Engine dilemma

I lost the engine in my RV-8 a few weeks ago, and now I'm facing a few different options. Just needing some input. It originally had an O360 A1A. I'm considering an IO360 A1B, but wondering how many changes I'll need to make, such as mounts, cowling, etc. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

I think the biggest pain would be having to install a new cowl but that depends on which cowl you currently have. If you have the narrow O360 cowl you will need the wider IO360 cowl for sure.

Lots of system changes

Boost pump
fuel filter
alternate air arrangement
prop governer location and control?
mixture and throttle control brackets and cables
cowl
baffles
intake arrangement (sort of part of cowl work)
c.g. budget-- with the angle-valve engine, you will want the battery in the back, and anything else heavy you can move aft too (strobe power supply, ELT)

Potentially fewer system changes if you stick with the parallel-valve engine IO360M1B? and especially if you stick with vertical induction (the fuel servo can mount on a gooseneck pipe, or there are actually vertical induction fuel servos)

There is the 'Time Out Of Service" factor too. A simple engine replacement "In Kind" will get you back in the air much sooner than a complex modification.....ask me how I know (or DON'T I'm an alternate engine guy)

Cowling?

Not to derail this thread, but does anyone know the difference between the cowling for angle vs parallel valve on an RV8 - assuming both are horizontal induction? I thought they were the same, but one of the posts in this thread indicates differently.
Is the shape slightly different?
I looked at 'the list' and I can't find a part number for the RV-8 cowling.

I agree, stick with what you had!! Been there done that (for O360 to IO360 200hp)and it's very expensive.

Welcome to VAF!!!!

Chris, welcome to VAF, sorry your first post has to be concerning an engine failure

How about a few details of what happened, might make it easier to suggest a solution to the problem.

Easiest as far as engine fitment would be to just rebuild what you have, assuming it is not destroyed.