FWD Engine to RWD auto gearbox fitting ?
Discussion
Hello all,
I have a Renault 1800 twin cam engine F7P which I am going to fit in my morris marina coupé.no piano jokes please rise above it.
At this point I have the engine and have yet to get a gearbox.
Seeing as there was no rear wheel drive gearbox fitted to this engine in any of its intended cars,I have decided to fit an automatic gearbox,save me the headache of trying to get the clutch to actuate on some prospective 5 speed gearbox,besides I like automatic gearboxes.
My question is regarding the flywheel and the torque converter mating face.
On my F7P engine I have the clutch type flywheel and the face I would bolt the torque converter to is approx 23mm into the bell housing area.
This is made up as the starter ring gear teeth being 10mm wide then a 2mm gap and the sensor teeth for the TDC sensor are approx 11mm.
My question is... on automatic gearboxes is there a universal norm as to the depth of the torque converter,with relation to bolting up to the flywheel face.
There is no space behind the flywheel to the engine block,so all I can think to do is get some heavy,I mean like er 10mm plate and make an adaptor plate, to bolt to the original bell housing mounting points.
Anyone been here before,any help appreciated.
Gary
I have a Renault 1800 twin cam engine F7P which I am going to fit in my morris marina coupé.no piano jokes please rise above it.
At this point I have the engine and have yet to get a gearbox.
Seeing as there was no rear wheel drive gearbox fitted to this engine in any of its intended cars,I have decided to fit an automatic gearbox,save me the headache of trying to get the clutch to actuate on some prospective 5 speed gearbox,besides I like automatic gearboxes.
My question is regarding the flywheel and the torque converter mating face.
On my F7P engine I have the clutch type flywheel and the face I would bolt the torque converter to is approx 23mm into the bell housing area.
This is made up as the starter ring gear teeth being 10mm wide then a 2mm gap and the sensor teeth for the TDC sensor are approx 11mm.
My question is... on automatic gearboxes is there a universal norm as to the depth of the torque converter,with relation to bolting up to the flywheel face.
There is no space behind the flywheel to the engine block,so all I can think to do is get some heavy,I mean like er 10mm plate and make an adaptor plate, to bolt to the original bell housing mounting points.
Anyone been here before,any help appreciated.
Gary
Torque convertors must be "preloaded" towards the transmission by the "flex plate", the amount of preload is fairly important and will be specified for each trans. You will have to measure up the system and make a bell housing adaptor plate and flexplate mounting boss (to crank) that gets the spacing correct etc
but did you know that the renault F series engines fit directly to Volvo 340 manual transmissions........ (would put trans at back of car though)
but did you know that the renault F series engines fit directly to Volvo 340 manual transmissions........ (would put trans at back of car though)
Edited by anonymous-user on Friday 5th November 11:31
You are clearly insane although I'm not necessarily saying that's a bad thing. Even with my own fairly comprehensive workshop and friends with even more kit including CNC machines I wouldn't dream of trying to adapt an oddball engine to another as yet unknown auto box. I'm sure the outcome would be much like the projects I start around the house. Many get started but none ever get finished as I'm quite good at ripping off old plaster, tiles and cladding but very bad at fitting any new stuff.
Anyhoo. I'm inordinately fond of the old Marina as a 1300 was my second car for several years back in the late 70s / early 80s after a brief and unsatisfying Mk1 Ford Escort ownership and 15 years later in the 90s when I needed a cheap estate car for lugging some stuff around I bought a 1700 Ital for £500 and even took it to France on holiday where it performed soundly if rather thirstily given its appalling lack of performance. 30 mpg was only to be found on a very good day and there were not that many of those but it was relaxing to drive and pretty much incapable of getting stopped for speeding in which with me is not a bad thing.
The 1300 was an animal though once I'd finished with it. 185 tyres instead of the weedy 155 ones fitted as standard to give it some grip and fill out the wheel arches properly and Spax adjustable suspension all round to keep those on the ground more of the time. Big valve ported head, twin SU carbs, LCB and straight through exhaust and a fairly wild Leyland 544 cam and it would pull 110 mph on the speedo with a little encouragement as well as go round corners with considerable aplomb by the standards of the age. Of course any modern car like my Focus would destroy it but back then its competition was mainly 1600 and 2 litre Cortinas and Capris and it would sort them out no problem.
If I were to pick an engine for the Marina and to keep everything in the spirit of an old classic like that I might plump for a Ford 1600 CVH. Nice and light as well as simple in design, easy to rebuild and tune, very easy to get much more power out of up to say 130 or 140 bhp and easy to fit to any Ford rwd 4 or 5 speed gearbox.
Second choice for more power would be a 2 litre 16v Zetec which would fit on the same gearboxes and engine mounts.
The thought of a Renault engine on an auto box in a Marina gives me the collywobbles. You should be ashamed of yourself.
Anyhoo. I'm inordinately fond of the old Marina as a 1300 was my second car for several years back in the late 70s / early 80s after a brief and unsatisfying Mk1 Ford Escort ownership and 15 years later in the 90s when I needed a cheap estate car for lugging some stuff around I bought a 1700 Ital for £500 and even took it to France on holiday where it performed soundly if rather thirstily given its appalling lack of performance. 30 mpg was only to be found on a very good day and there were not that many of those but it was relaxing to drive and pretty much incapable of getting stopped for speeding in which with me is not a bad thing.
The 1300 was an animal though once I'd finished with it. 185 tyres instead of the weedy 155 ones fitted as standard to give it some grip and fill out the wheel arches properly and Spax adjustable suspension all round to keep those on the ground more of the time. Big valve ported head, twin SU carbs, LCB and straight through exhaust and a fairly wild Leyland 544 cam and it would pull 110 mph on the speedo with a little encouragement as well as go round corners with considerable aplomb by the standards of the age. Of course any modern car like my Focus would destroy it but back then its competition was mainly 1600 and 2 litre Cortinas and Capris and it would sort them out no problem.
If I were to pick an engine for the Marina and to keep everything in the spirit of an old classic like that I might plump for a Ford 1600 CVH. Nice and light as well as simple in design, easy to rebuild and tune, very easy to get much more power out of up to say 130 or 140 bhp and easy to fit to any Ford rwd 4 or 5 speed gearbox.
Second choice for more power would be a 2 litre 16v Zetec which would fit on the same gearboxes and engine mounts.
The thought of a Renault engine on an auto box in a Marina gives me the collywobbles. You should be ashamed of yourself.
Thanks for the constructive reply Max Torque. It's been many years since I used to work in an engine re-conditioners and I remember taking an engine from a rear wheel drive car as many were back then.I thought it would be a case of spacing the auto box to the flywheel and repositioning the bolt holes for the plate attached to the torque converter,I can see I will have to do some home work.
Yes I knew about the possibility of using a Volvo 340 gearbox,I have only just removed the old 1300 rear axle and installed a Sprint one and I don't fancy doing the torque tube conversion.Also would like a more recent auto box with a view to getting it repaired should it need it.
Pumaracing,I certainly ain't a crackpot although I do wonder sometimes why I make jobs hard for myself.
I have had a couple of marinas in the past they where a 1.3 and 1.7 took us up and down the country ,all over the place without a hitch,but that was back then.
I like the look of the coupé not that fussed over the mechanicals only I want the car to have enough power and will be uprating the front brakes to as it happens Clio discs and callipers.Oh the shame of it.
We all see different things in a car,everyone to their own I say.
Gary
Yes I knew about the possibility of using a Volvo 340 gearbox,I have only just removed the old 1300 rear axle and installed a Sprint one and I don't fancy doing the torque tube conversion.Also would like a more recent auto box with a view to getting it repaired should it need it.
Pumaracing,I certainly ain't a crackpot although I do wonder sometimes why I make jobs hard for myself.
I have had a couple of marinas in the past they where a 1.3 and 1.7 took us up and down the country ,all over the place without a hitch,but that was back then.
I like the look of the coupé not that fussed over the mechanicals only I want the car to have enough power and will be uprating the front brakes to as it happens Clio discs and callipers.Oh the shame of it.
We all see different things in a car,everyone to their own I say.
Gary
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