I was contemplating my parts stash today, to be more precise the complete running gear/suspension from a 39 French Ford, I was plannning on using everything to throw together a modified-type thing, but the engine, a v8-60 looks like it's gonna take a lot of dough to get running and reliable. I was thinking a 2 litre Fiat twin cam engine would be cheaper, wrecking yards are full of 'em. Now will the Banjo handle this? Am I right in presuming the choice of engine to put in front of a Banjo is dictated by the torque it produces and not the RPM?
if the diff can take the torque of a decent size V8, i'd be very comfortable pushing it with a 2 Litre. a change in capacity doesn't necessarily mean the diff is going to be spinning any faster. after all, if the diff is spinning faster, your car is GOING faster! you might rev the engine higher, but remember that only means the input shaft of the gearbox is turning quicker, not the diff. the diff has no idea whether you're in third gear at 2,000 RPM, or first gear at 12,000 RPM, it's just spinnin' you'll be safe. but V8's are better.
The Jalopy Journal
