Four banger swap in English ford

Is there any english fords with modern four bangers on the site . The old flat head in my English ford needs a rebuild compression is 60 and should be 125 so I was thinking a modern four. I can get a 4 banger out of an 05 s10 pickup for free. thinking of doing the swap

 

Can't help you with your question but I think your project is neat I like the idea of an old ride that is economical to boot. I've had a few cars with 2.5s. Torquey motors, don't like high rpm. They were all pretty easy on fuel (30 mpg +). In your little Ford I wouldn't be surprised if you got mid 30s for fuel mileage.

 

Better measure things up first. My friend tried every modern 4 banger around and none of them were short enough to fit into his English Ford (like your's) without a lot of modification. For all the work it takes a V6 would be much easier and shorter.
He finally gave up until I pulled a great running flathead 4 cyl. out of my '46 Austin and sold it to him. It fit perfectly and looks like it was in there from the factory.

 

You have a few options and there's support for 100E Engine swaps in the UK.

http://www.smallfordspares.co.uk/

They sell parts for it I am told.

I'd look into one of two engines.. The easiest to find will be the "Pinto" engine, which is the 2.0L used in early Pintos (As well as millions of European Fords that were never sent here)

The other engine is the "Kent" or the later "Crossflow". This is an OHV 4 banger, in America..umm, I think these were used in 4 cyl Capris as the later Crossflow, and earlier they were used in the 107E (Your car with an OHV), the 105E Anglia (Harry Potter car) and Cortinas. The Crossflow also formed the basis for the engines used in the Lotus Cortina and Lotus Elan, one of these in a 100E would be, IMO, a really neat and period correct hot rod (As it was a swap that was done in the UK long ago) but those engines are very pricey these days I would think, especially a Lotus Cortina Engine as those cars have become hellishly expensive. But they are twin cams..

 

Oh, and most anything will require some work to the firewall, a crossflow will fit but will require firewall work as it's taller.

 

That reminds me of my 1957 English Ford Squire Wagon. Originally had the old flathead then converted it to a later 1600 English Ford. I now have Morris Minors and have 2.0 and 2.3 Fords for the projects. Of course I wont be using any of the old parts... brakes and mechanical. I hate myself for selling that old British Ford.

 

I really get confused with these Anglias and Thames. Is the Thames the same, but a panel version?

Maybe I'm more mixed up than I thought.

As for a Capri "kent" motor, you can also find these in a Ford Fiesta (not Festiva) but one car is about as rare as the other. I can't imagine that a Pinto 2.0 would not be taller/longer than that Iron Duke Chevy 4.

 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/trolleyfan/5114948210/lightbox/

Thames

 

Flat Ernie is on his way back to the US with a stock 100E engine in a container. You could drop him a PM.

 

Get some of this gear from small ford /aquaplane in the UK and hop up your !00e engine,,

 

The 100E has a very short engine bay that lends itself well to V6 motors as they are a cylinder shorter than a bigger 4.
Whatever you fit it will need brake and rear axle upgrades, a place over here that specialises in 100E conversions is http://www.oldfordautos.co.uk/phdi/p1.nsf/supppages/oldford?opendocument&part=2
Rich

 

The Kent motor in a Fiesta is Front wheel drive and not suitable for a 100E/300E
Thames was Ford UK's commercial division so the commercial versions were badged Thames.
The cars could have been badged Anglias or Populars 2 door or Prefect 4 door.
The kent is a good engine in a 100E though but getting rare and expensive even in the UK.
Rich

 

Small cheap V-6? 82-91 or so S-10 used the 2.8 60 degree V-6.A lot of these had the 4 or a 5 speed T-5.Got a bad reputation because of intake coolant leaks into oil,but many survive .They are durable when the intake is properly fitted.You can even get performance cams.They had carburetors up to about 1986.
I mentioned in an earlier post about using the later 60's 5 main bearing MBG 1800 engine. Sturdy with 100 hp and might find one with 4 sped cheap from a trashed MG.
There are some 4 cylinder Kent engines laying in garages after being removed from rusted Ford Cortinas years ago.Buddy up to the local British car guys who seem to have strong organizations

 

the Cosworth twin cam is very similar to the basic pinto block and has been stuffed to several 100e/300e varients over here.....the zetec motor is of a similar size tooIf you gona go V6 then the Cosworth V6 is a good choice too
ModelAkeith on here has the V6 in his A coupe..ask him for his opinion

 

I still think the free S10 four is going to be the motor I use. with four kids and a wife that doesent like me spending money, its right for me at the moment. I want to make this car a daily driver and I have to get on the I10. traffice moves at a steady 70mph so this thing has to move and for a extended period of time. it takes me 45 min to get to work. I also want to drive to a few out of town venues. so parts need to be easy to aquire at the local auto zone incase i break down. and last but not least its got to be fuel efficiant. from all the posts I will need to do mods to the fire wall nomater what engine I pick.

 

No matter what you do you are going to have to mod the firewall.

I own Obscure British cars over here, parts can be a real PITA to find for a Cortina engine, if it's a daily and you NEED the car to get to work in the morning I hate to say it but an S10 engine might be the way to go.

Meanwhile, it's nice to see one of these getting some use!

 

I guess if you are getting the motor for free than go for it. I agree with the others that said a V6 would be a better fit. I personally would find a motor from a Ranger, but that is me.

I have 2 Crosley Wagons and have the same issue. Even dropping the 2.8 V6 in it I have to cut up the firewall.

 

Let me suggest something that is a bit off the beaten path... anyone know the Fiat twin-cam? Get one from a 124, brilliant engines, dead reliable once sorted, and excellent performance, easily upgraded. The stock 2 litre has something between 80 and 100 hp depending on carb or FI, but can be quite easily persuaded beyond 150.

Engines are cheap to get, parts can be easily sourced, and it's a very popular transplant on small Euro cars being hotrodded. In the UK there's a complete kit to fit them to Morris Minors.

Cheers, Eddie

 

A friend of mine has a 2 litre Fiat twin cam in his 1958 Anglia/Popular and also has a 2 litre Fiat in his 1949 Simca 8.
One of the 2 litre came from a Fiat 132 an came with a GM autobox from the factory !
They are great small engines and don't weight much.

 

Fiat 2-litre twin-cams came stock in versions up to 130bhp, with twin sidedraughts (remember the Ritmo Abarth 130TC, Eddie?)

The reason they're used in Minors is because they are short enough to fit the engine bay that was designed for a flat-four. The Ford Zetec is finding favour for the same application, though, so presumably it isn't much longer.

Another short engine with tuning potential is the VW EA827 and its successors, though it is usually found with a curious backwards clutch/flywheel arrangement for use with a transverse transaxle. As far as I know there is no conventional RWD gearbox that will bolt on without an adaptor. But it is 18" from pulley to bellhousing flange, and even has stuff like a side-mounted water pump to get it short enough to fit in the nose of the early-'70s Audi 80. You'll find it in Golfs, Passats, and most other 4-cylinder water-cooled VWs.

 

Yeah those FIATs are great. Did I remind everyone that I have a 1500 with 4 speed, running when pulled and a 2000 with 5 speed free for any one who comes and gets it. Also when those English Fords were new with flathead fours, I was driving one around to drug stores. Picking up film that people dropped off and delivering pictures from developing the film. I think it was around '60 the English Ford got an OHV four and a 4 speed trans. And fins. Liked the earlier ones better

 

Consider finding a B210 Datsun 1400 engine. they are small,bulletproof and cheap. I'm prepping one with a 5 speed for a full-fendered T RPU and had a ball dogging on it in the b210. It's an improvement of the MG B engine with 5 mains. My .02 worth.

 

Yes, the TC block is very light and strong, it's far more tornsionally rigid than most engines of the era. And yes, the slushboxes were provided by GM, so they're common fare in the US.

Yup, the 130 TC has a brilliant powerplant (the best aspirated engine of the family), only issue is that they're setup for FWD and would need converting to RWD layout. This entails changing the cam boxes (different oil drain channels), the sump and oil pump, and the crank end bushing for the bearing used on RWD setups.

Since parts are easily obtained and interchangeable, it's not as big a hassle as it sounds. 5-speed boxes are a weakness in later models of the 124, but 131 'boxes were a much improved design.

The 2-litre US-spec engine can also be easily turbocharged, it can handle boost quite well, but you'll need a strong gearbox to cope, as the torque is immense.

Cheers, Eddie

 

I recently bought a Ford Pinto 1.6 L Kent crossflow from Craigslist for cheap and it's small. They were an option in 71-3 Pintos.

 

Free FIAT-- But if you really wanted to change that Fords attitude, Hayabusa. Turn it around and run a drive shaft from the original front sprocket shaft. Or chain drive to a live axle mounted in back. A little peaky, but a big step up in power.

 

My son ran a blown 1600 Ford crossflow in his Pop. Just removed it to fit a blown 2 litre Zetec. The Zetec is 1 1/2 inches shorter than the crossfkow.

 

I know this is an old thread but any more news. I'm thinking of the same project in the future and want to know what will fit. How about disc brakes and rear end, I did a quick search for stock brake parts and I'm even having problems finding shoes let alone hydraulic parts. Does anyone know if the german imported capri parts will fit?, like struts with discs, rear end (I've read the 2.6, 2.8 V6 will fit).

 

Find "Langy" on here. He would probably be the best to answer the questions.


Singlefingerspeedshop.com. Detroit

 

I have been putting a 2.8 Ford in a Bantam for a while. I have a 2.6 Ford long block out of an autoX car that is supposed to be good. And an Offy 4bbl intake with 390 Holley if you are interested.

 

Parts are still available for yours, I had a 59 anglia 2door sedan, that motor was bullet proof! I got 25 mpg running it hard. I would rebuild the original. Just my 2 cents.