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Lightest 4 cylinder car engine / Gearbox Combo?
Gear Monkey - 5/12/11 at 09:22 PM

Hi Guys,

I was intending to fit a Blade engine into my new build but I'm now also considering a car engine if it's not too heavy and will produce around 150bhp. I'm trying to achieve 300bhp per ton so will need an engine and gearbox combo that's light and fairly potent....Cheap would also be a bonus!

Any advice as to what would be a suitable engine would be gratefully received.

GM

scootz - 5/12/11 at 09:28 PM

Rover 1.8 K series and a Type 9???

Gear Monkey - 5/12/11 at 09:31 PM

quote:
Originally posted by scootz
Rover 1.8 K series and a Type 9???


Thanks! Do they go together ok or need an adapter plate or special bell housing?

GM

big-vee-twin - 5/12/11 at 09:35 PM

Ford Duratec ST150 150HP out the box and 100kgs. I could lift my bare engine in my arms

SeaBass - 5/12/11 at 09:55 PM

Coventry Climax FWE and ZF 4 speed box... but not cheap!

britishtrident - 5/12/11 at 09:58 PM

quote:
Originally posted by scootz
Rover 1.8 K series and a Type 9???



Type 9 ain't light - the casing weighs a proverbial ton

britishtrident - 5/12/11 at 10:01 PM

quote:
Originally posted by SeaBass
Coventry Climax FWE and ZF 4 speed box... but not cheap!


Chrysler/Talbot Sunbeam 930 (Imp) engine and original Sunbeam/Avenger 4 speed alloy cased box but only good for 125bhp even in full race trim.

[Edited on 5/12/11 by britishtrident]

ReMan - 5/12/11 at 10:12 PM

If I'm not mistaken the blade is 65kg I'm a big strong bloke and can lift it to workbench height with one hand ish
Are these close contenders once the gearbox is bolted on?

rdodger - 5/12/11 at 10:12 PM

Rover K series weighs 78kg inc fluids.

Caterham 6 spd box about 24kg inc alloy bell housing.

Type 9 is about 35kg inc alloy bell housing

So a minimum of 102kg at a price or 113kg on a reasonable budget.

A Fireblade engine is about 67kg all up, so half the weight!

I'm using an MX5 supercharged engine with 6 speed box to give me around 250bhp with a target ptw of better than 450bhp. That supercharger really does help!

[Edited on 5/12/11 by rdodger]

scootz - 5/12/11 at 10:16 PM

Type 9 is just over 30kg's. Hardly a porker!

A complete Rover-K attached to a Type 9 with an alloy bellhousing is about 115kg's. That's pretty light!

scootz - 5/12/11 at 10:18 PM

quote:
Originally posted by rdodger
Rover K series weighs 78kg inc fluids.

Caterham 6 spd box about 24kg inc alloy bell housing.

Type 9 is about 35kg inc alloy bell housing

So a minimum of 102kg at a price or 113kg on a reasonable budget.

A Fireblade engine is about 67kg all up, so half the weight!

I'm using an MX5 supercharged engine with 6 speed box to give me around 250bhp with a target ptw of better than 450bhp. That supercharger really does help!




LOL... beat me to it!

mcerd1 - 5/12/11 at 10:40 PM

might not have enought power for you, but wasn't someone here using a swift GT engine - thats light!

scootz - 5/12/11 at 10:42 PM

VVC version is 143bhp out of the box.

rdodger - 5/12/11 at 10:46 PM

quote:
Originally posted by scootz
VVC version is 143bhp out of the box.


Or 160bhp for the MEMS 3 version.

mcerd1 - 5/12/11 at 10:48 PM

I guess it depends on the gearbox weight then (do they still use vitara ones for these ? )

tul214 - 6/12/11 at 06:32 AM

Comparisons

snapper - 6/12/11 at 06:46 AM

You can get an alloy casing for the type 9 from Rally Design that with an RS2000 bellhousing and a Fiesta duratec should be light.

Gear Monkey - 6/12/11 at 07:25 AM

Thanks for the info chaps.

What about an MX 5 engine and box? Anyone know the difference in weight between the 1.6 and the 1.8?

GM

theduck - 6/12/11 at 07:29 AM

Don't knownthe difference in weight but the 1.6 is the block of choice for boost.

rdodger - 6/12/11 at 08:58 AM

quote:
Originally posted by Gear Monkey
Thanks for the info chaps.

What about an MX 5 engine and box? Anyone know the difference in weight between the 1.6 and the 1.8?

GM


No difference to speak of re the engine and box.

The 1.6 cars were lighter on the MK1 because they had smaller/lighter, brakes, prop, diff and driveshafts.

The 1.6 may have been the choice for boost in the past due to the availability of parts (manifolds etc) but now they are done in equal numbers.

hughpinder - 6/12/11 at 09:49 AM

If this is for the road, don't forget to include the weight of the reversing box (electric type I've actually seen about 11-12kg) so your bike engines is probably 75-80 kg against a rover engine/type 9 at 115 - e.g all up weight of a bike engine+reverse box is closer to 2/3 of the weight rather than 1/2.
Regards
Hugh