[opelbits]

This was brought to my attention in a different forum for a different car...apparently the MG guys are using them as well.

Stock 190hp/275 ft/lbs four cylinder. Aluminum block, 460 Ford cylinder head/rods/pistons, Chevy small block bellhousing and motor mount bolt pattern. It would be a nice upgrade for the 2.5 Astro/Safari....oh, wait, that's still 30hp and 40 ft/lbs more than a Z-code 4.3....

Say hello to the Mercruiser 470 3.7l! With an aluminum Kaase P51 429/460 head...probably more than 190 hp/275 tq.

 

[Ruh-Roh]

Isn't that an expensive motor?
Edit: Ii did a little research and the motor is somewhat obsolete and should not expensive but the head is about $2600.

 

[augidog]

!

 

[opelbits]

Used motors can be found under $1k. The aluminum heads are I think $2600 for a pair...but you only need one!

 

[Mmusicman]

Just stick a REAL V8 in there.. not some half-sized nonsense suited for an MG.
REAL V8. REAL POWER. SIMPLE. EASY.

 

[Mmusicman]

Who would want HALF THE POWER of a V8? (at a higher cost and complexity)
The V8 is literally a simple drop in.. all the accys (from the V6) fit too.

 

[opelbits]

Cheap (ish....), different, lighter, more room, and did I say different?

 

[Ruh-Roh]

That motor might be a good swap for my 2.5L Fiero. Dressed up that way it would look great in there.

 

[Ruh-Roh]

Used motors can be found under $1k. The aluminum heads are I think $2600 for a pair...but you only need one!

Do you have a link to that article where you got the photos?

 

[Mmusicman]

"Lighter and more room" have never been an issue for me.
Underpowered certainly has.

But you might be proud to open hood and show off a silly little MG 4 cylinder.
I'm sure the #1 question will be "why didn't you put a V8 in it?"..lol

Sorry.. just expressing my view...
It's a neat motor for a tiny car.

But hey it's YOUR van.. knock yourself out

 

[opelbits]

Well, one thing is it's not an MG motor...I don't think a 1275 or 1500 would be enough to pull the doghouse off, much less move the whole van! Some info just happen to come from an MG site.

Like I said, stock form is more power than a stock Z code 4.3. Way more power than a 2.5 Astro. So, if you have a rare 2.5 5 speed, you could exceed the power of a 4.3 and still get to keep your weird 4 cylinder van a weird 4 cylinder van. It's not always about ultimate power and slapping a V8 in everything (I'm not dissing the v8, I do have some v8 mounts waiting for the day I decide I actually want to do that).

I just think this is a cool little motor with some real potential for hotrodding. And it sure looks pretty all polished up. Maybe an S10...

 

[sixsix]

Who would want HALF THE POWER of a V8? (at a higher cost and complexity)
The V8 is literally a simple drop in.. all the accys (from the V6) fit too.

w/o Reading ANYthing else in this thread...

Know this - the average V8 Music is referring to ( affordable 80s-90s ) barely made 190 hp.
Just look at some of the 5.0 & 5.7 & Corvette hp stats.

I still say, w/ the right GM OEM hds, moderate cam, newer valvetrain, lifters - that V6 can be livened up like you would not believe.
The Mercruiser 4.3 are truly monsters - and run flat out nearly all day.

Go ahead, ( everyone but Music - LOL )... look it up - Big torque and decent 225-250+ hp is cheaply affordable.


Now if you have the money, time & patience, you could "Hop Up That V8" ( after you pay for it... ) -
... then all bets are off.

 

[Mmusicman]

Know this - the average V8 Music is referring to ( affordable 80s-90s ) barely made 190 hp.
Just look at some of the 5.0 & 5.7 & Corvette hp stats.

Those HP number are not realistic.. even BIG blocks had exceptionally low numbers (in those days), but could burn rubber forever. The torque from any 350 (even dog motor) could easily still be 300 ft/lbs torque stock

I still say, w/ the right GM OEM hds, moderate cam, newer valvetrain, lifters - that V6 can be livened up like you would not believe.

EXACTLY! And the SAME MODS to any stock V8 will have the SAME DRAMATIC PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENTS! (livening it up even MORE...blowing away the same equipped 4-cylinder) Let's be sure to compare apples to apples. Mild performance mods will wake ANY Chevy V8 engine up at a fraction of the cost.

Even a mild V8 will make effortless BIG torque that a similarly equipped 4 cylinder can't touch. And torque is what moves vans... not some rubber-band wound out to impractical rpms.

 

[sixsix]

And remember - you would still have to get your hands on a reliable comparable V8.

You already have the V6 - go ahead - take a chance.

 

[Mmusicman]

Let me just be clear...

I'm ALL for souping up a V6! It's a good and well proven engine.
Like you said.. you ALREADY have it.. so go for it.

I'm NOT in favor of a "performance 4 cylinder" for a large vehicle.
You won't be happy with the weak torque for regular use

 

[sixsix]

Not hardly and definitely not for that money to boot.

 

[Mmusicman]

Here is an excellent read on Torque and HP:

A Yank In Kiwi Land: Engine Tech I: Torque and Horsepower - What's the Difference?

ayankinkiwiland.blogspot.com

"Using some common variations of a small-block Chevy, let's first examine a typical stock bore and stroke 350cid (4.00" x 3.48"), very similar in power specifications to the ZZ4 crate motor available from Chevrolet."



"The first thing you should notice is the relatively flat torque curve with the "meat" of the power over 350 lbs./ft. "under the curve" from 2000 - 5000 RPM. This engine build is relatively easy to obtain using pump gas and "off the shelf" parts. There is nothing exotic involved here, and this engine would make a great "daily driver" for most any vehicle from a street rod to a pick-up, with lots of punch available throughout the RPM range making gear selection less critical."

The next graph represents a stroked small-block of 383cid (VERY POPULAR).
Personal comment: What I find interesting to note is insane amount of torque gains with only a mild HP gain. This would be considered a mild "torque engine" with peak hp at only 5000rpms, that runs on regular fuel.



"You'll notice a nice, fat torque curve down low in the RPM range, offering over 400 lbs/ft. throughout the entire operating range and over 450 lbs./ft. under the curve from just over 2000-4000 RPM. This would make for not only another daily driver but also a great engine for a tow vehicle or any application where heavy weight/high load is involved. You should see a trend developing by now, namely that emphasizing low-end power results in a trade-off sacrificing some top-end power (even though this engine makes more power and torque, that is mostly due to increased displacement. The idea is to look at the shape and slope of the torque curve and where peak torque and HP occur)."

Taken from:

A Yank In Kiwi Land: Engine Tech I: Torque and Horsepower - What's the Difference?

ayankinkiwiland.blogspot.com

The examples provided above are modern but considered mild engines.
Any engine from 70's -90's can be equipped with mild torque cam that will yield similar results.
The biggest importance is focused on real-world torque, not mathematical hp numbers, although they are there too.

 

[opelbits]

All good points, I don't disagree! But I think you are missing the point of this thread....not everyone is looking for tire shredding power.
This is a potential answer for a question no one is really asking! Some people like to do things a little different. As evidenced by the polished motor sitting in the 30s Ford frame in the pics. Sure a v8 is an obvious answer, but he didn't want that answer.
Some people really like "WTF?!" reaction. That's part of the fun.
And again, it's not some little 4 cylinder farty thing, it's 224ci that makes more power stock than the 2.5 or 4.3 Z in the Astros.

 

[opelbits]

Do you have a link to that article where you got the photos?

Here is one thread, but i dont think it's the one with the photos.

https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/big-inch-four-mercruiser-470-485.289260/

 

[CopperFiremist]

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