What engine for my S3?
Discussion
Hello folks
Cut a long story short, one of the engine mounts collapsed resulting the sump resting on the antiroll bar meaning a small crack appeared, thus causing oil to come out and so a knocking sound appearing from the engine and is most defiantly bottom end.
So now I've come to this point. I got amongst it and bought a spare engine, in bits for #60 (plus 35 for the IOW Ferry) so the idea was just to establish the problem with my existing engine. Bonnet is now off, radiator and battery ect. So I was hoping to be a straight swap.
Had a couple very knowledgeable chaps over today just to have a look and they advised with the time it takes to fiddle with an engine plus the extra parts I'll need just in case, it would be a much safer, quicker and not that much more expensive option of buying a reconditioned engine and putting it straight in, no fuss.
Which leaves me thinking I may as well as the power plant remains questionable to ask in this particular forum, with roughly 5k to spend on an engine...what would be the biggest bang for my money? Summer will be here by the time I've built an engine seriously.
Possibly an RV8, 24v V6, AJP, LS, speed 6, supercharged 12v, turboed
Problem is I have too many choices. I'd love to engine the car this summer, and have it better than last year but I'm running out of time because Chatsworth is soon and was really forward to it. Shall I just bite the bullet and get a standard engine again, or shall I while I got an excuse do something a bit crazy?
(I'm tempted to buy another car this year like an early Chim just to see me through this year and come back to the S3 over the winter and hope something turns up...)
A popular and relatively cheap mod is to fit the 24V Cosworth headed Ford V6 from the old Scorpio cosworth, you should be able toeget a good one for about 1K and it'll fit your existing clutch / bellhousings etc, the one I last saw reused most of the exhaust primares as well.
Just need some new intake pipework and a decent aftermarket ECU to run it
This lump makes an easy 220Bhp and more with some tweaks
Matt
Just need some new intake pipework and a decent aftermarket ECU to run it
This lump makes an easy 220Bhp and more with some tweaks
Matt
You will have a hard time getting a better engine than a Chevy LS. They are fairly small, light and compact.
Offer up loads of power, very tunable, loads of parts and cheap and reliable to run.
No other engine can offer such a combo.
Ls1 would be fine, an LS2 is only .3 litre more displacement, at 100bhp/litre you'd only be 30hp behind. And for a street motor you'll never get much past 90bhp/litre n/a.
Ls1's are usually cheaper.
Biggest problem will be everything else will need upgrading to cope.
RV8 is still a nice engine, but its age really shows. But in the UK it could be a cheap option. On the whole they are reliable and fairly small/light. You could pick up a Rangie 4.6, slap a big stick in it and some decent heads with some other bolt ons and aim for 280-300bhp.
A more odd ball option a Ford V6, a Colougne one. In either 3.8 or 4.0 litre guise. They ain't the best but pretty good and you can buy supercharger kits for them.
I'm sure some other engine such as Jag, BMW, Lexus good be used. Can't see any of them really being any cheaper or as powerful as the LS, and not able to offer the range of abilities.
An older Ford 5.0/302 V8 would work, very compact. About the same sort of hp/litre as a good RV8 but with more displacement, so over 300bhp is easier from them.
AJP - nice engine, but unless you need the lighter weight I think its the (very
) expensive route to go.
If you wanted to be really different a 2.0 litre turbo engine, but then it'd lose the character IMO.
Offer up loads of power, very tunable, loads of parts and cheap and reliable to run.
No other engine can offer such a combo.
Ls1 would be fine, an LS2 is only .3 litre more displacement, at 100bhp/litre you'd only be 30hp behind. And for a street motor you'll never get much past 90bhp/litre n/a.
Ls1's are usually cheaper.
Biggest problem will be everything else will need upgrading to cope.
RV8 is still a nice engine, but its age really shows. But in the UK it could be a cheap option. On the whole they are reliable and fairly small/light. You could pick up a Rangie 4.6, slap a big stick in it and some decent heads with some other bolt ons and aim for 280-300bhp.
A more odd ball option a Ford V6, a Colougne one. In either 3.8 or 4.0 litre guise. They ain't the best but pretty good and you can buy supercharger kits for them.
I'm sure some other engine such as Jag, BMW, Lexus good be used. Can't see any of them really being any cheaper or as powerful as the LS, and not able to offer the range of abilities.
An older Ford 5.0/302 V8 would work, very compact. About the same sort of hp/litre as a good RV8 but with more displacement, so over 300bhp is easier from them.
AJP - nice engine, but unless you need the lighter weight I think its the (very
) expensive route to go.If you wanted to be really different a 2.0 litre turbo engine, but then it'd lose the character IMO.
The engine must be compact. Everybody who knows the LS engines and the S series well, tell me they will not fit.
http://www.britishamericanengines.co.uk/ford_price...
These on the other hand just might. I need dimensions really, I'll contact them.
your best bet will be the cosworth 24v engine. To be honest the LS and so on, engine suggestions here are a bit ludicrous. the S3 chassis wont cope with the extra power and torque of those engines. Even the v8s has a modified chassis to cope with the extra torque, and that has a less powerful engine from whats mentioned. your other bet would be to find a turbo or twin turbo 2.8 ford engine
QuiteQuietCerb said:
your best bet will be the cosworth 24v engine. To be honest the LS and so on, engine suggestions here are a bit ludicrous. the S3 chassis wont cope with the extra power and torque of those engines. Even the v8s has a modified chassis to cope with the extra torque, and that has a less powerful engine from whats mentioned. your other bet would be to find a turbo or twin turbo 2.8 ford engine
what he says, 
you will need discs on the back, a fair bit of extra chassis work, diff, driveshafts, gearbox?, ecu, you`d be better off spending your money on buying a cerb!cossie v6 best bet
I did lots of engine swaps in my youth, but that's by the by.
I would stick with a Ford V6 derivative, as it will go straight onto the rest of your drivetrain, and will fit the engine bay.
I was going to fit the Cossie V6 into my 280i Wedge (and it has been done), but sold it before taking the plunge. Easy swap, and documented on here:
http://www.tvrwedgepages.co.uk
Since the S series and Wedge 280s shared engines, could be the best option for you.
The condition of timing gear is the thing to check out on the Cosworth V6 apparently, and worth upgrading from the off.
The 302 (5litre) Ford engine has been fitted into the 280 Wedge chassis in the States. Apparently a pretty straightforward swap.
A search on here should find the American PH member, who also documented the swap on his website.
Since the (V6) swap shouldn't cost more than a couple of grand at most, I'd suggest you use some cash to improve braking in particular.
Buy a complete car if possible, when taking engine swap stuff.
Good luck.
I would stick with a Ford V6 derivative, as it will go straight onto the rest of your drivetrain, and will fit the engine bay.
I was going to fit the Cossie V6 into my 280i Wedge (and it has been done), but sold it before taking the plunge. Easy swap, and documented on here:
http://www.tvrwedgepages.co.uk
Since the S series and Wedge 280s shared engines, could be the best option for you.
The condition of timing gear is the thing to check out on the Cosworth V6 apparently, and worth upgrading from the off.
The 302 (5litre) Ford engine has been fitted into the 280 Wedge chassis in the States. Apparently a pretty straightforward swap.
A search on here should find the American PH member, who also documented the swap on his website.
Since the (V6) swap shouldn't cost more than a couple of grand at most, I'd suggest you use some cash to improve braking in particular.
Buy a complete car if possible, when taking engine swap stuff.
Good luck.
Lukes new plenum - Opinions please guys..
Theres more pics etc in the S series forum
http://s276.photobucket.com/albums/kk36/Doogle_010...
Theres more pics etc in the S series forum
http://s276.photobucket.com/albums/kk36/Doogle_010...
24v cosworth lumps have been fitted to atleast 4 S's to my knowledge was one for sale on autotrder cpl mnths ago sold before i got day off work to go buy it friend of mine had the Mk2 escort with bog satndard ecu in fast ford video it ran 0-60 in mid 5's and 158mph whicht was his bottle that ran out not the car lol ! so get yourself a BOA not BOB as early ones he claims make better torque and are reliable as they only have 1 cam chain not 2 like later engine
350Matt said:
Sorry have to disagree with that, the later duplex chain engine is the one to have, far stronger arrangement. Why else do you think Ford changed it?
The early BOA engines had the very long duplex chain. The later BOB engines had a simplex chain to each cylinder head. When it snaps you'll only bugger up one bank of exhaust valves. Personally I think either arrangement is probably fine but BOA engines are the preferred route for a number of reasons. The BOB has a slightly better block but a girdled BOA would be far stronger then a non girdled BOB..
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