2.3 16v vauxhall slant 4 - any experience?
Discussion
looking to fit a 2.3 16v vauxhall slant 4 to a chevette - any experiences with this engine?
reliability?
parts availability?
power outputs? (i know the factory cars were banging out 240bhp / 180lb/ft)
tuning potential (are stroker kits to 2.6 possible still?)
size of carbs? 40's 45's 48's?
car is to be a fast road car / single stage car
i'd normally have looked at the droop snoop group (DSG) website but it aint working :-(
marc
reliability?
parts availability?
power outputs? (i know the factory cars were banging out 240bhp / 180lb/ft)
tuning potential (are stroker kits to 2.6 possible still?)
size of carbs? 40's 45's 48's?
car is to be a fast road car / single stage car
i'd normally have looked at the droop snoop group (DSG) website but it aint working :-(
marc
This engine was developed by Bill Blydenstein and I did the odd bit of tinkering with it. For a fast road/single stage car you should fit 48 DHLA Dell'Ortos and a set of Mr Blydenstein's cams if you can find them.
The engine was also used in the Lotus Sunbeam and the GM iron block is far stronger than the Lotus(907) alloy one.
We know of a guy locally who hoardes HSR bits and pieces and the next time he appears for a tweak I'll see what he wants for a pair Mr B's 'shafts! Something tells me that you might get lucky with Kent Cams.
I can also advise you on some of the other bits and pieces you might need.
The engine was also used in the Lotus Sunbeam and the GM iron block is far stronger than the Lotus(907) alloy one.
We know of a guy locally who hoardes HSR bits and pieces and the next time he appears for a tweak I'll see what he wants for a pair Mr B's 'shafts! Something tells me that you might get lucky with Kent Cams.
I can also advise you on some of the other bits and pieces you might need.
AntMat said:
We know of a guy locally who hoardes HSR bits and pieces and the next time he appears for a tweak I'll see what he wants for a pair Mr B's 'shafts! Something tells me that you might get lucky with Kent Cams.
I can also advise you on some of the other bits and pieces you might need.
turns out i need a 16 valve head or full engine as well! doh the engine i was getting excited about has turned out to be a 8v! that will be why it was cheap :-(
edit:
idea is perhaps get the 8 valve fitted - drive it for a bit and in the meantime get a 16v lump to drop in.
the original idea was to put a 20xe engine in - but it stops me running historical events at a later date
Edited by marcevo1 on Thursday 19th April 17:22
andymadmak said:
Its the basis of the Lotus 2.2 slant 4 engine.
Myth
The Lotus LV240 engine - based on the Vauxhall slant 4 block - was used to develop the head design for the 900 series Lotus engine. They used the Vauxhall block as a development shortcut when they realised the bore centres were pretty much identical, but only a handful of LV240 engines were built. The 900 series was a completely new design, albeit based on the lessons learnt from the LV240.
If you're expecting to just drop a Lotus Turbo head (or any other compnents, for that matter) straight onto a Vauxhall slant 4 block, you're going to be sadly disappointed!
AntMat said:
The engine was also used in the Lotus Sunbeam
Myth
The Lotus Sunbeam used the Lotus 911 engine, complete with Lotus manufactured alloy block.
Yes, the bore centres are the same, so it's not impossible.
You can fit a BMW motorcycle head to a Mini A-series block... it doesn't mean that it's a straightforward or cost-effective method of tuning. The engines are similar enough in size and shape that the more sensible thing to do would be to bin the VX engine altogether and drop a complete Lotus 900 series in its place.
Even then, don't expect to make a turbo installation work very easily. Lotus couldn't make it work with the front engined installlation in the Excel, so expect the plumbing and intercooling to be a nightmare!
You can fit a BMW motorcycle head to a Mini A-series block... it doesn't mean that it's a straightforward or cost-effective method of tuning. The engines are similar enough in size and shape that the more sensible thing to do would be to bin the VX engine altogether and drop a complete Lotus 900 series in its place.
Even then, don't expect to make a turbo installation work very easily. Lotus couldn't make it work with the front engined installlation in the Excel, so expect the plumbing and intercooling to be a nightmare!
It's going back a "few" years now but I seem to recall that a stage three(or was it four?) 8 valve head gave better power and reliability than the 16 valve. The 16 valve is well known for eating camshafts due to the use of the head bolt holes as an oil way for delivering oil to the head. There is a waisted bolt modification which helps the flow but even with this I would be very careful about using low viscosity oils especially as the cams were like rocking horse do-dah about ten years ago so God only knows what they are like to get hold of now!
Having said that a 16v twin-cam Chevette on full song is a whole shed load of fun. My comments are not meant to put you off (I'd be seriously tempted myself!) but to let you go into it with your eyes open to the possible problems.
As has been covered before the head is based on the lotus twin-cam but is not bolt on interchangeable.
Thanks for the trip down memory lane...
HTH
Having said that a 16v twin-cam Chevette on full song is a whole shed load of fun. My comments are not meant to put you off (I'd be seriously tempted myself!) but to let you go into it with your eyes open to the possible problems.
As has been covered before the head is based on the lotus twin-cam but is not bolt on interchangeable.
Thanks for the trip down memory lane...
HTH
yeah the 8v does produce some amazing power outputs (for an old engine design) - 180bhp on 45's!
i may have some luck trying to get historical rally status with the 8v apparently (fingers crossed) - if thats so - i wont be bothering with the heart ache of trying to get the head to match the block
i know it wont be competative as an 8v but what is on a 10k budget against 100k build cost bda's :-(
i may have some luck trying to get historical rally status with the 8v apparently (fingers crossed) - if thats so - i wont be bothering with the heart ache of trying to get the head to match the block
i know it wont be competative as an 8v but what is on a 10k budget against 100k build cost bda's :-(
Sam_68 said:
Yes, the bore centres are the same, so it's not impossible.
You can fit a BMW motorcycle head to a Mini A-series block... it doesn't mean that it's a straightforward or cost-effective method of tuning. The engines are similar enough in size and shape that the more sensible thing to do would be to bin the VX engine altogether and drop a complete Lotus 900 series in its place.
Even then, don't expect to make a turbo installation work very easily. Lotus couldn't make it work with the front engined installlation in the Excel, so expect the plumbing and intercooling to be a nightmare!
The Turbo Excel was a no go due to a lack of space around the engine (chassis in the way), also heat issues, I believe a couple of enterprising types have done the conversion though.You can fit a BMW motorcycle head to a Mini A-series block... it doesn't mean that it's a straightforward or cost-effective method of tuning. The engines are similar enough in size and shape that the more sensible thing to do would be to bin the VX engine altogether and drop a complete Lotus 900 series in its place.
Even then, don't expect to make a turbo installation work very easily. Lotus couldn't make it work with the front engined installlation in the Excel, so expect the plumbing and intercooling to be a nightmare!
The LV type engines were raced in the Europa look alike race cars (type 62?)
Drop an Excel S/E engine and box (toyota celica supra 2.8 bullet proof 5 speed) in for a reliable 180bhp, Skip Brown can get silly BHP out of these if you have the budget.
That old vauxhall unit can make serious BHP make no mistake its 2300cc at the end of the day,do not dismiss this unit because its 8 valve in their day they made mental power,i seem to remember they like an oil leak too mostly from the crap cam cover
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