Ok, total idiot question here, so sorry!

I'm still looking for a small engined Locost, all my other ideas for cars are uninsurable/too expensive and I don't want to drive a boring standard crappy euro box type thing.

Due to the limited availability of 1.1-1.4 engined kit cars, I'm thinking about buying an unfinished kit car/rolling chassis and fitting my own engine. So I have a couple of quick questions for you:
1. How easy it is for someone to fit an engine with no previous experience of cars except some general maintenance?
2. How much should I be paying for a decent small capacity engine and gearbox and running gear etc?

Thanks guys

In answer to your first question, fitting an engine is fairly easy as long as you have an engine hoist available. I managed to fit my V6 with ease (about 20 mins) The fun really starts when you start to attach all the ancillaries (exhaust, engine loom, alternator, plumbing etc)

I like to break it down into separate jobs and tackle each one as required or when the parts are available.

A steep learning curve for a beginner but very rewarding.

[Edited on 18-3-06 by RazMan]

Hi,

As regards the engine choice: For a Locost, your first stop is the trusty old 1.3 crossflow (also known as HCS and Endura-E from Mk2/3 Fiesta and Ka respectively). Bulletproof, cheap (sometimes free!), more tuning parts available than you could shake a stick at, BUT, heavy for what it is (all iron), lacks power.

There are other choices like Rover K series. Still reasonably cheap, lighter, more powerful, more refined, and i think it bolts up to the LT77 gearbox for rear wheel drive. Either that, or converter bellhousings are available, for a price.

Im sure there are myriad others, but these areprobabvly the big 2 for a Locost.

Ed.
P.S. Y'know, the Suzuki Hayabusa is only 1.3 Litres!

sadly i think the insurance companies have cottoned on to the bike engined thing.

quote:

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Originally posted by ed_crouch
Hi,

As regards the engine choice: For a Locost, your first stop is the trusty old 1.3 crossflow (also known as HCS and Endura-E from Mk2/3 Fiesta and Ka respectively). Bulletproof, cheap (sometimes free!), more tuning parts available than you could shake a stick at, BUT, heavy for what it is (all iron), lacks power.

There are other choices like Rover K series. Still reasonably cheap, lighter, more powerful, more refined, and i think it bolts up to the LT77 gearbox for rear wheel drive. Either that, or converter bellhousings are available, for a price.

Im sure there are myriad others, but these areprobabvly the big 2 for a Locost.

Ed.
P.S. Y'know, the Suzuki Hayabusa is only 1.3 Litres!

---

Zil,



Ed.
P.S. Yeh, theyre near as dammit the same!

Fitting an engine is not too tricky if you take it one job at a time. I presume you want to fit an engine that the chassis builder does not supply mounts for?

The best way is to fit the steering shaft in the chassis as this is the one part which is hard to moddify if it gets in the way. Next fit the gearbox, alternator and starter. Get a engine hoist and some blocks of wood and get the engine in place and start to check there is a route for the exhaust and pipe work. Take it slow and check you have clearance all round if the engine moves a little. The good news is that most engines will fit some how, the smaller the easier!

[Edited on 22/3/06 by zetec]

i managed to fit my engine and gearbox without an engine hoist. i took the cheaper (and more tiring) method using big blocks of wood, a large lever, big rope and alot of grunt.
it was worth the hard work, and looks good now its in

I fitted my Pinto on my own very easily with no hitches.
Fitted a beam in the garage and slung a borrowed block and tackle of it.
Chassis was virtually bare. Fitted clutch and gearbox to engine first. Fitted engine mounts (left loose ish to give a bit of adjustment). Picked up the engine and box using old seat belts and a chain - took a couple of goes to get it to lift balanced. Rolled car under engine and lowered slowly and controlled.

No great dramas. First one ive done as well. Only thing i wish id done is modify the sump before fitting engine - would have made that job a whole lot easier. I also wish id flushed the waterways out first as well. Engine was all cleaned and painted (smoothrite) before fitting.

If you have any doubts find a mate who can assist (and alert you to any pitfalls,) it is just like lego and meccano as long as you have studied what goes where and removed /protected the flimsy bits that mightget trapped/ nipped /banged /bent.
Getting it back in and fired up is such a confidence booster that you will feel ready for anything, until something else goes wrong of course!!!

I'd never done it before, but now I've done it several times!

As people have said, buy or hire a proper engine hoist, then stop and have a really good look and think about what needs to be done. If you've got a mate handy then talk about what needs to be done between you.

Then just get on and do it - nice and slow, be prepared for more stopping, looking and thinking, and then it's really easy.

The biggest thing is to make it really secure, then you won't be worrying about dropping stuff. The proper hoist is good, a really secure fixing to the hoist is essential (I used chains from the hoist to the block), and getting the engine/gearbox balanced when you first lift it is important.

Sounds dramatic, but it's all common sense and really easy.

David