zenndog Posted June 26, 2011 Report Share Posted June 26, 2011 Well there is a thread that was on here a while back involving an engine swap that got kind of unfriendly. Lest anyone say that I am against different motors for L320's I decided to divulge a crazy idea that has been on my mind for the last week. This is a Fiat 1438cc ( 1400 ) with a DOHC, it produces around 89HP. I may be wrong on the cc, because the owner keeps saying it is a 1500, which doesn't exist. If it is larger it could be a 1592cc (1600 ), 105HP I can get my grubby paws on one with a 4spd trans and despite some initial hesitation, the idea is starting to grow on me. My J13 is very tired, I have a fresher J13 to put in, but now this little engine has made itself available and I think it might be kind of fun. I also may be able to get a 5 spd trans with a 2000 cc Fiat, but the engine needs to be rebuilt. Datsun to fix it again Tony? Seems like backwards land. Love to hear feedback, leaning towards yes right now, at least as I engine swap daydream I will get some pics of actual engine trans combo with some measurements in the next couple weeks I hope. The above pic I found online. Quote Link to comment
Wide14u Posted June 26, 2011 Report Share Posted June 26, 2011 it sounds like it would be cool Quote Link to comment
datsunwizard Posted June 26, 2011 Report Share Posted June 26, 2011 The British guys use the Fiat motor in a lot of their swaps. I have seen it in Morris Minor's to replace the their "A" series. The DOHC Fiat is a very good engine. Quote Link to comment
Jayden71 Posted June 26, 2011 Report Share Posted June 26, 2011 Hey man, why not?? Its different and if you got access to one, dooooo eeeeeet!! I want to see oics!! Quote Link to comment
datzenmike Posted June 26, 2011 Report Share Posted June 26, 2011 I would be more inclined if you didn't have to rebuild it first. Quote Link to comment
Z chopper Posted June 26, 2011 Report Share Posted June 26, 2011 The British guys use the Fiat motor in a lot of their swaps. I have seen it in Morris Minor's to replace the their "A" series. The DOHC Fiat is a very good engine. I have seen that too but they tend for the 2.0L oh my vote is go for it Quote Link to comment
zenndog Posted June 26, 2011 Author Report Share Posted June 26, 2011 I would be more inclined if you didn't have to rebuild it first. The 2000 may need to be rebuilt and has a 5 speed, the 1400 is ready to go but has a 4 spd, and there is a chance that it may be a 1600. The two trans may be able to be swapped. I will be looking into it in the next two weeks. I need to take some actual measurements and do some more research. For a little background, I have been helping out an older racer with this project, http://www.landracin...pic,6487.0.html It has been a lot o fun and very educational Long story short, he has piles of different engines, two of which are the Fiats I have mentioned. He was thinking about a Model T roaster/lakester project I have but the idea started growing on me to put one in the L320. My first choice is the 1400, it was running when pulled and probably has better fuel economy. If I do either engine I am going to need to put disc brakes on the front of the truck. Anyway, I will try to take many pics and post my thoughts. I don't want to cut the truck up, so the engine fitting into the engine bay is one of the deciding factors. One thing I have decided is that whatever I put into the truck, the J13 or another motor, the battery tray is coming out of the engine compartment and the battery is getting relocated. I want to take this chance to clean up the engine compartment. Quote Link to comment
ggzilla Posted June 27, 2011 Report Share Posted June 27, 2011 Those are sweet little motors. They love to rev. You could run the pickup to 70 mph, just let it rev away. The best thing about the FIATs were the engines. Quote Link to comment
zenndog Posted June 28, 2011 Author Report Share Posted June 28, 2011 I was reading online that they were the first production engine to use timing belts instead of chains. but of course this old saying from our fifth president may apply here "The problem with quotes found on the internet is that you have no way of confirming their authenticity." - Abraham Lincoln Quote Link to comment
ggzilla Posted June 28, 2011 Report Share Posted June 28, 2011 The German Glas 1004 was the first mass produced vehicle to use a timing belt in 1962. The first American vehicle to use a timing belt was the 1966 Pontiac Tempest. That's from Wikipedia but I have read the same thing in magazines and books pre-Internet age. Timing chains are generally more reliable, often lasting the life of the engine. Timing chains are cheaper. They were supposed to be quieter, but some of the chains are pretty quiet. Quote Link to comment
zenndog Posted June 29, 2011 Author Report Share Posted June 29, 2011 I tend to like chains, I have heard talk of the timing belts absorbing some of the crankshaft harmonics. I only heard the chain in my Toyota when the plastic guide broke to pieces and then I could hear it rubbing on the timing chain cover when I would turn right. When I changed it it looked like a bicycle chain. I guess the belts don't need to be oiled, but I don't know if that makes any difference. Quote Link to comment
zenndog Posted June 29, 2011 Author Report Share Posted June 29, 2011 Those are sweet little motors. They love to rev. You could run the pickup to 70 mph, just let it rev away. The best thing about the FIATs were the engines. Yeah, I want to get a set of highway friendly gears for the L320. Then I could really move. Quote Link to comment
ggzilla Posted June 29, 2011 Report Share Posted June 29, 2011 With that FIAT DOHC engine, highway friendly gears would put the engine about 3,500 to 4,000 RPM cruising. Overdrive gears will lessen the performance, but add quietness, fuel economy and make the engine last longer. Quote Link to comment
elmerfudpucker Posted June 29, 2011 Report Share Posted June 29, 2011 I would like to see more of this, interesting swap idea. Quote Link to comment
Z chopper Posted July 10, 2011 Report Share Posted July 10, 2011 did you take any measurements yet? Quote Link to comment
zenndog Posted July 11, 2011 Author Report Share Posted July 11, 2011 No official measurements yet but just from eyeballing it, the trans looks long, next week I will pull out a tape and measure it. The engine itself looks very small. I was taking a moment to look at the Fiat engine and the guy who owns it thought I was looking at the 55 Plymouth engine that was on a stand in front of the Fiat engine, so we started talking about that and looking at it. Then we started working on mounting a gear reduction starter to the 26 Dodge engine and that took the rest of the day. After all the crazy stuff we have been doing to the Dodge engine, I am tempted to mount the Fiat engine to the stock Datsun trans. I kind of like the column shift. But the Fiat trans may fit just fine, have to measure. One other quick note about the Fiat trans, the clutch fork comes out of the left side of the bell housing, and the slave cylinder is not mounted to the trans, unless the bracket and slave are just missing, which is very possible. One neat thing about the Fiat engine is the crossflow head, the intake is on the left and exhaust is on the right. I will try to take some pics next week. I am on the Greyhound bus right now, it has WiFi. Quote Link to comment
ggzilla Posted July 12, 2011 Report Share Posted July 12, 2011 Are not all DOHC heads crossflow? Certainly the FIAT design is performance oriented. Nissan now has a 1.2/1.4 liter class engine that is similar, the Nissan CR Engine. Quote Link to comment
zenndog Posted July 12, 2011 Author Report Share Posted July 12, 2011 Are not all DOHC heads crossflow? Certainly the FIAT design is performance oriented. Nissan now has a 1.2/1.4 liter class engine that is similar, the Nissan CR Engine. Yes, I think you are right about theDOHC heads being crossflow. I searched for used CR engines from a Cube and they all showed up as 1.8L for some reason. They wanted around 1300+, without trans. But are those rear wheel drive cars? Quote Link to comment
ggzilla Posted July 12, 2011 Report Share Posted July 12, 2011 Cube in america only comes with bloated engines for bloated cubes. The 1.3 was used in Japan. For lean cube steak. Yes it is FWD, but it might have the E-series/GA-series bell pattern, for which RWD 5-speeds are available. Quote Link to comment
Z chopper Posted July 14, 2011 Report Share Posted July 14, 2011 One neat thing about the Fiat engine is the crossflow head, the intake is on the left and exhaust is on the right. I will try to take some pics next week. so that means intake would be on the drivers side and the exhaust on the passenger side of a LHD car all others tend to have the opposite setup, intake on right and exhaust on left like the nissan sr20 Quote Link to comment
Z chopper Posted September 6, 2011 Report Share Posted September 6, 2011 zenndog any updates? Quote Link to comment
zenndog Posted September 15, 2011 Author Report Share Posted September 15, 2011 Sorry everyone, my summer was nothing like I was hoping it would be. I will take a nice photo and some measurements the next time I get near the Fiat engine. The person who owns it may use it in a Bantam pick-up he bought this summer. The stock spider trans is very long but the shifter appears to be in its own extended housing, meaning maybe they have a shorter shifter that would be used in a sedan. Where to find that? Anyway. that is whats up. Z Quote Link to comment
ggzilla Posted September 16, 2011 Report Share Posted September 16, 2011 Bantam pick-up? from the 1930s? Quote Link to comment
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