restore Model T and A Fords I had all the cool accessories)

But I thought the point of most Military Vehicle restorations is to preserve the vehicles as they were during the world's most devastating conflict. My hope for the Scout Carrier is that it will eventually look, sound, smell and feel just as it woukd have for the hapless RAC troopers who crewed them in France and Belguim with the BEF, or with British and Australian forces in the Middle East and North Africe.

I'm not criticising those modified carriers - they are yours to do as you please, but how noble an ideal it would be to demonstrate to my grandson in years to come what his great grand father and might have experienced all those years ago...

The old gutless late 30's English spec engine is what my carrier had and what I hope it will have again.

Cheers

[Local Chap]

Here's an example of an 8BA engine all set up to go into an earlier vehicle:

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/1946-Ford...item1c20ef73a8

[Hans Mulder]

Call sacrilege if you will, but my carrier has a chevy 350 four bolt with a single barrel rochester carb, and boy does she move...I could pull stumps all day long. Flamesuit on.

[Tony Smith]

Whatever works for you, but just don't paint it bright yellow.