What is your FAVORITE 4 cyl for a HotRod project? MPG-HP !

one more thing they are also a direct bolt up with new style s-10 5 speed trans

 

Right. It's a 3.7 litre engine. Aluminum block, Ford 460 head, and a reputation for being trouble prone. I just picked up a 181 c.i. Mercruiser 4 banger at a local boat yard and was talking to the mechanic about the 3.7L engines. He said the Ford cast iron head and Mercruiser block have differential expansion issues which lead to cracking and head gasket leaks.

Bob

 

The Ecotec has a unique pattern and doesn't interchange with any other GM engines.
http://members.shaw.ca/betterthanyoutoo/bellhousing/gm_bellhousing_bolt_patterns.htm

 

So you could drop on a Aluminum Edelbrock Head and have a All Aluminum 3.7 4Cyl.

That would be fun...

 

Funny you should mention that, because the mechanic and I talked about doing that when he offered his theory that the problems resulted from the differential expansion rates with the iron head. He didn't, however, know anyone that had tried it. Don't know if you've seen one, but the 3.7 is a physically large motor. Much larger than the 181 cubic inch Chevy based Mercruiser 4 banger.

Bob

 

The different expansion rates theory is interesting. There are, of course, lots of iron blocks with aluminum heads on 'em. Not sure why they don't have these issues.

I know nothing of these 4cyl marine engines or their troubles & your marine mechanic friend no doubt has a much better handle on it all than I do. It's just that it's not an unknown factor, nor is it not-doable...if there are problems, I would suspect something else.

 

I may be mistaken, but I believe one of the Inliners’ members has put an aluminum head on that engine, mechanical injection too (with a bore and stroke increase IIRC). If I’m not completely off, it was in an issue of the 12 port news (their bi monthly newsletter) I’ll have to look and see.

 

i cant believe you people would want a ZROBOTECH TURBO 1.9 in your hotrod...ask me? its gay, put a model a or b 4 banger in it, ever drive one? they can get up and go 55, i dont understand how someone could even imagine putting a new car 4 cylinder in a hot rod, i hope for the least that it has a hood on it.

 

Knew a guy with a 12A in a Bugeye Sprite mated to an Alpha gear box Burned out in 3 of 4 gears as it was rather light .

Other pal has a Morris Minor with twin turbo V-8 had to look around the thing to see like a tail dragger

At work we run 13 B in a Formula Car and a 4g63 in the other and now we are building the Evo Lancer MK 9 in a Carbon Fiber Lola F-3 type car they all have power to spare and do okay in mileage -not road able but still pretty cool

 

Search MerCruiser 470. There were 3 versions of the engine. One had a rochester 2 barrel. One had a quadrajet of some sort. Not sure about the other.

Couple guys here have or do run them.

They are 4.39 bore and 3.75 stroke for something like 226 cubic inches.

 

Not hot rod material at all!!!!!

My dad bought one of the last chevy Luvs with that motor. I took it to test and tune one night......21.4 @ 60 mph .....and I was abusing the hell out of it! ! ! ! ! !

 

wow 55, better hold on to it.

 

Yeah...and go 55 on ANY highway in the US these days and you are a rolling road hazzard. 55 don't cut it anymore.

And while I believe an A Banger could do it in the right car and with the right trans, the cost is prohibitive for most people and parts availablity is something to consider as well.

 

This is a car I'm building for my wife. We call her Shealey. it's a Suzuki Swift 1300cc bolted to a Samuari 5 speed. This is in a 1959 Austin Bugeye but it would work nicely in a rod. The engine is light and rated at 100hp.

 

any one used the 1.8 pontiac ohc turbo. i was told they are close 180 hp.

 

beats the hell out of dropping a 350 in...

What ever happened to the "Run what You Brung" attitude of hot rodding...

if someone has a modern 4 cylinder sitting in their garage, why should they go buy another engine?

Most modern 4 cylinders put out more reliable horse power than the old V8s...

 

I am doing a 1986 FI 2.3 T5 in my 1959 Rambler American 2 door wagon....Better Known as the Ramblin/Ranger.....

 

Rev,

Some people are forgetting that about 70-80 years ago, folks were putting all kinds of engines into their cars to go faster, quicker, and more economically... definitely NOT traditional, huh?

 

HAHAHA..

What were those people thinking?

 

What ever guys...true hot rods have '86 Chevy 350's, with a TH350, Ford 9 inch, and a Mustang II IFS!

Seriously, though great thread...love me some bangers!

So far I can't decide whicj I like best

GM 3000/Chevy II/Mercruiser 181
Any Quad 4
Iron Duke....

SO many good options!

 

You can't beat the current crop of small I4's for effieceny versus power.

 

Thanks guys... it's awesome to see this ingenuity.
I messed with a buddy's I6 in a 53 gmc, but never a banger.

If I ever had a car light enough I would love to keep the mill out of my daily-driver subaru! The damn thing is ridiculously powerful for 2 liters and WON'T STOP! Anybody else mess with these? Like an old vw or porsche flat 4. All I do is put oil in it and drive the piss out of it, but the tuner geeks can get 300+ horsepower from the bored and turbo versions.

 

I've got a 97' Saturn engine sitting in my shed. Keep thinkin' how cool it would be in a single seat speedster

 

turbo mopar 2.2 tIII if you can find one something like 245 horse stock

 

Well, if you are interested in making it RWD...

http://purplesagetradingpost.com/sumner/harvey/construction page-6.html

 

1- id rather have a 350, at least you can dress it up nice

2- if someone has a modern 4 cylinder in their garage, they should go buy another engine because the modern 4 cylinder looks ugly

maybe im wrong, i just hate using new car stuff on old cars, on my car i try to keep everything traditional unless its,

a. not seen (cd player in glovebox for example)
b. temporary fix
c. i cant think of a c

but then again, my car isnt in discussion so what does it matter.

 

Again (and I have said this to other people in this thread I think) this is a pro-I4 thread. If you think V8's are the only way to go....go start your own V8 thread and ignore this one.

 

Farmcal,

The Quad4 went through about 6 revisions/upgrades- from everything I've read, stay with the '96 and up 2.4l.

 

HAHA! you forgot the vic jr intake, 3/4 race cam and stock long block with a 1050 double pumper.

I always thought rodding was about taking whatever you can get to make something more driveable (more driveable to me means faster...) regardless of brand. as long as it works better, good; if it happens to look better, awesome...if not, whatever, it works better.

never thought about the subaru engines, those things do take a lot of abuse without death.

 

why modern I4? may be a pro I4 thread but this is a message board dedicated to traditional hot rods and kustoms. why dont you make another forum dedicated to your modern 4 bangers?
ok im done i dont like this post.