four banger for the future?!

[Rhino]

I picked up a 2003 VW GTI about a week ago for a commuter car. I can tell you that this little turbo 1.8 has given me a new respect for 4 cylinders. I'm sure it can be attributed to it's size/weight, but the car is quick and handles like a go-cart.

[Tony_SS]

I wish the guy would've finished his Chevette ecotec build here.... I love the concept.. even in a midsize, older 80's g-body or something.

[Twentyover]

There's a guy putting an ecotech in a mid-60' chevy II. Name is 417something

[Six_Shooter]

There's a guy putting an ecotech in a mid-60' chevy II. Name is 417something

https://www.pro-touring.com/showthre...ecotec-66-nova...

[ALLstrokedOUT]

Yup, both of those builds got me thinking about the whole small displacement engines thing...my other friend with another srt4 put a bigger turbo in and apparently gets better mileage then stock since it's in boost less. I have a lot to learn and research, but if I have anything it's time haha.

[Tony_SS]

We have an 07 HHR with a 2.4 ecotec. It has a cw of about 3200lbs. Figuring that, I'd expect the same power/weight ratio from a 78-88 a/g body, but I'm not sure how that changes when the engine sideways.. I'm sure some power would be lost going to the rear wheels, but even so, sounds like there's some left on tap with these ecotec's. Even if it's an n/a setup, you'd still be driving a killer dd with 30mpg.

[bluegrandbetsy0]

I was thinking about getting a vega wagon and i tried finding but couldnt find a good 4cyl. a newer one to put in it and yes it has to be a rear wheel drive engine but un able to find anything, all i find is ecotech cobalt engines. but i was thinking about a pontiac or saturn soltice cuz i think they are a 4cyl and they are rear wheel drive tell me what you think i should do

[Simmo]

Let me tell you guys i have built all 4;s 6's and 8's and all in all if you do your job the right way they hold up just fine in a 500+ hp environment and daily use i have been there and done that before, my last one was a 2jz Toyota inline 6 with 1100+ wheel HP on high boost setting and other than rods,pistons, ARP hardware and cams everything else in the engine was stock and hold up very nice for couple of years of street race and every day use with couple of runs down the track doing high 8's low 9's with traction problems.

+1 to this! (ok maybe not the street race bit...)

I'm the odd man out here trying to make an LS go hard lol....and I tell you it's damn hard to keep up without FI!

[ace_xp2]

Well if I was going to go four cylinder, I would probably go big block (or rather, half a big block):
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/s...d.php?t=256713
A Mercruiser 3.7l inline 4, uses a 429 head, pistons, and I think rods.
230 cubic inches of big blockish goodness. Needs a different alternator, and an external water pump to make it reliable.
Not great for gas mileage, (though I've never seen anyone do efi) but at about 250 lbs thanks to an all aluminium block and using any after market aluminium 429 head, it won't have near the weight penalty of a v8.

[sokoloka]

My buddy has a pretty badass trophy truck / desert buggy that he runs with a stock Ecotec and the thing HAULS.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XKfC01IhDw

And this is a full caged, heavy as all getout long travel rig. I used to not be a fan of four bangers until I saw his rig; and now that I'm over in Europe - diesel four bangers seem to be the way to go. I have a 2011 BMW 520D and the thing will easily cruise at 90-95mph getting around 45-48mpg.

[Nothingface5384]

a buick lc2 turbo 3.8 v6is also i great engine that makes easypower ands can knock 25mpg more in a light car such as a rx7 or miata

[Nothingface5384]

a buick lc2 turbo 3.8 v6is also i great engine that makes easypower ands can knock 25mpg more in a light car such as a rx7 or miata

25 mpg in a 34-3600lbs car...close to 30 in cars less then 3k like the mentioned rx7 which can also acheive 0-60in lessthen 4 secs
even more mpgs if you mate a t-56 over the 2004r auto

[Kenova]

A Mercruiser 3.7l inline 4, uses a 429 head, pistons, and I think rods.
230 cubic inches of big blockish goodness. Needs a different alternator, and an external water pump to make it reliable.
Not great for gas mileage, (though I've never seen anyone do efi) but at about 250 lbs thanks to an all aluminium block and using any after market aluminium 429 head, it won't have near the weight penalty of a v8.

I wonder if there is much of a vibration issue at 6000 rpm.?

Ken

[SparkyRnD]

I always go back to this: the smaller an engine is, the more work it has to do compared to a larger engine in the same vehicle. That means the smaller engine will also typically not last as long as the larger engine, everything else being the same. If you can have an LS engine that gets you 400hp and 25mpg, why go with a 4cyl that will have to work harder for the same mpg? Other than the cool factor that is....

[ehummelman]

I hope that everyone who says that V8, V10, V12 engines are going to become things of the past are very wrong. How sad would it be if we all had to drive around in little 4 bangers or electric cars? I don't know, I'll wear a dress to work before I drive a ****ing Prius.

I'm confused as to what he driving force is behind this movement? Is it emissions, oil resources, politics (this is my personal guess)? It's been proven already that we can produce big power with very little emissions and decent fuel consumption in 6 and 8 cylinder engines, both gas and diesel. It's not cheap to do, but it can be done.

[ALLstrokedOUT]

my whole thought behind it is that it is going to be oil resources coupled with emissions standards (which emissions can also be directly related to politics as i see it)..We did the math for my dad who drives ~70 miles a day, in his 63 corvette and within four years the gas savings alone between it and a civic or other econo-box would pay for said econo-box. Of course my dad didnt get a civic, he rebuilt a 68 corvair and gets about 18mpg mix with it. I dont think big cubic inch engines will ever leave, but i can already see i wont be daily driving my demon for long. I can get 20mpg on the highway with my 408ci small block-basically ~30 year old technology. But the city mileage drops down into single digits, and thats where most of my driving is rite now.

Since i started this thread ive had a change of heart, ive gotten pretty big into diesels, and now think thats the future, or at least a part of it. If my5.9L 6000lb truck can get 21mpg with a mix of city/hwy miles, im very excited for the potential of a lighter vehicle. Couple that with my new dream of being able to run waste vegitable oil, even possibly growing your own fuel, and fuel economy technically doesnt even have to come into play. I still plan on building a 2nd gen camaro with a 350hp 4 cylinder, but not for a few years. Ill always have the demon, and will be looking for ways to make it faster, but i strongly feel we wont be seeing fuel costs go much below $4 a gallon for a long, long time.

[jp455]

In the same vein as that Mercruiser engine heres a sweet little 4 cylinder Ive always wanted to use on a project. Its basically half a Hemi V8! As far as I know you can still buy them new. Its the same engine that was in the Foose Blowfish Barracuda.