Oil Catch can on a Pinto...worth it?

[Mkol]

I acquired a kit car running a 2l pinto last year and have recently done a few track days where ive driven it pretty hard, the catch can is dry as a bone, as im always looking at ways to shed weight here and there on the car should i ditch it?

[Tommo87]

If it’s plumbed in correctly anf you bust a piston ring, it gives the oil somewhere to go. Rather than all over the track.

[GreenV8S]

Keep it. It will protect you and others from potential oil spillage, and also give you a quick way to confirm that the engine isn't blowing out too much oil.

[Equus]

Bluntly: if you're running a Pinto, the weight of an oil catch can is the least of your worries.

[Scrump]

Equus said:

Bluntly: if you're running a Pinto, the weight of an oil catch can is the least of your worries.

[Draxindustries1]

Equus said:

Bluntly: if you're running a Pinto, the weight of an oil catch can is the least of your worries.

Why? They're a cast iron engine but a very strong long lasting unit and the light weight of a kit car will off set the slight weight disadvantage of a Pinto and in any case can be lightened by fitting an alloy head..

Edited by Draxindustries1 on Monday 25th July 02:12

[Equus]

Draxindustries1 said:

Why?

Because they are a very heavy engine, both for a 4-cyliinder and relative to their power output.

Draxindustries1 said:

...the light weight of a kit car will off set the slight weight disadvantage of a Pinto.

The light weight of a kit car will exacerbate the disadvantage because the weight of the engine has a disproportionate effect on the overall weight distribution. In a Locaterfield, the Pinto results in a very nose-heavy car.

Honestly, 25 years ago they had nothing going for them in this application except low cost. These days they don't even have that: sell it to someone who needs a permanent mooring for their boat. A Ford Duratec will save you about 38kg; a Ford Sigma about 54kg. Even a Zetec (itself not a light engine) will save you 20kgs.

...and the OP is worrying over an oil catch tank that should weigh less than a kilo (a lot of people use an empty plastic bottle that weighs a few grams).

[PaulKemp]

Don’t knock the old Pinto, simple easy to tune engine, I’ve tweaked mine to 175bhp.
Fitting a Duratec will cost you an awful lot of money.

[Equus]

PaulKemp said:

Fitting a Duratec will cost you an awful lot of money.

Not as much as tuning a Pinto to give 175bhp will cost you these days... and you're still left with a boat anchor.

Edited by Equus on Thursday 28th July 23:15

[PaulKemp]

Equus said:

PaulKemp said:

Fitting a Duratec will cost you an awful lot of money.

Not as much as tuning a Pinto to give 175bhp will cost you these days... and you're still left with a boat anchor.

Edited by Equus on Thursday 28th July 23:15

I built the Pinto myself the major cost was having the block machined for 93mm pistons. There are huge hidden costs changing a Pinto for a Duratec, new fuel system and fuel tank, ECU, gearbox and or bellhousing and adaptor, the list goes on. My next project is a Fisher Fury and that will have a Duratec in it, already the costs have exceeded the Pinto and it’s not even sniffed the engine bay yet.

[gazza285]

Rather have a Crossflow than a Pinto.