Many years ago I put a 4.3 liter V6 in a 66 Nova. I took the fuel injection and all the emission stuff off of it but never could get it to run just right. I have been reading about four cylinder engines and some of these youngsters now are getting huge horsepower out of these little engines. My question is....has anyone taken a later model four cylinder engine and put it in an old model A or Model T but was able to get the vintage look from it. I thought it would be neat to get a inline four from a Ford Ranger style pickup and make it look similar to an old engine by finding a two deuce setup for it. Have an old feel to it but the dependabilty of a modern engine with a little more horse power than the old four cylinders. Does anyone know if there are any companies building parts to turn a modern four into a vintage style look and has anyone done this?
The best I4 for this , in my opinion, is the Oldsmobile Quad-4. They got a bad rep for head gasket problems but that got straightened out. Their bad rep continues unjustly. But it keep sthe prices down, so it's a win if you like them. They kinda look like old Offy engines when done up right. The lowest hp version was like 150hp.
Perfect...thats the information I was wanting to know. Thanks for posting that and pointing me in the right direction.
This engine combo, probably isn't what you are looking for... but it could have been a bit more rustic without the chrome.. It is a Vega engine.. Once they were sleeved, they did much better... Played some with Vegas back in the early 80s. The owner of this car, said it moves quite well for a 4 banger.. http://www.pbase.com/nmsandrail/image/115047405/original
GM built a rod and used the Ecotech engine. They were rear wheel drive in the Solstace and Sky sports cars. You can get a kit to put on a Cobalt SS that is a turbocharger kit with the bigger injectors and tuning that makes 500 flywheel hp and you don't even pull the head!!! GM also sells a book on how to modify that engine (over the counter at Chevy dealerships) that shows how to get 1600hp(!) and where to get the parts. The Cobalt SS trans and drive train is supposedly good for the 500hp as is!!
Right on! If it is power you are looking for, follow up Hotrodrobert's suggestion. Check Shaver Engines in Torrance, Calif. They got around 1300hp out of a stock disp. ECOTECH engine.
i am not trying to thread hijack but what bellhousing does this engine use? can a manual trans be used behind it. i think this question may help may people looking at this topic.
You can use a modified bell housing from a 2.8 v6 behind it, I think the I4 in the mid 90's (from S10's) run the same bell housing too.
There is an Astro Van bellhousing that can be used, but they are rare, or the Quad4Rods adapter- expensive, but nice!
How about the Chrysler 2.4 in SOHC or DOHC form, with or without turbo? They made a rear wheel drive version for Jeeps. 215 HP stock.
Here is a adaptor: http://quad4rods.com/index.php?page=shop.browse&category_id=1&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=100041
Have guys used late 4's in Model As? Sure. Make them look old? Not so much. Like the Ford 4, the step up from the carb is either EFI or the turbo version. If the Quad 4 shares bolt patterns with the 151 Iron Duke, then there's probably also a Jeep bell that will let you put a T5 behind it.
This is one answer to your question. Been around for a while, still makes me smile. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iFSGSL3Nrmc
The quad four doesn't use the Jeep or AMC pattern. There isn't a Jeep or AMC four cylinder pattern per se -- they used the GM pattern. The 80-83 2.5L used in Jeeps is a GM Iron Duke and uses the SBC pattern like the GM version. When AMC came out with their own 2.5L four in 84 they used the GM four/small six pattern to save money on transmissions since they used the GM 2.8L V-6 from 84-86. When the V-6 was dropped AMC/Jeep continued using the GM pattern on their four, and had Chrysler 904 trannys cast to fit them. Well, they used the 904/998 trannys even with the GM V-6, and used a Borg Warner T-4 or T5 with them. When Chrysler dropped their own 2.4L and substituted the AMC/Jeep 2.5L in the Dakota truck those engines also used GM bolt pattern bells. The problem with using the newer model 2.3L and 2.5L Ranger engines is that you give up a lot of power getting away from the EFI. Might be hard to fit a distributor since all the late models use a distributorless ignition. Best thing to do is use a hood and cover the engine if you don't want it showing.
The easiest 4 cylinder engine to install in a Model A is probably the 140 Mercruiser with a 120 head and an 153 Chevy industrial manifold system. Its a standard Chevy bell-housing pattern that bolts up to a T5 5 speed and it fits well in the engine compartment of the Model A Ford. The 3rd picture is of the larger Mercruiser 224 cu/in 470 will also work but it requires fitting. It can produce 170 to 225 hp easy and has torque like a V8. Dick .
The only other pushrod four that I know of (and I don't know it all!) that would easily fit and is relatively easy to find is an early Iron Duke. Prior to 84 they used the SBC bolt pattern and carburetors. They were used extensively in some class racing -- sprints and/or midgets, I think -- and there are racing parts available. The later models used the small GM bolt pattern, all fours and 60° V-6s used it, as well as the Cadillac 4100 and 4500 V-8s. Rear drive trannys are available from S-10 trucks. According to Wikipedia all 84-90 (last year) Iron Dukes were TBI. TBI wouldn't look bad under the hood of a hot rod/model A, but a carb cab be substituted with an adapter on the TBI manifold. By 87 the car models were using DIS and those couldn't be fitted with a distributor. I'm not sure about the S-10 models, but I think all had distributors. Other S-10 fours would work -- the 94-03 2200 Vortec would be nice -- but are all more modern appearing. The 2200 is still a pushrod TBI engine (well, CSFI, but still a central injection system without injectors for each cylinder) though, and shouldn't look too out of place. The 2800 and 2900 used in the S-10 replacement (Colorado) are DOHC engines similar in appearance to the Olds Quad four. I don't know of any carb intakes, but they have that early Offy four look without all the covers in place as well. I think the Atlas DOHC engines are at least loosely based on the Quad four, but have found nothing indicating this. I guess any DOHC would look similar. The main issue for rodders is that the engines are rear drive and pretty easy to come by, and would be much cheaper to install than the Olds Q4.
Only RWD iron dukes 80 and prior used the V8 pattern. FWD (79 1/2 & up) and RWD after 80 (S10, Camaro, etc) used the 2.8 small pattern. Some of the later industrial and boat engines still used the V8 pattern.
OT as all hell but the Honda S2000 comes with rear wheel drive. The engine and trans out of One of those little beggers breathed on by one of the local turner kids would be in the sit down, hang on and shut up category in a light weight T or A. Finding one might be a challenge though. Or get my niece's fiancee to build you a Toyota banger with any horsepower rating you desire. He has a Celica GT that is rated around 700 hp sitting in his garage.
The beauty of the Chevy II 153, Mercury Marine 153/181 engines is in their simplicity. They can be painted and toned down so that they look like they belong in the Model A Ford. Painted Ford green with the Chevy valve cover and side cover most people not familiar with the flat head nature of the Model A won't know the difference. The T5 transmission can be shifted 2nd, 3rd and 4th and the passenger won't even know the difference except the for the absence of grinding gears and the quickened acceleration. The S-10 t5 will hold up fine to less than 200 hp and the 4 cylinder gear ratio would give you a stump pulling low gear for parades and allow you to use the 2-3-4 shift and still have the 5th overdrive for the freeway. The use of a Quad 4 or other late model or foreign 4 cylinder is complicated and doesn't look the same as the simple Chevy 153/181 or the 224 cu/in Mercruiser 4 in a Model A. The 224 ci/in Mercruiser engine is a die cast aluminum block advertised by Ford Motorsport that uses Ford head and internals and is therefore a little closer to a Ford in a Ford. Painted Ford green with a 460 ford valve cover a lot of people will still not know what they are looking at. When they go for a spin the Chevy will surprise them while the Mercruiser will scare them. I added a couple of pictures of one of my Chevy engines that I purchased recently. I am not sure what block it is but it has a head for a 120 hp or an original chevy 153 manafold. Note the rear sump oil pan and the early Ford bellhousing conversion. The carb is a Solex that happens to have the right size ventury and almost fits the bolt pattern. ( a file will make it fit if I need it to. ) Or I have an adapter to make the Mercruiser 2 barrel carb fit it. Dick .
Doing a '31 sedan right now and put in a ford 1.8 bored .030, cam, dual side draft webers and a header. I am going to make a cover for the dohc valve cover to clean it up a bit.
I've seen this Mercruiser 3.7 in that roadster pic before. Does anybody else have more pics of this car?
I, too, would like to see more of the Mercruiser 3.7...if a 460 head fits, then so would a Kaase Boss 429 head... Edit: What bellhouse/transmission options do you have with this engine?
You should head over and check this thread out.... http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=256713
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