Warpspeed wrote:
How about a marine inboard motor ?
(stop laughing !)
A Mercruiser 470 is a four cylinder pushrod engine, 3.7 litres, aluminium block, standard GM V8 bellhousing. It weighs about 330 Lbs with flywheel ready to go, and develops 190 Hp at 4,800 revs at wide open throttle and full load, for hours and hours continuously.
Not terribly spectacular standard....
BUT it uses many parts taken direct from a 460 big block Ford truck motor, including rods, pistons valve train, and the enormously heavy and notoriously poor breathing cast iron truck cylinder head.
The way to make these engines really go is to fit the aluminium Cobra Jet head, originally fitted to the Boss 429 engines. It is a straight bolt on. Or better still one of the more modern aftermarket aluminium heads.
You can even get aftermarket hemi heads (improved Boss Shotgun Hemi heads!!) with enormous power potential.
Fitting an aluminium head cuts about 30 Lbs from the engine weight.
These super strong truck like engines use the exact same five main bearings as a 351 Cleveland, and are a natural for forced induction. They are very strong simple light weight engines, with very few parts, which are compact for 3.7 litres.
And much lighter and narrower than a V6 of similar capacity.
They are also not that expensive secondhand.
It may not have quad overhead cams, or four valves per cylinder, or rev to astronomical rpm.
But 250 Hp to 350Hp normally aspirated and 300 Lbs running weight is not too bad.
With a turbo it would be a real killer.
here is a cool read on that motor... could make for a very fun locost stump puller..
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/show ... mercruiser
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