Bike Engined Cars and reliability
Discussion
I think it is generally accepted that motorbike engines will need rebuilds more often than a fairly standard car engine. After all they rev a lot higher, and will need to be worked harder as they are short of torque compared with a car engine of similar power.
Also, it is often said about kit cars that car derived components often get an easier time in a kit, because the car weighs so much less than the vehicle the parts were designed for. In the case of bike engined cars, the reverse would seem to be true.
However, the question is how many miles do you plan to drive in your car? I noticed in your other thread (great shame about your problems
, hope you get it fixed soon) that you use a trailer to take your car to trackdays. Consequently your annual mileage is going to be low, and a bike engine should be capable of several years of hard track use, and the light weight will really help the handling 
It seems to me that you wouldn't be happy with a car with a standard car engine like mine, and if you tune a car engine to get bike engine performance, you'll need a lot more power and might well have reliability issues again.
Duncan
Also, it is often said about kit cars that car derived components often get an easier time in a kit, because the car weighs so much less than the vehicle the parts were designed for. In the case of bike engined cars, the reverse would seem to be true.
However, the question is how many miles do you plan to drive in your car? I noticed in your other thread (great shame about your problems
, hope you get it fixed soon) that you use a trailer to take your car to trackdays. Consequently your annual mileage is going to be low, and a bike engine should be capable of several years of hard track use, and the light weight will really help the handling It seems to me that you wouldn't be happy with a car with a standard car engine like mine, and if you tune a car engine to get bike engine performance, you'll need a lot more power and might well have reliability issues again.
Duncan
Short answer is no.
They have their fanatical adherents, who will tell you stories of Toyota-like reliability, but then forget to mention the two clutch changes and a gearbox rebuild that they had to undertake in less mileage than the service interval on a normal car (but clutches are easy to change and engines/gearboxes are a disposable service item that can be picked up at low cost, doncha know?), but essentially you're making the oil system, gearbox dogs and clutch do jobs they were never designed to do, and because of the shorter gearing on BECs compared to the original bike, you're running them at consistently higher revs (more revs, more of the time) than they'd ever experience in a bike.
Trawl through some of the old posts on the Bike Engined Car group on Yahoo, or the BEC forum on the Locost forums, and you'll start to get a reasonable picture.
Sorry to have to tell you this, but if you wanted reliability, you'd have been better off spending your money sorting your old car (and maybe converting it to a modern Zetec engine) than splurging on a BEC.
They have their fanatical adherents, who will tell you stories of Toyota-like reliability, but then forget to mention the two clutch changes and a gearbox rebuild that they had to undertake in less mileage than the service interval on a normal car (but clutches are easy to change and engines/gearboxes are a disposable service item that can be picked up at low cost, doncha know?), but essentially you're making the oil system, gearbox dogs and clutch do jobs they were never designed to do, and because of the shorter gearing on BECs compared to the original bike, you're running them at consistently higher revs (more revs, more of the time) than they'd ever experience in a bike.
Trawl through some of the old posts on the Bike Engined Car group on Yahoo, or the BEC forum on the Locost forums, and you'll start to get a reasonable picture.
Sorry to have to tell you this, but if you wanted reliability, you'd have been better off spending your money sorting your old car (and maybe converting it to a modern Zetec engine) than splurging on a BEC.
Sam_68 said:
Short answer is no.
Alternatively, the glass-half-full answer is Yes . . . considering what they were originally designed to do and considering what you are now asking them to do in a Kitcar.However they will not have the kind of reliability of an undertuned CEC with loads of redundancy. But that is not why anyone would build/buy a BEC in the first place.
Kiwi XTR2 said:
Alternatively, the glass-half-full answer is Yes . . . considering...
If you need caveats, then the short answer is still no. 
I agree that they have appeal as flyweight track devices but the OP is, by his own admission, a mechanical numpty. I'd regard BECs as for mechanically competent fanatics only. Hell, if you can't keep something as simple and robust as a Kent engined Seven reliable, then you're onto a loser with a BEC.
Well, a nights kip puts things into perspective. Ill call MK or an engine specialist (any recommendations?) on Monday and exchange cash for a repaired car in a few weeks no doubt. Ce La Vi.
Forgot the whole point of buying the indy was so I could go do track days and keep the JCW and M3 shiny shiny and if it broke it didnt matter.
Thanks for everyone's posts. Off out in the M3 now, nowt like a V8 to bring a smile back to your face eh!
Forgot the whole point of buying the indy was so I could go do track days and keep the JCW and M3 shiny shiny and if it broke it didnt matter.
Thanks for everyone's posts. Off out in the M3 now, nowt like a V8 to bring a smile back to your face eh!
Edited by _Leg_ on Saturday 18th June 10:02
ouch !!!
This is where I'm at, Built 2000 fitted a whopping 893cc blade engine, car used predominantly for track days often 2 up and the odd trip to Le Mans 2 up and yes it had 2 clutches and yes 4th gear dog gave up the ghost after 7 years, engine was removed just over 3 years ago, box rebuilt engine not touched and its still as I write this happily burbling away in a westfield.
We also entered the GOME 6 hour endurance event at Mallory again a 2 up event, suffered lots of ridicule from the guys in the know if you surf the net you will find plenty of suggestions we was going to turn up with a van full of spare engines in order to complete the 6 hour event, we now find ourselves with the regulations re written for the event banning BECS from entering, I let you draw your own conclusions as to why, we did complete the event with only one minor scare when a CEC chucked a rod as we was lapping it covering us and the circuit with oil.
When the blade came out a 2001 (17k miles) busa went in(£1500), the engine is still as removed from the bike 3 years on nothing as been changed aside from oil and filters, nothing, cant recall the count accurately for previous years but this year alone its done 7 track days, all driven flat out and on slicks when weather permitted.
I'm not saying there bullet proof, Ive seen a fair few let go (seen plenty CECS let go to) trouble is when they do they generally do it with style and a tad spectacular usually a photographer on hand to to grab some spectacular shots and post them all over the net, when a rod comes though at 11000rpm it does tend to make itself known.
My honest opinion and no one will change it, installed with care particularly to the lubrication and cooling they are every bit as reliable as a "modified" conventional car engine, they do like to be thrashed though........
This is where I'm at, Built 2000 fitted a whopping 893cc blade engine, car used predominantly for track days often 2 up and the odd trip to Le Mans 2 up and yes it had 2 clutches and yes 4th gear dog gave up the ghost after 7 years, engine was removed just over 3 years ago, box rebuilt engine not touched and its still as I write this happily burbling away in a westfield.
We also entered the GOME 6 hour endurance event at Mallory again a 2 up event, suffered lots of ridicule from the guys in the know if you surf the net you will find plenty of suggestions we was going to turn up with a van full of spare engines in order to complete the 6 hour event, we now find ourselves with the regulations re written for the event banning BECS from entering, I let you draw your own conclusions as to why, we did complete the event with only one minor scare when a CEC chucked a rod as we was lapping it covering us and the circuit with oil.
When the blade came out a 2001 (17k miles) busa went in(£1500), the engine is still as removed from the bike 3 years on nothing as been changed aside from oil and filters, nothing, cant recall the count accurately for previous years but this year alone its done 7 track days, all driven flat out and on slicks when weather permitted.
I'm not saying there bullet proof, Ive seen a fair few let go (seen plenty CECS let go to) trouble is when they do they generally do it with style and a tad spectacular usually a photographer on hand to to grab some spectacular shots and post them all over the net, when a rod comes though at 11000rpm it does tend to make itself known.
My honest opinion and no one will change it, installed with care particularly to the lubrication and cooling they are every bit as reliable as a "modified" conventional car engine, they do like to be thrashed though........
My Fury9r did four solid years doing nothing but track days,which meant all day at 12k or bouncing off the limiter. The only mods were a baffled sump.
I changed the oil/filter every other track day and it never once missed a beat. The only I thing I ever broke was the starter after a huge 360 and me not getting the clutch in quick enough.
Actually amazed me nothing ever broke considering the abuse.
Regarding specialists, you wont go wrong with Andy Bates at AB Performance.
I changed the oil/filter every other track day and it never once missed a beat. The only I thing I ever broke was the starter after a huge 360 and me not getting the clutch in quick enough.
Actually amazed me nothing ever broke considering the abuse.
Regarding specialists, you wont go wrong with Andy Bates at AB Performance.
Engine was originally from Yorkshire Engines. Ill call Malc and Andy as well. Thanks.
Just been reading EVO's article about the Mille Miglia. Reminded me of James Martin's experience there. £1M car, shipped to Italy, broke down so he couldnt complete the event. He would piss himself at me moaning about a few hundred quid and a bit of inconvenience eh lol!
Just been reading EVO's article about the Mille Miglia. Reminded me of James Martin's experience there. £1M car, shipped to Italy, broke down so he couldnt complete the event. He would piss himself at me moaning about a few hundred quid and a bit of inconvenience eh lol!
Jon Ison said:
Put this date in your diary,
July 30th, MK are booking (have booked) Blyton for the day cost will be £130ish will be plenty of BEC owners there may be a good brain picking exercise ?
Contact MK (Danny) for further details.
Might come along. Although I spent two Saturday mornings at MK getting the oil leak fixed before this happened. Not sure what else I can glean from a day at Blyton with them.July 30th, MK are booking (have booked) Blyton for the day cost will be £130ish will be plenty of BEC owners there may be a good brain picking exercise ?
Contact MK (Danny) for further details.
Jon Ison said:
Put this date in your diary,
July 30th, MK are booking (have booked) Blyton for the day cost will be £130ish will be plenty of BEC owners there may be a good brain picking exercise ?
Contact MK (Danny) for further details.
I am sure that event has been canceled now Jon, due to lack of interest.July 30th, MK are booking (have booked) Blyton for the day cost will be £130ish will be plenty of BEC owners there may be a good brain picking exercise ?
Contact MK (Danny) for further details.
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