Marine Bearcat 85 engine conversion to automotive use
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Mike Ostrov
Jan 20, 2008, 7:27:18 AM1/20/08
to Lotus-...@googlegroups.com
Hi, all and a Happy New Year.
Having a bit of Coventry Climax experience over the past few decades,
building my FWE and FWB engines for my half dozen street Elites and the
now retired Super 95 #1953 vintage race car, sitting lonely in the
corner of my shop with only 8378 miles from new in 27 years, mostly on
weekends, here is what I can recall, when using the CC Marine Bearcat 85
block, casting #FWB4003 57, the steps necessary to convert to automotive
use.
I used these blocks when the original FWE race engine with the standard
forged crankshaft, fractured at the front main bearing journal, one
event when providing passenger rides. This crank was x rayed and
magnuafluxed at the begining of the season. 40 years of fatigue cycling
were it's life span. Replaced with a steel billet unit.
Second race engine lost the standard Hepolite pistons. Replaced with a
set of Cosworth forged pistons.
No further problems, during the remaining 20 years of track use and
each engine developed 102 hp on the Stutzka dyno.
The Marine block has a one grade (A7) higher alloy rating, as I recall,
then the standard FWB block.
The block required the following welding and bridgeport machine work and
some other small fitments.
1. to use a mechanice petrol pump the push rod hole must be drilled
2. the exterior side head to block drain hole must be drilled out and
tapped.
3. to use a remote oil filter or cooler an adaptor plate must be
fabricated.
4. the oil pump support boss, inside the engine, must be welded back to
original configuration and machined on a bridgeport.
5. the distributor drive recess must be welded and machined as above
6. oil filler tube boss requies welding and machine work.
The forged crankshaft is suitable for all road use and light track duty,
It is the same as used in the FWE, with an oil type lip seal at the
flywheel end. A new front pulley key must be machined.
Missing parts needed for automotive use:
1. transmission adaptor plate (MG/ZF or Sprite) with crankshaft lip
seal conversion
2. flywheel for above
3. block bridge
4. oil pump and floating pickup
5. oil pump internal brass tubes
6. sump (flat or angled)
7. crankshaft front pulley w/new key
7. jackshaft helical oil pump gear
8. distributor to replace magneto
9. special Lucas racing dynamo with fittings, right angle tack drive
10. oil filler tube
11. distributor base
12. windage tray
13. front motor mount bar
14. steel timing gear
15. water pump pulley
16. head to block external copper drain line
Whew,,,,,,,a lot of typing. Probably forgot some items.
I think David Mousley and other suppliers can provide all the above
missing bits.
If not, I have sufficient spare to offer for two engines, plus standard
automotive heads.
The Bearcat head is suitable for automotive use (road or track, with
same size intake/exhaust ports, valves and combustion chamber size
(30.00/31.00 cc) to provide a 9.5: 1 static compression ratio.
Each reduction in the combustion chamber size by approx .4.12 cc will
increase the static cr by 1 full point.
I have never converted a FWP (1020cc) or FWBP (1460 cc) fire pump to
automotive use. Guess the list above is a good start for the missing
parts.
I have examined a number of fire pump heads. They are missing, as Vic
mentioned the dynamo attachment bosses for side and front mount, which
must be welded and machined.
The intake/exhaust ports and valves are much smaller then the
automotive head and the the combustion chamber is approx 35. 25 cc.
Some lads have been most successful in welding up the combustion
chambers, then grinding out the excess material and cc'ing each chamber
to match and final maching of the head surface.
Installing larger valve seats and valves can be accomplished and
increasing the intake/exhaust ports, too.
Not sure why I started this reply, but 4 am and seemed a fun thing to
do.
A reminder, that if anyone is over this way, I am 6 miles from
Berkeley, California, just across from San Franciso and my Climax
Elites, Elite/Elans (Elite bodies on stretched (4.125 inch) re enforced
Elan steel frames and Seven America (37 hp at the wheels) are available
for your driving enjoyment.
Current project is to duplicate the Lazenby Twin Cam Elite #2001. I
have talked with David, about his experiences.
We could also take my FWMP (742 cc) and FWP (1020 cc) fire pumps up to
the local water resevoir and shoot water 92 feet.
The little pump is a sweetheart. She can pump 250 gpm at 100 psi with a
7/8 inch nozzle.
Not bad for 36 hp at 4,750 rpm and a 10.00:1 compression ratio. Easy
pull start with the static ignition timing at 6 degrees AFTDC.
Happy to try and answer any questions, either by phone (5l0) 232-7764
or email: mikeo...@webtv.net
Cheers. Mike, the lad with very tired fingers at 4:22 am.
Having a bit of Coventry Climax experience over the past few decades,
building my FWE and FWB engines for my half dozen street Elites and the
now retired Super 95 #1953 vintage race car, sitting lonely in the
corner of my shop with only 8378 miles from new in 27 years, mostly on
weekends, here is what I can recall, when using the CC Marine Bearcat 85
block, casting #FWB4003 57, the steps necessary to convert to automotive
use.
I used these blocks when the original FWE race engine with the standard
forged crankshaft, fractured at the front main bearing journal, one
event when providing passenger rides. This crank was x rayed and
magnuafluxed at the begining of the season. 40 years of fatigue cycling
were it's life span. Replaced with a steel billet unit.
Second race engine lost the standard Hepolite pistons. Replaced with a
set of Cosworth forged pistons.
No further problems, during the remaining 20 years of track use and
each engine developed 102 hp on the Stutzka dyno.
The Marine block has a one grade (A7) higher alloy rating, as I recall,
then the standard FWB block.
The block required the following welding and bridgeport machine work and
some other small fitments.
1. to use a mechanice petrol pump the push rod hole must be drilled
2. the exterior side head to block drain hole must be drilled out and
tapped.
3. to use a remote oil filter or cooler an adaptor plate must be
fabricated.
4. the oil pump support boss, inside the engine, must be welded back to
original configuration and machined on a bridgeport.
5. the distributor drive recess must be welded and machined as above
6. oil filler tube boss requies welding and machine work.
The forged crankshaft is suitable for all road use and light track duty,
It is the same as used in the FWE, with an oil type lip seal at the
flywheel end. A new front pulley key must be machined.
Missing parts needed for automotive use:
1. transmission adaptor plate (MG/ZF or Sprite) with crankshaft lip
seal conversion
2. flywheel for above
3. block bridge
4. oil pump and floating pickup
5. oil pump internal brass tubes
6. sump (flat or angled)
7. crankshaft front pulley w/new key
7. jackshaft helical oil pump gear
8. distributor to replace magneto
9. special Lucas racing dynamo with fittings, right angle tack drive
10. oil filler tube
11. distributor base
12. windage tray
13. front motor mount bar
14. steel timing gear
15. water pump pulley
16. head to block external copper drain line
Whew,,,,,,,a lot of typing. Probably forgot some items.
I think David Mousley and other suppliers can provide all the above
missing bits.
If not, I have sufficient spare to offer for two engines, plus standard
automotive heads.
The Bearcat head is suitable for automotive use (road or track, with
same size intake/exhaust ports, valves and combustion chamber size
(30.00/31.00 cc) to provide a 9.5: 1 static compression ratio.
Each reduction in the combustion chamber size by approx .4.12 cc will
increase the static cr by 1 full point.
I have never converted a FWP (1020cc) or FWBP (1460 cc) fire pump to
automotive use. Guess the list above is a good start for the missing
parts.
I have examined a number of fire pump heads. They are missing, as Vic
mentioned the dynamo attachment bosses for side and front mount, which
must be welded and machined.
The intake/exhaust ports and valves are much smaller then the
automotive head and the the combustion chamber is approx 35. 25 cc.
Some lads have been most successful in welding up the combustion
chambers, then grinding out the excess material and cc'ing each chamber
to match and final maching of the head surface.
Installing larger valve seats and valves can be accomplished and
increasing the intake/exhaust ports, too.
Not sure why I started this reply, but 4 am and seemed a fun thing to
do.
A reminder, that if anyone is over this way, I am 6 miles from
Berkeley, California, just across from San Franciso and my Climax
Elites, Elite/Elans (Elite bodies on stretched (4.125 inch) re enforced
Elan steel frames and Seven America (37 hp at the wheels) are available
for your driving enjoyment.
Current project is to duplicate the Lazenby Twin Cam Elite #2001. I
have talked with David, about his experiences.
We could also take my FWMP (742 cc) and FWP (1020 cc) fire pumps up to
the local water resevoir and shoot water 92 feet.
The little pump is a sweetheart. She can pump 250 gpm at 100 psi with a
7/8 inch nozzle.
Not bad for 36 hp at 4,750 rpm and a 10.00:1 compression ratio. Easy
pull start with the static ignition timing at 6 degrees AFTDC.
Happy to try and answer any questions, either by phone (5l0) 232-7764
or email: mikeo...@webtv.net
Cheers. Mike, the lad with very tired fingers at 4:22 am.
Gary Anderson
Jan 20, 2008, 10:32:05 AM1/20/08
to Lotus-...@googlegroups.com
Hi Mike
I believe the intake and Exhaust valve centers are a little closer together on the FWP (1020 cc) fire pump heads. As you say some people have made them work and others have spent a lot of money on them and didn't. Last summer, scrap aluminum was $.70 per pound, I think it worked out to almost $6.00 per cylinder head, recycled 13 heads that day. I have another batch of 13 in the boot of the Mk1 Cortina needing to be stripped but aluminum is down to $.50 and its cold out (26 F.). Bill Hutton and Carl Whitney and possibly some others have the tooling to do the Bearcat blocks, just not many around any more, less than 600 (estimate) made, not a lot survived. Ed Z in Baltimore still has one on his Boston Whaler, he is the only person I know running it in its original aqueous environment.
Mike Ostrov <mikeo...@webtv.net> wrote:
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Vic Thomas
Jan 27, 2008, 9:58:10 AM1/27/08
to Lotus-...@googlegroups.com
Dear Gary
Remember what I said about the FW pump head being
the best start to obtain as much power as possible, the smaller ports can be
elarged to the best shape.
.Dont dump too many .
Did you also know the most powerfull
Climax`s have their valve guide holes filled with weld and drilled
elsewhere -------
or shouldn`t I be telling you that !!!
Best regards
VFT
----- Orrt to ginal Message -----From: Gary AndersonSent: Sunday, January 20, 2008 3:32 PMSubject: Re: Marine Bearcat 85 engine conversion to automotive use - pump heads
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