Perfect Miata swap?

Just saw this and thought it would be awesome in a Miata...or any light rwd car. 
 

https://www.motortrend.com/how-to/blueprint-engines-four-cylinder-crate-engine-ls-head/

Its interesting, but at best Vaporware for the foreseeable future.

I guess that there is a gearbox that would bolt on if but that leaves flywheel TBD.

Gonna shake like an earthquake if you go over 2000 rpm. 

Wont save time or $$$ over an LS swap since it is going to be expensive to buy and the rest of the swap is the same for time, effort and $$$.

In reply to NOHOME :

No saying its a good option, but i think the chances of seeing it produced are actually pretty good. Ive seen some info saying its based on an industrial use engine that has some roots or commonalities with the iron duke. If theyve got an available block and easy way to mate it, theyve already done the hard thing. Everything else is easy.

When I looked at it, it looked like its be an upwright engine so it may be too tall.

Also why go through all the trouble and expense to swap a 4 cylinder in. Go V8 or go J series.  

In reply to Opti :

Pretty sure the original generator engine used a ford 302 head. That means that the LS head is a direct bolt-on.  So, for purposes of making people pay attention and generate a lot if interwebs noise, it is perfect.

It's interesting, I guess. Except the Camaro V6 is already available in every junkyard, and is probably the same time/effort to swap 

NOHOME said:

Its interesting, but at best Vaporware for the foreseeable future.

I guess that there is a gearbox that would bolt on if but that leaves flywheel TBD.

Gonna shake like an earthquake if you go over 2000 rpm. 

Wont save time or $$$ over an LS swap since it is going to be expensive to buy and the rest of the swap is the same for time, effort and $$$.

We were talking about this in the PRI thread.  Bellhousing looks Chevy, engine as a whole looks like it is an Iron Duke, and looks like it is supposed to be mounted canted over 30-40 degrees to the left because that's what circle track guys do with fours.

I personally like it, having been deeply considering running a Chevy 6.0 or 5.3 with one bank of rods/pistons/cylinder head removed and blanked off, and living with the uneven firing order.

I would think that the perfect Miata swap engine would be a modern GM 2.0 Ecotec turbo. Similar weight (thought the turbo and piping adds a few pounds) and easily tuned to 400 bhp plus (without changing anything inside the engine)

In reply to wspohn :

Plus all the engineering has been done and swap kits are readily available

I do like the idea of a 3.6L 4 cylinder though

I dig it, and from other experience with them, BPE has their act together.  I hope it sees the production light of day, and they sell a bunch of them!  

Other than weight, would this thing now just be like a diesel engine? The beauty of the LS head is that it can flow, not really a bid deal for an engine that will top out around what 4000 rpm max?

Go buy the existing engine that is sold for the stationary generators and bolt a turbo on to it. You will get 90% of the experience that you would if they released the hybrid.

In reply to NOHOME :

Maybe class rules don't allow turbos.  Maybe there are people who don't WANT a turbo because of how woozy and indirect they feel.  Maybe an engine that is effectively half of an LS7 has a chance of making good power (I do seriously doubt 500 ft-lb except on the most generous of dynos) all by its lonesome and doesn't need that forced induction junk.

One of my favorite stories was of the guy who put a 3.3l Esslinger engine (about 400hp on gasoline) into a dogbone Escort and was showing up people who had done YBB engine swaps (the Cosworth Sierra/Escort Cosworth engine).  A turbo engine requires something like 25-30% more power for a car to cover the same distance in the same time compared to a naturally aspirated engine, more or less, because of the nonlinearity of turbo fed engines.

Mercury Marine did a somewhat similar thing in the early 80’s when GM discontinued the 250 inline 6. They created an aluminum block 225 inline 4 with cast iron cylinder sleeves with a head from a 460 Ford on top.  170 - 190 HP depending on what carburetor was used. Not the smoothest idling thing but it did the job pushing a boat until they started marinizing 4.3 V6’s.  

In reply to Pete. (l33t FS) :