bouncing engine ideas

[wolfie]

Right then everybody I've been thinkin about various engines for my beloved Gold but I thought I'd open it up to you lot if there's an engine you've thought about. I've thrown out the K series idea as my current engine throws out more power than the 8 valve and I cant be bothered with all the body mods to fit the 16 valve K. I keep looking at the vmax supercharger for the smooth torque curve but can't think of any other engine from other manufacturers that can throw out over 100bhp and fit without a lot of body mods. Anyone been looking at other engines but may want me to be the guinea pig?

[DavidL]

If only it was thirty years ago - I believe the Hillman Imp engine could be fitted onto a Mini gearbox, and it responded well to tuning, ISTR. As long as the owner believed in maintenance!

Having driven one of the first Alfasuds, I understand why Gordon Murray did it (did that car ever get used on the road?)

Seriously though, I'm interested in this too, and also reluctant to change the car's body in any way, but without the time and money to play around with possible donor engines.

Oh, and another thing occurred to me this morning. The original ADO15 Mini had the engine sited ports forward, but when it was turned so the ports faced rearwards, and an additional gear stage added to reverse the gearbox motion, this was reported to have induced a considerable power loss.
So, what might be involved in modifying an A series engine to run backwards, and remove the additional gear stage?
Camshaft, yes, I know; water pump, oil pump. If a non-distributor ignition system is used, that's one less thing to worry about. What else would be needed, and am I daft to even think about it?

[DavidL]

- and the existing camshaft could still be used if it were gear driven, rather than chain...

...which would solve the oil pump problem, as it would then be turning in the correct direction...

[DavidL]

Sorry everyone, I've just realised I shouldn't have posted here, this being the convertible section, what with my car being a coupe...

[wolfie]

If only it was thirty years ago - I believe the Hillman Imp engine could be fitted onto a Mini gearbox, and it responded well to tuning, ISTR. As long as the owner believed in maintenance!

Having driven one of the first Alfasuds, I understand why Gordon Murray did it (did that car ever get used on the road?)

Seriously though, I'm interested in this too, and also reluctant to change the car's body in any way, but without the time and money to play around with possible donor engines.

Oh, and another thing occurred to me this morning. The original ADO15 Mini had the engine sited ports forward, but when it was turned so the ports faced rearwards, and an additional gear stage added to reverse the gearbox motion, this was reported to have induced a considerable power loss.
So, what might be involved in modifying an A series engine to run backwards, and remove the additional gear stage?
Camshaft, yes, I know; water pump, oil pump. If a non-distributor ignition system is used, that's one less thing to worry about. What else would be needed, and am I daft to even think about it?

My old man told me you used to be able to get bellhousings years ago to fit the ford crossflow as well

[MrBounce]

My old man told me you used to be able to get bellhousings years ago to fit the ford crossflow as well

Well documented. In Miniworld Magazine in the early 90's there was an article on an Orange Clubman estate running a Lotus twin cam 1558cc lump on a Mini gearbox. Look totally standard apart from a set of bigger wheels and, if you looked closely, a couple of Webers almost sticking through the grille

[Hans Efde]

I have looked at 2 options, but both are too expensive and/or complicated for me. The first is to fit a 1.3 Yaris engine, possibly 100+ bhp sport version. Ed, a Dutch Midas owner with a Gold coupe shell went to a Toyota dealer to take measurements and thinks it can fit without major body mods. Option 2 is a mid engined Gold coupe by using a Toyota MR2. It would require building a box in the back with the necessary braces and fit the transverse 1.8 engine with a subframe. A big job, but the outside would almost remain intact, except for air intakes in the rear wheel arches and chicken wire between the tail lights. And no doubt the bigger wheels need bigger wheel arches.
But the problem is with all modern systems that much more is needed than just the engine and gearbox. Possibly the instrument pod, steering column with key, environmental stuff like carbon filters and much more must be used from a donor car. A good quality donor would be needed and I would expect a large array of problems popping up. To get the Yaris engine working I estimate a budget of 4K pounds and the mid engined car at least double. With the change of ending up with something not working. When I see that Gordon Murray needed about 10 years to get his mid engined Bronze working with his knowledge, expertise and cooperating companies who did things like the fuel tanks, wiring, exhaust system etc. , I think I need to be a genius or really brave to get something like that on the road. So I chickened out and am now going for a nice lightly tuned A-series engine of between 80 and 90 BHP with everything simple enough I can understand. Together with the new front suspension and a few small mods to prepare the car for LHD will probably keep me busy for a year.
But if you are a brave man with knowledge, expertise and a proper budget your best chance would be a small Daihatsu or Toyota engine from the YRV, Yaris or possibly the Aygo.

[MrBounce]

I think going down the mid-engined route is only for the incredibly creative and talented. not to mention committed. You're basically completely re-designing a car, which usually takes teams of well-financed automotive engineers years to complete. I would say if you want a mid-engined car and want to use a more modern engine, start with something like a Rossa K3, which was mid-engined to start with.

As for the Yaris lump, this would be somewhat easier to achieve - at least the basic set-up is the same!!

[wolfie]

If I had a K3 it would be a Volvo T5 or Rover/Honda T16 turbo engine. Options seem to a bit thin so it might be a case of strapping on a supercharger kit for all that lovely torquey goodness

[rocketron]

I agree with Hans, a nicely built A series really does take some beating. Should we be gathering these engines and keep for spares cos they won't be around for ever? A friend put a Vauxhall 16v into a mini for sprinting, his name is Geoff Owen and had a feature in one of the mini mags about fitting a Suzuki 1300 tc into a green mini. I mentioned this in a previous posting last year, and I suppose some members do not like this unit, but I say again, it fitted brilliantly, with 115bhp went like the proverbial, reliable, good fuel economy and Geoff reckoned was an easy fit. It is his everyday transport, and not an ornament. In my opinion it was one of the best conversions I've been in, not too lairy when the road is wet and you did not need to be Superman to keep it on the island when you had a play.
A supercharged mini I was involved with, about 170+bhp, was an absolute nightmare to drive any distance, and a total bastard in the wet ( a bit like a laxative on steroids!). Both the owner and myself were big lads, but the torque steer beat us every time, we just couldn't relax our concentration at all. You could convert the gearbox to shrapnel at will, instantly. We ended up with a specially built 3 speed gearbox, Jack Knight I think, was the only one to last any time.The only place where the car made sense was on a forest stage.

Both of us truly thought we had wasted our time and effort. A 90bhp 1380cc was fitted instead, and was a better conversion overall.

I'd go for a nice normal aspirated A-series.