think there are closer LX6s?

http://www.pistonheads.com/news/images/5733-1506.jpg

http://digilander.libero.it/Lo ... /Westfield%20Megabusa.jpg


cheers

No, nothing like an LX6, it's got a 4 cylinder 1.3 litre bike engine for a start, the LX6 has a 1.8 litre, 6 cylinder engine.

Apart from that...............

okay the LX4 then, 1.3 inline 4

Quote from efast :

okay the LX4 then, 1.3 inline 4

LX4 is equivalant to a Caterham Roadsport with the 1.4 K-series engine pretty much. I guess the closest thing to an LX6 would be one of the big engined Westfields but to my knowledge there has never been a six cylinder put in any caterfields.

Not sure I know of any 1.8 litre straight sixes at all

BMC 'B' series engine perhaps?

Westfield make a 4.0 litre V8 version.

Quote from JamesK :

BMC 'B' series engine perhaps?

That was a 2.4L I believe

Quote from danowat :

Not sure I know of any 1.8 litre straight sixes at all

Alfa Rome had 1.5 litre, but others have been bigger that I know, it is not very efficient to have such small cylinders, I have read that optimal would be around 0.5 litre.

I'm not sure you could fit a straight 6 into a westfield, i have no idea on caterhams though. My mates got a westfield with a 2L 4 pot and there is only a couple inches room. V8's fit in so V configurations fit so a v6 should be ok.

visually it is the same yes

otherwise no

Quote from Greboth :

I'm not sure you could fit a straight 6 into a westfield, i have no idea on caterhams though. My mates got a westfield with a 2L 4 pot and there is only a couple inches room. V8's fit in so V configurations fit so a v6 should be ok.

Some modern straight 6 is not much longer than older 4 pot, but would be quite tight if there is only couple inches room, what takes all that space in it, can't radiator be moved more forward or what comes to limiting factor?

Quote from JTbo :

Some modern straight 6 is not much longer than older 4 pot, but would be quite tight if there is only couple inches room, what takes all that space in it, can't radiator be moved more forward or what comes to limiting factor?

The 2 litre 4-pot in the Westy is the Vauxhall red top jobby. Its not the smallest of engines.

Quote from Gentlefoot :

The 2 litre 4-pot in the Westy is the Vauxhall red top jobby. Its not the smallest of engines.

One i-6 from well known car maker is 625mm long, that is 0.625 meters that is 24.6 inches, don't know how long Vauxhall engine is, but perhaps would fit? Well, that is 3.2 litres so might be bit too powerful too with 238hp and 320nm, without turbo naturally.

Personally, if I had the choice of any engine to put in a Caterfield track car I would use a turbo charged busa engine. Loads of revs, not too much torque, extremely light and easy 200bhp. Would keep the weight of the car down around the 500kgs mark so around 400bhp per tonne and the ability to change direction quickly. Not to mention the sound! The only downside would be a new chain and sprocket set every couple of thousand miles.

Quote from danowat :

That was a 2.4L I believe

There was certainly a 2.2 litre six (wen in the Landcrabs), but I was thinking of whatever went into the 1800 MGBs ...

Triumph did a really nice 2 litre six

How about this for a modern take on the whole thing?

http://www.elfin.com.au

Click on "Showroom" to check the cars out. I see a base for a LX8 if I ever saw one! Mmmmmmmmmmm, LS1 V8 goodness.

Quote from Gentlefoot :

Personally, if I had the choice of any engine to put in a Caterfield track car I would use a turbo charged busa engine. Loads of revs, not too much torque, extremely light and easy 200bhp. Would keep the weight of the car down around the 500kgs mark so around 400bhp per tonne and the ability to change direction quickly. Not to mention the sound! The only downside would be a new chain and sprocket set every couple of thousand miles.

And the clutch. And the oil system - even dry sumped, 'bike engines are not designed with lateral g in mind.
Bike engines are okay, but the lack of torque is not, for me, compensated by high revs - I'd rather have torque than just power any day, even if it weighs a bit more to do so...

Quote from Damo74 :

How about this for a modern take on the whole thing?

http://www.elfin.com.au

Click on "Showroom" to check the cars out. I see a base for a LX8 if I ever saw one! Mmmmmmmmmmm, LS1 V8 goodness.

Weight is going to be way too much, it will be just normal car and whole idea of seven is lost with that. 3.2 litre i-6 that I mentioned is aluminium engine and does not weight too much (not much but still something like 130kg I would guess), but surely motorcycle engine is better in there again.

Idea of seven is to be incredibly light with bit smaller engine than normal cars that it will be seen as underdog and reality bites hard to some V8 lovers when beast is released as it runs circles around any 'normal' car. Big V8 is nice for some cars, but this is not one of them

Quote from tristancliffe :

And the clutch. And the oil system - even dry sumped, 'bike engines are not designed with lateral g in mind.
Bike engines are okay, but the lack of torque is not, for me, compensated by high revs - I'd rather have torque than just power any day, even if it weighs a bit more to do so...

Good point about lateral G. Dry sump would be a must.

Torque is a nightmare on track because it just causes the wheels to break traction. Power is the way on track IMO.

Quote from tristancliffe :

And the clutch. And the oil system - even dry sumped, 'bike engines are not designed with lateral g in mind.
Bike engines are okay, but the lack of torque is not, for me, compensated by high revs - I'd rather have torque than just power any day, even if it weighs a bit more to do so...

My engine.......

1000cc V-twin
121bhp @ 9000rpm
100nm torque @ 7000rpm
Dry sump, downside, its a PITA to service and top up

Stick a couple of those in a westfield and it will go like stink

Quote from danowat :

My engine.......

1000cc V-twin
121bhp @ 9000rpm
100nm torque @ 7000rpm
Dry sump, downside, its a PITA to service and top up

Stick a couple of those in a westfield and it will go like stink

I wonder whu no-one ever has used a big V-twin in a caterfield.

Quote from Gentlefoot :

I wonder whu no-one ever has used a big V-twin in a caterfield.

They have, there is a TL1000R engine thing about somewhere..............

Quote from danowat :

They have, there is a TL1000R engine thing about somewhere..............

That was the engine I was thinking of actually. Cheap as chips.

Never seen that though. Is it a one off?

Dry sump isnt hard to do. Most italian bikes have dry sumps these days. clutch would be easy, and on a track, its all about high revs, keeping the engine in its prime power area, so torque would not be a great factor here.

eg, the 2006 r6. has next to no torque, but a cracking top end. makes it almost sueless on the road, but very good on track.