On Tue, 18 Jun 2002, Timothy Holbrook wrote:
> While engine swaps sound like fun sometimes (I love the idea of the
> Honda S2000 engine in a Spit - 8500 rpm redline, 240hp, and Honda
> reliability, in a car that weighs less than a ton and handles like
> crazy!!), you definitely want to do some research before tackling a job
> this big. I would strongly recommend reading some Grassroots
> Motorsports back-issues. They discuss this topic quite a bit, and did
> an extensive (and exPensive!) series on putting a Mazda rotary into a
> Spit. Great result, but tons of work, frustration, and MONEY. I would
> also recommend checking out Dan Master's newsletters and club dedicated
> to engine swaps in British cars. There's a website, but I forget what
> it is.... You can get around 170hp out of the Triumph 6 cylinder
> without too much problem (head work, header, triple strombergs, cam,
> roller rockers), for about $2,500. This may be a bargain when compared
> to an engine swap, and you'll have a fun TR6! But if you are looking
> for serious, reliable horespower (200+), my opinion is you'll need an
> engine swap.
Actually, you can get around 200 reliable horsepower from a TR6, but it
will not be tractable and it'll cost a lot of money. To make it reliable,
you need Carillo rods, high compression and a cam. Forget about
streetability.
That having been said, if you can pull engine management into the picture,
you can tune the tractability issues, but I doubt that the motor can be
made very streetable.
That having been said, I spent some time talking with a person from IL
name Eric Quakinbush at Mid-Ohio... he's running PI and 10:1 on the street
with nor problems. I don't know what he's using for pistons, but chances
are with that setup that if any detonation occurs, things will go downhill
_real fast_.
But I'll tell you what... the $2500 number is _way too low_. Make that
number above $5k and then we're talking. $15k if you want the whole
shooting match.
BTW, the stock TR6 rear end seems to be okay for up to 200 HP. I've not
broken any gears in the race car (yey, knock wood), they were "pre-broken"
for me. :=)
As for the engine swap thing, this is a pure personal thing. I would not
buy a TR6 with a V8 in it, for example, but as a tinkerer, the idea of
making one fit has a certain amount of appeal. Just remember on any
project like this - you'd better like the final product, because you'll
never sell it for what it'll cost you to do! If you don't beleive me, drop
Tim Suddard a line at GRM. They put a _ton_ of buck$ at the Ro-Spit.
> Tim Holbrook
> 1971 TR6
C ya,
rml
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