I am just wondering how many people have considered the Zetec or Duratec and have given up on using the engine due to difficulty in getting everything bolted together with NA parts.
What I am curious is if there is enough interest to warrent tooling up for a custom (and inexpensive) lightweight steel bellhousing alond the lines of a stamped steel race bellhousing. Parts would be laser cut and jig welded by a aircraft certified welder.
If this sounds like something interesting please add a mee2 or note to this so I can see if its worth doing more than one (MINE ).
Quad 4 Rods in Denver already makes the conversion bell housings for about $450 in cast aluminum. I doubt you could beat that price to do it again from scratch. They are very good quality. So why would you????
Maybe if you could do it for $250 or something like that.
wayne
Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm...I have a Duratec 2.2 from a 2004 Mazda B2200...I have been a little concerned about the transmission not living up to my expectations (gearing concerns). Part of me wants to use as much of the donor as possible, even if it takes me into dark waters (because I am frugal).
It would be nice to know there are options out there just in case I change my mind.
I too can vouch for the quad4rods bellhousings...I got one to join my Zetec and Ford T-5. They are serious pieces of art. But, if you can knock the price down significantly, you'd find lots of takers I believe...not just here, but in the UK and Europe, as well.
The T-5 is a virtually bulletproof trans, plentiful & with lots of parts available, including short-throw shifters, etc.
I'm modifying the t5 bellhoussing to bolt up. i had some pieces waterjet cut in aluminium and now I just need to have someone weld every thing together.
got side tracked on my fuel injection otherwise it'd be done.
elewayne wrote:Quad 4 Rods in Denver already makes the conversion bell housings for about $450 in cast Aluminium. I doubt you could beat that price to do it again from scratch. They are very good quality. So why would you???? Maybe if you could do it for $250 or something like that. wayne
Actually $250 would be in the ball park. Depends on the price of steel. It should end up being lighter than the Quad4 bellhousing. If you have seen a Lakewood safety bellhousing thats the style it would be.
It wouldn't be as thick wall material as that by any means. Not intended
to be a explosion proof type like the Lakewood. Properly designed a steel version would have the same strength (more if the alum was 356T) as the cast aluminium quad4 and as much as 40% lighter (thats the theory anyway )
Wragie wrote:I am just wondering how many people have considered the Zetec or Duratec and have given up on using the engine due to difficulty in getting everything bolted together with NA parts.
What I am curious is if there is enough interest to warrent tooling up for a custom (and inexpensive) lightweight steel bellhousing alond the lines of a stamped steel race bellhousing. Parts would be laser cut and jig welded by a aircraft certified welder.
If this sounds like something interesting please add a mee2 or note to this so I can see if its worth doing more than one (MINE ).
Dave
Hmm. That would open up a nice class of donors. So, yes, it's a me too...
violentblue wrote:I have the bellhousing layout that I did for waterjet cutting. I'll give it to you if you want it as a place to work from.
Hi, new to your forum here. I'm not working on a Locost, though I think about doing one from time to time. I found this thread while googling on my current project. I'm working on a Zetec/T5 powered 59 A-H Sprite project. If you're not opposed to helping someone brand new to your form, I'd appreciate a copy of your layout. That may help me with decide how I'm going to mate mine up. Thanks.
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