Help me choose new motor for 78 Chevy malibu

We race a 1978 chevy malibu in the crappy car races. It handles pretty well after some tweaks. The cage is good and we like it.

However, we don't like the 350 chevy with the slushbox.

It leaks oil (always). It gets horrible gas mileage. It is HEAVY! It doesn't make a huge amount of power. It has a slushbox behind it.

Sooo, I want something:

reliable

Cheap

Better gas mileage

minimum 200 hp

has a manual tranny option

Won't get any penalty laps (weirder the better)

Weighs at least 100 # less.

Thanks for any input!

Rob R.

As for "weirder the better" and lighter, how about a rotary engine?
Will still leak (use) oil and will still get bad mpg.

Rotary in a Nova: http://www.build-threads.com/build-threads/13bt-rotary-chevy-nova/

How about a 4.3? You might have to work a bit for 200hp, but it is shorter, lighter, will get a tad better gas mileage, and everything there will bolt up. Also, cheap. Easy peasy.

I have been thinking about the 4.3. There is a problem or two with it.

The gas mileage is not that great per horsepower and it doesn't drop THAT much weight. Unless I could get a complete system out of a junkyard car.

It will also leak in all the same places and be annoying for all the same reasons.

I was looking at the GM atlas engines also. Does anybody have experience with them?

jrw1621 wrote: As for "weirder the better" and lighter, how about a rotary engine? Will still leak (use) oil and will still get bad mpg. Rotary in a Nova: http://www.build-threads.com/build-threads/13bt-rotary-chevy-nova/

I actually have a turbo rotary in my garage that I was thinking about using.

I know that engine. I have spare parts. I know the wireing.

I know they blow up. I know they are bad on gas.

This might happen.

Rob R.

I thought I would be original and suggest a 13BT. So much for that.

If you go the 4.3 route, try to get a marine engine. The marine ones ( at least 88 and newer) have roller cams, supposedly steel cranks, and are rated 175hp with a 2bbl and 205hp with a 4bbl.

You'd need exhaust manifold or headers, and a new thermostat housing, and maybe replace the point dist with a HEI. Accessory drive will be V-belt, so you can easily adjust pulley sizes, etc.

The standard 4.3 accessories should bolt right up, and the bell housing and flywheel are the same as the automotive. Chances are the flywheel will be painted, so it will need to be surfaced, but otherwise virgin.

I think the tougher part of getting rid of the slushbox would be the clutch linkage.

Really weird idea suggestions:

Possibly reliable:

BMW M30 big six

Nissan VG30

Mercedes straight sixes

Mazda KLZE

Olds Aurora Shortstar

Ones that, in a track setting, might be "for certain values of reliable":

Chrysler 2.5 Turbo with Dakota 5-speed

Mitsubishi 4G54 Turbo

Cadillac 4.1 aluminum V8 (might be a good Index of Efluvence contender)

Judge Phil actually recommended the M30.

The more I think about it, the more I like the idea of the rotary. (Partially because I have an entire junk TII in my garage.)

Rob

If you want it to not leak, you'll need something of a newer vintage, or short of that, use different components and gaskets. How about a turbo ecotec, like in the Solstice GXP?

I'm biased, but your requirements of cheap, reliable, better fuel mileage, and 200 hp all add up to Chevy LS engine to me. Yeah, that Malibu is a heavy car. Some time with a plasma cutter or cutting torch can help with that. You're not going to lose much weight with just an engine swap. Look elsewhere to lose the extra baggage. A decent inline six is also a good idea, even better with a turbo.

If you want Lemons cred, go with something way more oddball than that. I recommend a Saab or Alfa.

In the first page of the Rotary Nova Build Thread he comments of getting the car down to 2700lbs.
http://www.rx7club.com/showthread.php?t=727207
On page three he lists some of the shedded weight.
http://www.rx7club.com/showthread.php?t=727207&page=3

Also taken from that build thread; what a '78 Nova weights (and its options) which I would think to be pretty close to what a '78 Malibu weighs.
http://novaresource.org/weights.htm#1978

In reply to wvumtnbkr:

Two D16A6 Hondas. One in the front and one in the back. Dirt cheap, reliable, and make over 200hp when combined.

what about turbo mopar?

Anybody with experience feel free to chime in!

definitely rotary

3800 V6 and 5 speed from a 96-02 camaro or firebird

200hp stock, good gas mileage, and tough

Turbo mopar would lose you a fair amount of weight over the v8..

200hp full-time in race conditions probably means 14-16 psi on an otherwise stock motor (any turbo motor from 88-up, or an earlier turbo motor with the newer manifolds on it), which means better intercooler and probably an oil cooler for good measure, and PREFERABLY slightly larger injectors as the stockers are close to max'd out at 200chp.. You might have to modify the intake manifold to move the TB to the other end unless you have space for it at the very back of the engine bay.

2.5 (non turbo) in dakota came with 5spd, i believe ax-5, which would probably break. But i believe the same bellhousing will bolt to the ax-15 (strong) and the toyota w154 (stronger) trannies. So i think you have reliable tranny options there.

You can run stripped-down factory wiring to run it, and you can get a calibration file that's setup for the mods you'll need (which are pretty minor) for almost free if you make friends with someone with a chip burner and de-soldering iron.

A 2.5 sohc 8v turbo with the common stock intake manifold and the stock small-ish t3 turbo will make ~280lb ft while it's making 200chp, so it will probably make more torque than almost anything else making 200chp.

From Wikipedia:

"4.8 LThe Vortec 4800 is a small block V8 truck engine. Displacement is 4.8 L (290 cu in) with a 96.01 mm bore and 83 mm stroke. It is the smallest of the Generation III Vortec truck engines and was the replacement for the 5.0 L 5000 L30. The Vortec 4800 produces 270 horsepower (200 kW) to 295 horsepower (220 kW) and 285 lbf·ft (386 N·m) to 305 lbf·ft (414 N·m), depending on the model year and application."

Or, lose some of your economy requirements, and go here:

http://www.worldcastings.com/products/merlin-632-complete-engines.html

7mgte...

get a better 350- a 96-99 Vortec is a drop in deal and makes probably 100 more HP than the 350 you have. you'll need a different intake manifold and an electric fuel pump..

In reply to wvumtnbkr:

I see you're from Latrobe, there should be tons of SBC and stock car parts available in the area. What track(s) are you running? What class.. claimer, pure stock, street stock?

Why not just re-gasket the 350 engine along w/ new seals. Add a performance cam for the extra HP and scrounge a 3 or 4 speed manual trans, flywheel, bellhousing etc. There are probably more high performance cams available for the SBC than any other engine on the planet.

Maybe you shouldn't throw the baby out w/ the bath water just yet.

In reply to fasted58:

I am running the 24 hours of Lemons (endurance road racing).

Gas mileage is the big issue with the 350.

I have run Gingerman, Summit Point, Beaverun, and Autobahn with this car.

I have a max of $500.00 I can spend if I am not doing something strange and over the top. This pretty much eliminates finding a manual tranny for the 350.

THe current engine has enough HP, just not enough efficiency. (And it is a pain to stop it from leaking oil!)

I have new intake gaskets, new oil pan gaskets, new head gaskets, new valve cover gaskets. Every race it leaks oil from a new place.

This race I put on a new oil pan (old one got mangled during loading on the trailer). Now I am getting a TON or oil out of the breathers during aggressive driving.

Well E36 M3. That's a new place for it to leak.

In reply to Vigo:

How much does a complete engine and factory wiring normally run?

I have been searching c-list and can't find one of these cars for sale.

wvumtnbkr wrote: I have a max of $500.00 I can spend if I am not doing something strange and over the top. This pretty much eliminates finding a manual tranny for the 350.

Dude. You're not being creative enough. I sold my three speed for a 350 for $75.