What engine?

Am I the only one that read the requirement is UNDER 100hp?

And yes, rotaries are HEAVY. A turbo 13b weighs as much as a 5.0. They just act like a light motor because they're so short (length) and short (height), and thusly keep all that weight near the center of the car. Awesome for weight distribution and polar inertia, but not for overall lightness (else I'd think they'd be MUCH more popular in Locosts). They're also more power than the OP is looking for.

Actually ditch the under 100bhp requirement. I will probably go with a RX-7 rear end. Just light and cheap.

In reply to mad_machine:

Which Alfa engine? The Spider?

mad_machine wrote: how about an alfa engine.. beautiful aluminum and not too big

Alfa engines are pretty big, for the displacement. Head is especially wide due to the comustion chamber and the direct bucket cams.

For size, the 2.0l and 1750 are almost exactly the same size, the 1600 is barely shorter, and the 1300 is just barely smaller than that.

Once you hang the intake and exhaust- they are wide city.

(on that note, I have seen an MGA with an Alfa 2.0l in it....)

Eric

So right now, engines I am considering are Toyota 4AGE, 3TC, 2TC and Swift G13 or G10. Also maybe if the price is right a Volvo B18 or B20 or Mazda GLC engine. I am going to do some research on weight and power.

The B18 is 340 lbs with the flywheel and clutch, carbs and stuff... not bad for 50s era tech. They also redlined at 7000 RPM from the factory, yowzers. Camshafts, intakes and headers are available.

alfadriver wrote:

mad_machine wrote: how about an alfa engine.. beautiful aluminum and not too big

Alfa engines are pretty big, for the displacement. Head is especially wide due to the comustion chamber and the direct bucket cams. For size, the 2.0l and 1750 are almost exactly the same size, the 1600 is barely shorter, and the 1300 is just barely smaller than that. Once you hang the intake and exhaust- they are wide city. (on that note, I have seen an MGA with an Alfa 2.0l in it....) Eric

if you were going to go this route, miata would again be the answer as they're far cheaper and more ubiquitous than an alfa engine...

John Brown wrote: Suzuki Swift DOHC with Tracker transmission.

+2

the swift GTI motor isnt all aluminum

mattbatson wrote: the swift GTI motor isnt all aluminum

Yes it is. I have 2 shortblocks in the shed that say otherwise.

OK... the oilpan is stamped steel.... but everythign else is.

Nicve thing about the G13B is the intake faces the perfect direction for a "ram-air" intake.

oooooooooo i know!!!! Cummins 4bt!

^ In no way is that light.

Well, it's light for a Cummins...

Raze wrote:

alfadriver wrote:

mad_machine wrote: how about an alfa engine.. beautiful aluminum and not too big

Alfa engines are pretty big, for the displacement. Head is especially wide due to the comustion chamber and the direct bucket cams. For size, the 2.0l and 1750 are almost exactly the same size, the 1600 is barely shorter, and the 1300 is just barely smaller than that. Once you hang the intake and exhaust- they are wide city. (on that note, I have seen an MGA with an Alfa 2.0l in it....) Eric

if you were going to go this route, miata would again be the answer as they're far cheaper and more ubiquitous than an alfa engine...

The only think the alfa motor has going for it is the aluminum block, over the cast iron Miata- it's a very light motor. Just too bulky for this job, IMHO.

E-

always the fiat 128 engine from the X 1/9... but I think something DOHC instead of SOHC would be better...

How about the DOHC Alpha engine from the Hyundai accent?

^ Cast iron shortblock.

What about an ecotech?

I guess I would an engine and transmission from the Sky or Solstice for the Ecotech swap. That seems a bit pricey. How would you go about covering either the DOHC Alpha engine or Fiat 128 engine to RWD? I do love the Fiat engine idea.

Bobzilla wrote: ^ Cast iron shortblock. What about an ecotech?

And the F duratecs are not bad either. Look for a 2.3l Ranger.

But if you want a carbed engine for simplicity... There are quite few aluminum block 4 cyl engines that were carbed.

Vega?

E-

96DXCivic wrote: I guess I would an engine and transmission from the Sky or Solstice for the Ecotech swap. That seems a bit pricey. How would you go about covering either the DOHC Alpha engine or Fiat 128 engine to RWD? I do love the Fiat engine idea.

I don't have firsthand experience, but the ecotech is way cheaper and easier than finding a scrapped sky or solstice.

http://www.gmperformancedivision.com/content/pulse/54/ECOTEC_2.0L_LSJ_Chap_1&2.pdf

http://www.gmperformancedivision.com/content/pulse/27/Ecotec_Part_2.pdf

http://members.shaw.ca/warped00/bcjbody/buildbook.html

And there are regular old transmissions that bolt to it for RWD, but I don't know what they are offhand.

It's just way over you HP goals.

I still say the G13B Swift 1.3L mated to a tracker/sami 5-spd trans is the way to go.

Bobzilla wrote: I still say the G13B Swift 1.3L mated to a tracker/sami 5-spd trans is the way to go.

I'd love to see this too.

alfadriver wrote: And the F duratecs are not bad either. Look for a 2.3l Ranger.

The 2.0 isn't as tall and has a shorter stroke, should be a better sports car engine. There are enough guys putting throttle bodies on these things that there's gotta be an easily sourced Weber adapter.

Teh E36 M3 wrote: Damn, John beat me to it. I honestly think that any carbureted engine past '74 is going to be more complicated that an injected. I'd go for a 4age, or better yet, WAY better yet, G13b out of a Suzuki swift GTi. 1300cc, all aluminum, bolt to a samurai trans, and weigh very little. There are dual weber 40 kits if you are stuck on carbs, but they are also pretty easy to MS. Also there is a website showing how to do it: http://www.ado13.com/dohczuke/dohc.htm Good luck, and I'd be glad to lend my experience- I swapped a toyota 4age 20v into my midget.

+1 I was going to reference that exact webpage

tuna55 wrote:

Bobzilla wrote: I still say the G13B Swift 1.3L mated to a tracker/sami 5-spd trans is the way to go.

I'd love to see this too.

http://www.ado13.com/dohczuke/dohc.htm

Done

^ sEEN it. I want a Locost set up like this.