1 2 3 4 5
RossD
RossD MegaDork
1/1/21 1:13 p.m.

A Focus Zetec SVT is 170 hp, but it is getting a bit harder to find cheap. While an old 4 banger T-5 from a Fox Body doesn't "bolt up" its quite close with a small adapter plate. Then use all of the 2.3 Lima's clutch/flywheel/starter.

If you have those Midget racers that used the Zetec near you, you could be getting to 200hp with some old neglected parts.

Or a 4 speed from an older (pre Mustang II) Pinto with any 4 cylinder. I think the latter ones have the same bell as a T-5 but would require the same mods as a T-5.

wvumtnbkr
wvumtnbkr GRM+ Memberand PowerDork
1/1/21 1:31 p.m.

Gm 60 degree v6 with a t5?

 

Lx9 3500 weighs 340 # and makes 201 hp.  Easy to put a 1998 to 2002 camaro v6 behind it.  It all bolts together.  No custom fab necessary.

KyAllroad (Jeremy) (Forum Supporter)
KyAllroad (Jeremy) (Forum Supporter) UltimaDork
1/1/21 1:41 p.m.

Another vote here for the Duratec 2.5

My buddy has a 2.5 swapped NC and it really does scoot as well as you want.  It ran a 14.7 quarter with no more mods than a header and conservative tune.  Good transmission too.  Being aluminum, the motor is lighter than a 1.8 BP.

Beardy
Beardy New Reader
1/1/21 3:02 p.m.

duratec makes this easily and pretty light. transmission from Miata NC or T5 adapters etc  Look at Raceline.co.uk widely discussed on various Caterham and 7 clone forums. 

1.6 Zetec SE /Sigma engine (2011- Fiesta), is lighter still and can likely hit 200 at the flywheel but will need steel rods and `rev to the moon', so expensive but doable without resorting to forced induction,  150-160bhp is a more reasonable expectation at more sane cost.  FWD and RWD transmissions are available. 

mad_machine (Forum Supporter)
mad_machine (Forum Supporter) GRM+ Memberand MegaDork
1/1/21 4:46 p.m.

why not a Nissan SR20DE?  They are aluminum block and head, so they should be fairly lightweight. 

Tom1200
Tom1200 Dork
1/1/21 5:02 p.m.

In reply to mad_machine (Forum Supporter) :

A compete SR20DE is  around 350lbs, the accompanying transmision is 25lbs heavier than a T-5. Basically you end up within 50lbs of a SBF.

daeman
daeman Dork
1/1/21 6:25 p.m.

Go full retard and forget about light. Import a turbo ford falcon barra engine from Australia, wind up the boost and have 400hp at the treads. It's in the family, is a straight 6, it's actually probably alot more affordable than you'd expect and definitely moreso than some of the suggestions already made. Plus, if you want to go even crazier it's the perfect base, people have pulled well past 1000hp out of them with the right mods

Here's a nice cortina that shows just how nicely packaged and at home it looks in an older small ford

 

turbo63
turbo63
1/1/21 8:01 p.m.

What about a Toyota/Yamaha 2ZZ-GE? 

It is less that 250lbs stock 180hp NA and can get 200hp+ NA and over 500+ with turbo. 

Not as easy as a Honda to find but still enough of them out their and great support from Monkey Wrench Racing. 

carguy123
carguy123 UltimaDork
1/1/21 9:05 p.m.

In reply to red_stapler : (it didn't copy the quote but I was talking about the triple banger Ford)

And has anyone discovered an easy way to wire it?  Or has Ford finally released the standalone engine & wiring harness?

 

Kreb (Forum Supporter)
Kreb (Forum Supporter) GRM+ Memberand UberDork
1/1/21 9:20 p.m.

In reply to carguy123 :

Not sure about Ford, but there are sources in the UK and Europe for a standalone

https://www.scs-delta.co.uk/product-page/ford-1-0-ecoboost-management-kit

.

DaveEstey
DaveEstey PowerDork
1/1/21 9:23 p.m.

Hayabusa. Easy 200hp. Trans included. Sub 200lbs. 

Tom1200
Tom1200 SuperDork
1/1/21 10:47 p.m.

In reply to DaveEstey :

Hayabusa engine/trans is 234lbs, it's a great engine but motorcycle engines aren't well suited to 2000lb cars. I looked into to it for my 1600lb Datsun. Then one of the 1200 guys did it and ran into all sorts of issues that convinced me it wasn't the way to go.

bluej (Forum Supporter)
bluej (Forum Supporter) UberDork
1/2/21 12:12 a.m.

Just for reference, here's a $250 2.5 duratec from a fusion. The engine leveler is a tick under 12lbs. The counterweights have been removed and a ranger pan/pickup fitted. Includes alternator and wp, but that's it:

 

Here's the same thing with an NC intake mani, an ms3 exhaust manifold, nc intake manifold, belt tensioner, tb, rear coolant routing housing, and fw/clutch/pp:

 

200whp is about the sweet spot (IMHO) for a rwd rallyx car, so I've pondered this question many times. I'm not going to dig it up, but there's a thread here where I asked about the lightest 200hp v6 for a swap with some decent, though now dated, discussion. I ended up with a bmw iron block/alu head 2.8 I6 (m52b28). It's still a long motor with an iron block, so when it needed a rebuild, I decided to pursue other options.

For me, the 2.5 duratec with a mix of nc Miata/ranger parts made the most sense once you factored in availability, costs, and everything else. These are well known motors with multiple rwd manual trans options. Here's a vid of one with the usual sorts of basic upgrades you'd do during a swap. They won't confirm if the 200hp claimed in the vid is wheel or crank, so I assume crank.

 

DeadSkunk  (Warren)
DeadSkunk (Warren) PowerDork
1/2/21 10:15 a.m.

In reply to bluej (Forum Supporter) :

He shows the graphs at 216 HP on a wheel dynamometer, so I'd assume that's wheel horsepower. And what's the deal with introducing data into this thread anyway? It's rare that anyone can show an engine weight on a scale it seems.That Duratec would take some weight off the front end of a Falcon and more than double the power. The manual trans might weigh more than the Falcon's 2-speed auto, and it might not, and it would all be in a package that weighs several hundred pounds less than a Fusion. It could be a nice package if properly done with a suspension upgrade.

bluej (Forum Supporter)
bluej (Forum Supporter) UberDork
1/2/21 10:31 a.m.

In reply to DeadSkunk (Warren) :

A asked in the comments for one of their vids if it was wheel or crank, and they liked my comment, but no reply. Actually, the comment is gone. Weird. In their other more recent vid of a 2.5 in fwd chassis, they confirmed in comments that it was crank hp.

Kreb (Forum Supporter)
Kreb (Forum Supporter) GRM+ Memberand UberDork
1/2/21 12:10 p.m.

Yet another vote for the Duratech 2.5. My friend has carried the long block around his shop. It's powerful, smooth and reliable. With bolt-ons + cam it dynos at about 205 WHP and he thinks that it can do better. And since they put them in Rangers, you can get one with tranny already attached.

noddaz
noddaz GRM+ Memberand UltraDork
1/2/21 9:32 p.m.

Will a Honda v6 fit between the shock towers?

DeadSkunk  (Warren)
DeadSkunk (Warren) PowerDork
1/2/21 9:45 p.m.

In reply to noddaz :

No idea, but the one thing I've come to realize with any engine swap, is the tape measure doesn't lie. The perceptions we have about engine size are usually wrong. I've measured my Challenge Corolla's LM4 V8 and my supercharged 1.8 Miata and both would fit in the same size box. I'd guess the Honda might be shorter, but likely just as wide as these....See the source imageHere's a Miata ,sans supercharger, and an LS3. I'd bet either would be a snug fit in a '62 Falcon.

Edit: And before someone pounces on me about the height of an LM4, mine has a Corvette oil pan and an LS1 intake. So it's about 6" less tall than the configuration in the truck. It looks much like the LS3 in the photo.

ProDarwin
ProDarwin MegaDork
1/2/21 10:00 p.m.

Put accessories and an exhaust manifold on the LS and let's see that pic again.

I'm sure either would fit, but there is a big size difference/access difference between them.

chaparral
chaparral GRM+ Memberand Dork
1/2/21 11:42 p.m.

The Volkswagen 1.4 liter turbo EA211 engine looks absolutely tiny - lost in a Golf 7 or Jetta engine bay. I don't have a powertrain weight for them. 

150 hp stock, 184 with the APR chip.

slowbird
slowbird SuperDork
1/2/21 11:51 p.m.

Duratec V6?

DaewooOfDeath
DaewooOfDeath SuperDork
1/3/21 3:20 a.m.

Triumph makes inline triples up to 2.5L in capacity thst are shaft drive. Just saying...

DeadSkunk  (Warren)
DeadSkunk (Warren) PowerDork
1/3/21 7:35 a.m.

In reply to ProDarwin :

The exhaust manifolds are on that engine. In something like the Falcon, the overall width would be the critical dimension, I think. A Miata engine, especially with a supercharger or turbo starts to get wide. From memory, I think the LS engine in my car is 26" at the exhaust outlets and the rest of it is slightly narrower. I should go measure the Miata engine width for comparison.

turbo63 said:

What about a Toyota/Yamaha 2ZZ-GE? 

It is less that 250lbs stock 180hp NA and can get 200hp+ NA and over 500+ with turbo. 

Not as easy as a Honda to find but still enough of them out their and great support from Monkey Wrench Racing. 

A bell housing to go RWD is made $750 AUS, if I remember correctly.

 

pres589 (djronnebaum)
pres589 (djronnebaum) PowerDork
1/3/21 9:00 a.m.

What ECU would be easiest for retrofit activities with the Fusion 2.5 assuming there was a desire to have working VVT?

 

1 2 3 4 5

You'll need to log in to post.

Our Preferred Partners
kIK9Ce9hr0otbYoXKhEIT6TqfWQWhlrTbYucacYZ656wkXAbMV9V1xJ7TLxL7NDp