Are they any good or Trouble ?
Too tall or just not liked ?
Could the collective share their knowledge for me please.
I see a few of these for sale but little or no talk of them here !
Are they any good or Trouble ?
Too tall or just not liked ?
Could the collective share their knowledge for me please.
They are trouble, to tall, and not liked!
They are bigger than the Pinto (which itself is a big engine), they have a bad reputation for camchain/gear breakages, and there is hardly any
'go-faster' bits are available for them, which includes things like inlet and exhaust manifolds, so standard stuff would need to be modified
to suit. One to steer clear of IMHO.....
I would say if you are on a budget crossflow or pinto as loads of cheap tuning parts and just as much power as DOHC. If 16v is what you want get a Zetec/Vx XE/Toyota which are far better and reliable.
Ohh yes, I forgot, the DOHC wasnt even 16v......
but the DOHC is 125 hp out of the box.
Pintos make only 105 - 115 in 2 litre form, and std xflows not even that.
Costs money to beat the DOHC power.
I have read when I did some research on it that the DOHC is a decent engine if you look after it - ie dont run it short of water.
I have noticed lots of people rave, in the past, about the K series rover. However, I have never seen anyone on these groups using one......
The K series is practically guaranteed to blow head gaskets or warp the head at some stage.
atb
steve
quote:
Costs money to beat the DOHC power.
quote:
I have noticed lots of people rave, in the past, about the K series rover.
Get as far away from that damn dohc engine as you can, it'll become the bain of your life!!!!!!!!!!!!
the vauxhall 8v is cheap (i'm picking up a runner for £30) and prodcues 130bhp, better than the pinto or dohc. shares block with the xe, so ideal
for an upgrade later on to! only expense is sump mod and bellhousing.
Ned.
..of couse I'm using it in a Robin Hood build and want to avoid the Q plate (so I need major parts from one donor) and the DOHC donor was
FREEEEEEE!
Its actually a pretty decent engine by some accounts (eg crustworld has a good description of the various Sierra engines) but you need to change the
timing chain at 100K or it'll likely snap on you. That compares favourably with a Pinto I think.
I'm going to see how I get on with it before doing anything drastic to my car (like going for a 16v Vauhall for example).
I have to say I've not driven mine yet (build not completed) but it runs really well.
I bet it has a better torqe curve than the Pinto.. any takers? Either way its a much more modern engine so will be more economical and have fewer
emissions.
Its true you can't get much more than hot cams for it though - a shame...
quote:
but you need to change the timing chain at 100K or it'll likely snap on you. That compares favourably with a Pinto I think.
quote:
I bet it has a better torqe curve than the Pinto.. any takers? Either way its a much more modern engine so will be more economical and have fewer emissions.
My Dads 1 1/2 litre riley engine has twin rocker shafts (2 sets of pushrods!) on a straight four, which i thought was quite impressive for such a
small capacity (albeit big lump of iron) engine from the early fifties!
Ned.
We used to have a Rover 200 BRM, which had the 1.8VVC engine fitted.
As mentioned, it blew the headgasket quite early in our ownership (from new) but once fixed was fine.
Fantastic little engine.
ATB
Simon
Sounds like my intentions go against wisdom then - I am starting with a DOHC out of my donor Sierra - as Steve says it is 125bhp out of the box
without spending any money on it, and it currently runs OK. When I want more power I intend to swap to a Rover K series - light weight, relatively
high power as standard for any given capacity, and very tunable - 230bhp from the 1.8 in the Caterham R500 sounds good to me!
Hey, Metal Hippy, does this make me a non-conformist too
Ned,
What you doing with the 8V? Did you fancy an engine with a better torque curve
quote:
Originally posted by andyps
When I want more power I intend to swap to a Rover K series - light weight, relatively high power as standard for any given capacity, and very tunable - 230bhp from the 1.8 in the Caterham R500 sounds good to me!
Northy,
weighing up the pro's/con's for £30 i can't go wrong if it is indeed a runner (removing/picking it up tonight).
As it shares the block, the engine mounts, sump mods and bellhousing will all be interchangable, then when i have the money i can build the 16v to the
spec i'd want (not compromise due to lack of funds) then swap them over post sva i expect. i was also thinking there's also the c20let
(turbo) engine that's capable of 375bhp for when i win the lottery, that'd be a straight swap too! (just need heavy duty gearbox, but i have
a plan in mind for that too!)
Ned.
If you change the chain you will also need to change all the sprockets as they will eat the new chain as my brother in law found, much to his dismay,
a few hundred miles later. An expensive hobby once they go wrong.
yours, Pete.
Please read the following unbiased discussion on Sierra engines from one who knows more than me.
http://www.crustworld.co.uk/sierra/techspec/engines.html
Then make your mind up....
Peteff, I've never heard that about the dohc - maybe your brother in law had something else wrong with his?
Mine has 100k, runs perfectly and doesn't smoke at all. Perhaps I've been lucky...
I thought it was std practice when changing chains on anything to change the sprockets too - especially if they are hooked, as tends to occur on bike
rear wheels....
atb
steve
quote:
Originally posted by andypsHey, Metal Hippy, does this make me a non-conformist too
Yes Steve, I regularly talk out of my bottom... Quack! Quack!
But I have the DOHC and have to stick with it, because I want an age related plate on my Robin Hood (which was designed for the DOHC engined
Sierra).
This chassis is much bigger than the book Locost chassis and manages 4.5" clearance for the unmodified sump - that's without setting the
rear ride height yet (it needs raising).
I'm not a DOHC fan for any reason than that's how it panned out for me. I wanted the bigger, newer chassis anyway, so i could fit something
better if I wanted to later on.
Actually I imagine I'll be very pleasantly surprised with its performance, and I'll probably leave all those unmodifed Pinto's at the
lights suckin' on fumes.
"Yeeee-harrrrrrr!"
Inlet manifold?
quote:
Originally posted by ned
Northy,
weighing up the pro's/con's for £30 i can't go wrong if it is indeed a runner (removing/picking it up tonight).
As it shares the block, the engine mounts, sump mods and bellhousing will all be interchangable, then when i have the money i can build the 16v to the spec i'd want (not compromise due to lack of funds) then swap them over post sva i expect. i was also thinking there's also the c20let (turbo) engine that's capable of 375bhp for when i win the lottery, that'd be a straight swap too! (just need heavy duty gearbox, but i have a plan in mind for that too!)
Ned.
quote:
Originally posted by Jon Bradbury
Yes Steve, I regularly talk out of my bottom... Quack! Quack!
Jon, i think youre in the same predicament as me, been given a 2.0i pinto powered sierra. So i'm gonna use my pinto to get through SVA then look
out for somthing newer.
as long as it runs, i'd use the DOHC to build your car, then move on ....
I don't know why I should stick up for the DOHC but once again I will. There is so much crap talked about this engine - usually by people who do
their engine building in the pub on a Saturday night.
There are very few DOHC lumps that have broken chains inside 150k. You hear about some that have but just consider how many tens of thousands were
made. When they break they make a mess - often destroying the engine (bottom front main cap can be broken.) If the chain is changed at 100k they are a
decent motor for what they were made for - replacing the Pinto in the Ford family saloons. They make more power than a Pinto, run quieter and are more
economic than a Pinto. The engine, be it internally, externally or bottom end bears no resemblance to a Pinto. It is very similar however to the 16v
lump that was fitted to the later Scorpios and RS2000.
For a Locost I think they are a non-starter due to their physical size. They are probably a decent motor for a Robin Hood. Remember not everyone
wishes to tune their car. For me 125bhp in a Robin Hood would be enough! (And I have driven a few). For such a requirement the DOHC is a much better
choice than a Pinto.
Change the chain and guides when the engine is out and its not that difficult to do. (And I have done lots). The sprockets will be OK unless you are
very unlucky. It is NOT std practice to change DOHC sprockets at the same time as chains. If you have suffered a chain failure then that is a
different matter. When you've done the chain you have 100k in front of you - and how many sevens do more than that?
Finally make sure the engine you have runs OK in the car first - beware, the biggest problem with these is not the chain it is head gasket / cracked
head trouble, almost always caused by running with a low water level.
Don't get me wrong, I have the greatest respect for the Pinto ( I am currently doing four 2.2 conversions at the moment) but for the right
application there isn't a lot wrong with the DOHC.
id second that ive had two 2.0 dohc engines and ragged the hell out of them they were great and took the abuse, and we are talking about a cam chain not a bike chain (twat).
quote:
There are very few DOHC lumps that have broken chains inside 150k
Hi
I owned a 2l DOHC (carb) Sierra for 5years, 90k to 160k, then some b**** reversed into the side of it and wrote it off. Never any trouble, far
better engine than the 1.8 I had before.
Thanks for the nice compliment Hicost Builder!
As a non automotive professional, I go by my own small experience. I do work at a company employing chain drives in their products. A chain tends to
wear and as it wears it takes toll on the sprockets, often causing a hooked effect.
Wether this is a major effect on a DOHC then feck knows. I was pointing out (after someone reported they had a renewed chain fail) that could be the
problem.
"ive had two 2.0 dohc engines and ragged the hell out of them" is so much more scientific than my analogy of motorcycle sprockets as a
suggestion of where chain wear may also be. If a valid diagnostic method, it would save many hours of engine work.
The bike analogy was an illustration of what can happen to sprockets, not to be taken as a direct comparison!!!! Or does your cam shaft take 100hp to
power it?
......
atb
steve
[Edited on 22/8/03 by stephen_gusterson]
I'd have left your post as it was Steve.
It was well uncalled for...
Sorry, I seem to have started a bun fight..
I, of course, will continue with my DOHC because that is what my kit was designed for.
I'll try to let you all know how it performs (translation : "If I remember when I eventually have the car on the road".
To be absolutely honest, if I'd gone to the effort of welding up my own chassis I'd really want something a bit special under the bonnet;
say a 16v Vauxhall or something like it. Several of my colleagues in the Robin Hood club have fitted these to their cars and they all report big grins
and low fuel economy. I wish I had the welding skills to build a locost chassis; Ron's book makes it look so easy. <sigh>
Well, I'll definitely consider "Vx Power" after I have my age related registration plate and I've had a summer or two with the
DOHC.
God, I can't wait.....
Use it!
The torque figures kill the pinto outright.
I take the point that tuning parts are not readily available, but then if you are building a car from scratch is it such a problem to make
manifolds?
Oh & it will fit in a standard chassis
See below
[Edited on 22/8/03 by PaulBuz]
Rescued attachment Picture 137.jpg
Rescued attachment Picture 142.jpg
My mate had some Fox racing wheels on his car Paul, he could change the pads without taking them off .
yours, Pete.
Powerful twin cams? Rover T series as used in the 200/400/600/800s. 150bhp as standard in GTi guise, only known common problem is that they're a
bit oil leaky. Get a sherpa gearbox or a Ford T9 and adaptor plate and off you go.
Or be like me and get a 16v Citroen, a Ford T9 and wonder how the hell to connect them!
Im very sorry steve didnt mean to offend you over chain thing, it was more of a generallisation.
Hmm.....
Big wheels...
Small tyres...
Sore bottom!
Look the dogs though... nice one
Thats going to need a bigger power bulge than on the Avon!
It shoud'nt do. The engine is no taller than the pinto.
With the LoLo +1" nose it just squeezes in
Rescued attachment c107.jpg
paul : OUTSTANDING WORK
looks the dogs conkers
Paul
that baby really looks like he wants to get his hands on your car...
Ta for all the Gen guys , if theres more keep it coming but it looks like a go'er to me as they are so cheap and available.
P.S. is it my monitor or is that chassis PINK !!!! , Paul????
It's missing TR1 and TR2 braces in the engine bay sides. Aren't you bothering with them? They do a lot to stiffen the structure
apparently.
yours, Pete.
Yes Pete ,i will be fitting them but I ran out of material!
I primed the chassis anyway to keep rust at bay.
Thanks for the comments guys,The car is currently stripped down & being panelled,So I have the first pic. I posted as my desktop wallpaper, to try
7 keep up my motivation!
Can anybody give me some mesurments on the engine ,like how tall is it and any idea what it weighs , Please?
From centreline of crankshaft to top of rocker cover it is 17.5". That's only a half inch more than a Pinto but the thing is more awkward because of its width at the top. Don't know what it weighs but despite having an alloy head it weighs quite a bit more than a Pinto. Maybe 20 lbs more?
