Hi folks, Did a quick search and nothing came up on the various upgrade options, their costs and benefits - could somebody point me in the right direction please. John Sent from my moto g(8) power lite using Tapatalk
From tuning it to run properly in the first case, refreshing the existing engine, maybe covering it in chrome, fitting a different exhaust (different sound, appearance) to a full custom engine build (costs, power, heat ) .. to fitting an engine from a different vehicle (performance, compromises, costs) .. to changing your expectations and living with it. Whats your budget ? Whats your definition of upgrade? What do you feel able to DIY ? Do you have £50 or £10000+
This seems to make sense: "You can spend as much as you like, but it's not compulsory. Take one 1600, machine case and heads, new B&Ps - job done - this is why they're so popular! No need to replace the single carb even. No need to replace the exhaust - people DO replace those but they didn't in the olden days, they just did the B&Ps and carried on with a bit more oomph." Sent from my moto g(8) power lite using Tapatalk
It's another 200cc, buses like more cc rather than go faster exhausts and carbs which can only really allow them to rev a bit more and T1 engines don't like to rev because of the weak non-counterbalanced crank and lack of main bearings.
So for this option what sort of performance 'boost' will I get cruising on the motorway? Bear in mind I have a factory hightop with even poorer aerodynamics than usual Sent from my moto g(8) power lite using Tapatalk
What limits your cruising speed? You won't benefit at a steady speed, it takes as much power as it takes no matter what the engine is capable of.... so, maybe it won't slow down (as much) up hills... but if it's overheating that limits your cruising speed it won't help at all because your cooling will still be what it is now.
The old adage seems to apply here, sorry it's not super helpful: Power, Reliability, Inexpensive. Choose two.
With a T1 engine theres a limit to increasing power without increasing cooling. All the prices I put here are ballpark cost of parts at the time, some about 10 years ago. Expect a friendly garage to realistically charge more for time than parts in most cases. When I bought my bus it had a 1641, the option that costs no extra when fitting new pistons and cylinders but delivers little extra power. At the time £300 to replace. I replaced the cylinder heads too, £250 back then.. I changed the carburettor because it needed a new one, so I changed type of carburettor. At the time about £250. I changed the exhaust because the one it came with had fallen apart, so I bought a stainless steel one. Again at the time £250. I bought an air fuel ratio meter because I knew the replacement carburettor needed tuning. £200. I found I could now make the bus go a bit faster and then it got hot. So I fitted a full flow oil pump, external oil filter and external oil cooler. About £350. Engine ran cooler. Then some mistakes I made in working on the engine broke it after 27k miles So I built another engine £600 and one of the parts I recycled from old to newer broke after 17k miles and destroyed it. Then I bought a new engine £2700.. it runs cooler. Result overall .. it goes a little bit faster and I can keep up 65mph (speedo says 73) on a flat motorway with cooler oil temperatures. Even pushing into a headwind it did not overheat at about 25C air temperatures on the M25 on last Sunday. In your case, a Subaru conversion might give you what you are looking for but probably will cost you more like £5000 , DIY might save a lot.
Cruising at 65mph on flat motorways in my hightop is my dream Mike! V5 document says 1584cc, would not want a Subaru, but have the budget to make sensible improvements. Sent from my moto g(8) power lite using Tapatalk
I guess what limits my cruising speed is my perception of what thrashing an engine is. Sent from my moto g(8) power lite using Tapatalk
OK, I'll rephrase. What is it that your current engine lacks? In what circumstances is it failing to provide what you'd like? If you want to cruise faster and/or more quietly, convert to type-4 or Subaru. If you want better acceleration make your type-1 bigger. Just my opinion - you can make a type-1 accelerate like a rocket but even with additional oil cooler you can't improve the head cooling so heat will build up fast cruising. Type-4 has better head cooling and good for another 10mph cruising speed-ish. Subaru obviously has even better cooling and more efficient 16 valve. Probably cruises as fast as you dare drive a crappy old bus without a problem.
If you are going up a hill, or driving into the wind, 40mph in 4th gear may be thrashing it more than doing the same speed in 3rd, noisy engine but more cooling for the same power output..
I am always driving into the wind in a high top!? But if I could cruise on the motorway at 65mph I would be in Nirvana! Sent from my moto g(8) power lite using Tapatalk
