Craziest Midget Engine Options?

[Renrut]

Well that's the development plan for it once I get bored of the standard power

I've just bid on a 1.4 K complete with loom, ecu, manifolds, flywheel and all ancillaries bar starter (which I don't need anyway) - £50 and 5hrs to go

[kieran07]

A 1.4 K series sounds eminently sensible as far as Midget engine swaps go. Along similar lines, how 'bout 1.6 Zetec or 4AGE?

I thought you were looking for something crazy though? What about a 4.0L AJ6? Breakers can't give them away as they don't go wrong, often get weighed in.

[Renrut]

The 4AGE longitudinal gearbox is quite rare unfortunately otherwise it wouldn't be a bad option.

Zetec 1.6 isn't a bad shout.

I was wondering what craziness could be fitted in really. Someone on the midget BBS has offered me a half restored shell for a sensible price so after I've got a sensible one running maybe doing something crazy would be an option. Is the AJ6 a development of the older XK engine? Straight 6s are a bit too long for it tbh, 5 might fit but 4 long is really the limit.

[kieran07]

A silly suggestion really but yeah, the AJ6 was the successor to the XK, a new engine design though with the same bore spacings as the V12. All alloy, 24V twin cam head, timing chain, very strong block as it was developed with diesel in mind. Admittedly a bit of a lump but I've often thought it would be fun in something half the weight with the manual box.

Would you be sticking with efi or going carb?

[Renrut]

EFI/Carbs - whatever is fitted to the chosen engine. If its on carbs I'd maybe consider doing a megasquirt efi setup but only if I get bored.

I think a straight 6 is a bit long for the car. How heavy is an AJ6? The old triumph engine is supposedly about 120kg but I've also heard figures as high as 180kg. Its probably somewhere in between as I've moved one minus gearbox by myself but it wasn't like I could pick it up.

To weigh the options up a k series is about 75-85kg in the same state, not often you can get a 50kg weight saving and a near 50% increase of power (70- 105) in the same step.

But keeping in the jag theme how about this -

[Relentless Rob]

Hemi?

[Renrut]

Apparently so although not related to the more well known Hemi engines. And with ally heads. No idea how heavy they are or if they're any good but it'd be a nice little project and about as different as you get. And it'd be 'sticking a V8 in it'.

Shame there has never been a production 1.5 litre V8, as that would be awesome for some many reasons.

[mitsuru]

Shame there has never been a production 1.5 litre V8, as that would be awesome for some many reasons.

If there was a V8 that small or upto a 2.0L V8 I would have used it, especially if it could be used as a front wheel driveoption!

[fha772]

Hemi?

Daimler 2.5L "Hemi" V8...

[Relentless Rob]

I'm half an hour and a course of injections away from Boston if you want it Will. Should fit in the back of my Panda.

[Renrut]

I've just spent a rainy bank holiday morning reading up on t'internet on the Daimler 250 engine. THis was the coolest link I found http://www.britchopper.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=22&t=21882

But anyway the more I read about it the more it sounds like a cool engine to use. Although only 140bhp in original form

Someone has kindly put the dimensions on the wikipedia page
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daimler_2.5_%26_4.5_litre

in summary:
Engine dimensions (with fan) - 2.5 litre- 30" long,24" wide, 27" high, Weight 419 lb (190 kg)

Heavy but they are alledgedly a very strong block suitable for turbos or superchargers ->
http://www.russcarpenterracing.co.uk/

I'm off out to the garage with a tape measure!

[Renrut]

Checked measurements = WAY too long! Or to be more honest, about the same length as a K series but being a V it doesn't just sit in the older heater/battery tray but sticks into both passenger and driver footwells.

Ah well, K series is still the front runner by far.

[mjslonergan]

Can't remember if anyone suggested, and too lazy to read the 4 pages of thread, what about a flat four from a scooby?

[Renrut]

I don't think it has but it would never fit, a V engine would be a tight squeeze so a flat one would have to either sit so high as to be comical or I'd have to mount all the front suspension to it as I wouldn't have any space for a chassis forward of the bulkhead.

[mjslonergan]

Engine as a stressed member, don't think Subaru had considered that so probably not a good idea then...