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lotus twincam engine
thunderace - 24/2/08 at 11:25 PM

im lookig for a lotus twincam engine,
should i be looking for one with twin 40s 45s l block or 711 block and i know there are a number of diferent ones i had one whith a Stromburge head but sold it last year now i want one for my kit car.
(anyone got one forsale????)

britishtrident - 25/2/08 at 07:50 AM

Why don'y you try Spyder who do the Elan Zetec conversions they may may be able to point you tpwards an owner who wants to sell.

I am amazed anyone who has owned one would want another, They have had their day seriously unreliable engines compared to a Zetec or K or even a BDA.

Mr Whippy - 25/2/08 at 08:46 AM

Certainly very old hat, they were the engine to have when I was at school, quite quick then but not now.

24vseven - 25/2/08 at 11:03 AM

have a look here but make sure your sat down first and the cheque book is under lock and key


http://www.wilcoxengines.demon.co.uk/bda_parts.htm

MikeRJ - 25/2/08 at 12:07 PM

quote:
Originally posted by 24vseven
have a look here but make sure your sat down first and the cheque book is under lock and key


http://www.wilcoxengines.demon.co.uk/bda_parts.htm


That's all BDA stuff I think, couldn't see any mention of Lotus Twin Can parts?

Mr Whippy - 25/2/08 at 12:13 PM

15k and it's a pile of bits, what a total rip off

For that you could buy a good BEC and get some real performance

There must be some real numptys out there

Guinness - 25/2/08 at 12:35 PM

Cheapest place I've seen 907 engines for sale has been inside a Jensen!

They go for around £300-500, then you have the joy of breaking the car for spares!

Mike

Linky to Jensens

r1_pete - 25/2/08 at 12:40 PM

I still have the engine and box from my mk2 Lotus cortina, all that was salvagable when the car was rear ended in 1981. Most definately not for sale, one day I will find a home for it in a mk1 or 2 cortina or mk 1 escort.

But, the majority of twin cam heads had cooling problems, cos the wires used during casting to create warerways couldn't be pulled out, very prone to warping etc.... A nice peice of history but I wouldn't depend on one to get me to the corner shop.

Zetec is the way unless you're after 100% originality, and have a car trailer.
Rgds.
Pete.

[Edited on 25/2/08 by r1_pete]

britishtrident - 25/2/08 at 01:46 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Guinness
Cheapest place I've seen 907 engines for sale has been inside a Jensen!

They go for around £300-500, then you have the joy of breaking the car for spares!

Mike

Linky to Jensens


I think the OP was looking for the original 1500 Kent based 1558cc Twincam aka Twink.

[Edited on 25/2/08 by britishtrident]

britishtrident - 25/2/08 at 01:56 PM

quote:
Originally posted by r1_pete
I still have the engine and box from my mk2 Lotus cortina, all that was salvagable when the car was rear ended in 1981. Most definately not for sale, one day I will find a home for it in a mk1 or 2 cortina or mk 1 escort.

But, the majority of twin cam heads had cooling problems, cos the wires used during casting to create warerways couldn't be pulled out, very prone to warping etc.... A nice peice of history but I wouldn't depend on one to get me to the corner shop.

Zetec is the way unless you're after 100% originality, and have a car trailer.
Rgds.
Pete.

[Edited on 25/2/08 by r1_pete]


Never encountered cooling problems apart from leaky water pumps main problems were valve gear related --- timing chains, valve guide wear, propensity to crash the valves if over revved.
Loads of other nuisance stuff like oil leaks from just about everywhere and on the Elans & Mk1 Cortinas 2 bolt Anglia starter motors that weren't man enough for the job.

Real problem is a 1600 twincam engine with only 2 big angled valves per cylinder is never going to be reilable if revved to 6,500 rpm plus.

With a modern 4 valves per cylinder the much smaller valves and camshaft lift the likely hood of valves making contact with pistons is so much less.

Guinness - 25/2/08 at 03:09 PM

BT



Doh!

Mike

24vseven - 25/2/08 at 03:57 PM

the wilcox engines are spot on things though mega bhp rev to 9.5k
and historicly correct for escort rally cars
thats why the cost so much the people that but them have £60k plus rally cars so its all relitive definatly not locost tho

britishtrident - 25/2/08 at 05:29 PM

quote:
Originally posted by 24vseven
the wilcox engines are spot on things though mega bhp rev to 9.5k
and historicly correct for escort rally cars
thats why the cost so much the people that but them have £60k plus rally cars so its all relitive definatly not locost tho



Yes the BDA family were a whole different ball game from the Twink, in club racing the BD series (and FVA/FVC) were a lot more reliable than the Twincam and of course the didn't run into the power out brick wall the Lotus engine did. By the mid seventies a good Clubmans A class spec Xflo was more powerful and more reliable than a Lotus engine.
The name to be reckon with in Lotus Twincams was Vegantune I had one thier engines in my Plus2s.

Of course the Sierra Cosworth lump immediately made the Twincam, BDA & BDG seem pretty expensive to run.

zilspeed - 25/2/08 at 05:59 PM

As BT said earlier, even Spyder engineering have moved away from the Lotus twink.
Their own modernised Plus 2S uses a Zetec. 400 extra CCs and twice the valves. Mmmm, let me think about that.

Don't get me wrong, a Lotus was a great thing, but the cost in getting the numbers a modern engine makes is astronomical.