Suggest me an engine.

[cros]

Experimental GM two-stroke X8 engine would be my first choice.

I wonder if the PSA motors in engine conversions use a Suzuki gearbox, some Vitaras use XUDs, and LDV used XUDs and DW8s in the Pilot/200 of course.

1.7 Isuzu NA diesel out of a rusty Corsa would be good if you want to keep it in the GM family.

I've been here before- a friend has a Sherpa B series diesel with its 5 speed LT77 in his Morris J van. The Rover box is a pain because the lever hangs on the back of the box and ends up behind you. I drove 200 miles the van last year but my hearings come back now. I'm liking the idea of the 3 cylinder corsa lump joined to the 3 speed box. But what do I know of all the bits to make it work? Absolutely fuck all, I've never even owned a petrol car without a carb.

[twosmoke300]

1.5 diesel - the bmc one that looks like a b series

[LessThanEqual]

1.6 8v 75PS VW engine.

[cros]

As I was saying....

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SUZUKI-GRAND-VITARA-SPARES-OR-REPAIR-SALVAGE-NOT-NON-RUNNER-4WD-2003-LWB-5-DOOR-/222486910597?hash=item33cd40d685:g:fAMAAOSwvihY~jZw

Blue Vitara.jpg

Looks like it's had a bit of a smack to the NSF.  It's in Darlington, where are you?

I'll have a look at one of these but feel that something earlier with carb would be more suitable. Am a long way off in South Lincs.

[cros]

1.5 diesel - the bmc one that looks like a b series

No, the later 1.8 5 bearing indirect injection sort. Quieter than an O series in the same way that Motorhead were quieter than Deep Purple.

[eddyramrod]

I'll have a look at one of these but feel that something earlier with carb would be more suitable. Am a long way off in South Lincs.

Yes, you're very probably right.  Earlier models such as the Samurai should have a carb, if that helps.

[junkyarddog]

Neat idea, column change especially appealing. Would probably be nice and compact. Bit heavy though and rear axle would probably not handle torque.

There was also a 1600 petrol version fitted to the Hiace too.

 

Similar aged Nissan Vanettes also came diesel and petrol powered,also with a column change.

[cros]

There was also a 1600 petrol version fitted to the Hiace too.

 

Similar aged Nissan Vanettes also came diesel and petrol powered,also with a column change.

Petrol 1600 Nissan could be very good, I never thought of such a thing. Presumably there was a petrol engined Mitsubishi small van thing also with column and if so did the Bedford Midi ever come with a petrol engine?

[Asimo]

Midi was available petrol powered, there was an immaculate one on autotrader recently.

[junkyarddog]

The Hyundai L100 van may suffice too,

they may be slightly more plentiful,being a newer van.

[Barry Cade]

Bedford Rascal engine lies pretty much on its side, quite a bit to do if putting it in upright.. tried this with an SJ410, and had to change nearly everything,despite it being the same engine. SJ413 engine would work -on a carb too.

 

Toyota Liteace would be good- 1500cc carb.

 

Daihatsu \Sportrack. 1600cc. early ones were carbd.

[PiperCub]

If no-one's said it by now, how about a small-ish Perkins unit?

 

Suppose an XUD7/8/9 N/A would be too powerful?

[catsinthewelder]

Daihatsu HiJet/ Piaggio Porter? Small, RWD just watch out for HGF.

[sierraman]

Fuck it, stick a Perkins Phaser in.

[wuvvum]

What you want is a single-cylinder crank-start Petter diesel.  Bulletproof and you wouldn't have to worry about wiring up complex electrics.

[cros]

If no-one's said it by now, how about a small-ish Perkins unit?

 

Suppose an XUD7/8/9 N/A would be too powerful?

I've wondered about a 4/107 or similar. A long time ago I drove a CA pickup factory fitted with one a so it's feasible that theres one out there which would fit straight to the Bedford gearbox. Trouble is these are now all long in the tooth and due to continued marine use make good money. Also smokey compared to modern diesels. I knew a bloke who worked at Perkins when they developed the original 4.99; it started life as a BMC 1500 b series crank in a fabricated cylinder block.

A couple of times I've made up adapters to join engines to the wrong gearbox. The last time I went all modern and got an aluminium billet water jetted to a paper template, then had it turned to fit the lipped bell housing. It's not a cheap option and sometimes you run into difficulties with things like too small a flywheel spigot which really starts to get complicated. This has rendered otherwise suitable VW 1.9s tdis hard to fit into Landrovers without machining the crank, or so I've read. My best option is a ready to go engine and gearbox. Column change would be nice but a hole in the floor is no problem if that's where the gear lever needs to be- there's plenty to choose from.

[twosmoke300]

That's interesting- always wondered if anyone had put a 1.9 tdi pd in a Landy ? Would be a lovely torquey machine I reckon

[Timewaster]

If it is a long term project then I would be looking at petrol or electric.

 

I can see diesels becoming as socially acceptable as drink driving.

[cros]

That's interesting- always wondered if anyone had put a 1.9 tdi pd in a Landy ? Would be a lovely torquey machine I reckon

There's a bloke in the USA who did, he rigged up a drill to turn the crank in situ and machined the spigot out with a tool bolted at the back of the block. Availability of TDI 2.5s makes it not worth the bother over here though.

[D Spares & Tyres]

Standard / Triumph 998cc. Still relatively easy to find and cheap to buy and find parts for

[alcyonecorporation]

Midi was available petrol powered, there was an immaculate one on autotrader recently.

Midi was an Isuzu Fargo, and it came with a 2.0-litre petrol engine. Ended up the Piazza Turbo with a hairdryer bolted to it. 

[cros]

I'll cross Midi off then, too big. 1.2 - 1.6 is size, petrol is fuel unless someone tells me how electricity works.

[sierraman]

Remember reading in Practical Classics about a guy who swapped the 2.25 in a Landy for a Montego Perkins Prima, said it made it eminently more useable.

[Guest Hooli]

I have got a MG Midget 1500 engine and gearbox sitting here. It had trouble keep blowing head gaskets so could do with having the block decked and a head re-face. The gearbox is an unknown but a set of bearings isn't a lot of money. I should also have all the bits to bolt onto it carbs alternator etc. It would be cheap.

 

 

I never had any issues with a 1500 midget trashed as a young bloke does in a sporty car, but the three bearing bottom end might not like lugging a bigger car about?

[cros]

3 bearing crank is fine for me, less friction.

[Des]

If you can find one, the old Nissan Vanette had the pushrod Cherry engine, paint it lawnmower green and it would take an expert eye to fathom the deceit. Gearbox is fairly compact with a couple of levers poking out for a remote gearchange, but I think the mounting is on top where it hangs off the floor. That engine stayed in production for forklifts, usually with LPG, sometimes turbo'd up.

[cros]

∆∆∆∆∆ Approaching maximum tumescence

[uk_senator]

Some interesting ones here:

 

http://www.rodsnsods.co.uk/forum/history-archive/vauxhall-viva-thread-10884#post105472

[doobietoo]

didn't the Bedford midi have column change? little 1.7 diezzler too

 

edit:  or 1.8 petrol....

[Guest Hooli]

3 bearing crank is fine for me, less friction.

 

If memory serves the bearings are the same size as the original 803cc A-series.